[00:00:01]
WELCOME[CALL TO ORDER]
TO THE REGULAR AS, UH, MEETING OF THE TREE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, CITY OF PETALUMA.[GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT]
DO WE HAVE A GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT? THEN WE WILL MOVE INTO APPROVAL OF MINUTES.I THINK THERE WAS ONE WRITTEN, RIGHT? WELL, THERE WAS ONE WRITTEN, BUT WE DON'T, WE WE DID HAVE ONE WRITTEN.
UM, GENERAL PUBLIC CON, UH, GENERAL PUBLIC
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
COMMENT.APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR THE MEETINGS OF JANUARY SEVEN.
IS YOUR MICROPHONE WORKING? YES.
CAN'T
DO WE, DO WE APPROVE THOSE SEPARATELY OR CAN WE DO IT ALL AT ONCE? YOU CAN HAVE ONE MOTION FOR ALL THREE IF, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE ALL THREE? I MOVE TO APPROVE ALL THREE.
DO YOU HAVE A SECOND? ALL SECOND.
I CAN'T VOTE 'CAUSE I WASN'T HERE IN ONE OF THE MEETINGS.
[PUBLIC HEARINGS AND MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION]
PUBLIC HEARINGS AND MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION.ITEM NUMBER THREE, AD HOC COMMITTEE FOR ARBOR DAY PROGRESS UPDATE.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE THAT, DARREN? I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THAT.
UH, SO YES, WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR ARBOR DAY EVENT ON APRIL 27TH.
WE DID GET A CONFIRMATION THAT IT WILL BE AT PRINCE PARK IN PETALUMA.
SO APRIL 27TH, PRINCE PARK FROM 10:00 AM TO 2:00 PM AND RIGHT NOW OUR AD HOC IS GOING THROUGH, LINING UP ALL OF THE FOLKS WHO WILL BE TABLING AND GIVING INFORMATION AT THE EVENT.
UH, JUST FINALIZING WHAT THE SITUATION WILL BE IN TERMS OF FOOD.
WE COULD HAVE A GROUP COME IN AND CATER THE EVENT OR DO FOOD TRUCKS.
I THINK WE'RE LEANING MORE TOWARD FOOD TRUCKS, BUT WE JUST HAVE TO FINALIZE SOME FINER POINTS THERE.
UH, AND THEN WE'RE ALSO PUTTING TOGETHER OUR IDEAS OF ACTIVITIES.
I KNOW HOWARD LAST TIME GOT US ALL EXCITED ABOUT THE TREASURE HUNT.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME OTHER ACTIVITIES AS WELL.
I'VE JUST GOTTEN A PROPOSAL TO DO LIKE A, UM, COMMUNAL MURAL FULL OF TREES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WHICH I THINK WOULD BE REALLY COOL.
WHERE THE PUBLIC CAN COME, SOMEONE CAN PICK UP A PAINTBRUSH AND JUST START PAINTING KIND OF A PRE-GENERATED DESIGN OF TREES AND FORESTS THAT WE ALL AGREE ON.
GET THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED, ENGAGED.
HOPEFULLY WHILE THEY'RE AT IT, THEY STOP BY THE DIFFERENT BOOTHS FOR INFORMATION.
AND IN TERMS OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS WHO'LL BE PRESENT, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE RELIEF.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT DAILY ACTS.
I'VE ALSO REACHED OUT TO SONOMA COUNTY REGIONAL PARKS, UH, THE FORESTRY SERVICE, YOU KNOW, SOME INSTITUTIONAL AND MUNICIPAL GROUPS WHO MIGHT HAVE A LOT TO SAY ABOUT TREES THAT I THINK WOULD BE GREAT TO GET THERE IF WE CAN.
UH, AND THEN WE'VE ALSO TALKED ABOUT INCLUDING SOME FOLKS, UH, WHO WORK WITH THE RIVER, WHETHER IT'S THE WETLANDS ALLIANCE, THE RIVER PARK.
SO THERE SHOULD BE A GOOD SMATTERING OF NOT JUST FOLKS TOTALLY FOCUSED ON TREES, BUT A LITTLE BIT OF BROADER ECOLOGY IN THERE AS WELL.
UH, SO YEAH, I'M REALLY EXCITED AND I HOPE WE HAVE AN UPDATE FOR OUR APRIL MEETING.
WE SHOULD HAVE LIKE, THE FINAL PLAN READY TO ROLL OUT.
AND I DON'T KNOW, CINDY, IF IT'S POSSIBLE, ONCE OUR GROUP MEETS AGAIN AND STARTS GETTING THINGS MORE FORMALIZED, IS THERE SOMETHING WE CAN SEND TO YOU TO SEND OUT TO THE GROUP WITHOUT A FORMAL MEETING? ABSOLUTELY.
BECAUSE IT WOULD BE GREAT TO GET FEEDBACK, UH, AFTER WE GET A PLAN IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO AFTER OUR GROUP MEETS AGAIN, UM, TO EMAIL OUT TO THE WHOLE GROUP HERE AND GET FEEDBACK FROM THE REST OF THE TREE COMMITTEE ON IDEAS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
YEAH, I WOULD, I'D BRING UP, UH, MENTION TOO.
'CAUSE WE, UH, DARREN AND I TALKED ABOUT, UM, THERE MAY BE SOME FEES IN INVOLVED IN HAVING SOME OF THESE PEOPLE IN, UH, LIKE THE MURAL PEOPLE MAYBE.
UM, AND THEN, UH, THERE MAY BE, UH, FEES INVOLVED IF WE DO DO FOOD TRUCKS THAT THEY WANT TO CER YOU KNOW, AN AN ASSURANCE THAT THEY'RE GONNA ACTUALLY MAKE SOME MONEY.
AND SO WHETHER OR NOT THEY, YOU KNOW, IF NOBODY SHOWS UP, ARE WE, YOU KNOW, ARE RELIABLE FOR IT.
SO THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, IF THE, YOU KNOW, WE PUT IT UP IN FRONT OF THE COMMITTEE TO APPROVE THOSE, UM, THOSE EXPENDITURES.
I ALSO, WENDY, I TALKED TO, WE, UH, WENDY JACOBS
[00:05:01]
AND SHE'S TALKING ABOUT A KID'S TABLE AND DOING FACE PAINTING.AND, UM, I ALSO, I THINK I JUST WANT TO KEEP, KEEP REITERATING ON THAT, THAT THAT PRINCE PARK, THE OAK THERE AND, UM, MAKING THIS ALSO A WORKDAY AND GETTING PEOPLE TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THAT TREE AND GETTING THAT COMPOST DOWN IN THAT MULCH.
AND, UM, YEAH, I'LL SAY MORE ABOUT THAT IN MY, IN MY COMMENTS TOO.
DO WE TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT AFTER THIS? UH, IT WOULD BE, UM, COMMITTEE MEMBER COMMENTS AND THEN OH, COMMITTEE MEMBER COMMENTS.
QUESTIONS FOR CLARIFICATION AND THEN THE GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CLARIFICATION? CAN YOU PLEASE REPEAT THE DATE OF ARBOR DAY? THE DATE OF OUR EVENT IS GONNA BE APRIL 27TH.
AND THAT ALIGNS, I BELIEVE, WITH THE FEDERAL ARBOR DAY HOLIDAY.
CINDY, DO YOU KNOW THAT OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD? ARBOR DAY 2024.
SO IT'S THE SAME WEEK OF EARTH WEEK.
IT'S GENERALLY THE LAST FRIDAY OF APRIL, I BELIEVE.
SO, YES, IT DOES ALIGN WITH AR NATIONAL AOR DAY.
AND LET ME CONFIRM, ACTUALLY, I'VE BEEN SAYING APRIL 27TH.
AND I BELIEVE WE WERE TRYING TO NOT CONFLICT WITH THE PETALUMA ANTIQUE FAIR, WHICH IS ON A SUNDAY.
OKAY, SO IT'S 27TH A SATURDAY.
SO APRIL 27TH, THE SATURDAY TERRIFIC.
WE'RE A SANDWICH IN BETWEEN BUTTER AND EGGS AND THE ANTIQUE FAIR.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU GUYS CHOSE THAT DATE.
PERFECT SANDWICH BETWEEN BUTTER AND EGGS.
THE OAK TREE COMPOSTING, CAN YOU CONFIRM THAT YOU WERE REFERRING TO THAT AS PART OF ARBOR DAY CELEBRATION? YEAH, IT'S PART OF ARBOR DAY.
SO WE, UM, STEVEN SWAIN FROM, UM, UC DAVIS, UM, WHO'S SORT OF THE OAK GURU FOR THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
AND, UM, AND ACTUALLY DISCOVERED, UM, WAS, WAS KEY IN DISCOVERING THE, THE ROOT OF OAK SUDDEN OAK DEATH.
HE TOOK A LOOK AT THAT TREE AND RECOMMENDED THAT WE PUT DOWN A LAYER OF COMPOST AND THEN A GOOD SIX TO EIGHT INCH LAYER OF MULCH OVER THE TOP BECAUSE THE, THE TREE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, IT'S, IT'S OUTSIDE OF A PUBLIC PARK.
THE SOIL IS COMPACTED, SO THAT WILL WORK TO, UM, RELIEVE THE COMPACTION.
SO, UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN ON MY MY MIND FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW, SO IT'D BE NICE TO GO TO THAT.
SO, UM, I WONDER IF, SINCE THE CITY HAS MULCH MADNESS, IS IT ACTIVE NOW AND CAN WE GET SOME FOR FREE? CAN WE GET SOME SUPPLIES FOR THAT? THAT THAT'S WHAT I'M HOPING.
YEAH, SO GENERALLY MULCH MADNESS IS A RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM, BUT UH, AS I WAS TELLING, UM, COMMITTEE MEMBER ATKISSON, I'M HAPPY TO SUPPORT FROM THE PARKS OPERATIONAL BECAUSE IT'S IN OUR PARK.
DO YOU GUYS HAVE ACCESS, DOES SPARKS HAVE ACCESS TO COMPOST AS WELL? YES.
AND, AND, AND, AND, UM, GRAB AND GROW IS REALLY GOOD AT ABOUT, I WON'T, I WON'T SPEAK FOR THEM, BUT THEY HAVE IN THE PAST DONATED.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE VERY GOOD TO US.
SO YEAH, WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE AN EYE TO BE JUDICIOUS WITH FUNDS AND TRY TO, YOU KNOW, GET HELP FROM, FROM PARTNERS WHEREVER WE CAN.
ANYTHING ELSE? THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER.
SEEING NONE, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
STREET TREE AD HOC COMMITTEE PROGRESS UPDATE.
UM, I DON'T REALLY HAVE MUCH TO UPDATE 'CAUSE WE HAVEN'T BEEN THAT ACTIVE IN THE LAST MONTH.
UM, BUT UM, BUT WE'RE WORKING ON IT.
I WILL SAY THAT, UM, I I, WELL I STILL WOULD PUT IT OUT TO THIS COMMITTEE AND ALSO TO ANYBODY ELSE WHO MAY BE LISTENING.
UM, HAPPY TO CONSIDER, UH, STREET TREE RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN IT PERTAINS TO CALIFORNIA NATIVE TREES.
UM, AND, UM, WE'RE ALWAYS HAPPY TO, TO CONSIDER.
SO, UM, AND IT, IT DOES GET CONSIDERED, SO LEMME JUST PUT THAT OUT THERE.
ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE? I, DID YOU GET A CHANCE TO GO OVER AND TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, UH, CATALINA IRONWOOD ON F STREET? THAT I THINK WOULD BE A GREAT ADDITION.
I DID NOT, BUT THANKS FOR REMINDING ME.
UH, WELL, AS THE NAME WOULD SUGGEST, IT'S A NATIVE OF THE CATALINA ISLAND AND IT'S AN EVERGREEN AND DROUGHT TOLERANT AND HEAT, I THINK HEAT TOLERANT, ALTHOUGH I'M NOT CERTAIN.
UM, AND IT'S, THE TREE THERE IS ABOUT 15 OR 20
[00:10:01]
FEET TALL AND IT'S A VERY NICE SPECIMEN.AND SOMEONE JUST TOLD ME THAT THERE'S A PARKLET DOWN IN SAN FRANCISCO THAT'S GOT A NUMBER OF THEM THAT ARE DOING VERY WELL.
BUT OF COURSE SAN FRANCISCO'S GOT A DIFFERENT CLIMATE THAN WE HAVE, BUT NOT TOO DIFFERENT.
THEY ALSO, UM, CARMEL HAS A LOT OF THEM AS STREET TREES AND THEY'RE MAGNIFICENT.
DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING ROGER? I I HAVE A QUESTION.
I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR THIS GROUP, BUT IT RE REGARD IT IS REGARDING A PROJECT THAT'S COMING THROUGH THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND SPA REVIEW WITH, WITH A LANDSCAPE CONCEPT SUBMITTED PREVIOUSLY
YOU KNOW, THEY, UM, ALSO, UM, I'M CONCERNED IS THAT BY THE TIME IT GETS TO SPAR REVIEW, YOU HAVE A, YOU HAVE AN ACCEPTED TENTATIVE MAP, SO YOU'RE DEALING WITH AN EXISTING MAP THAT'S APPROVED AND IF YOU WANT TO ADD LANDSCAPE OR IF YOU WANT MORE LANDSCAPE, YOU'RE KIND OF SCREWED.
YOU CAN'T REALLY, EVERYTHING IS FIXED.
UM, IT, IT JUST SEEMS IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE LATE FOR LANDSCAPE REVIEW ONCE THE SITE PLAN IS FIXED.
'CAUSE THERE'S NO MORE ROOM TO ADJUST FOR LANDSCAPE.
I JUST WONDER IF YOU GUYS HAVE HAD THAT RUN INTO THAT BEFORE? WELL, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT HAS TO DO WITH OUR STREET TREE LIST.
IT HAS TO DO WITH THE TREE COMMITTEE, THAT'S ALL.
IT'S NOT, OH NO, WE'RE RIGHT NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR STREET TREE AD HOC.
SO, UM, SORRY, LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT IN COMMITTEE COMMENT THOUGH, BUT, BUT I, YEAH, YOU CAN BRING THAT UP DURING YOUR STAFF COMMENTS IF YOU LIKE.
UM, ANYTHING ELSE? ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? SEEING THERE IS NONE.
I'LL, UH, ITEM NUMBER FIVE, WHICH IS COMMUNICATION AND OUTREACH AD HOC COMMITTEE PROGRESS UPDATE.
AND I'M ASSUMING THAT WILL BE TARN.
UM, I CAN HAPPILY PROVIDE AN UPDATE.
OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH AD HOC IS, UM, UH, PRETTY, UH, SHARP IN OUR OPPORTUNISTIC APPROACH.
WE HAVE BEEN, UM, FOCUSED ON POLICY, PRACTICE AND PROCESS WITHIN THE CITY AND REALLY REACHING OUT TO VARIOUS FOLKS, BE THEM, UH, BE THEY STAFF OR ELECTED OFFICIALS OR, UH, COMMUNITY GROUPS.
AND WITH REGARD TO POLICY, UH, WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH STAFF.
WE HAVE AN, UH, A MEETING SET UP FOR APRIL 1ST, UM, WITH HEATHER HINES, UH, TO DISCUSS ALL THAT WE'VE LEARNED THAT BEST PRACTICE ITIES DO.
UM, WHICH IS, IS NOT JUST POLICY WISE, BUT IS INTEGRATED INTO THEIR OPERATIONS.
THEY DO SOME KEY THINGS OPERATIONALLY THAT ALLOW THEM TO DO MORE WITH LESS.
HENCE THEY'VE GOT BROADER SCOPE IN THEIR TREE FOCUS AND, UM, AND TREMENDOUS SUCCESS.
SO THAT'S, UM, COMING UP ON APRIL 1ST AND WE HOPE THAT SOME OF THIS STUFF WILL REALLY HELP STAFF, UM, FINALIZE THE TREE ORDINANCE AS, AS WELL AS, UM, PERHAPS ANY STREET TREE CODE ISSUES THAT COME UP DOWN THE ROAD PERHAPS.
UM, WITH REGARD TO PRACTICE, I ATTENDED MONDAY NIGHT CITY COUNCIL MEETING, UM, BECAUSE, UM, RECENTLY I'VE DISCOVERED THAT ALONG LYNCH CREEK PATHWAY BETWEEN MCDOWELL, PAYAN AND THEN NOW LAKEVILLE STARTED BETWEEN MCDOWELL AND PAYAN, ROUGHLY 40% OF THE CANOPY THAT WAS JUST GETTING PERFECT OVER THE PATHWAY HAS BEEN DESTROYED.
EITHER TREES HAVE BEEN TAKEN OUT, CERTAINLY A LOT OF MEDIUM SIZE, UM, HABITAT, SORTS OF BUSHES.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE, WILLOW, IT'S HARD TO KIND OF IDENTIFY THEM WHEN THEY'RE NO LONGER THERE.
AND THE BRANCH TRIMMING WAY ABOVE, NOT ONLY OVER THE PATH, BUT TO THE SIDES WHERE IT'S NOT EVEN THE PATHWAY.
THEY'VE BEEN PRUNED IN WHAT I DESCRIBE AS A VERY V VASE LIKE SHAPE.
SO GOING UP AT MAYBE, OR MAYBE THAT'S A 40 DEGREE ANGLE FROM, YOU
[00:15:01]
KNOW, THE Y AXIS IF MY ALGEBRA SERVES ME.UM, AND IN DISCUSSING THAT WITH VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS, PEOPLE, ET CETERA, THERE ARE CONCERNS ABOUT THIS HAPPENING IN OTHER AREAS IN THE CITY.
ONE GREAT EXAMPLE IS THE PRUNING BACK THAT WAS ON KENTUCKY STREET, I THINK THAT WAS A YEAR AGO.
AND, UH, WHAT WAS REALLY NICE CANOPY OVER THE SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF BUSINESSES AND CAFES WHERE, UM, I PERSONALLY SAT AND THANK GOD FOR THE SHADE, BAM, IT WAS GONE.
AND AS SOME PEOPLE WILL ATTEST, THE NEXT WEEK, IT WAS WELL OVER A HUNDRED DEGREES, NO SHADE TO BE FOUND, OR MINIMAL, I'LL SAY MINIMAL SHADE TO BE FOUND.
SO AT CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, MEETING, WE BROUGHT THIS UP AND WE, UM, I ASKED, YOU KNOW, IF THE CITY COULD PLEASE TAKE A CURSORY LOOK TO WHAT, HOW IS THIS HAPPENING? WHERE IS IT HAPPENING? BECAUSE THERE SEEMS TO BE A GAP BETWEEN WHAT THE HIGHER UPS AT PUBLIC WORKS HAVE ASSURED US AND WHAT'S CONTINUING TO HAPPEN.
UM, ONE ADDITIONAL CONCERN IS THIS IS ALL HAPPENING DURING NESTING SEASON.
AND SOMEBODY, IT WAS IN THE GENERAL COMMENT SUBMITTED, I BELIEVE, UM, HAS MENTIONED THAT SOMETHING HAPPENED AT ELLIS CREEK RECENTLY.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S DURING NESTING SEASON.
UH, SO JUST KIND OF ESCALATING THAT PRACTICE ISSUE TO GET WHATEVER THINGS AREN'T TAMPED DOWN, HOPEFULLY ALIGNED WITH WHAT CITY LEADERS HAVE BEEN ARTICULATING.
AND THEN FINALLY, ON A PROCESS LEVEL THAT'S KIND OF RELATED TO PRACTICE LEVEL, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, WELL WHO IS THE KING OF THE TREES, YOU KNOW, KING OR QUEEN OF THE TREES IN THIS TOWN.
UH, AND WE'VE HEARD THAT IT IS SOMEBODY NAMED KENT.
UH, BUT I HAVEN'T HAD SUCCESS IN CONNECTING WITH KENT.
I ACTUALLY LAID EYES ON HIM THE FIRST TIME ON MONDAY NIGHT, BUT HE WAS REALLY QUICK IN REALLY QUICK OUT.
UM, BUT THERE'S, UM, A CITY, A HIGHER LEVEL PUBLIC WORKS PERSON THAT ACCORDING TO KENT EXTA IS PROBABLY THE RIGHT PERSON TO TALK WITH ABOUT TREES.
BUT, UM, SO I HOPE THAT FUTURE EFFORTS WE MAKE AS AN AD HOC TO CONNECT WITH KENT MAY BE SUCCESSFUL.
I I WOULD, UM, BEFORE I ASK FOR OTHERS, I, IS IT, WOULD THAT BE KENT CARUTHERS? SURE.
FORM BE ARE YOU ASKING ME? I AM ASKING CINDY.
YEAH, SO I'M ASSUMING THAT HE'S REFERRING TO KENT CARUTHERS.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY, I THINK THERE'S MORE THAN JUST KENT CORRUTHERS IN PUBLIC WORKS THAT WE'D WANNA CONNECT WITH.
KENT IS A SEA ENGINEER, SO HE TENDS TO DEAL WITH DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, RIGHT, THAT WE'RE OUTWARDS FACING, NOT INTERNAL, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE OPERATIONS TEAMS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, UM, UTILITIES, STREETS, WATER, ELLIS CREEK, AND THERE'S IMPORTANT PEOPLE THERE TOO.
SO IF THE AD HOC WANTS TO REACH OUT TO ME, I CAN HELP CONNECT AND GIVE YOU NAMES.
UM, 'CAUSE IF IT IS, THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
IF IT IS KENT CARUTHERS, I DID SPEAK TO HIM LAST WEEK ON AN UNRELATED MATTER, ACTUALLY CLOSING WATER STREET TO AUTO TRAFFIC, UM, WHICH IS DEAR TO MY HEART, BUT, UM, UH, HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE GHOST TREE PROGRAM DOWNTOWN SPECIFICALLY.
UM, HE WAS ALSO, OH, AND ALSO, UH, WE ALL SHOULD I, I'M BRINGING UP MY COMMENTS, BUT THE NEW, UM, SYCAMORE IS ON KENTUCKY STREET, WHICH THEY'RE ALL PUBLIC WORKS, IS VERY PROUD OF, AND THEY SHOULD BE.
AND, UM, THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THEM.
THERE'S, WE GOT FOUR, FOUR NATIVE SYCAMORES ON KENTUCKY STREET NOW.
AND, UM, ANYWAY, HE WAS WONDERING HOW MUCH THIS COMMITTEE WANTED TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS, YOU KNOW, IN JUST RE REFORESTING DOWNTOWN WITH THESE GHOST TREE THINGS.
AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, ANY, I SAID, OUR COMMITTEE IS, WE'RE HERE TO HELP YOU IN ANY WAY THAT WE CAN AND WE WOULD LIKE TO.
AND SO HE ASKED IF HE COULD COME AND, AND BRING CERTAIN THINGS TO THIS, TO THIS COMMITTEE AND GET OUR FEEDBACK.
AND, AND I, I, I ENCOURAGED HIM TO.
UM, AND THEN, WELL, THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY ABOUT NESTING SEASON IS IT'S NOT JUST THE TREES OF NESTING SEASON.
THERE ARE A LOT OF GROUND NESTING BIRDS IN THIS COUNTY.
UM, AND SOMETHING LIKE ELLIS CREEK AND LYNCH CREEK, WHERE IT'S SORT OF PARTLY WILD, I WOULD SUSPECT THAT, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING, ANY BUSHES OR ANYTHING THAT'S BEING CLEARED DURING NESTING SEASON IS ALSO DISRUPTING THEIR NESTS.
AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE EVEN LESS EASY TO IDENTIFY THAN SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE IN THE TREES.
SO, UM, I JUST PUT THAT OUT THERE.
THE CITY SHOULD BE CONSIDERING THAT.
THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING THAT.
I'LL JUST ADD, IF ANYONE WANTS TO WALK DOWN LYNCH CREEK, UM, THE SEGMENT BETWEEN PAYAN
[00:20:01]
AND MCDOWELL AS YOU WALK IN, YOU CAN'T REALLY TELL WHERE THE TREES HAVE BEEN REMOVED AT THIS POINT 'CAUSE THEY'VE KIND OF BEEN MULCHED OVER.BUT JUST LOOK FOR FRESH MULCH, LOOK FOR FRESH CUTS ON TREES.
AND ALSO PLEASE NOTICE THAT WHEREAS BEFORE WHEN YOU KIND OF LOOKED SOUTHWARD TOWARD THE SENIOR, UH, APARTMENT COMPLEX THERE, YOU USED TO NOT BE ABLE TO SEE IT SO MUCH HAS BEEN CLEAR THAT YOU'RE BASICALLY LOOKING IN THEIR WINDOWS NOW.
SO YEAH, A LOT OF THE BRUSH, UM, AND THERE WAS A LOT OF BIRD ACTIVITY.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? ALL RIGHT, THEN I WILL MOVE
[COMMITTEE COMMENT]
ON TO COMMITTEE COMMENTS AND, UM, WE'LL START WITH ROGER, WOULD YOU LIKE TO PLANNING COMMISSION? OKAY.THIS RELATES TO PLANNING COMMISSION
UM, AND I'M NOT CLEAR WHAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT HERE, WHAT WE SHOULD NOT TALK ABOUT, BUT THE, THE, THE, UH, PROJECT IS, UM, IS OCEAN CO, UH, UH, OYSTER CO.
AND IT'S COME THROUGH A COUPLE CONCEPTUAL SUBMITTALS.
THE LAST ONE WAS A CONCEPT SUBMITTAL COMPLETE WITH A LANDSCAPE PLAN.
UM, AND THE, THERE WAS, I HAD SOME QUESTIONS REGARDING AREAS THAT WERE NOT LANDSCAPED.
THE WHOLE EDGE FACING EXISTING PROPERTY AND ALSO FACING THE RAIL SYSTEM IS UN LANDSCAPED.
YOU HAVE BASICALLY A PROPERTY LINE, AUTOMOBILE, COURTYARD, GARAGE BUILDING FACADE, NO LANDSCAPE, NO, UH, INTERFACE.
SO I, I SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT WHOLE EDGE NEEDS SOME LANDSCAPE, BUT THERE'S NO ROOM TO ACHIEVE IT.
YOU HAVE TO REMOVE SOMETHING ROAD OR SOMETHING.
AND IT'S JUST TOO LATE TO KIND OF NEGOTIATE.
'CAUSE THE SITE PLAN IS APPROVED, HE IS GOT HIS UNITS, IT'S ALL KIND, IT'S PRETTY WIRED.
THE OTHER IS THAT THERE'S A, UH, 10 FOOT EASEMENT FROM THE WATER LINE TO, UM, THE OTHER SIDE OF A BIKE TRAIL THAT IS CITY PROPERTY.
SO IT RUNS THE WHOLE EDGE OF THE, OF THE, UM, MCNAIR CHANNEL OVER TO THE RAIL, UH, YARD.
AND I KEEP PUSHING TO MOVE THE PROPERTY LINE TO BACK A TRAIL.
SO THERE'S A DEFINITE LINE OF MAINTENANCE RESPONSIBILITY AND THE, THE APPLICANT DOES NOT WANNA DO THAT.
BUT THEN THE LANDSCAPE MASTER PLAN, THE, THE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT IS PLANTING TREES IN THAT ZONE, WHICH IS APPROPRIATE.
UM, BUT THEY DON'T INTEND TO HAVE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEM.
AND, UM, IT, IT, IT'S JUST WEIRD.
BUT ALL THIS IS HAPPENING AFTER THEY HAVE AN APPROVED SITE PLAN.
SO THE, SO THE LEVERAGE AND, AND THE ABILITY JUST TO FORCE ANYTHING IS DIFFICULT.
SO MY QUESTION IS, IT SEEMS LIKE A LANDSCAPE CONCEPT PLAN OUGHT TO COME AS PART OF A SUBMITTAL PRIOR TO AN APPROVED, UH, TENTATIVE MAP.
SO YOU KNOW WHERE THE LANDSCAPE IS OR WHERE THE SPACE IS ALLOWED FOR LANDSCAPE, WHETHER YOU PICKED THE RIGHT TREE OR NOT AT THAT POINT, IS NOT AS BIG A CONCERN AS YOU ALLOW FOR LANDSCAPE TO, TO BE THE PROPER INTERFACE AND STREETSCAPE AND SO ON.
SO I GUESS THE QUESTION IS HOW DO WE IMPROVE THE SPAR? HOW DO WE GET MORE, UM, DIRECTION BY THE TIME IT BECOMES A SPAR, BECAUSE THAT'S AFTER ALL THE APPROVED PLANS HAVE BEEN APPROVED AND IT JUST SEEMS TOO LATE.
ROGER, WOULD YOU BE OPEN TO PUTTING THAT, UH, IN THE EMAIL TO PLANNING STAFF? I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE ALREADY REACHED OUT TO ANDREW ABOUT THAT, BUT I THINK IT'S WORTH OKAY.
I DEFINITELY THINK IT'S WORTH DISCUSSING.
MAYBE I'LL FOLLOW UP ON THAT TOO.
JUST ON THAT SUBJECT, YOU, THOSE APARTMENTS, CONDOMINIUMS THAT ARE ALONG NORTH PETALUMA BOULEVARD, THE BUILDINGS COME RIGHT UP TO THIS, TO THE BOULEVARD.
THERE'S JUST THIS NARROW LITTLE SPOT FOR VERY TINY LITTLE TREES.
I DON'T, I'M NOT SURE OF THE VARIETY, BUT YOU KNOW, CLEARLY, UM, MAXIMIZING, UM, BUILDING SQUARE FOOTAGE, UH, IS THE PRIORITY OVER, UM, MAKING A PLEASANT PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO WALK ALONG THE BOULEVARD.
A NOTE ON THAT PROJECT, THAT WAS ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, THAT CAME BEFORE COUNCIL, AND I REMEMBER THAT WE ALLOWED THAT DEVELOPER TO GET OUT OF, UM, WE GAVE UP PARKLAND FOR THEM, AND THEY PROMISED THAT THEY WOULD, WELL, THEY STATED, I DON'T KNOW IF IT MADE IT INTO
[00:25:01]
THE FINAL AGREEMENT.UM, THEY SAID, OH, WELL, WE'LL RESERVE SOME AREA FOR PARK A SPACE LATER.
AND JUST WALKING AROUND THERE.
I DON'T SEE WHERE THEY HAVE DONE THAT.
AND UM, MY POINT AT THE TIME AND IN ENGAGING WITH, UH, COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION IS CAN WE BE A LITTLE SHREWDER MORE SHREWD IN OUR NEGOTIATING BECAUSE WE JUST GAVE UP A PIECE OF PARK THAT WAS RIGHT THERE NEAR THE FOOTBRIDGE, AND I DON'T SEE THAT WE GOT ANYTHING IN RETURN.
AND THINGS LIKE A GREATER SETBACK MIGHT HAVE BEEN NEGOTIATED, MORE ROOM FOR TREES MIGHT HAVE BEEN NEGOTIATED, OR HOW ABOUT THE PARK THAT WAS MENTIONED, BUT I SURE DON'T SEE THAT IT HAPPENED.
ANYTHING ELSE? THANK YOU, BILL.
UM, I, UM, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL GO AT THE END.
SO TARYN, I JUST HAVE A, A COUPLE OF THINGS.
NUMBER ONE IS, UM, I SAW AN ARTICLE IN THE ARGUS ABOUT D STREET BIKE LANE, AND I THOUGHT THAT THE DIRECTION HAD KIND OF BEEN SET ON TAKING AN ALTERNATE ROUTE BECAUSE D STREET IS REALLY DANGEROUS, UH, WITH A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, THROUGH TOWN AND THROUGH COUNTY OR TRANS COUNTY TRANSIT, AND I SURE WOULDN'T WANNA BE RIDING ON THAT STREET.
UM, SO I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THAT.
MAYBE OTHER PEOPLE KNOW MORE THAN I, UH, MORE ON THAT.
AND THEN I WANTED TO SAY THAT ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE TREE COMMITTEE, IT IS AN ISSUE THAT IMPACTS TREE HEALTH.
AND THAT IS, UM, THE INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PROGRAM THAT THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED ON MONDAY, UM, WAS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THE COOPERATION BETWEEN CITY STAFF INCLUDING, UM, CINDY'S DEPARTMENT AND, UM, THE COMMUNITY, WHICH INCLUDED SOME EXPERTS IN PESTICIDES AND, UM, ORGANIC LAND MANAGEMENT.
UM, AND WHAT THAT BASICALLY IS, IS NOT THAT HARSH CHEMICALS MAY NOT ARE EXCLUDED, BUT IT'S A METHODOLOGY OF TRY THE LEAST, UH, HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS AND METHODS AND NONCHEMICAL METHODS FIRST AND PROGRESS THROUGH KIND OF A FLOW CHART BEFORE YOU REACH FOR THE TOXIC STUFF.
AND THAT WAS REALLY A GREAT WIN ON MONDAY NIGHT.
UM, THERE IS, THERE, I THINK IT WAS IN OJAI, THEY JUST GOT FINED BY THE CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE'S DEPARTMENT OR WHATEVER BECAUSE THEY USED AN HERBICIDE THAT IS NOT GOOD AND IT KILLED OVER 200 TREES.
SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT.
AND THAT'S THE REST OF THE REMAINDER OF MY COMMENTS.
WELL, UH, TARAN BROUGHT UP THE D STREET.
UM, I THINK THAT'S A REALLY EXCITING TO SEE THE POSSIBILITY OF SLOWING THE TRAFFIC DOWN, THAT THERE'S A REAL PUSH TO, UH, SLOW THE FAST DOWN ON D STREET.
AND, UM, ALL OF THAT IS, IS QUITE EXCITING FOR, UM, FOLKS THAT LIVE AROUND THERE.
UH, I HAPPEN TO RIDE MY BIKE, UH, WAS EVERY DAY I RIDE MY BIKE IS A GOOD DAY, I LIKE TO SAY.
UM, AND I USE D STREET TO GET IN AND OUT OF, UM, WHERE I LIVE.
SO UNFORTUNATELY IT'S JUST NOT A VERY PLEASANT PLACE TO, TO RIDE MY BIKE.
SO I OFTEN, I'LL IMMEDIATELY TAKE A PARALLEL STREET LIKE EF OR GH TO GET TO WORK OR C STREET OR B STREET TO GET TO DOWNTOWN AND BACK.
AND CERTAINLY COMING BACK, UH, BECAUSE OF THE SLIGHT GRADE, UH, AND THE DIFFERENTIAL AND, AND SPEED, I REALLY TRY TO AVOID D STREET ON MY BIKE BECAUSE IT'S, UM, AGAIN, KIND OF UNPLEASANT TO BE SO CLOSE TO TRUCK TRAFFIC AND SPEEDING VEHICLES.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, TO TO, I THINK TO THE, THE, THE BIG KIND OF ISSUE ON THE TABLE IS TO, UM, TO PUT BIKE LANES ON D STREET.
AND I THINK IT WOULD POTENTIALLY BE INCREMENTALLY SAFER FOR THOSE PEOPLE, UH, ON BIKES ON D STREET, BUT IT'S ALSO POTENTIALLY BRINGING MORE BICYCLISTS TO A DANGEROUS SITUATION.
SO, UM, I, UH, I I THINK THAT THERE, THERE'S ALSO A TRADE OFF FOR THE FOLKS THAT ARE VISITING,
[00:30:02]
UH, THE D STREET RESIDENCE THAT WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PARK, UH, DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THOSE HOUSES THAT THEY'RE VISITING OR WORKING AT.AND, UM, SO THERE WOULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME SORT OF, THEY'D HAVE TO PARK AROUND THE CORNER TO WALK TO THEIR, UM, DESTINATION OR, OR PARK ACROSS THE STREET AND, AND CROSS TRAFFIC.
AND THEN, WHICH WE KNOW IS AN UNSAFE SITUATION.
I'M ALSO, UH, I THOUGHT IT WAS BROUGHT UP BY ONE OF OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS IN A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE THAT, UH, IT, YOU KNOW, IT CHANGES THE, THE F THE FFE, THE, THE LOOK AND FEEL OF A, A PRETTY IMPORTANT STREET IN OUR TOWN.
AND, UM, AND, UH, I KNOW THAT WE WANT TO GET THIS SLOW, THIS TRAFFIC DOWN, BUT, UH, IDEALLY WE WOULD, WE COULD BE INCORPORATING, YOU KNOW, A A REALLY, UH, ENHANCED STREET SCAPE AS WELL.
AND, UH, I KNOW THAT WE CAN DO THAT WITH TREES.
AND THERE'S DEFINITELY A DEFICIT OF TREES.
THERE'S HUGE SWATHS THAT DON'T HAVE ANY SHADE COVER, LIKE, YOU KNOW, SIDEWALKS AT 120 DEGREES ON AN 85 DEGREE DAY.
IT'S NOT A VERY PLEASANT PLACE TO WALK EITHER.
AND SO I'M EXCITED FOR, YOU KNOW, PROVING THE STREET.
AND I THINK THERE'S, UH, SOME MORE WORK TO BE DONE TO IMPROVE OUR STREETS SCAPE THERE, UH, THE SAFETY FOR PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS.
UM, SO I'M INTERESTED TO ENGAGE ON THIS ISSUE SOME FURTHER.
I, I WOULD, YOU BROUGHT UP TOO, I, UM, WITH D STREET, THANK YOU.
UH, YOU KNOW, I I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF BIKE LANE ON, ON B STREET, AND THERE'S NO REASON WHY B STREET NEEDS TO BE 30 MILES AN HOUR EITHER, WHICH I THINK IS, IS ODD, BUT, UM, BUT I AGREE WITH YOU BILL ABOUT THE STREETSCAPE AND, AND, AND ROGER TOO.
AND, UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S STUDIES SHOWN THAT, THAT PEOPLE WILL AUTOMATICALLY, OR, OR FEEL LIKE THEY NEED TO GO SLOWER IN A, IN A MORE TREE ENVIRONMENT.
SO AS SOON AS YOU COME INTO TOWN, IF THERE, IF THERE WERE TREES OVER D STREET AS THERE HAD BEEN HISTORICALLY, PEOPLE WOULD SLOW DOWN.
UM, AND THEN WE'D ALSO HAVE THE, THE, WE BROUGHT IT UP BEFORE WITH THE, WHAT PALO ALTO DID WAS ACTUALLY PUT TREES INTO THEIR PARKING ZONES.
AND SO YOU COULD HAVE, YOU COULD ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, D STREET MIGHT BE A NICE PLACE TO, TO START TO LOOK AT SOME OF THAT TECHNOLOGY AND, AND PUTTING THOSE TREES INTO THE PARKING ZONES.
AND THEN YOU END UP WITH NOT, WELL NOT ESSENTIALLY A DOUBLE ROW OF TREES, BUT YOU COULD END UP WITH A SORT OF STAGGERED DOUBLE ROW OF TREES AND, YOU KNOW, INCREASE IT EVEN MORE.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN ICONIC STREET.
I THINK IT SHOULD BE SORT OF LEFT AS A SORT OF TESTAMENT TO WHAT IT IS.
AND I THINK THAT THE, THE SIDE TO SIDE PARKING, YOU KNOW, BIKE KIND OF THING IS, IS, IS NOT SUITABLE FOR THEIR HOUSE.
SO IT'S A BUSY STREET AND, UM, YOU KNOW, TO MENTION THE RESIDENCE, BUT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE AMAZON DRIVERS AND UPS DRIVERS INSTEAD OF RUNNING ACROSS THE STREET, YOU KNOW? AND SO, UM, THAT SEEMS VERY UNSAFE TOO, SINCE IT IS A, IT IS ACT, TECHNICALLY A HIGHWAY.
SO, UM, YOU HAVE ANOTHER ROGER? YEAH, I'M, I'M GUILTY OF WRITING A LETTER TO, UH, BOTH THE COUNCIL AND TO THE, THE NEWSPAPER AS A, AS A RESIDENT, NOT AS A PLANNING COMMISSION OR A COMMITTEE MEMBER.
AND, AND MY, MY ISSUE WAS, UM, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THE TRAFFIC GOAL OF SLOWING TRAFFIC DOWN OR MAKING IT SAFE, SAFER.
I DON'T DISAGREE WITH EXTENDING THE, UH, PEDESTRIAN BULB BOUTS THAT REDUCE THE DISTANCE THAT THE PEDESTRIAN HAS TO CROSS THE STREET TO MAKE IT SAFER.
IN FACT, I THINK WE COULD EN ENLARGE THAT AND ACHIEVE WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, HOWARD.
UM, BUT I THINK ADDING THE BIKE LANES STARTS TO CROWD THE STREET AND FOR, AND IT'S A, IT'S A SECONDARY HIGHWAY AND IT'S A TRUCK ROUTE AND IT'S, IT'S BUSY.
AND, UM, SO MY QUESTION REALLY WAS, SHOULD THE TRAFFIC ENGINEERS, SHOULD THE BICYCLE BIAS TO THE TRAFFIC BIAS RUN THIS PROJECT? IT'S, IT'S A CITY, ICONIC CITY STREET IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT IMAGE STREET FOR A CITY OF PETALUMA, HISTORICALLY, THAT PLAYS AN INCREDIBLE ROLE WITH BOTH, BOTH THE STREETSCAPE, THE LANDSCAPE, THE SETBACKS, THE BIG LOTS, ALL OF THAT KINDA REINFORCED.
AND IN MY MIND IT SHOULD BE PART OF A PLANNING DISCUSSION, NOT A CIVIL ENGINEERING DISCUSSION.
AND, UH, THIS, THIS IS MY, I SAY THIS FREQUENTLY NOW BECAUSE IT SEEMS THAT ALWAYS
[00:35:01]
THERE'S SEPARATE DIVISIONS ALWAYS DOING THEIR OWN THING, AND THERE'S NO INTER INTERFACE.SO, UH, AND I KNOW THE RESIDENTS, THE NEIGHBORS ARE QUITE WELL ORGANIZED AND WILL PUSH BACK B BOTH FINANCIALLY AND LEGALLY.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S GONNA GO, BUT MY ONLY, I SAID, I SAID, WHERE'S BRIAN O IN THIS DISCUSSION? WHERE'S COMMUNITY PLANNING IN THIS DISCUSSION? I HAVEN'T SEEN HIS NAME OR HIS INVOLVEMENT OR HIS OPINION OR HIS LEADERSHIP DEALING WITH THE COMMUNITY, IMPORTANT COMMUNITY ELEMENT PLANNING ELEMENT.
SO THAT'S MY, THAT'S THE BIG QUESTION I STILL HAVE.
UM, I'D LIKE TO SHARE THAT I RECENTLY MET SOMEBODY WHO USED TO WORK IN PLANNING HERE BEFORE WE, UH, LIQUIDATED OUR, UM, STAFF PLANNING, YOU KNOW, UM, WITH THE GREAT FINANCIAL CRISIS.
UM, AND HE POINTED OUT TO ME THAT WHAT WE USED TO HAVE IN THE CITY BACK THEN, WHICH HE SAYS WE DON'T HAVE NOW, IS I BELIEVE YOU REFERRED TO THEM AS FUTURE PLANNERS VERSUS ADMINISTRATIVE PROJECT PLANNERS.
HE SAID THE FUTURE PLANNERS ARE THE ONES THAT REALLY STEP BACK, TAKE AN OVERALL LOOK AT EVERYTHING, AND THEY'RE THE ONES THAT DO SOMETHING LIKE WHERE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND I HAVE TO WONDER, DO WE HAVE A FUTURE PLANNER ON STAFF HERE OR IS IT BASICALLY JUST, UM, PARDON MY EXPRESSION, BUT LIKE PAPER PUSHERS, RIGHT? THAT HAVE SOME ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERTISE, UM, AND SOME, UH, PLANNING EXPERTISE, BUT THEY'RE REALLY NOT WHATEVER'S REGARDED AS A FUTURE PLANNER.
AND, UM, REGARDLESS OF THE VERBIAGE, I THINK THAT WE'RE CONSISTENTLY HITTING UP AGAINST, UM, POTENTIALLY WHAT MIGHT BE MAYBE, UM, A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE OR A VACANCY IN A CERTAIN MINDSET OR SKILLSET.
SO I JUST WANTED TO OFFER THAT UP.
YOU KNOW, IT IS INTERESTING 'CAUSE WE HAD A MEETING WITH BRIAN O AND ASK HIM THOSE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.
IS THIS YOUR ROLE? AND I'VE TALKED TO ANDREW TRIPLE AS WELL, AND, AND ANDREW TRIP.
HE, HE OPERATES ON PLANS THAT ARE SUBMITTED.
IF THEY'RE NOT SUBMITTED, HE'S NOT INVOLVED.
SO IT'S GOTTA BE SOMEONE OUT OUTSIDE OF, OF, UH, ANDREW.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE BRIAN O AND I DON'T KNOW, UH, IT MIGHT BE WORTH MEETING WITH HIM AND SAYING, WHAT'S YOUR SENSE OF HOW THIS SHOULD HAPPEN? WHAT'S THE O WHAT'S THE GLUE THAT HOLDS THE WHOLE CITY TOGETHER? BECAUSE WE, WE, WE AS AN AD HOC COMMITTEE, MET WITH KEN AND WITH BJORN, AND WE WENT THROUGH OUR CONCERNS WITH D STREET AND WE SUGGESTED ADDING TREES AT THESE INTERSECTIONS.
AND THE FACT THAT WE WERE NOT INVOLVED IN ANY FURTHER DISCUSSIONS OR INVOLVED IN ANY FURTHER REFINEMENT SAYS A LOT TO ME JUST TO, AND STEP IN HERE.
I THINK THESE QUESTIONS ARE REALLY PLANNING DEPARTMENT QUESTIONS.
UM, AND I, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU AS THE LIAISON TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU TAKE IT BACK TO THE FULL COMMISSION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION, THOSE CONCERNS AS WELL AS I KNOW YOU'VE REACHED OUT TO ANDREW, WHO'S THE STAFF LIAISON, AND BRIAN O WHO'S THE DIRECTOR.
BUT REALLY I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU DO VOICE THESE CONCERNS AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION AS WELL BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S UNDER THEIR PURVIEW, ALL OF THE PLANNING ITEMS, THE TREE COMPONENT, OBVIOUSLY WE AS A COMMITTEE WILL GO AHEAD AND WEIGH IN ON, BUT AS FAR AS PLANNING AS A WHOLE, IT DOESN'T FALL UNDER OUR SCOPE TO REALLY HAVE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF INPUT AND THEN LET'S SAY REQUEST FOR US TO WEIGH IN.
THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION, CINDY.
I, I WAS ALLOWING IT BECAUSE IT, UM, IT, IT TO, TO ME IT'S, IT'S A GOOD DISCUSSION.
UM, I THINK THAT, UM, THERE ARE ISSUES OF CITY PLANNING, ESPECIALLY URBAN PLANNING, AND AS, AS, AS, AS, UM, TARYN SAID ABOUT SORT OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE URBAN PLANNING FUTURE FOR THIS CITY? AND I THINK THIS COMMITTEE, UM, COULD BE INSTRUMENTAL IN, IN GIVING OUR OPINIONS AND GIVING FEEDBACK ON, ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
AND CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THIS, UM, THE NEW TPO AND THE NEW, UM, GENERAL PLAN COMING DOWN AND, AND WHAT'S PLANNED FOR AS INCREASING OUR, OUR URBAN CANOPY, I THINK, I THINK IT'S ALL PART OF THE SAME HOLE.
SO, AND JUST SEEING IN THAT WE HAD LOTS OF TIME TODAY.
THE CHAIR FORMBY, I WOULD JUST SAY IF WE COULD BRING IT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO ASK THEM TO AGENDIZE ONTO OUR AGENDA, THEN WE CAN DISCUSS IT AND COMMITTEE AND STAFF COMMENT.
GENERALLY IT'S SHARE OUTS AND NOT DISCUSSION.
SO THAT'S WHY IT'S, I WOULD JUST, OH, ASK OUR PLANNING LIAISON TO TAKE IT TO PLANNING COMMISSION TO ASK FOR IT TO BE BROUGHT FORWARD TO US.
AND THEN WE CAN HAVE A FULL DISCUSSION ABOUT IT.
OH, I I I'M SORRY I MISUNDERSTOOD YOU.
UM, YES, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
I'D JUST LIKE US TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THE SPACE AND THE PUBLIC TO BE ABLE TO COMMENT IT AS WELL.
[00:40:01]
SO ARE WE ASKING UM, ROGER AS THE LIAISON TO PLEASE REQUEST IT TO AT THE NEXT PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING? MM-HMMBRING IT TO US FOR DISCUSSION AND THAT LEADS REALLY WELL INTO MY COMMENT ACTUALLY.
UM, SO ROGER GAVE THE REPORT OUT FROM PLANNING COMMISSION.
I WAS GONNA SAY PART OF THAT, HE BROUGHT UP OYSTER COVE AND THE SPAR REVIEW.
AND I THINK WHAT WE CAN DO IS PLANNING LIA, OR I'M NOT FORMALLY THE LIAISON, BUT PEOPLE ON PLANNING COMMISSION CAN NOTIFY THIS GROUP WHEN SPARS ARE HAPPENING.
SO EVEN IF WE CAN'T ALWAYS GET AN APPLICANT BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE WITH THEIR PLAN, 'CAUSE THERE WERE TIMES IN THAT OYSTER COVE MEETING WHERE AS MUCH AS WE WERE BOTH THERE FOR THE TREES, I WANTED THE INPUT OF EBERLY AND HOWARD AND TARAN AND BILL.
SO, AND WHEN WE ARE AT THAT MEETING, REVIEWING SPAR IS NOT REALLY THE TIME TO ASK CAN WE STOP THIS MEETING AND BRING IT BEFORE TREE? SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, IN THAT SPIRIT, I WANNA NOTIFY EVERYONE HERE THAT ON THE 26TH, THAT'S NEXT TUESDAY, WE WILL BE DOING A SPAR REVIEW OF A SMALLER PROJECT AND THAT'S FIFTH, UH, FIVE 60 HAYES LANE IN PETALUMA.
AND THERE MAY BE, UH, WE DON'T HAVE THE FULL PACKET YET, BUT THERE MAY BE A LANDSCAPE COMPONENT TO THAT.
SO I'M GONNA TRY, MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN DO WHENEVER WE KNOW A SPAR IS COMING TO GIVE A HEADS UP TO OUR GROUP HERE, ASSUMING THE TIMELINES ALIGN.
UH, JUST SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THIS COMMITTEE CAN WEIGH IN, EVEN IF IT'S NOT AS A FORMAL COMMITTEE, BUT AS AN INDIVIDUAL WITH AN INTEREST.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE A REALLY GOOD WAY TO, TO MAKE SURE WE ARE ALWAYS GETTING THE INPUT FROM OUR TREE PEOPLE ABOUT LANDSCAPE PLANS AND THINGS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
I THINK IT'S A REALLY BIG POINT.
AND I ALSO JUST WANTED TO SECOND THAT POINT.
I WAS GONNA JUMP IN AND SAY, DON'T BE AFRAID TO VOICE THESE CONCERNS.
AND I KNOW WE HAVE, WE'VE MET WITH ANDREW AND BRIAN, BUT THESE CONCERNS ABOUT URBAN PLANNING AS WITH TREES, RIGHT? ANY ISSUE LIKE THIS, WE NEED TO KIND OF CONSTANTLY BE PUSHING THE CONVERSATION FORWARD.
UM, AND I THINK VOICING THESE CONCERNS AND WRITING THESE OUT IN AN EMAIL FOLLOWING UP ARE ALL GOOD THINGS TO DO.
'CAUSE AS WE SEEM WITH TREES, IT DOES GET TRACTION AS WE KEEP THAT CONVERSATION MOVING, SUDDENLY STAFF IS TALKING ABOUT IT AND IT ENTERS THE, THE LEXICON OF WHAT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT.
UH, SO I DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE THAT.
I ALSO WANTED TO SHARE THAT ON THE 13TH, JUST A WEEK AGO WE WENT TO THE KNOW BEFORE YOU GROW, UH, PRESENTATION AT THE MYSTIC THEATER BY DAVID BAKER ARCHITECTS.
UH, I THOUGHT THAT WAS A GREAT EVENT AND I GOT TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THEIR ADVICE FOR INTEGRATING TREES AND LANDSCAPE PLANS INTO PROJECTS, SPECIFICALLY STREET TREES.
AND THE FEEDBACK I THINK JUST KIND OF REINFORCES WHAT EVERYONE HERE PROBABLY KNOWS.
UH, ONE OF THE PRINCIPALS SAID, YOU NEED TO FIGHT FOR AS BIG OF SIDEWALKS AS POSSIBLE.
YOU NEED TO FIGHT FOR YOUR SETBACKS FROM THE STREET.
YOU NEED TO PUSH FOR THE BIGGEST POSSIBLE TREE WELLS.
AND HE WAS VERY MUCH OF THE MIND WHEN YOU DO, WHEN THEY DO THEIR RENDERINGS AS AN ARCHITECT FIRM, THEY SHOW THE MATURE TREE.
THEY SAID, PLAN, IF YOU'RE GONNA PLAN FOR BIG TREES, YOU NEED TO, AS YOU KNOW, HE'S AS A PLANNING COMMISSIONER, I FOLLOWED UP WITH HIM AFTER YOU NEED TO FIGHT FOR THAT SPACE AND THE ABILITY TO HAVE THOSE MATURE TREES THERE.
AND IT WILL ALWAYS BE A BIT OF A PUSH PULL.
UH, AND HE SAID, CHOOSE THE RIGHT SPECIES AND ALSO DON'T MAKE TRADES
HE SAID THE BEST PLACE TO HAVE VEGETATION IN A PROJECT TREES IS IN THE GROUND.
AND LIKE I SAID, I THINK EVERYBODY ON THIS COMMITTEE KNOWS THIS, BUT IT WAS NICE HEARING A PRINCIPLE OF A BIG ARCHITECTURAL FIRM WHO OPERATES IN SAN FRANCISCO AND ALABAMA SAY THIS AND VOICE IT.
AND THAT'S WHAT THEY DO IN THEIR PROJECTS.
SO IT GIVES AN EXTRA KIND OF EMPHASIS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT, UH, AS WE REVIEW PROJECTS.
AND THEN FINALLY, AS A, A LIGHTER NOTE, I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THEY BRING NEWS ABOUT FUNGI AND MUSHROOMS TO THIS GROUP 'CAUSE THEY ARE INTEGRATED WITH TREES.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER HAD FUNGI ON THEIR COVER AND HAS FORMALLY ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WILL BE INCLUDING FUNGI ALONGSIDE PLANTS AND ANIMALS AS PART OF HOW THEY EXAMINE THE ENVIRONMENT, HOW THEY DO THEIR ADVOCACY.
MORE CITIES ARE JUMPING ON BOARD WITH KIND OF PUTTING THAT IN THEIR LANGUAGE THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT ENVIRONMENT, IT'S PLANTS, ANIMALS, OR AS THEY SAY FLORA FAUNA, FUNGI.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT 'CAUSE I THOUGHT THAT WAS INTERESTING.
UH, WELL SPEAKING OF MATURE TREE SPECIES, UM, STEVEN SWAIN, WHO HOWARD MENTIONED IS KIND OF THE OAK GU FOR SONOMA.
NAPA COUNTY HAS AGREED TO MEET AND LOOK AT SOME OF OUR AILING OAKS.
AND, UM, I'M INVITING EVERYONE HERE TO JOIN BE SOMETIME IN THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS.
AND I'LL ALSO ASK ANYONE FROM RELIEF WHO WANTS TO COME AND IT, IT WON'T BE, UH, YOU KNOW, A LONG MEETING.
I WAS THINKING ABOUT MEETING OVER AT LEGHORN PARK WHERE THE, THERE'S SOME SPECIMENS THAT ARE QUICKLY LOOKED AT.
AND WHAT HE SAID IS, IN ADDITION TO SUDDEN OAK DEATH, IT'S A, SOMETHING CALLED A SYCAMORE BEETLE, WHICH IS CAUSING A LOT OF OUR COAST LIVE OAKS TO, UH, TO BE SUCCUMBING.
[00:45:01]
JUST WANNA GET AN IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE PROGNOSIS IS.YOU KNOW WHAT, IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE THERE'S ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT, BUT YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW WHAT PROPORTION OF THE TREES ARE GONNA SUCCUMB AND OVER WHAT TIME PERIODS AND IT'D BE GREAT IF AS MANY PEOPLE HERE COULD COME SO THAT WE KIND OF ALL HAVE ACTUALLY LAID EYES ON THE TREES THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, SO WE ALL HAVE SORT OF THE SAME INFORMATION.
EVERLY, IF YOU COULD SEND ME THAT, I'LL SHARE WITH THE COMMITTEE ONCE YOU HAVE DATE AND TIME.
[STAFF COMMENT]
COMMENTS.I MEAN, UM, ONE OF THE MAJOR UPDATES, I THINK TARYN HIT ON IT.
SO, UH, MONDAY AT COUNCIL, COUNCIL ADOPTED THE NEW IPM POLICY.
HOW THAT'S EXACTLY GONNA WORK IS LAID OUT.
AND IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT OR IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT, UM, GO TO THE COUNCIL AGENDA AND I WOULD SAY PULL IT.
I, I DO THINK THAT THERE'S BEEN A HUGE SHIFT SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.
AS YOU'LL KNOW, PARKS DOES HAD BEEN DOING VERY MINIMAL SPRAYING AND I THINK THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT UNKNOWN UNTIL PEOPLE ASKED FOR OUR SPAY RECORDS.
THEY DID A PRA AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH, YOU'RE YOU HAVEN'T I GO? NO, WE'VE BEEN PRETTY HAND METHOD FOR A FEW YEARS HERE NOW.
SO WE'RE FROM THAT PARKS HAS MOVED ON, I THINK REPORTED OUT LAST MONTH THAT WE DID, UM, ARE GONNA MOVE TOWARDS AN ORGANIC TURF PILOT PROGRAM MANAGEMENT.
UM, WE'RE SENDING MORE SOIL SAMPLES TO SEE WHERE WE'RE AT, BUT CHIP OSBORNE CAME OUT AND HE WAS ACTUALLY PLEASANTLY SURPRISED BY WHAT HE SAW IN OUR SOIL.
HE SAID IT'S PRETTY NUTRIENT DENSE AND OUR FESCUE GRASS IS SOME OF THE STRONGEST.
SO THAT HE, THAT HE THINKS THAT THE PROGRAM WILL REALLY WORK REALLY WELL FOR US.
WE'RE PILOTING IT IN PRINCE PARK, MCDOWELL PARK AND UM, MCNAIR PARK.
SO THOSE WILL BE YOUR THREE PARKS THAT AS WE GET THE SOIL SAMPLES BACK IN THE FALL, WE'LL HAVE THE FULL ORGANIC PROGRAM STARTING.
UM, SO WE'RE REALLY, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
THE PARKS TEAM'S REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT TO SEE IF WE CAN MAKE IT WORK.
UM, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, UM, JUST WITH THE SHIFT THAT WE'RE DOING, SOIL HEALTH IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
THAT WILL AFFECT THE TREES TOO.
SO IT'S REALLY, I THINK OVERALL JUST MIND SHIFT.
YOU KNOW, YOUR PARKS TEAM IS OUT THERE LEADING IT OR THEY'RE GREAT.
I MEAN PROBABLY ARE A LITTLE BIT EGGED ON BY ME, BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, JUST WANTED YOU GUYS TO KNOW THAT UPDATE.
WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT.
OUTSIDE OF THAT WE'LL WORK WITH OUR CONTRACTORS TOO.
MY CONTRACTORS, UM, AS FAR AS ANYBODY THAT I'VE HAD UNDER MY PURVIEW, THEY HAVEN'T SPRAYED.
SO WE'VE REALLY BEEN KIND OF YOUR LEDS AND ALL THOSE HAVE ALL BEEN KIND OF AN ORGANIC METHODOLOGY THE LAST FEW YEARS.
SO WE'LL JUST CONTINUE ON HOPING WE CAN SPREAD THE ORGANIC PROGRAM ONCE WE CAN SEE WHAT IT REALLY TAKES TO MAKE IT WORK.
UM, AND SO THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS YOU'LL KIND OF SEE THAT SHIFT THAT WE START DOING OUTSIDE OF THAT, UM, ARBOR DAY.
SO THAT IT, IT IS GONNA GO TO COUNCIL.
I THINK IT'S, IT'S COMING UP SOON.
SO HOWARD, I'LL PROBABLY LOOK TO YOU IF YOU CAN BE THERE TO RECEIVE, UM, THAT, THAT'D BE GREAT.
OR IF ANYBODY ELSE FROM THE COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO COME.
UM, TO PRE RECEIVE THE PROCLAMATION FOR THE OFFICIAL ARBOR DAY CELEBRATION, I'LL MEET WITH THE AD HOC TO SUPPORT THAT IN ANY WAY.
YOUR LAST, UM, SINCE MARYANNE'S NOT HERE, YOUR LAST REC COMMISSION MEETING WAS A SPECIAL MEETING TO OVERSEE THE IPM ITEMS SO THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU SAW IT GO TO COUNCIL, THERE'S NOTHING REALLY DIFFERENT THERE.
THEY MEET TONIGHT, THERE'LL BE SOME OTHER ITEMS THAT ARE COMING UP THERE.
THEY'VE BEEN PLANNING AT A CHURCH.
THEY DID THE URBAN SEPARATOR LAST WEEKEND.
THEY'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE RESIDENTIAL TREE PROGRAM THAT'S PART OF THE, UM, FEDERAL GRANT THAT THE CITY RECEIVED.
SO THEY'RE BLAZING AND STILL DOING THEIR WORK.
SO JUST REALLY, REALLY BUSY ON ALL FRONTS.
I KNOW THERE WAS A GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE DO LOOK AT NESTING SEASON IN THE PAST.
WE HAVEN'T GOT THE BIOLOGIST REPORT.
LAST YEAR WAS THE FIRST TIME WE DID IT, BUT WE DO KEEP THE WINDOW FOR PARKS, JUST SO YOU'RE AWARE IN OUR PARKS, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY IN CERTAIN AREAS LIKE SCHOENBERGER, WHICH IS MUCH MORE SENSITIVE.
WE DON'T MOW UNLESS IT'S OUTSIDE OF THE WINDOW.
UM, SOMETIMES IF THERE'S A REAL DEMAND FOR FIRE AND WE HAVE TO MITIGATE SOME HIGH WEEDS, WE WORK WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
BUT THAT'S KIND OF WHAT THE PARKS METHOD IS.
SO JUST SO YOU'RE AWARE HOW, WHAT WE DO, UM, OVERALL CITYWIDE, I CAN'T SPEAK TO EVERY DEPARTMENT, BUT THAT'S WHAT PARKS DOES.
THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS FOR THE MONTH.
IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE YOU NEED HELP WITH CONNECTING WITH, YOU KNOW, STAFF, JUST PLEASE REACH OUT TO ME.
I'LL, I'LL DO WHAT I CAN TO CONNECT EVERYBODY.
CAN WE, KAREN, ASK, MAY I ASK A QUESTION? GO AHEAD.
UM, I HEARD THAT SOME, UH, TECH MEMBERS GOT AN EMAIL ABOUT COMPLETING AN EEC, A FORM OF ECONOMIC INTERESTS AND I'VE NEVER RECEIVED THAT, BUT APPARENTLY THERE'S A FINE IF YOU DON'T DO IT.
UH, CAN YOU TELL US, IS THERE SOMETHING WE SHOULD BE DOING ADMINISTRATIVELY? SO YES, ALL COMMITTEE COMMISSION
[00:50:01]
COUNCIL MEMBERS, INCLUDING CITY STAFF GENERALLY FILLS OUT, I FORGET WHAT THE FORM NUMBER IS, BUT IT'S A FORM THAT COMES ONLINE.IF YOU HAVEN'T RECEIVED IT, REACH OUT TO THE CLERK'S OFFICE.
THE CLERK'S OFFICE IS THE ONE WHO SENDS OUT AND GENERATES.
SO WHATEVER EMAIL THEY HAD ON FILE IS PROBABLY WHERE IT WENT.
I THINK IT'S THE ECONOMIC INTEREST 4 0 7 FORM.
DON'T QUOTE ME ON THE NUMBER, BUT IT'S THE ECONOMIC INTEREST FORM.
I JUST, AND IF YOU DON'T GET A RESPONSE, LET ME KNOW AND I'LL HELP MAKE THAT CONNECTION TOO.
AND IF YOU'RE MISSING THAT, REACH OUT TO ME DIRECTLY AND I'LL CONNECT YOU WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE.
AND IF YOU DON'T FILL IT OUT, YOU'RE, YOU CAN BE FINE BY THE STATE.
SEEING NOTHING ELSE, I'LL MOVE TO ADJOURN.