[00:00:01]
[CALL TO ORDER]
WITH ROLL CALL.[GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT]
AT THIS TIME WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.DO WE, I KNOW WE HAVE SOME EMAILS, BUT WE HAVE GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE.
I VOLUNTEER WITH, UH, RELIEF PETALUMA.
I WANTED TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON RELIEF PETALUMA'S PLANS FOR THE COMING PLANNING SEASON.
UH, A LOT OF THIS IS WORKING UNDER THE $1 MILLION, UH, PETALUMA CANOPY GRANT THAT WAS AWARDED TO THE, THE CITY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PETALUMA.
UH, THIS FALL WE'LL BE HARVESTING ACORNS AND OTHER LOCAL NATIVE, UH, TREE SEEDS AND PREPPING THEM FOR PLANTING.
ADDITIONALLY, WE, WE WILL BE WORKING WITH COOL PETALUMA ON OUTREACH TO RESIDENTS TO CITE 250 TREES AND RESIDENTIAL YARDS.
AND THEN FOLLOWING THAT IN THE WINTER, WE'LL BE PLANTING THOSE 3000 ACORNS THAT WE'VE HARVESTED IN THE OTHER TREE SEEDS, UH, AND THEN PLANTING THOSE 250 RESIDENTIAL TREES.
AND THIS WILL ALSO INCLUDE, UM, SOME ADDITIONAL WORK, WHICH IS, UH, OUTREACH TO TRAIN RESIDENTS IN TREE CARE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE PLANT THE RESIDENTIAL TREES.
WE HAVE ANOTHER PROJECT IN THE WINTER.
WE'LL BE WORKING ON THE DESIGN, OUTREACH AND PLANTING OF TREES AT LA TERA SCHOOL, WORKING WITH DAILY ACTS.
UH, AND THESE PROJECTS, UH, WILL BE COMPLETED IN THE FOLLOWING SPRING.
AND AT THAT TIME WE'LL BE PREPARING FOR SUMMER MAINTENANCE OF ALL THESE, UH, TREES AND PLANTINGS.
AND THEN COME SUMMER NEXT YEAR, WE'LL BE FOCUSED ON, UM, SOME ADDITIONAL RESIDENTIAL WORK, SOME OUTREACH TO COMMUNITIES IN MIDTOWN AND THE EAST WASHINGTON CORRIDOR TO TRY TO CITE 250 MORE TREES.
UH, IN ADDITION, RELIEF HAS BEEN REALLY BUSY APPLYING FOR FUNDING.
THIS IS PRETTY EXCITING STUFF.
UM, MAYBE IT'S A 50 50 CHANCE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW IN THE, UH, EARLY STAGES HERE.
SO WE'VE, UH, SUBMITTED, UH, TWO APPLICATIONS.
ONE IS FOR, UH, UH, TREE WORK AT THE SMART STATION PLAZA, AND THE TRIANGULAR TRAFFIC ISLAND AT HOPPER STREET TO FUND PLANTING UP TO FOUR DOZEN LARGE AND SMALL TREES.
UH, THE FUNDING WOULD HOPEFULLY INCLUDE, UH, UH, OR WE'VE ASKED FOR FUNDING FOR CONCRETE REMOVAL, SOIL REPLACEMENT, AND REFRESHED IRRIGATION, UH, AND EVEN SOME FUNDING FOR HAND WATERING, WHICH IS NECESSARY AT THE TRAFFIC ISLAND.
UH, THE SECOND PROPOSAL, UH, WE JUST RECENTLY SUBMITTED IS FOR AN ART INSTALLATION.
UH, WE'RE CALLING WANDERING FOREST, UH, FOR THE, UH, FAIRGROUNDS PARKING LOT ALONG EAST WASHINGTON.
UH, THIS IS A PROJECT THAT'S ADVISED BY THE PUBLIC ART COMMITTEE.
AND WE ALSO SUBMITTED, UH, SLIDES ABOUT THIS TO, UH, UH, THE, THE COMMITTEE HERE SO YOU GUYS CAN TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, THANK ALL OUR VOLUNTEERS, CITY STAFF COMMITTEE MEMBERS HERE, AND ALSO COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR TR TERRIFIC SUPPORTED TREES SORT OF THROUGHOUT THE TIME I'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT.
AND IN THE LAST 25 SECONDS, I DID WANNA SHARE A QUICK ANECDOTE.
UH, I LIVE, UH, WHERE THERE'S SANDY LOAM.
UH, IT'S VERY HYDROPHOBIC THAT DOESN'T ABSORB ANY WATER IN THE SUMMER.
UH, AND I PUT MY HAND DEEP UNDER A LARGE OAK TREE.
I HAVE A COAST LIVE OAK, UH, TO CHECK THE SOIL WATER CONTENT.
MY WHOLE ARM WAS MOIST SOIL GOING UNDER THAT OAK TREE OUTSIDE OF THE OAK TREE, DRY AS A BONE.
IT'S AMAZING WHAT OAK TREES CAN DO.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
I'M HERE WITH MY HUSBAND THOMAS NEWBURN.
WE LIVE OVER ON THE EAST SIDE OF PETALUMA.
UM, COUPLE QUESTIONS WE HAD AFTER READING THE RELIEF INFORMATION ABOUT THE IDEA, IDEA OF CANOPY PROTECTION OF OAK TREES IN OUR AREA AND SO FORTH.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO READ THROUGH THIS AND THEN, UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, FEEL FREE TO ASK.
UH, FIRST THING WAS FIRE, FIRE PREVENTION OR THE OAK TREES BEING PLANTED FOR FIRE PREVENTION.
DOES THIS INCLUDE AN AREA SUCH AS OURS ON EAST PETALUMA FROM BURNING IN A WILDFIRE? ACCORDING TO THE AUDUBON RICHARDSON BAY AUDUBON CENTER AND SANCTUARY WILDFIRES IN THE BLUE OAKS, ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE SOME RESISTANCE TO A SLOW BURNING FIRE, THIS IS NEGATED WHEN SUBJECTED TO A WILDFIRE AS WHAT OCCURRED TO THE BLUE OAK PRESERVE.
FOLLOWING A 2020 DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRE,
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THERE WERE LARGE LOSSES EVEN WITH HUNDREDS OF FIREFIGHTERS IN AIR SUPPORT.AND YOU CAN READ ABOUT THAT ON THEIR EVALUATION OF HOW THE WILDFIRES IMPACTED THEIR RESERVE.
HOW COULD THE BLUE OAKS IMPACT EAST PETALUMA? NUMEROUS HOMES HAVE BEEN BUILT ALONG THE NORTHEAST AREAS OF RO PARK, PEN GROVE AND NORTHEAST PETALUMA.
THE HOMES WILL UNDOUBTEDLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE FUEL IN THE CASE OF A WILDFIRE.
THE ADDITION OF THESE HOT BURNING OAK TREES BEING PLANTED AMONGST SEVERAL CLOSELY SPACED HOMES IN MANY DEVELOPMENT AREAS, SOME OF WHICH AS IN OUR AREAS, SHARE PROPERTY LINES AND WERE RIGHT UP CLOSE TO THE FIELDS WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN PLANTED.
WHY HAVE THE ADDITIONAL TREES BEEN PLANTED IN OUR AREA WHERE STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS CARRY FIRE EMBERS AT HIGH SPEEDS AS WHAT OCCURRED IN THE TUBS FIRE WHEN A FIRE IN CALISTOGA BURNED DOWN THE FOUNTAIN GROVE HOME, OF WHICH WE HAD A HOME THERE AND COMPLETELY DESTROYED WITHIN FOUR HOURS OF THE FIRE STARTING DUE TO THE WINDS CURRENTLY ALONG THE ADOBE ROAD AND INTO THE AREA OF THE CIRCLE OAK HORSE REHABILITATION CENTER.
THERE ARE MANY TREES ALREADY GROWING THERE, EUCALYPTUS, JUNIPERS, AND OAK.
MANY ARE NUMEROUS IN THE AREA, PARTICULARLY CLOSE TOWARDS THE ADOBE ROAD.
HOW WILL THE ADDITIONAL OAK TREES IMPACT THE CURRENT LOW LEVEL OF RISK FIRE ASSIGNED TO OUR ZONE AREA LEVEL ONE? CURRENTLY, IF OUR ZONE AREA IS ASSIGNED AS A HIGHER RISK, WILL OUR INSURANCE RATES OR THE ABILITY TO OBTAIN HOME INSURANCE BE IMPACTED? I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING WE HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW GIVEN THE NUMEROUS AMOUNTS OF TREES THAT ARE GOING TO BE CONTINUALLY PLANTED.
AIR QUALITY WAS GIVEN TO ME, UM, BY ONE OF THE RELIEF SPECIALISTS, MICHELLE, AT THE PLANTING.
SHE SAID IT WILL IMPROVE AIR QUALITY.
WE DO HAVE METHANE FROM THE COWS AND SO FORTH.
BUT ALONG THIS QUARTER, THANK, ALONG THE SONOMA MOUNTAIN ELEMENTARY.
JUST POINTS, UNFORTUNATELY IN PUBLIC COMMENT IT'S THREE MINUTE PER, PER PER PERSON.
SO IF THERE'S SOMEBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE READING FOR YOU.
SO THERE CAN BE SOMEBODY ELSE.
SO IT HAS TO DO WITH THE ASPIRE ALLERGY TIPS FROM THE MEDICAL DOCTORS WHO DEAL WITH ALLERGIES AND BLUE OAK.
SO ACCORDING TO THE MEDICAL STATEMENT, FOUND, UH, UH, HELLO, I'M PLEASE, PLEASE CONTINUE.
ACCORDING TO THE MEDICAL STATEMENT FOUND AMONG THE ALLERGIES DOCTORS BLUE OAK TREES ARE HEAVY POLLINATORS WITH SPREAD POLLEN.
THE LARGE AMOUNTS, ESPECIALLY IN WINDY AREAS, THIS HIGH SEASON, EXTENSIVE JANUARY THROUGH JUNE.
HOW WILL 10,000 BLUE OAK TREES AFFECT THE HEALTH OF NUMEROUS PEOPLE LIVING HERE? WOULD THIS NOT IMPACT OUR AIR QUALITY AND MAKE IT EVEN WORSE? LASTLY, SOME OF THE TREES WERE PLANTED THIS APRIL ARE IN VIOLATION OF THE CITY ORDINANCE REGARDING THE TREE DISTANCE FROM EACH OTHER AND THE DISTANCE FROM THE SONOMA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PARKWAY PATHWAY, SORRY, AS WELL AS THE SIDEWALK NEAR THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE OF TURTLE CREEK WAY.
ALSO, THERE ARE SOME DISCREPANCIES REGARDING THE STATEMENT OF FIRE CANOPY PROTECTION.
THIS DOES NOT OCCUR UNTIL THE EVENTUAL TREE MATURITY OF 20, 30 YEARS IN ORDER TO DEVELOP TREE CANOPY.
AND THE CONCERN AS TO WHERE AND HOW THE TREES ARE BEING PLANTED, INCLUDING THE PARK IN A RED ZONE AND THE 88 DECIBEL NOISE DURING THE WEEK WATERING WITH A GAS DRIVEN WATER PUMP.
SO THEY COME BY A WEEKLY AND THEY WATER THE TREES, BUT THEIR, UH, WATER PUMP.
WE HAVE ADDITIONAL PUBLIC COMMENT.
[PRESENTATIONS]
TURN IT OVER TO OUR PRESENTATION ON OUR URBAN FORESTRY MANAGEMENT PLAN.SO, BEN, COME ON UP TO THE, UM, THE PODIUM HERE.
I'M TRYING TO SHARE IT SO I CAN CLICK THROUGH THE SCREENS FOR YOU, BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, BECAUSE IT'S NOT GIVING ME THE SHARE BUTTON.
WITH TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES WITH, OKAY.
SO YES, I HAVE YOUR PRESENTATION AND I'M HOPING TO BE ABLE TO SHARE IT ON THE SCREENS.
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IS THE OTHER COMMISSIONER NOT HERE ANYMORE? SHE DOES NOT SHOW UP TODAY.I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO ANSWERING THEM, BUT SHE'S NOT HERE.
THERE'S PROBABLY GONNA BE SOME STUFF THAT'S HARD TO READ, BUT WE'LL GET THROUGH IT.
UH, CAN I JUST START ROLLING? OKAY.
SO THE PRESENTATION IS FROM THE FIRST PUBLIC MEETING THAT WE HAD FOR THE URBAN FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN.
IT'S JUST PART OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CAL FIRE GRANT.
SINCE THIS MEETING, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO GET ANOTHER CONSULTING GROUP TO PUT THE PLAN TOGETHER 'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S JUST TOO MUCH OF A PROJECT FOR OUR SMALL COMPANY AND THERE ARE OTHER COMPANIES OUT THERE THAT ARE BETTER SUITED FOR IT.
SO WE'VE HAD, UH, AT LEAST A PRELIMINARY MEETING WITH HORT SCIENCE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE LEADING CONSULTING COMPANIES IN CALIFORNIA WHO'VE DONE A BUNCH OF THESE.
AND THEY'RE REALLY HIGH QUALITY AND THEY'VE GOT A BIG TEAM OF PEOPLE THAT'LL WORK ON IT.
SO HOPEFULLY THEY'LL TAKE IT OVER.
BUT THAT'S WHAT THIS PRESENTATION IS FROM IS FOR THE FIRST PUBLIC MEETING.
UH, THIS WAS JUST INTRODUCING MYSELF AND THE COMPANY, UH, THE URBAN FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN.
SO, YEAH, BEAR WITH ME A LITTLE BIT 'CAUSE I'VE PUT THIS TOGETHER IN OCTOBER AND, AND I'M NOT LOOKING AT NOTES HERE, BUT IT'S, THE PLAN IS, IS A VISION FOR THE URBAN FOREST OF PETALUMA.
IT WALKS US THROUGH WHERE WE WANNA GO AND HOW WE'RE GONNA GET THERE.
IT DOESN'T SET ANY RULES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT IDEALLY IT'S A, IT'S A COMBINATION OF COMMUNITY INPUT AND INPUT FROM THE LEADERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE CONSULTANTS THAT ARE WRITING THE PLAN ALL COMING TOGETHER TO, TO MAKE A NICE COHESIVE VISION FOR US.
UH, THE URBAN FOREST IS A VICTIM OF THE TRAGEDY OF THE COMMONS, WHERE IT'S JUST THIS, THIS LARGE PUBLIC RESOURCE THAT'S MANAGED INDIVIDUALLY ON EVERYONE'S INDIVIDUAL YARD.
AND EVERYONE THINKS, WELL MY TREE, WHAT DOES MY LITTLE PLUM TREE MATTER? AND WHAT IS, WHAT IS MY ONE SINGLE OAK TREE REALLY MATTER FOR THIS WHOLE CITY? AND SO THEY'LL CUT THEM DOWN WITHOUT REALLY THINKING ABOUT HOW THAT IMPACTS EVERYBODY.
BUT ALL THOSE SMALL IMPACTS OF ALL THOSE SMALL TREES, OR MEDIUM TREES OR BIG TREES BEING REMOVED, ADDS UP TO A LOT.
AND ALL OF THEM ADD UP TO ALL THE BENEFITS THAT, THAT, THAT FOREST PROVIDES FOR US.
SO THIS PLAN IS A WAY TO HOPEFULLY HELP GUIDE THAT MANAGEMENT.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW IT REALLY DOESN'T HAVE ANY GUIDANCE.
UH, THE, THE PLAN IS SUPPOSED TO BE DEVELOPED USING, OR THE CAL FIRE ENCOURAGES YOU TO USE THE METHODOLOGY THAT'S OUTLINED IN A WEBSITE THAT UFM P TOOLKITS.NET, WHICH, UH, IS A REALLY NEAT WEBSITE.
IF YOU HAVEN'T EXPLORED IT AND YOU'RE LOOKING TO KILL AN EVENING, THERE'S A LOT THAT YOU COULD POKE THROUGH THERE.
AND IT'S A REALLY COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT OVERWHELMING HOW MUCH GOES INTO THE UFMP.
UM, AND THE COMPANY HORT SCIENCE THAT WE TALKED TO, THEY DON'T SPECIFICALLY USE THAT METHODOLOGY, BUT THEY'VE PRODUCED OTHER PLANS THAT SATISFIED THE CAL FIRE GRANT REQUIREMENTS.
SO, AND I, I DON'T THINK SHE WAS TOTALLY AGAINST IT.
IF IT WAS SOMETHING THAT SOMEBODY FELT REALLY STRONGLY ABOUT THAT THEY SHOULD USE IT, UH, A LOT OF IT'S GONNA BE GUIDED BY THE TREE INVENTORY DATA FROM
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THAT, THAT WE'RE PRODUCING OUR COMPANY.WE HAVEN'T DONE WORK ON THAT IN A WHILE, BUT WE'RE, WE DID ALL THE MAJOR ROADS IN PETALUMA AND ALL OF THE PARKS.
UM, AND WE'LL GO THROUGH SOME OF THAT DATA IN A LITTLE BIT.
THE PLAN'S GONNA HAVE GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND ACTIONS.
AND MOST OF THE FUNDING IS COMING FROM THE CAL FIRE GRANT.
UH, I'M NOT GONNA READ THROUGH ALL THAT.
YOU GUYS ALL HAVE THIS PRESENTATION OR IT'S AVAILABLE.
THOSE ARE JUST ALL THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE GRANT.
UH, AND A LOT OF IT IS STUFF THAT I KIND OF JUST WENT OVER.
UM, IT'S NOT THAT THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT INFORMATION, I JUST DON'T REALLY, I MEAN, I'LL READ IT IF ANYBODY WANTS ME TO HANDS.
SO WHAT WE WERE HOPING TO GET THE NIGHT OF THIS MEETING THAT WE DIDN'T REALLY WALK AWAY WITH, AND THERE'S STILL SOME NOTES FROM IT, I ASSUME IN, IN CINDY'S OFFICE WHERE PEOPLE JOTTED STUFF DOWN.
WE WERE TRYING TO GET SOME VERSION OF A VISION STATEMENT GOING.
AND I KNOW PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS ABOUT VISION STATEMENTS IN GENERAL AND HOW USEFUL THEY ARE, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE PLAN.
SO IN MY PRESENTATION, I PUT A FEW EXAMPLES OF THE VISION STATEMENTS THAT WERE IN MANAGEMENT PLANS FROM AROUND THE BAY AREA.
UH, MAYBE WE CAN JUST PAUSE ON THIS SLIDE FOR A SEC.
I CAN SIT QUIET, YOU CAN READ IT.
AND THESE WERE ONES THAT I PICKED THAT I THOUGHT WERE PRETTY GOOD.
SO IF WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE IF MOST OF US ARE DONE.
SO YOU CAN SEE THEY'RE PRETTY VARIABLE.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN PUT A LOT INTO A VISION STATEMENT OR IT CAN BE PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
UH, BUT THOSE ARE THREE EXAMPLES THAT I LIKED.
SO THIS IS THE ASSESSMENT THAT I DID, UH, ON THE CANOPY COVERAGE AND HOW IT'S CHANGED IN PETALUMA WHEN I WAS STARTING TO POKE AROUND INTO THIS UFMP, THAT WAS ALARMING TO ME.
AND IT'S NOT A PERFECT ASSESSMENT BECAUSE IT WASN'T EXACTLY APPLES TO APPLES.
IT WAS TWO DIFFERENT LIDAR DATA SETS.
SO IT'S AERIAL IMAGERY, UH, THAT WAS MEASURING THE CANOPY COVERAGE FROM TWO DIFFERENT PROJECTS WITH TWO DIFFERENT RESOLUTIONS.
BUT I'LL HAVE SOME IMAGES LATER THAT THAT SHOW YOU CAN, IT'S BASICALLY, IT'S GONNA SHOW THE RIGHT TREND.
THE PERCENTAGE MAY NOT BE EXACTLY RIGHT, BUT IT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO IN 2013, THE CANOPY COVERAGE INSIDE PETALUMA CITY LIMITS WAS A LITTLE OVER 17%.
AND FIVE YEARS LATER IT WAS DOWN TO 13%, WHICH WAS A 22% DECREASE OVER FIVE YEARS, WHICH WAS PRETTY IMPACTFUL.
WOULD YOU CONSIDER IT PROVIDING FOREST IN TERMS OF PERCENTAGE, UH, PERCENTAGES.
THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO FIXED THING THAT IS THE RIGHT AMOUNT.
'CAUSE IT, I MEAN, AS WE'VE SEEN, SOME PEOPLE AREN'T CRAZY ABOUT A LOT OF TREES.
YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU, YOU'RE NEVER GONNA HAVE A HUNDRED PERCENT.
I WOULD SAY THAT OURS IS LOWER THAN A LOT OF THE CITIES IN THE BAY AREA AND IT'S LOWER THAN I WOULD LIKE IT TO SEE.
YEAH, I MEAN, I WOULD, I'D LIKE TO SEE 25% OR 30, BUT THAT'S GONNA BE A THING THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE URBAN FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN AND PART OF COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH POTENTIALLY, UH, A SURVEY THAT MIGHT GO OUT TO THE RESIDENTS AT SOME POINT THAT MAYBE WILL HAVE SOME DIFFERENT GRAPHICS THAT, THAT ARE MEANT TO REPRESENT THE DIFFERENT CAN BE COVERAGES AND SEE HOW PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT THAT.
UH, BUT YEAH, THERE'S NO, NO QUICK AND EASY ANSWER TO THAT IN MY EXPERIENCE.
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HEY, HEY BILL.JUST A REMINDER ON MICROPHONE WHEN YOU'RE ASKING QUESTIONS.
YEAH, SORRY ABOUT THAT COMMITTEE MEMBERS, I'M JUST GONNA ASK THAT WE SAVE OUR MEETING OUR QUESTIONS UNTIL QUESTIONS OF CLARIFICATION AFTER THE PRESENTATION.
SO WRITE DOWN IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS FOR, FOR BEN.
UH, AND THEN, SO IF YOU, IF YOU NOTICE 2018 WAS A WHILE AGO, AND THOSE HAVE BEEN SOME BRUTAL YEARS FOR TREES.
'CAUSE WE LOST A LOT TO THE DROUGHT AND WE'VE LOST PROBABLY MORE TO FEAR OF FIRE PEOPLE.
AND INSURANCE COMPANIES HAVE FORCE PEOPLE TO CUT BACK.
AND YOU'LL SEE IN THE GRAPHICS TOO THAT IT'S NOT JUST TREE REMOVAL THAT'S LOSING OUR PERCENT CANOPY.
IT'S PEOPLE WITH GOOD INTENTIONS CUTTING BRANCHES BACK SO THAT THEY DON'T OVERHANG THEIR ROOF AND NEGATING A LOT OF THE BENEFITS OF THE TREES.
YOU KNOW, AND, AND NOT REALLY GAINING A LOT OF FIRE SAFETY FROM THAT.
SO, YEAH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S AT NOW.
UH, WE COULD, WE COULD PROBABLY FIGURE THAT OUT 'CAUSE THERE'S BEEN NEW LIDAR THAT'S BEEN RELEASED SINCE THEN.
AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS LOOKING AT WAS, UH, PURCHASING SOME.
SO IF THAT IS A THING THAT PEOPLE CARE ABOUT, THEN WE CAN GET WHOEVER'S ULTIMATELY WORKING ON THIS PLAN TO GET THAT UPDATED DATA AND DO MORE ANALYSIS ON THAT.
SO HERE'S OUR EXAMPLE, A RECENT AERIAL IMAGE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.
SO THAT'S THE 2018 CANOPY DATA.
AND YOU CAN HOPEFULLY SEE THAT EVEN IN, IN THE TOP.
IS THERE A POINTER? LASER POINTER? NO.
UH, IN THE TOP, IN THE MIDDLE, THERE'S A BIG GREEN BLOB THAT HAS NO TREE.
SO THAT WOULD BE A TREE THAT WAS REMOVED SINCE 2018.
BUT THE OTHER BIG GREEN BLOBS HAVE TREES UNDER THEM AND WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.
NOW THE PURPLE THAT'S BEEN ADDED IS THE CANOPY LAYER FROM 2013.
AND YOU CAN SEE BIG PURPLE BLOBS.
AND I THINK IF WE MOVE FORWARD, THERE'S ANOTHER AERIAL THAT SHOWS, YEAH, THERE'S THE, THE 2012 NAPPE AERIAL IMAGE.
SO LOWER QUALITY IMAGE, BUT YOU CAN SEE THOSE PURPLE BLOBS ARE NOT MADE UP.
SO THERE, THERE IS A REAL LOSS OF CANOPY IN PETALUMA OVER THOSE YEARS THAT IS, HAS ONLY CONTINUED.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO STOP THAT.
SO HERE'S THE, THE GOOD SLIDE.
SO THESE ARE THE RIGHT OF WAY TREES, THE TREES BETWEEN THE ROAD AND THE SIDEWALK AND THE SPECIES COMPOSITION THAT WE'VE GOT THAT, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE SOMEBODY CAN READ BETTER THAN ME.
CHINESE MUSTACHE, LONDON, PLAIN RED MAPLE, UH, CALORIE PEAR AND KIND OF TAPERS OFF.
YOU CAN SEE LIKE WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THOSE ARE NATIVE.
THE, THE BIG ONES ARE NOT FOR OUR STREET TREES.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN, YOU CAN LOVE OR HATE THAT.
THIS IS THE MAKEUP OF THE CITY PARK TREES.
SO IN THE PARKS WE DO A LOT BETTER WITH NATIVES AND THIS PIE GRAPH DOES NOT INCLUDE RELIEF TREES, WHICH IS GONNA BE THE NEXT SLIDE, WHICH EVEN BOOSTS THE NATIVES A LITTLE MORE.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE HAVING AN IMPACT.
WHEN I SAY WES, 'CAUSE I HELP WITH RELIEF, I THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS.
BUT YEAH, WE'RE, THERE'S, WE'RE DOING BETTER WITH NATIVES.
UM, AND I THINK WE SHOULD BE PROUD OF THAT AS A CITY.
I THINK OUR, OUR PARKS TREES LOOK GREAT.
SUPER DIVERSE BUT NATIVE HEAVY.
I LIKE THE LOOK OF THAT GRAPH A LOT.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE IS GONNA BE INTO IT, BUT IT'S
IT'S HOW, IT'S THE HEALTH RATINGS OF THE, OF THE LIKE MOST COMMON 10 OR 11 SPECIES THAT WE HAVE.
SO I'M GONNA WALK YOU THROUGH IT.
UH, I THINK IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE IT SHOWS HOW, HOW WELL THE DIFFERENT SPECIES ARE DOING AND, UH, THE DIVERSITY OF THOSE SPECIES.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE FIRST ONE IS AMERICAN SYCAMORE.
UH, EASILY CONFUSED WITH LONDON PLANE, BUT NOT IF YOU LOOK AT HOW THE TWO ARE
[00:25:01]
PERFORMING.SO THE, THE LIGHT BLUE IS SORT OF THE, THE MIDDLE 50%, UH, OF THE DATA POINTS LIE IN THERE.
AND THEN ALL OF THE INDIVIDUAL DOTS ARE SORT OF OUTLIERS FROM THAT.
SO THE ONES THAT ARE CLUSTERED ARE THE ONES THAT ARE LESS DIVERSE.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE HIGHER THOSE DOTS ARE, THE BETTER THE TREES ARE DOING.
UH, SO LIKE LONDON PLANE, YOU CAN SEE THAT'S A PRETTY CONSISTENT PERFORMANCE THAT THEY ARE PERFORMING AT SEVEN, WHICH IS GOOD.
UM, SO LONDON PLAIN ARE DOING REALLY WELL.
CREPE MYRTLE ARE DOING REALLY WELL.
COAST REDWOOD AND COAST LIVE OAK ARE ALL PERFORMING REALLY WELL AND PRETTY CONSISTENTLY.
UM, CALORIE PAIR THAT SECOND ONE IN, SEE THAT THING'S ALL OVER THE MAP.
AND THAT'S THE, THE BRADFORD PAIR THAT KIND OF FALLS APART AND CAN LOOK REALLY GOOD, BUT CAN ALSO LOOK REALLY BAD.
SO I, I I THINK THIS GRAPH IS INTERESTING.
IT SHOWS YOU HOW HOW VARIABLE THINGS ARE.
VAL OAK IS ALSO KIND OF SURPRISING THAT IT'S PRETTY VARIABLE.
AND SOME OF THESE, I MEAN, I PUT ON THE SIDE, SOME OF THEM ARE, THERE'S NO STATISTICAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM.
UH, THAT MAY MAY BORE EVERYBODY, BUT I THINK IT'S INTERESTING AGAIN, SO THOSE, THOSE MAIN ONES THAT WE WENT OVER COAST LIVE, OAK, REDWOOD, RED MAPLE, AND CREPE MYRTLE, THERE'S NO STATISTICAL DIFFERENCE IN HOW THEY'RE PERFORMING HEALTH-WISE.
SO THEIR GRAPHS MIGHT LOOK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT, UM, BASED ON THIS SAMPLE SIZE, TH THOSE ARE ALL JUST KIND OF DOING THE SAME.
THEY'RE ALL JUST GOOD KIND OF ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO, I MEAN, I'LL MOVE ON FROM THAT, BUT I COULD TALK ABOUT IT.
SO THIS IS THE, THE CALIFORNIA URBAN FOREST INVENTORY, WHICH IS RUN THROUGH THE CAL POLY ORGANIZATION.
SO COMPANIES LIKE MINE SUBMIT DATA TO THEM FOR INVENTORIES THAT THEY DO, AND THEY ACCUMULATE ALL OF THAT AND RUN STATISTICS ON IT, AND THEY CAN FIND STUFF OUT ABOUT YOUR CITY AND WHAT THE SPECIES MAKEUP IS OF IT BASED ON THAT DATA.
AND ON FOR CALIFORNIA IN GENERAL FOR LIKE, WHAT THE MOST COMMON SPECIES ARE IN CALIFORNIA.
SO YOU CAN KIND OF COMPARE IT TO WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN OUR CITY.
BUT CRATE MYRTLE IS BY FAR THE MOST COMMON TREE IN URBAN AREAS IN CALIFORNIA RIGHT NOW.
SO WE'RE GONNA TRY TO MOVE AWAY FROM THAT AND GO TO NEXT SLIDE.
SO ALSO FROM THAT CAL POLY, CAL POLY URBAN FOREST ECOSYSTEM INSTITUTE, UH, THESE ARE THE TREES THAT THEY SAY ARE NATIVE TO PETALUMA BASED ON SOME MAPS THAT THEY PUT TOGETHER.
UH, AS SOMEBODY IS, I THINK GRADUATE PROJECT, I THINK THERE'S SOME THAT ARE MISSING IN THERE.
UM, BOX ELDERS NOT LISTED, BUT I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY NATIVE TO PETALUMA.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S NATIVE TO PETALUMA.
SO IT'S NOT A PERFECT LIST, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT THEY'VE GOT.
UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK TO FOR GUIDANCE AS WE MAKE THE PLAN NEXT.
DID WE MISS ONE THERE? THAT ONE? YEAH.
SO, UH, THEY HAVE AN URBAN TREE DETECTOR THAT'S AN AI TOOL, AND WITH THAT THEY FOUND THAT THERE ARE ABOUT 80,000 TREES PUBLIC AND PRIVATE GROWING IN PETALUMA.
UH, THEY HAVE DATA ON 3,700 TREES IN PETALUMA AS PART OF THAT INVENTORY.
THEY, THEY CAN'T GIVE IT OUT BECAUSE WHEN PEOPLE SUBMIT IT TO THEM, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE ANONYMOUS.
THEY TOLD ME WHO GAVE THEM THAT DATA AND I REACHED OUT TO THEM AND THEY DIDN'T RESPOND, WHICH I WASN'T SURPRISED ABOUT.
UM, BUT ACCORDING TO THEM, THE TREES THAT THEY HAVE IN THEIR INVENTORY, OF THOSE ONLY 6.7% ARE NATIVE.
SO I'M NOT SURE HOW GOOD THAT DATA IS.
I THINK THE LAST SLIDE WAS A TREE THAT THERE'S A, YOU CAN GO FORWARD AGAIN.
IS THERE ANOTHER ONE? THERE SHOULD BE LIKE A TREE THAT'S TOPPED IN THE SIDEWALK.
THAT, THAT WAS ONE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A PERMIT.
AND WHEN, WHEN I THINK CODE ENFORCEMENT REACHED OUT TO THEM OR PLANNING AND THEY SAID THAT LIKE A TRUCK HID IT AND DAMAGED IT.
SO THEY HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO DO THAT.
I DON'T THINK IT'S LIKE THAT ANYMORE.
[00:30:01]
I THINK THEY PROBABLY REMOVED IT THE REST OF THE WAY AND REPLACED IT, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT FOR SURE.BUT THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO FIX BY LIKE UPDATING OUR ORDINANCE, UPDATING OUR MANAGEMENT PLAN, OR CREATING A MANAGEMENT PLAN AND, AND ACTUALLY ENFORCING THEM BECAUSE THAT WAS A GREAT LITTLE TREE.
AND THAT'S THE PRESENTATION QUESTIONS.
UM, SO WE LOOKED AT THE SLIDE THAT SAID, UM, WE'RE CURRENTLY AT 13% CANOPY THRIVING FOREST, MAYBE LIKE 25, 30%.
AND, UM, WE'RE THE URBAN FORESTRY MANAGEMENT PLAN.
DO YOU, I GUESS THIS IS EARLY STAGES.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE MODEL WE HAVE AS A CITY WAS GONNA ALLOW US TO GET THERE EVENTUALLY? LIKE GET TO THAT 30% WITH SOME TWEAKS AND CHANGES TO THE ORDINANCE? OR DO WE NEED TO RETHINK THIS IN BIGGER AND DIFFERENT WAYS? LIKE YEAH.
WELL, I MEAN THAT'S THE PROCESS WE'RE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW IS TRYING TO FIX IT.
DO I THINK IT'S POSSIBLE? TOTALLY.
BUT I THINK THAT IT'S GONNA TAKE A DRAMATIC SHIFT IN HOW WE'RE DOING THINGS RIGHT NOW.
THE THING WHERE PEOPLE CAN JUST REMOVE TREES WITHOUT ASKING ANYBODY IS NOT GONNA GET US THERE.
AND REPLACING BIG NATIVE TREES WITH CREPE MYRTLES NOT GONNA GET US THERE.
AND IF WE DON'T DO ANYTHING, THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
PEOPLE ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO CUT DOWN THE BIG NICE TREES THAT ARE GIVING THE BENEFITS AND PLANT OLIVES AND CREPE MYRTLES.
AND SO, SO THE URBAN, THE, THE FORESTRY PLAN WOULD ADDRESS THAT.
SO IT'S JUST ONE, ONE PART OF THE, OF THE ATTACK.
SO I'D SAY LIKE TALKING ON THE FLY HERE, THE THREE PRONGS THAT I ENVISION ARE THAT ORDINANCE STOPPING PEOPLE FROM CUTTING DOWN TREES AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY REPLACE THEM IN A MEANINGFUL WAY WHEN THEY DO IS ONE, THE URBAN FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN TO HELP GUIDE EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING MOVING FORWARD AS JUST LIKE A, THE WHOLE PLAN IS KIND OF A, A VISION STATEMENT, BUT SHOULD ALSO HAVE SOME NICE IDEAS IN IT ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO, LIKE POTENTIALLY GETTING, UH, A SALES TAX ON THE BALLOT TO HELP FUND MANAGING SOME OF THE TREES THAT WE HAVE.
YOU KNOW, THOSE, THOSE FROM MY UNDERSTANDING TYPICALLY PASS.
AND THE OTHER CONSULTING FIRM THAT WE TALKED TO, THEY'VE GOT SOME EXPERIENCE WITH THAT.
AND WE, WE SAID THAT WE DO WANT SOMETHING LIKE THAT PUT IN THE URBAN FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN TO HELP HELP US MOVE TOWARDS THAT.
UM, POTENTIALLY GETTING THE CITY TO TAKE OVER MANAGEMENT OF STREET TREES WOULD HELP.
UH, AND THEN THE THIRD PRONG BEING THINGS LIKE RELIEF.
YOU KNOW, RELIEF IS IN MY EYES REALLY IMPORTANT FOR HELPING US GET THERE.
AND WE'RE LUCKY AS A CITY TO HAVE IT, BUT THE PLAN'S NOT GONNA DO IT BY ITSELF.
NONE OF THOSE THREE THINGS WOULD DO IT ALONE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT REPLACING LIKE STREET TREAT, LIKE, OKAY, SO NO MORE NO, NO MORE CUTTING DOWN TREES.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE, THE LOSS OF COVERAGE THAT, YOU KNOW, SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MAINTAINING THE STATUS QUO WITH REVISIONS TO THE ORDINANCES, BUT WE NEED TO REPOPULATE A LOT OF STREET TREES WITH GHOST TREES AND THEN ALSO BACKYARD TREES.
SO IT'S LIKE, UM, YEAH, THERE'S AN EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT.
AND I MEAN, THE CITY'S ALREADY WORKING ON A WEBSITE THAT HAS, THAT'S PART OF THE EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT.
PART OF IT'S EDUCATING PEOPLE ABOUT THAT NEW ORDINANCE AND HOW LIKE WE'RE DOING IT AS A CITY BECAUSE WE AS A CITY SAID THAT WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, IT'S VOTED INTO OUR PRIORITIES.
UH, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL SEE HOW MUCH A WEBSITE HELPS.
I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT WE HAVE IT.
UM, BUT YEAH, EDUCATION IS A BIG PART OF IT.
AND UN UNTIL PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE BENEFITS OF THE TREES.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW, SO MANY PEOPLE ONLY SEE THE NEGATIVES.
THEY ONLY SEE THIS IS A FIRE HAZARD AND THIS LIFTS SIDEWALK.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THINK THAT IF A ROOT LIFTS A SIDEWALK THAT THEY HAVE TO TEAR DOWN THE TREE BECAUSE IT'S TOO MUCH OF A NUISANCE.
DESPITE THE FACT THAT THAT TREE'S BEEN PROVIDING BENEFITS FOR 50 YEARS.
AND NOW YOU HAVE TO REPLACE THE SIDEWALK THAT YOU MIGHT HAD TO REPLACE ANYWAY, BECAUSE SIDEWALKS DO AGE OUT TOO.
BUT YEAH, EDUCATION'S A BIG PART OF IT.
WELL, THAT SIDEWALK YOU JUST MENTIONED, THAT'S A BIG FACTOR IN OUR STREET TREE LOSSES.
AND I THINK, UH, DARREN, I ACTUALLY WANTED TO BRING SOMETHING UP TO THE ATTENTION OF THE COUNCIL OR COMMISSION TODAY.
SO HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED IN OTHER COMMUNITIES HOW, HOW WE, YOU KNOW, I GUESS THE, THE BIG CHALLENGE IS THE
[00:35:01]
CITY'S GOTTA MAINTAIN A DA AND SAFETY ISSUES AROUND SIDEWALKS.SO THERE'S GOTTA BE SOME FLEXIBILITY WHEN IT COMES TO PRESERVING HIGH VALUE TREES.
THERE'S NO RULE BOOK FOR THAT EITHER.
SAN RAFAEL HAS GOT A REALLY, IN MY EYES, SUCCESSFUL SIDEWALK REPLACEMENT PROGRAM WHERE, BECAUSE IT'S ON THE, THE HOMEOWNER USUALLY TO REPLACE THE SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF THEIR HOUSE.
UH, AND THAT LEADS TO CONFLICTS TOO.
'CAUSE THEY'D BE LIKE, WELL, I WANNA CUT THIS TREE DOWN BECAUSE I'M HAVING TO PAY TO REPLACE THIS SIDEWALK.
I DON'T WANT TO GET LIFTED AGAIN AND HAVE TO REPLACE IT AGAIN.
WHICH IF THE, IF THE STREET TREE IS INSTALLED ACCORDING TO THE CITY'S SPECIFICATION FOR PLANTING STREET TREES, IT'S PRETTY UNLIKELY THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WHILE THAT PERSON OWNS THAT PROPERTY.
BECAUSE LIKE, WE HAVE A, A, I THINK A REALLY GOOD STANDARD.
THAT IS ANOTHER THING THAT HASN'T BEEN ENFORCED THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO BETTER WITH GETTING PEOPLE TO PLANT THINGS THE RIGHT WAY.
'CAUSE EVEN THAT HAS A BIG EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT WHERE I'VE GONE AND LOOKED AT TREES FOR, UH, PUBLIC WORKS AFTER THEY WERE PLANTED AND THEY WEREN'T PLANTED SPECIFICATION.
AND I'VE, I'VE REPLIED BACK AND SAID, YEAH, THIS IS NOT SPEC.
AND AND THEY'VE BOUNCED BACK TO ME WITH, WELL, NO, I MEAN, THEY PUT, THEY PUT THIS IN AND THIS IN, SO THIS IS GOOD.
AND I'M LIKE, NO, IT IS NOT GOOD
A ROOT BARRIER, UH, DOESN'T HELP AND IT CAN MAKE THINGS A LOT WORSE.
SO JUST THE FACT THAT OUR, OUR SPEC REQUIRES A ROOT BARRIER, BUT INSTALLED A CERTAIN WAY IN A CERTAIN LOCATION.
AND I THINK IN THE PAST IT'S BEEN, IF THERE'S A ROOT BARRIER, EVERYBODY'S HAPPY.
DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S STALLED CORRECTLY OR NOT.
SO YEAH, IT'S EDUCATION KIND OF ALL AROUND AND, AND THE CITY I THINK IS DOING GREAT AT EDUCATING THEMSELVES AND, AND THINGS HAVE COME A LONG WAY IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
UM, THE QUESTION I HAVE RELATES TO, UM, INSURANCE COMPANIES THAT SEEM TO BE DICTATING, UM, MORE AND MORE TO THE HOMEOWNERS, WHAT THEY CAN AND CANNOT HAVE AROUND THEIR HOUSE IN TERMS OF VEGETATION AND FOLIAGE.
AND WHAT CAN CITY GOVERNMENT OR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS DO, UH, TO PUSH BACK ON THIS TREND THAT SEEMS TO BE LEADING TOWARD THE DECIMATION OF OUR URBAN FORESTS BY THESE INSURANCE COMPANY REQUIREMENTS SIMPLY ON THE BASIS OF AN ALARMIST, UM, ATTITUDE ABOUT FIRE, UH, HAZARDS? YEAH, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT, UH, THE CITY GOVERNMENT'S GONNA BE ABLE TO CHANGE THAT.
I DON'T THINK ANYTHING IS GONNA CHANGE THAT SYSTEMATICALLY UNTIL THAT THAT GETS BATTLED OUT IN THE COURTS.
I THINK THAT'S ALL THAT'S ABOVE ALL OF OUR PAY GRADES.
I CAN SAY THAT I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE INSTANCES WHERE INSURANCE COMPANIES SAID, DO X, Y, AND Z.
I'VE COME OUT AND DONE AN ASSESSMENT WRITTEN AND REPORT.
THEY'VE GIVEN THAT TO THEIR INSURANCE COMPANY AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY IS BACKED OFF.
I THINK THAT PROBABLY ONLY WORKS IN A SITUATION WHERE AN INSURANCE COMPANY IS NOT JUST LOOKING FOR AN EXCUSE TO CANCEL PEOPLE.
I MEAN, YOU HEAR, YOU READ ABOUT HOMEOWNERS WHO THE INSURANCE COMPANY WILL, WILL SAY LIKE, YOU'VE GOT THIS AND THIS WRONG, WE'RE DROPPING YOU JUST LIKE, FULL STOP.
BUT THERE'S A LOT OF INSURANCE STUFF THAT HAPPENS THAT DOESN'T MAKE THE PAPER, THAT THAT'S JUST LIKE AN ADJUSTER LOOKS AT AN AERIAL, SENDS THEM A THING AND SAYS, REMOVE THIS TREE AND THIS TREE AND CUT THIS TREE BACK FROM YOUR ROOF.
AND PEOPLE JUST DO THAT WITHOUT KNOWING THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO, THAT IT DOESN'T, DOESN'T ACTUALLY MAKE THINGS ANY BETTER.
AND A LOT OF TIMES A LETTER FROM SOMEONE THAT DOES KNOW BETTER WILL GET THEM TO BACK OFF.
SO, I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S THE BEST THAT I CAN DO AT MY LITTLE SMALL SCALE
IT JUST SEEMS THAT IF WE'RE PUTTING, WE'RE PUTTING ALL THIS EFFORT INTO INCREASING OUR CANOPY, AND AT THE SAME TIME THERE'S THIS OTHER SIGNIFICANT FORCE THAT IS WORKING AT CROSS PURPOSES AND SCARING PEOPLE ESSENTIALLY INTO CUTTING DOWN TREES AROUND THEIR HOUSES.
UM, YEAH, THAT JUST STRENGTHENS MY RESOLVE.
UM, BEN, FOR THIS PROJECT, OBVIOUSLY WE'VE GOT THE GENERAL PLAN GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
OBVIOUSLY THE TPO IS KIND OF GOING ON IN PARALLEL.
WHAT'S OUR TIMELINE AND DO WE HAVE ANY RESTRAINTS IN TERMS OF GRANT DEADLINES OR ANYTHING TO GET THIS? 'CAUSE I KNOW YOU SAID WE'RE BRINGING IN ANOTHER CONSULTANT AND HOPEFULLY THEY CAN JUST PICK UP AND RUN WITH
[00:40:01]
IT.BUT WHAT, WHAT ARE OUR TIMELINES ON, ON THIS PROJECT, ON THE UFMP PROJECT? MM-HMM.
SO THE GRANT HAS TO BE FINISHED BY THE END OF 2025, MARCH, 2026 BEING THE CULMINATING DATE WHERE WE HAVE TO BE DROP DEAD DONE FOR THE GRANT REQUIREMENTS.
SO TIMEFRAME WISE IS TO, AND THE NEXT YEAR IS TO GET THE PLAN GOING SO THAT WE CAN COME IT BACK, COME AND BRING IT BACK TO THE COMMUNITY RIGHT.
FOR REVIEW AND TO TREE COMMITTEE AND ALL THOSE PLACES BEFORE WE FINALIZE IT.
SO YOU'LL SEE THAT COMING TO YOU WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE THE CITY IS ALREADY IMPLEMENTING SOME THINGS THAT WOULD LIKELY BE IN UFMP, UM, THAT THE CITY IS KIND OF PUSHING SOME INITIATIVES FORWARD.
DO WE SEE SOME OF THAT HAPPENING? UM, I KNOW RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ASKING OR PUBLIC WORKS IS ASKING PEOPLE IN THAT PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY NOT TO REMOVE TREES.
ARE WE SEEING SOME POSITIVE MOVES IN THAT DIRECTION WITH PUBLIC WORK, WORK AND CITY DEPARTMENTS? YEAH, DEFINITELY.
UM, YEAH, SO PUBLIC WORKS HAS HAD ME LOOK AT A HANDFUL OF TREES RECENTLY TO WEIGH IN ON MANAGEMENT OF THEM.
BEFORE THEY JUST STARTED CUTTING STUFF AND REPLACING SIDEWALK.
THEY'VE HAD ME INSPECT TREES THAT WERE REQUIRED REPLACEMENT TREES FOR PROJECTS.
AND THEN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, HAVE GENERALLY BEEN DENYING ENCROACHMENT PERMITS THAT ARE REQUIRED FOR TREE REMOVALS.
UM, SO YOU DON'T NEED A PERMIT TO REMOVE A TREE.
YOU, YOU DO NEED AN ENCROACHMENT PERMIT IF YOUR VEHICLES ARE GOING TO BLOCK THE ROAD.
AND THAT'S RIGHT NOW HOW THE CITY'S BEEN CONTROLLING TREE REMOVAL WHEN THEY CAN, THEY'RE JUST DENYING THOSE OR SENDING THEM TO ME TO REVIEW TO SEE IF, IF IT'S A, A REMOVAL THAT HAS TO HAPPEN.
SO YEAH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TRYING TO CHANGE SOME THINGS AHEAD OF TIME AND RIGHT NOW I THINK THAT'S REALLY FRUSTRATING FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED.
IT'S FRUSTRATING FOR THE TREE OWNERS AND FOR THE TREE CONTRACTORS AND FOR PLANNING.
UM, SO HOPEFULLY WE GET EVERYTHING SORTED OUT QUICKLY SO EVERYONE CAN HAVE SOME CLEAR ANSWERS.
BUT YEAH, THEY'RE, WE'RE MOVING NOW AND I THINK THAT THAT'S GOOD, BUT IT DOESN'T COME WITHOUT SOME DISCOMFORT.
AND I THINK WE'VE HEARD ABOUT A LITTLE BIT OF THAT.
UM, BUT IT'S NICE TO KNOW THAT YOUR EXPERTISE IS, OH, PLEASE SEND, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY.
CHAPTER 13 OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE DOES REQUIRE THAT ROAD TREES HAVE A TREE PERMIT ON FILE.
IT IS HANDLED THROUGH THE ENCROACHMENT PROCESS.
OH, PRIVATE TREES, LIKE IN A BACKYARD OR ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, DO NOT REQUIRE A PERMIT.
SO ROW TREES DO REQUIRE, THAT'S WHY IT'S IN THE ENCROACHMENT BECAUSE NORMALLY A TREE COMPANY, IF THEY'RE REMOVING, THEY'LL HAVE TO BE IN THE STREET.
BUT AS YOU CAN TELL, EVEN BETWEEN THIS, IT'S AS CLEAR AS MUD.
UM, SO, BUT JUST FOR CLARIFICATION OF THAT, NOT TO NEGATE WHAT BEN'S SAYING, BUT THAT'S WHY IT LIVES IN THAT SPACE.
WELL, NO, BUT THEY ALSO, IF A TREE IN THE BACKYARD IS BEING REMOVED AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE IN THE STREET, IT REQUIRES AN ENCROACHMENT PERMIT BECAUSE THEY'RE IN SOME THINGS IN THE STREET.
BUT ROW TREES REQUIRE PERMIT TO BE REMOVED REGARDLESS ALL THE TIME.
BUT IT'S A HANDLED IN ENCROACHMENT PERMIT PROCESS BECAUSE THAT WAS THE ONLY PLACE IT MADE SENSE TO LIVE CURRENTLY.
UH, WELL THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT THERE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, EXISTING ENFORCEMENT.
I MEAN, WHAT WE CAN DO EVEN TO EXIST, OR EXCUSE ME, ENFORCE THE EXISTING REGULATIONS AND ESPECIALLY FOR PLANNING ENTITLEMENTS AND FOLLOW UPS THAT PEOPLE HAVE DONE THEIR REPLACEMENT PLANTINGS.
IT'S NICE TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE GETTING INVOLVED IN THAT.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S A BIG THING.
UH, THAT CONTRIBUTES TO CANOPY.
UM, THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS IN REGARDS TO, UM, SOMETHING WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND NOW MY BRAIN IS FAILING ME, BUT, UM, I WANTED TO POINT OUT SOMETHING THAT I THOUGHT WAS GOOD.
OH, A STOPGAP MEASURE AS WE TALK ABOUT THE FRUSTRATION POTENTIALLY WITH PROPERTY OWNERS WHO DON'T QUITE HAVE THE CLARITY OF A-U-F-M-P, UM, SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION, REFERENCE DOCUMENTATION.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD A PROPERTY OWNER REACH OUT AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW THE TREE TECHNICAL MANUAL EXISTED, WHICH IS A DOCUMENT APPARENTLY WE'VE HAD SINCE 2021.
AND ALL WE DID WAS EMAIL THEM THAT LINK.
UM, DOES THE CITY, MAYBE CINDY, THIS IS A QUESTION FOR YOU AS WELL.
DO WE HAVE A PLAN MAYBE WITH THIS KIND OF UFMP PART OF THE WEBSITE TO HAVE SOME OF THAT TREE DOCUMENTATION CENTRALIZED FOR WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE AND MAYBE WHAT'S COMING UP AS GUIDANCE IN THE MEANTIME WHEN WE'RE TELLING PROPERTY OWNERS, HEY, CAN'T REMOVE THIS TREE.
AT LEAST WE GIVE THEM SOME REFERENCE TO, TO SEE OTHER STRATEGIES.
AND THE TREE TECHNICAL MANUALS AND THEN THE ENABLING RESOLUTION AND THE PURVIEW OF THIS COMMITTEE IN PARTICULAR.
[00:45:01]
WAS DRAFTED BY THE COMMITTEE AT THE TIME, AND IT REFLECTS WHAT IS IN OUR CODES CURRENTLY.SO AS THE TPO AND OTHER THINGS GET UPDATED, IT WILL COME BACK TO THIS COMMITTEE TO WORK ON IT AND TO REVISE IT.
AND THEN PLANNING AS THIS TPO PROCESS HAPPENS IS OUR HOPE IS TO HAVE IT MORE IN A CENTRALIZED PLACE SO PEOPLE HAVE INFORMATION MORE CLEARLY.
THAT GETS STILL HARD IN MY QUESTION.
THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION, BEN.
I WASN'T HERE THE FIRST TIME, SO THIS IS, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME AND I'M REALLY BEEN, UM, CURIOUS ABOUT SOME OF THE NUMBERS AND I LOVE THE DATA THAT YOU'VE PRESENTED.
SO, UM, THANK SEVERAL DIFFERENT, UM, ANALYSIS THAT YOU PRESENTED.
UM, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, PLEASE.
CAN YOU, UM, GO BACK AND TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE PROCESS OF HIRING A SUB-CONSULTANT THAT WILL, UM, HELP YOU TAKE OVER THE URBAN FORESTRY MANAGEMENT PLAN WRITING PART OF IT IN TERMS OF, UM, WHAT'S THE CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION? WHAT'S THAT SELECTION PROCESS? WHO'S INVOLVED? HAS IT BEEN DONE ALREADY? AND WHAT WAS THIS ONE'S NAME AGAIN? FORT SCIENCE, IF YOU COULD, UM, TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT, HOW WE'RE MAKING THAT DECISION.
THAT QUESTION FOR CLARIFICATION IS PROBABLY ON THE CITY BECAUSE ONCE AGAIN, THE CITY'S THE ONE HIRING THE CONSULTANT.
UM, BEN AND HIS COMPANY IS NOT, THEY WERE ON BOARD TO DO THE INVENTORY PORTION.
SO WE WENT THROUGH AND WE SOLICITED AND THE INITIAL REQUEST, AND THERE WAS FOUR COMPANIES THAT DO THESE MGS.
SO WE WENT THROUGH, THEY DID FULL PROPOSALS.
THERE WAS THREE OF US THAT WENT THROUGH THEM, UM, TO KIND OF SEE WHAT THEY WOULD DO, WHAT THEY INCLUDED, WHERE THEIR PRICE POINTS WERE, WHAT WORK THEY HAD DONE, AND IF IT MADE SENSE FOR WHAT WE WANTED OUR UFMP TO INCLUDE.
AND AT THE END, AFTER THE INVENTORY WAS DONE, THERE WAS THREE MAJOR COMPANIES THAT WE FELT THAT THEIR SCOPE WAS JUST MORE THAN WE WERE WILLING TO SIGN ON TO, PLUS REALLY, REALLY BIG DOLLAR AMOUNTS BEYOND WHAT THE GRANT WAS FUNDING, MORE THAN DOUBLE WHAT THE GRANT WAS FUNDING.
AND THEY COULD NOT, UM, PERFORM THE REQUIREMENTS WITHIN THE TIMEFRAME OF THE GRANT.
UM, SO AT THAT TIME WE WERE WORKING WITH BEN AND ASKED FOR RECOMMENDATIONS TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY OTHER COMPANIES THAT ARE DOING THESE PLANS.
AND, UM, SO HE HAD GIVEN US A RECOMMENDATION.
I WENT THROUGH AND SPOKE TO THEM AND THEN WENT THROUGH PLANS THAT THEY HAVE DONE FOR OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AND FOUND THAT IT ALIGNED WITH WHAT I THINK WE'RE LOOKING FOR AS A CITY AND WHAT THIS COMMITTEE'S FEEDBACK HAS TOLD ME WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
SO WE'RE IN THAT STAGES OF, THEY SENT ME A PROPOSAL AND NOW I NEED TO MEET WITH THEM AGAIN TO SEE IF THAT MEETS.
SO THERE'S IN TOTAL FIVE COMPANIES THAT WE, WE'VE LOOKED AT ALTOGETHER AND REVIEWED THEM AND THERE WAS A COMMITTEE OF THREE THAT WENT THROUGH THEM TO REVIEW.
UM, AND INCLUDING AT THAT TIME, UM, REQUESTING FOR, YOU KNOW, OTHER GROUPS LIKE RELIEF AND OTHER PEOPLE I'VE WORKED WITH US TO LOOK AT THOSE TO SEE IF THEY MADE SENSE.
THE INITIAL SCOPE WAS HELPED, UM, BY COUNCIL MEMBERSHIPS WHEN HE WAS THE CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE TO HELP KIND OF KICK THIS OFF.
SO WE HAVE KIND OF THOSE PARAMETERS OF WHAT WE LAID OUT TO BEGIN WITH.
UM, BUT YEAH, THAT'S HOW WE ENDED UP WITH THIS COMPANY AND WE'RE HOPING THAT THEY'LL BE ABLE TO, AND BE WILLING TO TAKE US ON BECAUSE I THINK THEIR SCOPE AND THE WORK THAT THEY DO IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
SOME OF THE BIGGER COMPANIES, THEY'RE GREAT, BUT IT'S JUST ABOVE AND BEYOND I THINK WHAT PETALUMA IS LOOKING FOR FROM THIS.
AND IT'S MEANT FOR LOS ANGELES, YOU KNOW, SOME REALLY BIG URBAN CITIES THAT WE'RE, WE'RE JUST NOT LA, WE'RE NOT CHICAGO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GREAT AND THEY'RE DOING THINGS, BUT WE DON'T, WE DON'T NEED THAT.
WE NEED SOMETHING THAT'S PETALUMA APPROPRIATE, SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT COMPANY THAT ALSO GOT OUR COMMUNITY.
I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIG PIECES IS THAT WE WANTED SOMEBODY WHO HAD ALLOWED BEN AND HIS COMPANY TO STILL BE PART OF THE PROCESS AS BEING IN PETALUMA, UNDERSTANDING OUR COMMUNITY, WHAT OUR NEEDS ARE AND WHAT KIND OF OUR COMMUNITIES ASKING US FOR.
SO THAT WAS ALSO ANOTHER KEY COMPONENT IS SOMEBODY WHO'S WORKING, WILLING TO WORK WITH A PETALUMA BASED COMPANY WHO CARES ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY, NOT JUST SOME COMPANY THAT DOESN'T LIVE HERE AND DOESN'T KNOW OUR COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, THAT'S HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE'RE AT CURRENTLY.
WOULD YOU MIND PLEASE REPEATING, UM, UM, WHAT THE NAME OF THE COMPANY IS, AND THEN ALSO I UNDERSTAND TOTALLY THE, UM, THE, UM, THE FACTORS THAT NEED TO GOVERN OUR DECISION MAKING, UH, PER THE CAL FIRE GRANT AND TIMELINE.
UM, IT IS A CITY TAKING APPROACH THAT THIS IS GONNA BE KIND OF A FRAMEWORK AND ONCE WE GET THIS, THEN WE'LL SUPPLEMENT IT, YOU KNOW, YEARS DOWN THE LINE OR WE'LL, UM, THAT, WHETHER THAT'S ANY OF THE THINKING AT THIS POINT, BUT AGAIN, WHAT THE NAME IS OF THAT COMPANY.
'CAUSE I I DIDN'T QUITE CATCH IT AND BEN, REMIND ME, YOU KNOW, THE NAME OF THE COMPANY PROBABLY QUICKER THAN, YEAH, IT'S HORT LIKE FROM HOR SCIENCE
[00:50:01]
HORTICULTURE.YEAH, I MEAN, IT'S A CRAZY NAME AND THEIR WEBSITE IS, IS LACKLUSTER AS WELL.
BUT THE, THE TWO FOUNDERS OF THE COMPANY HAVE WRITTEN A LOT OF THE, UM, DOMINANT LITERATURE IN THE INDUSTRY AND I KNOW ALL OF THEIR TEAM FROM ALL OF THE LIKE TREE EVENTS THAT WE GO TO AND THEY'RE ALL REALLY GOOD.
AND IF YOU LOOK UP SOME OF THEIR PLANS THAT THEY'VE DONE, THEY'RE ALSO JUST REALLY IMPRESSIVE.
UM, BUT YEAH, DON'T BE FOOLED BY THEIR DATED WEBSITE AND AND SILLY NAME.
SO I HAD DID MORE DIGGING IN ACTUAL MEETINGS TO REALLY UNDERSTAND, TO SEE IF THERE ARE THE RIGHT COMPANY.
BUT I THINK ALL OF YOU WOULD PROBABLY BE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED WITH DARIA AND KIND OF HER WORK.
UM, THE PLAN OF THE UFMG IS IT'S, IT'S A 30 TO 40 YEAR PLAN, SO IT'S THAT BIG OVERARCHING PLAN TO HELP US AS A CITY BETTER UNDERSTAND LIKE WHAT OUR NEEDS ARE AND HOW WE'RE GONNA GET THERE.
SO YEAH, IT'S MEANT TO BE BIG PICTURE.
UM, A COUPLE OTHER QUESTIONS I HAD PLEASE IS UM, UH, OH IN REGARD TO THE VISION STATEMENT, I ONLY HAD TWO COMMENTS.
DAVIS, IF INSTEAD OF JUST COMMUNITY FOREST COMMUNITY FOREST ECOSYSTEM, SANTA CLARA MAXIMIZING CANOPY, THOSE ARE JUST TWO THOUGHTS I HAD.
AND UM, UH, BEN OR CINDY, UM, YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH PETALUMA MOST RECENTLY, UM, REGARDING ENCROACHMENT PERMITS.
UM, I HOPE YOU'LL STICK AROUND 'CAUSE WE'VE BEEN MEETING WITH PG E AND, UM, UNDERSTANDING THEIR PROCESS AND LACK OF DOCUMENTATION.
UM, CAN YOU SHARE WITH US ANY EX INTERSECTION YOU'VE HAD WITH PG E ENCROACHMENT PERMIT APPLICATIONS IN THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS? BECAUSE I KNOW THEY'RE GETTING DENIALS, WHICH IS SO, SO GREAT.
YEAH, THAT'S ANOTHER POLARIZING ONE FOR SURE.
I DON'T KNOW IF CINDY WANTS ME TO OR
I THINK IN GENERAL I'LL MAYBE JUST GIVE SOME GENERAL, I KNOW BEN'S BEEN PULLED IN BOTH BY PUBLIC WORKS AND BY PLANNING TO ASSIST ON ITEMS THAT COME IN AND APPLICATIONS.
PG E IS ONE UTILITY AND THE WAY IT GENERALLY WORKS IS THAT THEY DO A BLANK PERMIT FOR THE YEAR AND IT'S AN ENCROACHMENT PERMIT BECAUSE THEY'RE ACTUALLY COVERED BY THE CPUC AT THE STATE LEVEL AND NOT BY US LOCALLY.
SO WHILE WE CAN PUT ALL OF OUR SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE, SOMETIMES IT IS A DIFFICULT RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE A BLANKET PERMIT, WE JUST GET NOTIFIED.
SOMETIMES WE DON'T GET NOTIFIED THAT WORK HAS BEEN DONE BECAUSE THEY HAVE A BLANKET PERMIT AND THEY CAN IN THE YEAR COME AND DO WHAT THEY THINK THEY NEED TO DO FOR SAFETY MEASURE.
UM, BUT I THINK WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE A BETTER WORKING RELATIONSHIP AND THIS IS MAYBE WHERE BEN CAN SPEAK TO IF HE'S BEEN PULLED IN ON ANY OF THESE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND.
'CAUSE WE DID MAKE THE REQUEST TO SAY, HEY, IF YOU'RE DOING THIS, CAN YOU LOOP US IN? CAN WE SEE WHAT'S GOING ON? CAN WE HAVE A DIALOGUE? UM, AND MOST OF YOU PROBABLY KNOW, I, I WASN'T MCNAIR ONE DAY AND I CAUGHT THEIR CONTRACTOR TRYING TO TOP OFF MY REDWOOD TREE AND I ASKED FOR THEIR PERMIT AND THEY DIDN'T ACTUALLY HAVE AN EXECUTED ONE, SO THEY HAD TO STOP WORK.
SO, I MEAN, BUT LITTLE THINGS LIKE THAT IS MAKING, MAKING SURE THAT IF WE DO SEE IT, WE SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, CITY EMPLOYEE, I'M LIKE, DO YOU HAVE A PERMIT? YOU'RE IN MY PARK, I'M THE PARK SUPERINTENDENT, JUST, I KNOW YOU'RE PG E BUT I'D LIKE TO JUST KNOW THAT YOU HAVE YOUR PERMIT ON YOU SO THAT I KNOW YOU'RE, YOU CAN DO THIS WORK.
SO ON MY END, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT I CAN DO WHEN I'M OUT IN SPACES AND MY STAFF, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT WE CAN SAY, HEY, OKAY, WE KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO WORK AROUND YOUR POWER LINES, BUT ARE YOU PERMITTED IF YOU NEED AN ENCROACHMENT, MAKES THEIR TRUCKS ARE IN THE ROAD.
UM, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS, UH, THAT THEY'RE GETTING DENIALS.
THEY'RE BEING TOLD YOU CAN'T CHOP DOWN THESE, SOME OF THESE TREES AND ONE OF THE GUY ON THE TEAM, THEY'RE JUST REALLY GREAT PEOPLE, BUT ONE OF 'EM JUST
SO, UH, CAN YOU TELL US WHICH THOSE WERE OR WHAT YOUR ASSESSMENT OF WHAT THE HICCUP MIGHT BE? UM, WE'RE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS SINCE YOU'RE HERE.
I MEAN, I CAN TELL YOU MY EXPERIENCE IS THAT, UH, MY SISTER WORKS FOR PG E IN THE VEGETATION CLEARANCE STUFF.
AND SHE ASKED ME, WHY IS EVERYTHING GETTING DENIED IN PETALUMA? I WAS LIKE, WELL, I DON'T KNOW.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE MAKING BIG CHANGES.
[00:55:02]
BUT I DON'T KNOW MORE THAN THAT.I KNOW THAT THEY HAD ME GO AND LOOK AT SOMETHING BEFORE THEY TOLD 'EM THAT THEY COULD REMOVE IT, BUT IT, IT'S JUST BEEN THE ONE AND I WOULD, YOU KNOW, TARA, I THINK WE'D HAVE TO ASK FOR CLARIFICATION FROM CITY ENGINEER BECAUSE CITY ENGINEER'S OFFICES WHERE THOSE PERMITS RUN THROUGH.
SO KEN CARUTHERS IS A CITY ENGINEER, SO I WOULD SAY WE COULD DIRECTLY REACH OUT TO HIM.
UM, PARDON ME, WOULD YOU REPEAT WHAT YOU JUST SAID? I DIDN'T QUITE HEAR IT.
DID YOU SAY YOU LOOKED AT IT AND IT DID NEED REMOVAL? YEAH, BUT THEN IT DIDN'T GET REMOVED YET.
I LOOKED AT IT AND I TYPICALLY DON'T HEAR AFTERWARDS WHAT HAPPENS.
BUT PROBABLY THEY'D BEEN WORKING ON TRYING TO GET IT REMOVED FOR A FEW MONTHS, I THINK, AT THAT POINT.
I NO FURTHER QUESTIONS OR, OH, YES.
UH, COULD YOU GO BACK TO THAT SLIDE THAT SHOWED THE THREE BLOCKS? UM, THE EIGHT 80,000 TREES? YEAH.
SO LEMME UH, LEMME UNDERSTAND THIS, THIS, THERE'S, THERE'S 80,000 TREES PUBLIC AND PRIVATE, AND THEN THE CUF HAS DATA ON 3,742 TREES THAT ARE IN PIDDLE, WHAT IS IT? PUBLIC TREES? YEAH.
SO THAT IS, SO THIS IS ALL THE DATA FROM CAL POLY'S WEBSITE, THE, THE URBAN FOREST ECOSYSTEM INSTITUTE.
AND THEY, THERE'S KIND OF TWO DATA SETS THAT ARE THERE.
ONE IS THEIR NUMBER ONE IN THE THING IS FROM THEIR AI TREE DETECTOR WHERE THEY'RE ANALYZING JUST AERIAL IMAGERY AND PICKING OUT TREES.
UH, WHICH IS A PRETTY SOPHISTICATED TOOL THAT THEY HAVE.
SO THAT'S PROBABLY A PRETTY ACCURATE NUMBER, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY ATTRIBUTES ABOUT THOSE TREES.
THAT'S JUST LIKE A COUNT OF THE TREES THAT ARE INSIDE CITY LIMITS.
SO IT'S ALL TREES, PUBLIC, PRIVATE, THAT, I GUESS MY, MY QUESTION IS, IS THAT WE, UM, 70 THOU, 77,000 TREES ARE ON, ON PRIVATE PROPERTY FROM READING THIS? NO.
SO THE, THE BOX NUMBER TWO IS DATA THAT CAL POLY HAS FROM TREE INVENTORIES PERFORMED BY OTHER COMPANIES THAT COULD BE ANYWHERE IN PETALUMA THAT THEY GAVE THEM THE DATA FOR THAT.
AND THEN THEY USE THAT TO CRUNCH NUMBERS ON TREE STUFF.
SO WE DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THOSE 3,700 TREES OTHER THAN UFEI IS USING THE DATA FROM THOSE TREES TO GIVE US OTHER SUMMARY STATISTICS FOR PETALUMA'S URBAN FOREST, WHICH YOU KNOW, IS NOT SUPER HELPFUL TO US, BUT IT IS A THING THAT THAT CAN BE USED.
I WAS TRYING TO GET THAT DATA FROM THOSE COMPANIES TO INCORPORATE IT INTO OUR CITY INVENTORY AND COULDN'T GET IT.
SO I UNDERSTAND BEING CONFUSED BY THOSE THINGS, BUT WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TREES ARE ON CITY VERSUS PUBLIC PROPERTY.
WE WOULDN'T EVEN HAVE AN ESTIMATE FOR THAT.
DO YOU THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW? I THINK IT WOULD BE NEAT TO KNOW, YEAH.
UH, I DON'T, IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR BUDGETING PURPOSES IF, AND THAT'S GONNA BE, THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE PART OF THE UFMP IS SETTING OUT A BUDGET.
KNOWING HOW MANY TREES THE CITY OWNS IS, IS IMPORTANT.
WE'RE GONNA GET CLOSER TO KNOWING THAT.
BUT OUR INVENTORY RIGHT NOW IS NOT SET TO PICK UP EVERY SINGLE RITE OF ROW TREE BECAUSE ALL OF THOSE LIKE LITTLE TINY ROADS THAT HAVE A LOT OF TREES BETWEEN, ESPECIALLY THE NEWER DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE ON THE EAST SIDE, ALL OF THOSE, UH, HOAS WHERE THERE ARE A LOT OF RIGHT OF WAY TREES IN THERE.
I, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS IT THE COMMISSIONER RAISED THAT, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE ADDRESS IMPROVING THINGS? UM, AND IF THE MAJORITY OF THE TREES ARE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY AND WE HAVE LITTLE IMPACT OTHER THAN TO PUNISH 'EM IF THEY CUT THEM DOWN, UH, UM, IT SEEMED LIKE A VERY DIFFICULT, IT'S, IT'S LIKE PUSHING A WET NOODLE.
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU IMPROVE THINGS OTHER THAN PLANTING MORE TREES ON PUBLIC PROPERTY, BUT THAT IM, THAT THAT AERIAL PHOTO YOU SHOWED OF THE TREE, THE, OF THE 20% OR 25% REDUCTION IN CANOPY, THERE WERE NO STREET
[01:00:01]
TREES IN THAT IMAGE AT ALL.AND SO IF WE'RE TRYING TO, I MEAN IF WE'RE TRYING TO APPROACH TREE CANOPY AND TREE IMAGE AND PETALUMA, WE, WE GOTTA DEAL WITH PARKWAYS AND I MEAN, YOU TALK ABOUT STREET TREES AND RIGHT OF WAY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS A RIGHT OF WAY OWNED BY THE CITY OR OWNED BY THE PUBLIC.
UH, IT IS NOT CLEAR WHERE THAT, WHERE THAT LINE IS BACK A WALK BACK A SIDEWALK.
UM, TO ME IT'S, IT IS A VERY BIG MESS THAT THE CITY DOES NOT WANT TO GET INVOLVED IN BECAUSE OF COST.
I KNOW IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE TO, TO TAKE ON STREET TREES, BUT IS THAT SOMETHING YOU MIGHT RECOMMEND? WE DO THINK ABOUT, SO FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS, WE'RE DEFINING THE RIGHT OF WAY TREES AS THE TREES THAT ARE BETWEEN THE SIDEWALK AND THE ROAD.
AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S CALLED A STREET TREE.
SO YOU'RE NOT COUNTING OR RIGHT OF WAY TREE WE'RE CALLING, CALLING, I'M USING THOSE TERMS INTERCHANGEABLY.
THERE IS TECHNICALLY A RIGHT, A RIGHT OF WAY FOR THE STREET AND THERE MIGHT BE SOME TREES IN THERE, BUT RIGHT OF WAYS ARE SO VARIABLE AND STREETS ARE SO VARIABLE THAT I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT EVER REALLY CLEARLY DEFINED ANYWHERE WHERE LIKE A TREE IS IN A CITY RIGHT OF WAY BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S IN THE RIGHT OF WAY OR A PRIVATE YARD RIGHT NOW, THAT HOMEOWNER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OF IT.
IF WE GET THE CITY TO TAKE OVER MANAGEMENT OF THE STREET TREES, I THINK IT'LL PROBABLY BE MORE CLEARLY DEFINED AS STREET TREES, TREES THAT ARE BETWEEN THE SIDEWALK AND THE ROAD.
WOULD BE MY STAB AT ANSWERING THAT.
AND I THINK IT, IT'S PROPERTY LINES IF I WOULD SAY RIGHT NOW IT'S ALL OVER THE PLACE.
SOMETIMES IT'S A PROPERTY OWNER, SOMETIMES IT'S CITY, SOMETIMES IT ENDS UP BEING A FRONTAGE THAT HAS A SIDEWALK, BUT THE CITY OWNS THAT FRONTAGE, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S A MIX RIGHT NOW.
BUT AS DEFINED BY BEN FOR THIS PURPOSE, FOR HIS INVENTORY, IT WOULD BE BETWEEN THE SIDEWALK AND THE CURB IS WHAT WE'RE CALLING ROAD, WHAT WE CALL THE ROAD TREE.
AND I THINK THAT IT'S BEEN MY IMPRESSION TALKING TO PEOPLE IN THE CITY THAT THEY'RE NOT RESISTANT TO THE IDEA OF TAKING OVER MANAGEMENT OF THE STREET TREES, BUT WE NEED TO FIND THE FUNDING FOR IT.
BUT THERE IS, THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE WANT TO HAVE COVERED IN THE UFMP.
AND WE, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT IN OUR INITIAL MEETING WITH ARIA, WITH FORT SCIENCE, THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO EXPLORE BECAUSE THAT, I MEAN, THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME OUT AT THE PUBLIC MEETING AND I'VE PICKED UP ON THAT DESIRE FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE.
AND SPECIFICALLY LIKE ADDING A PARCEL TAX HELPS A LOT WITH THAT BECAUSE KIND OF EVERYBODY WINS.
IF YOU OWN A PARCEL, ADDING A LITTLE BIT OF A TAX ONTO IT TO NOT HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR STREET TREES ANYMORE IS A PRETTY SWEET DEAL.
AND THEN IF YOU DON'T OWN A PARCEL, THEN YOU CAN JUST VOTE YES FOR THAT BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT PAYING ANY EXTRA TAXES AND THE STREET TREES ARE IN BETTER SHAPE.
SO IT'S A, IT'S LIKE A PRETTY EASY ARGUMENT TO MAKE TO PASS THAT.
AND IT WOULD PROBABLY CREATE SOME CITY JOBS.
I MEAN IN, YOU KNOW, IT SELLS ITSELF.
ARE YOU INVOLVED IN, IN THE GENERAL PLAN PROCESS? BECAUSE IN THE DISCUSSIONS OF LAND USE AND GENERAL PLAN, THERE'S TALK ABOUT ADDING DENSITY TO BOULEVARD LIKE WASHINGTON, INCREASING DENSITY OF RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS, WHICH REQUIRES AN ATTRACTIVE STREET SCRAPE FOR THEM TO LOCATE THERE BECAUSE THEY WANT A HIGH IMAGE, WHICH REQUIRES SOMEBODY TO IMPROVE WASHINGTON FROM WHAT IT IS NOW.
AND I HAVE YOU BEEN PART OF ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CITY PLAYING A ROLE IN STREET BOULEVARD? STREET TREES OR, UH, LAND USE IMPROVEMENT? STREET TREES OR, UH, WHOLE STREETS, I MEAN, WHOLE BLOCKS, SEVERAL BLOCKS INSTEAD OF PARCEL BY PARCEL.
HAVE YOU BEEN PART OF ANY OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS? NOT YET, BUT I HOPE TO BE.
HOW, HOW WILL YOU BE PART OF THAT? PEOPLE REACH OUT TO ME AND ASK.
SO AT THIS POINT, THAT IS A FUNCTION, THE GENERAL PLAN IS BEING RUN THROUGH PLANNING.
IF PLANNING WANTED TO MAKE THAT REQUEST AND HIRE BEN ON AS A CONSULTANT, THAT WOULD BE UP TO PLANNING BECAUSE THAT'S RUNNING THROUGH THEM A LOT OF TIMES.
THAT'S GONNA BE A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT THOUGH.
AND I WOULD BE MORE, THEY WOULD ASK ME TO LOOK AT IT AFTER A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT IS DESIGNED IT AND SAY, DO YOU THINK THIS IS COOL? MM-HMM,
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE AT THE FUTURE WE COULD, UM, DO, UH, A LETTER TO COUNCIL ASKING FOR THAT TO BE FOLDED INTO THE GENERAL PLAN, OR MAYBE THE PARKS COMMISSION WOULD DO THAT, OR THE PLANNING COMMISSION WOULD DO THAT.
UM, YEAH, THE GENERAL PLAN DOES REFERENCE THE UFMP, ESPECIALLY IN THE PARKS AREA WHERE THAT SHOWS UP EXACTLY.
BUT AS MUCH AS WE CAN PUSH FOR REFERENCES TO THE UFMP AND BEST PRACTICES OUTLINED THERE, THAT'S A WAY TO MAKE SURE THE
[01:05:01]
GENERAL PLAN KIND OF CARRIES THAT THROUGH AS WELL.I'M GONNA TAKE ONE MORE, MORE QUESTION FROM, JUST TO CLARIFY.
THOSE ARE BEING BROUGHT TO PLANNING NOW.
I BELIEVE THERE WAS A MEETING, THERE'S TWO MORE MEETINGS.
SO I'D SAY IF IT'S IMPORTANT, IT'S GOOD TO GO TO PLANNING COMMISSION TO BRING THAT UP IN THAT PROCESS.
AND I BELIEVE THERE'S A FEEDBACK DEADLINE THIS WEEK, OR, UH, YOU CAN STILL SUBMIT FEEDBACK, BUT ANY THOUGHTS YOU HAVE SUBMITTING THIS WEEK WOULD BE GREAT.
AND WE HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION FROM, OH YEAH, THANKS HOWARD.
UH, JUST REAL QUICK, I WANTED TO BRING IT BACK TO THE PG AND E SORT OF ONE OF THE ONGOING ISSUES TO SEE IF YOU HAD SOME COMMENT ON IT BEFORE YOU LEAVE.
'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE AS A RESOURCE.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF, ONE OF THE THINGS WE SEE OR CONSTANTLY HEAR IS LIKE HOW THESE BEAUTIFUL LARGE TREES ARE LEFT KIND OF, UH, LOOKING NOT AS AESTHETICALLY BEAUTIFUL AS, YOU KNOW, UM, AFTER THE PG AND E PRUNING TO GET THEM BELOW THE LINES.
IT'S SOMEWHAT OF AN M SHAPE KIND OF.
AND I'M WONDERING IF YOU'VE SEEN SOME SOLUTIONS TO, TO WHERE, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN WORK WITH PG AND E OR WORK WITH OTHER THIRD PARTIES TO GET THOSE TREES TO, TO, TO BE MORE BEAUTIFUL.
UM, I, I NOTICED IN THE PENINSULA IT LOOKED LIKE THEY WERE, THEY, THERE WERE SOME SYCAMORES BELOW, UM, YOU KNOW, ELECTRICAL WIRES, BUT THEY WERE KIND OF PRUNED SIMILAR TO, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU SHOWED THAT SLIDE ON THE THEATER DISTRICT.
THOSE ARE KEPT, THOSE SYCAMORES ARE KEPT PRETTY LOW.
UM, MAYBE NOT IDEAL, BUT AT LEAST, UH, YEAH.
I MEAN THAT'LL BE A ADDRESSED, AT LEAST PARTIALLY, I WOULD SAY IN THE UFMP WHERE THEY'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT STREET TREES AND GETTING THE RIGHT TREE PLANTED IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
'CAUSE THOSE UGLY TREES, LIKE THE BAD PRUNING BY PG E IS THE RESULT OF PLANTING THE WRONG TREE UNDER THE WIRES AND LETTING IT GROW FOR TOO LONG.
OR THE PERSON THAT OWNS THE TREE JUST NOT PRUNING IT ALL AND SAYING, NO, PG E CAN DEAL WITH IT.
YOU KNOW, IF THE TREE OWNER HAD PRUNED IT TO KEEP IT SMALL OR PLANTED A TREE THAT WASN'T TOO BIG, FRONT OF THE WILD, IT WOULDN'T BE GROWING SO BIG AROUND THE WIRES.
AND PG E IS NEVER GOING TO, IN MY OPINION, START PRUNING ENTIRE TREES AND START DOING IT AESTHETICALLY, EVEN IN A SINGLE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEY JUST, THEY ONE, A LOT OF TIMES THE TREE CREWS DON'T HAVE THE, THE SKILL TO DO IT ARTFULLY AND YEAH, JUST THE SCALE THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON.
SO IT'S GONNA BE ON US MORE TO GET PEOPLE TO START PLANTING THE CORRECT TREES UNDER THE POWER LINES.
DID YOU HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION? NO, THANKS FOR ASKING
UM, I JUST COMMENT WAS, UM, IT, IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE THE DISCUSSION HERE, WHICH HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL AND, AND AND BENEFICIAL AND, AND WITH THIS, UM, WITH THIS REPORT IS, UM, IT'S REALLY GONNA COME DOWN TO A, A PARTNERSHIP AND, AND EDUCATION AND REALLY EDUCATING THE PUBLIC, UM, ABOUT THE RIGHT PRACTICE AND RIGHT.
WAYS TO TAKE CARE OF THESE TREES AND TO CONTRIBUTE.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
THANK YOU ALL.DO WE HAVE A, A, UM, I'LL, I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
UNANIMOUS THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES.
UM, NEXT, UH, WE HAVE UM, STREET TREE AD
[PUBLIC HEARINGS AND MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION]
HOC COMMITTEE.UM, AND FIVE COMMUNICATION OUTREACH AD HOC COMMITTEE
I'LL GIVE A QUICK UPDATE ON THAT.
UM, WE WERE REACHED OUT TO ACTUALLY A, A PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER WAS DIRECTED OUR WAY BY PUBLIC WORKS REGARDING A SIDEWALK CONFLICT, A SIDEWALK AND TREE CONFLICT.
THIS IS A PROPERTY ON FOURTH STREET RIGHT ACROSS FROM OUR BEAUTIFUL HISTORIC POST OFFICE.
AND IT'S OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF PROPERTY OWNERS ARE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW.
CONFLICTS WITH ROOTS AND SIDEWALKS.
UH, WE THOUGHT IT WAS A POTENTIAL TO BE, UM, COULD BE ILLUSTRATIVE TO OTHER PROPERTY OWNERS AND TO IMPROVING OUR, MAYBE JUST OUR COMMUNICATION PROCESS.
UH, AND WHAT WE HAD WAS A PROPERTY OWNER WHO AT FIRST WANTED TO REMOVE THE TREE BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE TO COME BACK AND READJUST THE SIDEWALK LATER.
UH, OUR PUBLIC WORKS INFORMED THEM THAT AT THIS TIME WE ARE NOT ALLOWING FOR STREET TREE REMOVALS.
UH, BUT THEY STILL HAD TO BRING THE SIDEWALK UP
[01:10:01]
TO CODE AND IT CAUSED A LITTLE BIT OF THIS DISCONNECT.WE MAY HAVE FOUND A PRETTY EASY SOLUTION.
UH, SO THE TREE TECHNICAL MANUAL HAS A SECTION ON SIDEWALK TREE ROOT CONFLICTS, INCLUDING STRATEGIES AND IDEAS.
IT'S REALLY WHAT THE PROPERTY OWNER WAS LOOKING FOR WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, IF I CAN'T REMOVE IT, WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT TO DO TO BRING IT UP TO CODE.
NOW OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT DOES NOT PROVIDE THE TREE TECHNICAL MANUAL UNTIL THE ENCROACHMENT PERMIT IS APPLIED FOR.
SO THERE WAS THIS SLIGHT DISCONNECT WHERE THE PROPERTY OWNER JUST DIDN'T KNOW WE HAD THIS MANUAL.
SO WE'RE HOPING WE CAN AT LEAST PROVIDE THEM THAT.
AND IT ALSO LED TO A PRODUCTIVE DISCUSSION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE DO HAVE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS MANAGING THEIR TREES.
IT WAS A GOOD DISCUSSION ABOUT REFERENCE MATERIALS MORE BROADLY.
UH, YOU KNOW, ROGER MCCARLEY, WHO'S ON OUR COMMITTEE BROUGHT UP THAT PROPERTY OWNERS NEED TO BE INFORMED HOW TO PLANT UP TO SPEC, LIKE BEN WAS REFERENCING, BUT HOW TO WATER TO DEEP ROOT WATERING TO AVOID THESE KIND OF CONFLICTS.
AND WE NEED SOME KIND OF CENTRALIZED REFERENCE DOCUMENTATION ABOUT THIS.
SO MAYBE THAT COMES IN THE UFMP, BUT WE DECIDED TO MEET WITH PUBLIC WORKS, UM, AFTER MEETING WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER JUST TO TELL THEM, HEY, HERE'S THE CONFLICT THAT WE SAW.
WE'RE SURE YOU GUYS KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS.
UH, WE GOT TO MEET WITH KENT CARUTHERS.
UH, HE OBVIOUSLY KNEW THIS SITUATION.
WE SAW THIS LITTLE DISCONNECT WITH THE TECHNICAL MANUAL, BUT HE ALSO SAID THAT THEY ARE PUBLIC WORKS, IS WORKING ON A NEW SET OF SIDEWALK STANDARDS, WHICH COULD INCLUDE STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH ROOT AND SIDEWALK CONFLICTS.
UH, AND WE'RE NOT GONNA HOLD, I'M NOT GONNA HOLD KENT TO ANYTHING TIMELINE WISE, BUT HE WAS HOPING TO HAVE A DRAFT BROUGHT FORWARD BY SEPTEMBER, UM, TO, TO REVIEW.
SO THAT WAS SOMETHING REALLY POSITIVE.
I THINK BECAUSE A LOT OF PROPERTY OWNERS ARE DEALING WITH THIS.
SOMETIMES IT MIGHT JUST BE A SIMPLE COMMUNICATION ISSUE FOR, LOOK, WE HAVE THESE RESOURCES, SOME REFERENCES YOU CAN USE.
I THINK THERE'S A DISCUSSION THERE TOO ABOUT PROPERTY OWNERS BECAUSE THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT TREE, HAVING THE REFERENCE MATERIALS THEY NEED, BUT ALSO FINDING THE APPROPRIATE PERSON TO HELP THEM WITH THAT WORK.
BECAUSE AS THEY TOLD US, LOOK, WE NEED AN OUTLINE OF EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
AND SOME OF THAT FALLS ON FINDING THE RIGHT CONTRACTOR WHO UNDERSTANDS HOW TO KEEP A TREE IN PLACE AND BRING A SIDEWALK UP TO AADA A CODE.
SO I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT TOO.
I, I DON'T THINK THAT'S FALLS ON SOMETHING THE CITY HAS TO PROVIDE, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER WHEN SOME OF THESE CONFLICTS HAPPEN IS SOME OF THIS FALLS ON THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER FINDING THE RIGHT, THE RIGHT PERSON TO EXECUTE THE WORK WITH THE REFERENCE MATERIALS WE HAVE.
SO THAT WAS THE BIG MEETING WE HAD.
UM, TARYN, ROGER, AM I MISSING ANYTHING? THANK YOU.
I'LL JUST ADD, UH, TWO POINTS.
NUMBER ONE, WE'RE WORKING WITH KENT AND WE'RE PROVIDING THEM WITH BEST PRACTICES OF OTHER CITIES AND HOW THEY HANDLE SIDEWALK GUIDES AND ALSO THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS.
BECAUSE WHAT I FOUND VERY INTERESTING, UM, BEING A, A MARKET RESEARCHER AND UNDERSTANDING HOW THE, THE CONSUMERS THINKING ABOUT THIS IS, UH, YOU COULD ALMOST CALL THIS PREDATORY TREE SERVICE ISSUE WHERE A LITTLE DISCONNECT OR LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF TREE MAINTENANCE, PROPER TREE MAINTENANCE SOLUTIONS, OPPORTUNITIES TO KEEP A TREE.
'CAUSE THEY WANTED TO KEEP THE TREE, BUT THEY WERE TOLD TO CUT IT DOWN AND THE PRICE TAG ON THAT CAN BE VERY PROFITABLE FOR A TREE SERVICE.
AND THAT'S A REAL FORCE OUT THERE IN THE MARKETPLACE THAT I JUST THINK REALLY, UM, UH, PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON ANOTHER AREA OF OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE OUR RESIDENTS WITH THE INFORMATION THAT'S GONNA HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THERE'S OPPORTUNITY HERE FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THEIR PROPERTY AND THE BETTERMENT OF THE GREATER COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT.
UM, WE'LL GO INTO COMMITTEE COMMENTS.
UH, WHAT ABOUT THE PG E? CAN I DO THE PG E UPDATE, WHICH IS A DIFFERENT THING? OH, IS THAT NOT PART OF THE YEAH, IT'S, AND AND I WANNA HOLD ON PREFACE IT, BUT UNDER YOUR COMMUNICATIONS.
SO PUBLIC WORKS ALSO INVITED BILL AND I TO BECOME A PART OF THIS TEAM WORKING WITH PG E AND BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANNA VIOLATE THE BROWN ACT, WE BROUGHT IN A THIRD PERSON DARREN BECAUSE OF HIS GREAT EXPERTISE.
UM, OKAY, SO WE MET WITH PG AND E AND MY GOODNESS, IT WAS A TEAM ABOUT EIGHT OF THEM.
AND IT WAS EVERYONE FROM THEIR HIGHEST REGIONAL GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS AGENCY LIAISON, REALLY SMOOTH, GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE PEOPLE DOWN TO THEIR VEGETATION MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR, THEIR PERMITTING MANAGER, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
[01:15:01]
IT WAS A GREAT MEETING BECAUSE THE PURPOSE OF THE MEETING REALLY WAS TO UNDERSTAND THEIR PROCESS.AND WE HAD SUCH A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO ASK A ZILLION QUESTIONS.
I WILL JUST SAY THAT IN TERMS OF TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY THEY CUT CERTAIN TREES, PRUNE THEM THE WAY THEY DO, TO THE EXTENT THEY DO, WHY THEY CUT DOWN CERTAIN TREES, IT'S REALLY A BLACK BOX AND I DON'T SEE IT CHANGING.
THERE WAS REALLY RELUCTANCE BY THE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR TO SHARE ANY OF THE PAPERWORK, ANY OF THE DETERMINATION DECISION MAKING TO SHARE WITH US WHETHER IT WAS A PG E PERSON OR A SUBCONTRACTOR OR A SUB SUBCONTRACTOR.
BECAUSE MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IS THERE IS PREDATORY TREE ADVISEMENT OUT THERE.
I'VE BEEN A VICTIM OF THAT IN MY OWN RESIDENCE.
UM, SO, BUT THAT WAS VERY INTERESTING AND THAT LED TO MY QUESTION EARLIER AT BEN AND CINDY, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THESE PERMITS? SO, UM, WE ARE, WE HAVE A FOLLOW UP WITH THE TWO TOP PG E PEOPLE.
THERE'S GREAT OPPORTUNITY, AS CINDY TALKED ABOUT, WITH STRENGTHENING THE CITY'S RELATIONSHIP WITH PG E.
THERE'S ADDITIONAL FUNDS AND PERKS WE CAN GET FROM PG E.
UM, AND WE CAN MAKE THEIR LIFE EASIER TOO WITH JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND BETTER WHAT OUR DIFFERENT PRIORITIES AND GOALS ARE.
UM, WITH REGARD TO, UM, WHAT ELSE? UH, UH, SO BILL HAS A QUESTION OF CINDY.
I'M KIND OF LIKE LOSING MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT BILL, WOULD YOU MIND? OH, YEAH.
UM, SO I THINK SOME EMAILS WERE SENT TO TRY TO FOLLOW UP ON WHAT, UM, PERMITS THAT THEY HAVE TRIED TO, UM, GET FROM THE CITY AND WHICH TREES ARE BEING TARGETED FOR FUTURE, UH, WORK.
AND IF THERE'S, UH, VISIBILITY TO THAT OR TRANSPARENCY THERE, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR, FOR OUR SUBCOMMITTEE.
AND UH, IS THAT KIND OF WHERE YOU WANTED TO GO? TARAN? YEAH.
'CAUSE I HAD FORGOTTEN THAT PG AND E WANTS US TO LOOK AT THOSE PERMITS AND I SAID, WELL, CAN YOU PROVIDE 'EM? AND THEY'RE LIKE, IT'S EASIER FOR YOU TO JUST GET 'EM FROM THE CITY.
AND THAT WAS AT THE END OF OUR MEETING.
AND SO WE'RE AT THIS POINT NOW FOR A COUPLE WEEKS WHERE WE'RE WONDERING HOW DO WE GET AHOLD OF THESE PERMITS? I'VE NEVER DONE THAT SORT OF THING.
SO I WOULD REACH OUT TO KENT DIRECTLY BECAUSE THOSE WORK THROUGH HIS TEAM AND UH, HE WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO MORE, I DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THEM IN THE SYSTEM THAT HE WOULD OR HAS.
HE CAN ASK HIS STAFF TO PULL THEM.
'CAUSE I'VE NEVER ACTUALLY SEEN THE ENCROACHMENT PERMIT REQUEST.
I JUST GET AN EMAIL THAT SAYS IT'S BEEN ISSUED.
TREE WORK WILL HAPPEN BY PG E IN THIS YEAR.
SO ON A PARK SIDE AND A FACILITY SIDE, THAT'S ALL I SEE.
BUT THE, THE CITY ENGINEER'S OFFICE CAN, A, ACTUALLY HOLDS THE PERMIT APPLICATION AND CAN BETTER HELP WITH DETAILS.
DOES IT SOUND RIGHT THAT WE EMAIL KENT AND, AND PROBABLY GINA BENEDETTI NIK AND COPY AND YOU YEAH, THAT'S FINE.
AND ESPECIALLY SINCE YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN WORKING WITH KENT, I THINK THAT'S APPROPRIATE.
JUST ADD ONE THING AS A COUPLE.
I THOUGHT PRODUCTIVE OFFSHOOTS OF THAT CALL WAS THE POTENTIAL FOR PG E UH, GOVERNMENT LIAISON STAFF TO COME PRESENT TO THIS COMMITTEE.
JUST SHARE, YOU KNOW, THE FACTS ABOUT HOW THEY CHOOSE TREES TO REMOVE SOME OF THAT PROCESS, WHAT THE, UH, CPUC ENABLES THEM TO DO.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, THEIR VEGETATION MANAGEMENT STAFF WAS VERY TERSE AND LIKE, THIS IS THE LAW, YOU HAVE TO LET US DO IT.
YOU KNOW, HE, IT'S ILLEGAL THAT YOU'RE STOPPING OUR PERMITS.
THERE WAS A POINT THERE WHERE IT GOT A LITTLE BIT LIKE, OKAY, WELL WE WANNA WORK WITH YOU.
UM, BUT I THOUGHT THERE ALSO COULD BE SOMETHING FOR FUTURE DISCUSSION OF THIS COMMITTEE TO TALK ABOUT IS SOME KIND OF SPECIAL AD HOC, IF THERE IS A LIAISON CAPACITY THERE WHERE TREE COMMITTEE CAN HELP FUNCTION AS KIND OF A ARM OF THE PUBLIC TO INTERFACE WHEN THERE ARE PG E REMOVALS TO WORK WITH PUBLIC WORKS TO JUST, MAYBE IT'S JUST PULLING THE PERMITS AND LOOKING AT 'EM.
AND JUST SO WE KNOW, OR SOME, BECAUSE WE CAN'T NECESSARILY STOP IT, BUT JUST TO FEEL LIKE THE PUBLIC IS A LITTLE MORE ENGAGED IN WHAT CAN BE A PROCESS THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT UNTIL THE TREE'S COMING DOWN OR YOU SEE AN X ON IT.
SO SOMETHING ELSE THAT I THINK THIS COMMITTEE COULD BE INVOLVED IN, IF, IF KIND OF THINGS CONTINUE ON THE TRAJECTORY THERE ON, IF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE HAS A CONTACT FOR THAT LIAISON AND YOU'D LIKE A PRESENTATION, PLEASE CONNECT THEM WITH ME.
I'D HAPPY TO GET THEM ON THE AGENDA FOR US.
[COMMITTEE COMMENT]
UH, I'LL START.UM, I, UM, UH, HAD A SMALL MEETING WITH, WITH RELIEF, UH,
[01:20:01]
A COUPLE WEEKS AGO AND, UM, GOING OVER THE NEW, UM, T-P-O-I-I, I'M NOT SURE, BUT, UH, IT SEEMS LIKE THE NEW TPO IS ONLY GONNA COVER RIGHT OF WAY TREES AND NOT, I MEAN, IT'S NOT GONNA COVER RIGHT OF WAY TREES.IT'S ONLY COVERING PRIVATE PROPERTY.
UM, AND I JUST, I'M JUST COMMENTING ON THAT.
AND, UM, I ALSO, UH, THE, I JUST WANT TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE IDEA OF, OF REGULATING THESE TREES ON PRIVATE PROPERTY AND IT REALLY BECOMES, I THINK BEN BROUGHT IT UP AN AN, AN IDEA OF COMMONS VERSUS PRIVATE PROPERTY.
YOU KNOW, WHERE'S THE, WHERE'S THAT LINE? AND UM, I, UM, AGAIN, IT WAS, IT WAS REALLY BROUGHT UP WITH, UH, WITH A, A TREE SITUATION ON EIGHTH STREET, UM, VERY GOOD ENOUGH AND NEIGHBORS TRYING TO CUT DOWN A TREE AND, UM, THEY'VE BEEN FIGHTING IT.
UM, THE, UM, ALSO I WAS WAS GONNA ASK AND JUST MAKE MENTION THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO HAVE HEATHER PROVIDE US A DRAFT PROPOSAL OF THE TPO, UM, PROVIDE THIS COMMITTEE.
I THINK WE'D ALL REALLY LIKE TO LOOK AT IT.
AND I THINK SHE'S PLANNING TO COME NEXT MONTH WITH IT AS WELL, SO.
WELL IF SHE COULD PROVIDE US WITH A DRAFT BEFORE THAT, THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.
THEN WE COULD ALSO CLARIFY OUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BEFOREHAND.
UM, UH, I JUST WAS TALKING TO RAY GOOD ENOUGH TODAY AND UM, HE JUST POINTED OUT THAT THERE WAS A LARGE DIA, DORIS CEDAR, SORRY, D UM, CAME DOWN AT D STREET AND LAUREL THIS MORNING.
BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, COMMONS VERSUS PRIVATE PROPERTY.
DO I HAVE ANY MORE? ANYBODY ELSE? GO AHEAD.
UH, SIMILAR TO, UH, DARREN AND TERRA'S, UH, MEETING WITH A, A PROPERTY OWNER ABOUT A STREET TREE CONFLICT WITH SIDEWALK, I WAS BROUGHT INTO, UM, UH, A SIMILAR CONVERSATION, BUT ON FIFTH STREET, BETWEEN H AND I, THERE ARE TWO VERY LARGE CAMPER TREES THAT PROVIDE ABOUT 50% OF THE SHADE ON THAT STREET THAT, UM, I GUESS WHEN THIS HOMEOWNER PURCHASED A PROPERTY DECADES AGO WAS, WAS SHOWN IT WAS, UH, DESIGNATED AS A LANDMARK TREE.
UM, SO REALLY, UH, TREES THAT WE WOULD WANT TO PROTECT AT ALL COSTS.
UNFORTUNATELY, HE'S RECEIVED A, A NOTICE IN THE MAIL FROM THE CITY THAT SAYS HE NEEDS TO REPAIR THE SIDEWALK.
SIMILAR PROBABLY KIND OF FORM LETTER, BUT IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMEWHAT SCARY.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A SEVEN DAYS TO CONFORM OR YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, AND UH, AND, AND THIS, UH, GENTLEMAN IS, YOU KNOW, UH, TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT.
HE HAD A, A TRUSTED CONTRACTOR.
THE CITY SORT OF GAVE HIM SOME NAMES AND, UH, WAS QUOTED, UH, FROM THIS, UH, THE ESTIMATED WOULD COST WOULD BE ABOUT $18,000.
IT INCLUDED THE REMOVAL OF THE TWO TREES, WHICH HE WOULDN'T WANT TO DO, HE DIDN'T, DOESN'T WANT TO DO.
BUT HE'S ALSO WORRIED ABOUT COMPLYING WITH THE CITY.
AND SO, UH, THIS ONE IS REALLY TRICKY.
IT'S ON A SCALE OF ONE TO 10, IT'S AN, IT'S A 10.
AND IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, SIDEWALK TILTING AND RAISED, UM, THE PLANTER STRIP IS ALREADY PROBABLY SEVEN FEET.
UH, SIDEWALKS AL HE REPLACED 20 YEARS AGO.
IT'S ALREADY GOING INTO HIS FRONT YARD A LITTLE BIT TO REALLY GET IT TO COMPLY WITH THE A DA STANDARDS, IT WOULD UM, PROBABLY NEED TO GO ANOTHER FIVE OR SIX FEET INTO HIS FRONT LAWN, OTHERWISE YOU'RE CUTTING DOWN THE TREE ROOTS THAT WOULD PROBABLY KILL THE TREE 'CAUSE HE'S SEEN THE TREE RESPOND T OR SIMILARLY 20 YEARS AGO, UM, TO SOME SORT OF, UH, ROOT, ROOT UH, DESTRUCTION.
SO IT'S A COMPLEX ISSUE, RIGHT? THE CITY'S GOT ITS STANDARDS A DA GET THAT UM, HOMEOWNERS ARE OUT, YOU KNOW, UNLESS THEY'RE EXPERTS ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHICH CONTRACTORS TO GO WITH, UM, WHAT THE RULES ARE, HOW TO MAKE IT ALL WORK.
THAT'S A LOT FOR EVERY INDIVIDUAL TO TRY TO QUARTERBACK.
SO HAVING ALL THE UM, UH, I THINK THAT UH, THE WORK THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, DARREN, VERY VALUABLE.
UM, I GUESS, YEAH, UH, THIS PARTICULAR STREET IS SLATED FOR THE GREENWAY.
IT'D BE INTERESTING TO LOOK AT IF THERE'S SOME, YOU KNOW, WE COULD MEANDER THE SIDEWALK INTO THE FRONT YARD, WHICH I THINK HE'D BE WILLING TO LOOK INTO.
BUT COULD WE, ME, COULD WE ALLOW FOR UM, THE RIGHT OF WAY TO OCCUR ON THE STREET? UH, SO ANYWAY,
[01:25:01]
MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN TAKE OFF OFFLINE, UM, BUT I'D HOPE THAT UM, MAYBE GET SOME MORE EYEBALLS ON THIS AND YEAH.HOW DO WE TAKE IT OFF THE PLANE? I DON'T KNOW
SO RECOMMEND FOR ANYBODY WATCHING AND THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE PLANNING MEETINGS FOR SOME UPDATES ON THE GENERAL PLAN.
STAFF COMMENTS? OH, I'M SORRY.
YES, I'LL JUST SAY THAT I LOVE THE UH, MOVABLE FOREST ART INSTALLATION.
I THINK THAT'S GONNA DO A LOT TO GET PEOPLE TO SEE THE IMPACT OF TREES ON QUITE A SCALE AND GET THEM MORE COMFORTABLE WITH TREES BEING SOMETHING OF VALUE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT GREAT WORK AND PRESENTATION APPENDED TO OUR, UH, AGENDAS PUBLIC COMMENT.
[STAFF COMMENT]
GO AHEAD.SO FOR STAFF COMMENTS AND I DIDN'T SEE YOU GUYS LAST MONTH WHEN YOU HAD THE JOINT MEETING, SO THANK YOU FOR COMING FOR THAT LONG JOINT MEETING.
I HEARD, UM, YOU GUYS OBVIOUSLY ALWAYS DO REALLY GREAT.
SO I'M REALLY THANKFUL THAT YOU GUYS WENT AND GAVE FEEDBACK FOR THE GENERAL PLAN ELEMENTS.
UM, ARBOR DAY, I KNOW IT FEELS REALLY FAR REMOVED, BUT THANK YOU EVERYBODY.
IT WAS I THINK REALLY FUN AND WE'LL HAVE TO DO A DEBRIEF.
I JUST HAD SOME PERSONAL ISSUES THAT CAME UP.
I HAVEN'T HAD TIME, SO I DO WANNA DEBRIEF WITH EVERYBODY AND SEE, START PUTTING THE PLANNING IN PLACE AND MAYBE SETTING UP THE NEW AD HOC COMMITTEE SO WE HAVE MORE TIME TO PLAN.
BUT REALLY FOR ALL THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND FOR ROGER WHO COULDN'T BE THERE, I THINK IT WAS GREAT.
MARIANNE, THANK YOU FOR BEING THE TREE.
YOU KNOW DARREN, THANK YOU FOR FINAGLING EVERYTHING TOGETHER.
TARYN, THANK YOU FOR BEING THERE BILL, ALL OF YOU, HOWARD EVEN BEING SICK, UM, I JUST REALLY THINK IT WAS REALLY WELL RECEIVED BY THE COMMUNITY AND THE MURAL WILL GO UP IN THE COMMUNITY CENTER ONCE THE WINDOWS ARE IN SO I CAN GET IT UP ON THE WALL.
SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO COME AND SEE THE TREE MURAL, WHICH TURNED OUT REALLY FABULOUS.
UM, RELIEF, WORKED DILIGENTLY WITH REBUILDING PETALUMA AND WITH THE CITY WITH GETTING THESE GRANTS IN.
IF YOU GUYS HAVEN'T SEEN THE VIDEO CLIP FOR THE BASIS OF THIS MOVABLE FOREST, I'LL SEND IT ALL TO YOU SO YOU CAN SEE BECAUSE IT IS REALLY PHENOMENAL.
UM, THE ART COMPONENT OF THIS AND THE ARTISTS THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO DRAW IN TO COMMIT IF THEY CAN GET THIS GRANT IS REALLY COOL.
THERE'S JUST GONNA BE SOME REALLY, REALLY EXCITING ELEMENTS.
SO LOOK FORWARD, I'M KEEPING OUR FINGERS CROSSED THAT WILL BE ONE OF THE GRANTEES OF THAT ONE.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, THE TREES ON WHEELS HAS BEEN AN IDEA THAT RELIEF AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT QUITE A BIT TO HELP PEOPLE SEE THE IMPACT OF TREES AND WE JUST DIDN'T KNOW A WAY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THIS GRANT WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN FOR US.
AND I THINK THE IMPACT WILL BE HUGE UP ALONG EAST WASHINGTON BECAUSE AS YOU GUYS ALL KNOW, IT'S JUST A DESERT.
UM, AND OUTSIDE OF THAT I JUST, I I WISH, UM, THE NEW BUSINESS STAYED HERE BECAUSE THEY'VE UM, REACHED OUT TO ME DIRECTLY.
THEY'VE TALKED TO RELIEF AND I HEAR THEIR CONCERNS.
UM, AND I'VE TRIED TO INTERACT WITH THEM ONE-ON-ONE AND UM, BUT JUST TO SAY LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE TREES ARE BEING PLANTED, THE BLUE OAKS ARE JUST PART OF THE PLAN.
THEY WANTED TO KNOW IF WE WERE PLANTING BY TURTLE CREEK.
UM, QUITE A FEW TREES RELIEF DID THIS PAST WINTER.
UM, ALLERGIES, I GET THEM, I HAVE THEM.
I, I MEAN I, IT'S JUST PART OF LIVING IN SONOMA COUNTY IF I'M BEING HONEST.
WE ARE NOT IN VIOLATION OF ANY CITY MUNICIPAL CODES.
I TRIED TO ASK THEM TO SEND ME THE REFERENCE TO WHAT CODE WE'RE IN VIOLATION, BUT OUR STANDARD IS 10 FEET.
WE'RE 10 FEET BACK FROM ALL PATHWAYS AND SIDEWALKS ON ALL TREES.
SO JUST SOME OF THE QUESTIONS I WANTED TO ADDRESS.
SO IN CASE IT COMES BACK TO THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, I'M ALWAYS OPEN TO SPEAKING TO PEOPLE, BUT THE RELIEF PLAN IS PART OF THE FEDERAL GRANT.
SO WE'VE HAD MEETINGS, WE'VE DONE THE FLYERING, WE DO THE, WE DO THE A-FRAMES.
WE ARE TRYING TO GET THE WORD OUT SO IF PEOPLE HAVE COMMENTS, THEY HAVE AMPLE TIME TO COME AND PROVIDE THEIR FEEDBACK.
BUT UM, OTHER THAN THAT, YEAH, HAPPY PLANTING, THE ACORNS ARE GONNA HAPPEN.
AND SEEING NOTHING ELSE, I'LL SAVE THEM.
I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU CINDY.
YOU'VE DONE SUCH SUBSTANTIAL, TERRIFIC WORK AND UM, I WANNA GIVE YOU A SPECIAL THANK YOU FOR BEING THE SUPPORT THAT MADE TREE FEST HAPPEN SO FAST, SO ROBUSTLY AND SO QUICKLY.
AND I HAVE TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO DARREN.
[01:30:01]
I KNOW YOU DID A LOT OF WORK, A LOT OF OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES.I HAPPEN TO KNOW AND I'M JUST FLOORED THAT YOU GUYS PULLED IT TOGETHER AND IT WAS SUCH A SUCCESS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING THAT HAPPEN.
CINDY, CINDY WAS THE TOTAL SAVIOR THAT MORNING.
WE DID NOT HAVE TOOLS OR PEOPLE AND SHE GOT STAFFED TO SHOW UP WITH WHEELBARROWS AND PITCHFORKS AND EVERYTHING WE NEEDED.
SO THAT WAS
IT'S ALL DARREN, THANK YOU FOR BEING THE SHEPHERD OF THAT DAY.
YEAH, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA SHOUT OUT TOO TO DARREN 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, I HAD TO PULL OUT FOR REASONS, BUT, UM, YEAH, YOU REALLY MADE THAT HAPPEN.
AND IT WAS, IT WAS A JOY TO SEE THAT TREE GET SOME LIFE AND UM, AND REALLY SEE THE COMMUNITY GET TO KNOW THAT TREE IN THAT SPOT AND THAT, I THINK THAT WAS MY INTENTION.
AND SO TO, TO SEE YOU ALL PULL TOGETHER AND MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
AND SO NOW I'LL ADJOURN THE MEETING.