[00:00:03]
[CALL TO ORDER]
EVERYBODY FOR COMING.THIS IS THE MAY 21ST, 2025 REGULAR MEETING OF THE PETALUMA TREE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AND TO START OUR MEETING OFF, I'LL ASK THE CLERK TO DO A ROLL CALL.
AND FROM ROLL CALL, WE'LL MOVE INTO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.
DURING GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT, THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO MAKE COMMENTS ON ITEMS OF PUBLIC INTEREST WITHIN TREE COMMITTEE SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION THAT ARE NOT LISTED ON THE CURRENT AGENDA.
SEEING NO ONE IN THE AUDIENCE TO SUBMIT COMMENT CARDS, I'LL ASK OUR CLERK IF WE RECEIVED ANY GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
THEN WITH THAT, WE WILL CLOSE GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
AND MOVE TO THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES.SO THIS WOULD BE APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR THE MEETING ON APRIL 16TH, 2025.
AND WE CAN PASS THIS UNLESS ANYONE HAS ANY CHANGES, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS.
THEN WITH THAT, WE WILL APPROVE THOSE MINUTES FOR APRIL 16TH, 2025,
[PUBLIC HEARINGS AND MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION]
AND WE WILL MOVE TO OUR LOAN PUBLIC HEARING AND MATTER FOR CONSIDERATION.AND THIS IS TITLED TREE RESOURCE MAPPING AND OUTREACH MATERIALS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON COMPILING AND IMPROVING ACCESS TO TREE RELATED INFORMATIONAL RESOURCES.
AND, UM, I WILL GIVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THIS BASED ON OUR LAST MEETING.
WE HAD A GREAT DISCUSSION ABOUT TREE RESOURCES, FINDING THEM ON THE CITY WEBSITE.
AND I THINK FOR ME, SQUARE ONE THAT I WANTED TO BUILD ON AN ACTION OUTTA THAT DISCUSSION WAS TO FIND OUT WHAT'S ALREADY OUT THERE.
SO, UM, BEFORE THIS MEETING, I ASKED DREW IF WE COULD HAVE A DISCUSSION.
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS LOOKS LIKE A, A DEDICATED AD HOC, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS LOOKS LIKE A COMMUNAL VOLUNTEER EFFORT WHERE EVERYONE JUST GOES AND TRIES TO FIND WHAT TREE RESOURCES ALREADY EXIST.
BUT THAT WAS REALLY THE GOAL, IS FIGURE OUT ON OUR CITY WEBSITE WHAT TREE RESOURCES ALREADY EXIST, WHETHER IT'S THE TREE TECHNICAL MANUAL, UH, OTHER THINGS OF THAT NATURE THAT JUST MAYBE AREN'T READILY OR EASILY FINDABLE ON THE CITY SITE.
AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHERE ALL THOSE ARE, SAVE THE LINKS TO THEM, AND THEN ALSO TRY TO INCLUDE MAYBE SOME OTHER RESOURCES THAT WE SEE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES USING OR OTHER TREE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS USING, LIKE THE ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION TOOLS THAT A COMMITTEE MEMBER OBEY MENTIONED LAST TIME, OR THE SELECT A TREE TOOLS.
UM, AND TO JUST PUT TOGETHER A LIST OF, HERE ARE ALL THE BEST IN CLASS EDUCATIONAL TOOLS.
HERE'S WHAT OUR CITY ALREADY HAS.
IF WE WANNA MAKE A BETTER WEBSITE OR WHATEVER WE WANNA BUILD IN THE FUTURE FOR THE CITY TO EDUCATE RESIDENTS.
UH, IT SEEMED TO ME THAT THE STARTING POINT WAS SEEING WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
SO I WANTED TO DISCUSS THAT WITH THE GROUP TO SEE IF THAT'S OF MERIT.
AND THEN WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST FORMAT TO DO THAT.
I KIND OF JOKED WITH DREW, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE'S SOMEONE WHO'S ALREADY HIP DEEP IN THIS RESEARCH AND JUST WANTS TO DO IT, AND THEY SAY, I'LL JUST LEAVE THE CHARGE.
UM, IT COULD ALWAYS BE SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE DOES INDEPENDENTLY.
OR I EVEN HAD THE IDEA OF WE COULD DO LIKE A LIMITED TIME AD HOC TO SAY, LOOK, LET'S CREATE AN AD HOC FOR 90 DAYS.
THAT GROUP WILL BE TASKED WITH FINDING ALL OF THIS.
AND AGAIN, THEN THAT'S A JUMP POINT TO DO SOMETHING IN THE FUTURE.
SO THAT'S AN OVERVIEW OF THE ITEM.
I'LL LEAVE IT FOR ANYONE WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTARY, UH, OR FEEDBACK ON THAT IDEA.
ROGER, I GUESS THE QUESTION IS, WHY CAN'T WE JUST ASK STAFF TO PROVIDE US WITH A LIST OF THE TRUE RESOURCES? UH, THEY SEEM TO, I WOULD THINK THEY KNOW THE MOST ABOUT IT HISTORICALLY.
AND THE OTHER THING, I, I HOPE WE, WE COULD LOOK INTO THE PROCESS THAT'S NEEDED OR EXIST OR DOESN'T EXIST IN TERMS OF DETERMINING TREE ISSUES, OR WHAT SHOULD WE PAY ATTENTION TO, OR WHAT SHOULD SOMEBODY ELSE PAY ATTENTION TO? OR WHOSE DUTY IS IT OR WHO'S, WHO'S IN CHARGE.
I MEAN, I LIKE RIN GETS A CALL AND EVERYBODY GOES OUT AND LOOKS AT A TREE, BUT I HAVE NO IDEA IF WE HAVE ANY AUTHORITY OR ANY ABILITY OR ANY, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT SEEMS VERY, VERY RANDOM.
SO, SO YOU, YOU BRING UP A GREAT POINT WITH THAT.
UH, AND THIS IS SOMETHING ACTUALLY DURING STAFF COMMENT.
[00:05:01]
GONNA HAVE DREW SPEAK TO ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS AND BASICALLY WHAT THE CITY HAS PURVIEW OVER WHEN IT COMES TO TREE ISSUES.AND THEN YOU'RE BRINGING UP, WHEN SOMEONE REACHES OUT TO THIS GROUP WITH A TREE ISSUE, WHAT DO WE DO? AND I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A SEPARATE CONVERSATION OF WHETHER OR NOT WE DEVELOP SOME FORMAL CHANNEL FOR TREE COMMITTEE TO RECEIVE THAT KIND OF FEEDBACK AND INTERACT WITH THE PUBLIC.
IF WE DECIDE THAT'S NOT THE BEST ROUTE TO GO DOWN.
I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER DISCUSSION WORTH HAVING.
BUT MY IDEA HERE, TO YOUR FIRST POINT ABOUT CAN'T STAFF DO THIS, MY IDEA HERE IS THAT STAFF IS BUSY.
WE, AT OUR LAST MEETING HAD A VERY LONG DISCUSSION OF HOW IT HASN'T HAPPENED YET.
YOU KNOW, AFTER HOW MANY YEARS.
WE STILL DON'T HAVE A GREAT LIST OF WHERE ALL THE TREE RESOURCES ARE ON OUR CITY WEBSITE.
SO I THINK IT'S A LOW HANGING FRUIT ITEM FOR THIS COMMITTEE WITH JUST A DEDICATED TEAM TO GO IN AND DO.
AND I THINK IN THAT PROCESS, IF WE ALSO AS KIND OF EXPERTISE IN THESE IN TREES, IF WE CAN BRING IN OUTSIDE RESOURCES TO ADD TO OUR LISTS OF WHAT SHOULD BE THERE, I THINK WE CAN START BUILDING A FRAMEWORK AND THEN IDEALLY FOR IMPLEMENTATION REALLY OF ANY OF THIS.
I THINK A LOT OF THAT WOULD FALL TO STAFF, BUT I WANNA PREP THE GROUND AS MUCH AS WE CAN, UM, AS A COMMITTEE.
SO, BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT FEEDBACK.
YOU BRING UP A LOT OF GOOD POINTS.
UM, ANYONE ELSE WITH FEEDBACK ON THE IDEA QUESTIONS? SO OPEN, OPEN FLOOR.
UH, MARIANNE, THE ONLY QUESTION I WOULD HAVE IS FOR DREW, IF WE DID COMPILE A WHOLE BUNCH OF INFORMATION, LINKS, RESOURCES AND WHAT HAVE YOU, LIKE A PACKAGE, IS THERE A PERSON THAT WE COULD GIVE THAT TO IN THE CITY THAT COULD PUT THAT UP ON A WEB PAGE? YES.
THANK YOU FOR THE, THE QUESTION, THE SIMPLE ANSWER IS YES.
UH, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT DURING THE LAST MEETING, BUT YOU KNOW, THE CITY'S REALLY PUT A LOT OF INVESTMENT INTO OVERREACHING COMMUNICATIONS, OUR COMMS TEAM WHO JUST STILL VERY COMPLEX CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS INTO REALLY KIND OF BITE-SIZE MANAGEABLE AND BITS OF INFORMATION TO KEEP PEOPLE INFORMED.
THIS IS AN AREA EVEN IN THE LAST TWO TO FIVE YEARS THAT, YOU KNOW, IS, WAS UNRECOGNIZABLE PRIOR TO.
SO THAT'S THE EXCITING NEWS IS YES, WHAT WE NEED SUPPORT WITH, UM, ARE THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS AND THE FOLKS THAT, UM, SIMILARLY OUR VOLUNTEERING TIME, JUST SUCH AS YOURSELVES, UH, TO TAKE ON SOME OF THESE ISSUES, UM, WITH THE CITY TO SAY, WHERE SHOULD WE BE PUTTING OUR COMMUNICATION EFFORTS TOWARDS? WE CAN DISTILL IT DOWN INTO TO REALLY KIND OF PRESENTABLE, UM, THEMES AND MOST CRITICAL INFORMATION.
BUT I, I REALLY LIKE THE CONVERSATION TO SAY, WELL PULL OUT WHAT OTHER JURISDICTIONS ARE DOING THAT WE REALLY LIKE, THAT WE REALLY SEE WORKING FOR PETALUMA.
YOU ALL SIT IN THESE UNIQUE SEATS WHERE YOU KNOW THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW WHERE WE WANT TO GO, AND YOU START THAT PROCESS.
SO THE COMMUNICATIONS HUB IS CRITICAL.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS THAT CAN BE CONTINUALLY UPDATED.
IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, FULLY FLUSHED OUT, THREE, FOUR DRAFTS ADOPTED THIS COMMITTEE.
WE CAN START SMALL, BUT WHERE, WHERE DO YOU WANT TO START? AND I ALREADY SAW SOME COMMUNICATIONS GOING TO SAY, HEY, WE LIKE WHAT THIS CITY'S DOING, I LIKE THIS INFOGRAPHIC HERE.
UM, AND I THINK THROUGH THAT WE CAN ALSO START CREATING MORE LINKS TO SAY WHEN WE HAVE CERTAIN TREE RELATED ISSUES, UH, I, I WOULD NEED TO ENGAGE PUBLIC WORKS ON THIS.
THIS SEEMS MORE ABOUT A CODE ENFORCEMENT.
UM, THIS IS IN A PARKS RIGHT AWAY.
SO WE START WITH SOME GOOD INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE AND THEN IT'S KIND OF CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE FROM THERE.
REALLY APPRECIATE THAT DETAIL.
EBERLY, WELL, I JUST DID A QUICK SEARCH AND PUT IN, YOU KNOW, PETALUMA TREE AND JUST SEEING WHAT WOULD COME UP AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALL SORTS OF STUFF.
WE REALLY OFFEND THE ARBOR DAY THING THAT, THAT WONDERFUL CELEBRATION THAT WE JUST HAD LAST MONTH.
BUT IF PEOPLE, SO PEOPLE HAVE A QUESTION, OH, I WANNA PLANT A TREE, WHAT'S MY NEXT STEP? THEY DON'T EVEN NEED KNOW TO LOOK UP TREE TECHNICAL MANUALS.
SO THERE'S GOTTA BE, WE HAVE TO MAKE IT REALLY EASY AND SORT OF COMMON SENSE TO GET TO THE MATERIALS THAT PEOPLE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY NEED TO DO, HOW TO, YOU KNOW, IS THERE, IS THERE A LI A LIMIT TO WHAT TREE EYE CAN PLANT, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
BUT IT'S JUST GOTTA BE REALLY STRAIGHTFORWARD AND EASY FOR THE PUBLIC TO FIND.
AND I THINK THE, YOU KNOW, EVENTUAL ACTION OUT OF THIS, THIS INITIAL LIKE INFORMATION GATHERING, FIGURING OUT WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION WE THINK NEEDS TO BE ACCESSIBLE FOR RESIDENTS, BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY WHAT THIS IS FOCUSED ON IS FOR RESIDENTS, YOU KNOW, THE USERS OF THE PETALUMA CITY WEBSITE, IDEALLY
[00:10:01]
TO HAVE INFORMATION THEY NEED.AND THEN I THINK ONCE WE'VE KIND OF COLLATED ALL THAT TO THEN DECIDE, YOU KNOW, HOW WE CAN HELP TO BUILD OUT A BETTER WEB PRESENCE, TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION MORE ACCESSIBLE.
AND I'M TAKING CUES FROM MY, WHAT I'VE SEEN IN PAST AD HOCS, WHETHER IT WAS THE TREE PRESERVATION ORDINANCE, SOME OF THESE OTHER ITEMS THAT TAC HAS BEEN ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD IS WE USUALLY START WITH, OKAY, WHAT DO WE ALREADY HAVE? WHAT'S THE LAY OF THE LAND? AND THEN PUT TOGETHER A BIG BODY OF KNOWLEDGE THAT THEN WE CAN WORK ON FORMATTING AND MAKING REALLY ACCESSIBLE.
TARYN, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? YEAH, THANKS.
UM, I'VE COME TO REALLY APPRECIATE THAT UM, THE, UH, STAFF AND CONSULTANTS WORKING FOR THE CITY GET PULLED IN A LOT OF DIRECTIONS AND NEW THINGS ARE ALWAYS COMING UP.
AND SO WE DO SEE, YOU KNOW, PROJECTS MOVING FORWARD, THEN PAUSING, WE SEE VISIONS HAPPENING AND UM, MAYBE NOT GETTING PASSED ON WHEN THERE'S A CHANGE OF STAFF.
THOSE ARE ALL NORMAL KIND OF OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES.
AND I, UM, I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN HELP WITH BECAUSE WE'RE OBVIOUSLY, WE CARE A LOT.
WE'VE GOT EXPERTISE AND WE'RE REALLY SUPER PASSIONATE.
UM, AND WE'RE ALWAYS STEPPING UP TO TRY TO HELP THE CITY.
AND I THINK THAT'S LIKE BEST OF BREED FOR COMMITTEE WORK.
UM, I AGREE THAT, UM, THIS IS KIND OF A BROAD ISSUE.
IT'S GOT A LOT OF KIND OF MOVING PARTS.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS BACK BEFORE WHEN I WAS ON, BEFORE I WAS ON TREE COMMITTEE, I TRIED TO FIND THINGS ON OUR CITY WEBSITE 'CAUSE I WAS REDOING MY, UM, MY LANDSCAPING AND I JUST COULDN'T FIND SOME THINGS AND I'D HAVE TO CALL UP JOHN SCH SHRIMPS AND HE'D SEND THINGS TO ME BECAUSE I JUST COULDN'T FIND IT.
I COULDN'T FIND IT THROUGH SEARCH.
I COULDN'T FIND A DESIGNATED PAGE THAT HAD QUITE ALL THE RESOURCES.
AND, AND I FEEL LIKE THAT'S STILL THE SITUATION.
YOU KNOW, SOME THINGS ARE JUST ON THE ROOT OF CITY OF PETALUMA.ORG.
SOME THINGS ARE IN PETALUMA.ORG/DOCUMENTS AND I FEEL LIKE, OKAY, WE GOT PIECES HERE, BUT WHERE CAN WE ADD VALUE THAT WOULD REALLY BE HELPFUL TO THE CONSULTANT THAT'S BEEN HIRED AND TO STAFF.
AND I THINK THAT AND AD HOC WITH A FIXED TIMELINE WHERE WE FOCUSED ON WHAT DO WE HAVE, WHAT DO OTHER CITIES HAVE? UM, AND KIND OF ORGANIZING THAT BY USE CASES OR TOPIC IN KIND OF A MATRIX FORMAT THAT WE CAN JUST HAND OVER LIKE TWO SHEETS TO THE, UH, ECO TREES.
IS IT TO, WHAT IS IT? URBAN ECOS.
UH, DREW CAN EASILY JUST HAND THAT OVER TO ANYBODY HE HIRES TO WORK ON THIS STUFF.
UM, WHAT, AND UH, THEY CAN JUST SEE KIND OF LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS THE WAY TO LOOK AT IT FROM A TREE PERSPECTIVE BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY HAS A TREE PERSPECTIVE.
NOT EVERYBODY'S REDOING THEIR YARD.
SOME PEOPLE HAVE ONE TREE THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT.
AND IF WE CAN KIND OF ADD SOME, PULL SOME OF OUR BEST PRACTICES THAT WE'VE BEEN EXPOSED TO FROM INTERVIEWING THE CITY OF CHICO, CITY OF PALO ALTO, CITY OF UM, UM, UM, PA NO, NO, NO, NO.
WHAT IS IT DOWN IN MONTEREY? PACIFIC? PACIFIC GROWTH.
AND UM, IF WE CAN PULL TOGETHER SOME OF THOSE LOW HANGING FRUITS, I THINK THAT'LL MAKE OUR LIFE EASIER.
BECAUSE I JUST SENSE THAT WITH CONSULTANTS THERE, EVERYONE'S ALWAYS STARTS IN DISCOVERY EXPLORATION PHASE, LET'S LOOK AT EVERYTHING AND THEN PULL IT TOGETHER.
AND WHY DON'T WE JUST DO THAT FOR THEM BECAUSE WE COULD DO IT IN LIMITED TIME FASHION.
WELL, AND I THINK PART OF THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, COLLA AND THE TEAM THERE, I THINK, I'M NOT SURE IF WHAT WE WOULD BE DOING WOULD BE DIRECTED AT THEM AS A USER.
UM, 'CAUSE WE'RE ALREADY KIND OF INFORMING THEIR PROCESS OR WE'D BE MORE FOCUSED ON IF YOU KNOW, JANE Q CITIZEN WANTS TO PLANT A TREE, CAN THEY COME TO CITY OF PETALUMA AND GET SOME INFORMATION? I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE DIFFERENT CASES THERE.
BUT THAT'S THE BEAUTIFUL PART OF STARTING WITH WHAT DO WE ALREADY HAVE AND WHAT ARE THE BEST RESOURCES FOR INFORMATION IS ONCE WE SEE WHAT'S ALREADY THERE, THEN WE CAN DECIDE EXACTLY WHO WE TAILOR IT TO.
AND MAYBE IT TAKES A COUPLE DIFFERENT FORMS. IF IT'S A CONSULTANT WORKING WITH THE CITY OR IF WHAT I HAD IN MY HEAD WAS A RESIDENT TRYING TO FIND INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE, UM, THAT WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT USER EXPERIENCE.
BUT I THINK IN EITHER CASE, THE RESEARCH STARTS WITH HOW CAN WE DO SOME OF THIS GRUNT WORK TO SEE WHAT'S ALREADY THERE, WHAT SOME OF THOSE BEST IN CLASS TOOLS ARE, UH, AND PUT THAT ALL IN ONE PLACE.
AND I LIKE YOUR MENTION OF DOING AN AD HOC.
THE MORE I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS,
[00:15:01]
I LIKE A SHORT TERM AD HOC TO KIND OF HAVE TWO OR THREE PEOPLE GO IN, MAYBE CALL JOHN TRIPS, MAYBE IT'D JUST BE A PHONE CALL TO CON JOHN TRIPS, MAYBE WE'D THEN FIND EVERYTHINGUM, BUT BUT THAT TEAM TO GO IN AND BASICALLY OVER THE SUMMER INTO THE EARLY FALL, PUT THIS TOGETHER AND THEN WE KIND OF GO FROM THERE AND IT'S OUR JUMP PAD TO, TO GET INTO OTHER WORK.
SO, UH, CLARIFYING QUESTION PLEASE.
UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE I WAS HEARING YOU CORRECTLY, DREW.
UM, WE DO HAVE A GREAT COMMUNICATIONS TEAM NOW THAT IS LIKE, UM, ABLE TO DEVELOP EDITORIAL CALENDARS AND TO REALLY ORGANIZE THINGS AND TAKE OUR COMMUNICATIONS TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
WOULD PULLING THIS TOGETHER NOT BE SOMETHING THAT ULTIMATELY COULD HELP THEM LOOK AND SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, LET'S JUST MOVE THAT DOCUMENT, THAT DOCUMENT AND THAT DOCUMENT ONTO ONE DESIGNATED WEBPAGE.
IS THE, IS THE TEAM THAT YOU MENTIONED THE RIGHT TYPE OF, UM, STAFF THAT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN DOING THAT? WOULD THIS BE OF VALUE TO THE PEOPLE YOU WERE REFERRING TO? THANK YOU.
I THINK BACK TO EDWARD'S POINT, UM, WE, WE NEED TO, THE FIRST KIND OF HALF IS THAT CONTENT CREATION.
UM, WE WOULD INVOLVE THE COMMS ONCE WE HAVE ASSEMBLANCE OF THAT, EVEN IF IT'S A A TWO PAGE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, HEY, THESE ARE THE, THE THREE SITES THAT WE LIKE, THIS IS THE INFORMATION THAT'S, THAT WE WANNA PRIORITIZE IN THIS FIRST, UM, FIRST DRAFT ROUND OF OF, OF WEBSITE CREATION.
WHAT THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM IS REALLY GOOD AT IS LOOKING FROM AN OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE OF HOW THAT INFORMATION INTEGRATES TO OTHER PARTS OF THE SITE.
YOU KNOW, WHERE SHOULD THAT LIVE? UM, HOW DOES THAT GET ROLLED OUT INTO THE NEWSLETTERS? HOW DO WE PUBLICIZE WHERE THIS INFORMATION NOW SITS AND THEN LINKS TO OTHER MUNICIPAL CODES OR CAPITAL PROJECTS? HOW DOES IT, HAS THE WORD TREE GET KIND OF PUSHED INTO THE OTHER PARTS OF THE SITE? THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE REALLY THE BEST.
UM, BUT IT'S THAT FIRST HALF THAT WE, WE DON'T WANNA ENGAGE 'EM ON YET.
WE DON'T WANT THEM SPENDING THE TIME ON THE CONTENT CREATION JUST TO HAVE US HAVE TO CHANGE EVERYTHING.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S WHERE WE'RE STRUGGLING WITH.
WELL, I THINK THAT'S JUST GREAT.
THEY'RE THE RIGHT PEOPLE BECAUSE LIKE YOU JUST SAID, THEY'RE MARKETERS.
THEY HAVE THE PERSPECTIVE COMING FROM THE CONSUMER, UM, WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE.
AND IF WE CAN PULL TOGETHER SOME OF THIS STUFF THAT NOT EVERYBODY CAN PULL TOGETHER, I THINK THAT, AND IF WE CAN HAND THAT OFF TO THEM AT SOME POINT OR MEET WITH THEM, TALK WITH THEM, MAKE SURE THEY'RE CLEAR ON IT, I THINK THAT'D BE A WONDERFUL VALUABLE THING.
DARREN, OH, UH, YEAH, ROGER AND THEN MARYANNE.
I GUESS HOW DOES THE, UM, URBAN FORESTRY CONSULTANT OR PROCESS FEED INTO THIS? 'CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE GONNA WANNA ADDRESS THIS AS WELL, OR AT LEAST IT'S IN THEIR PROCESS DESCRIPTION OR PROCESS, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW WE HANDLE, THERES, I WOULD THINK THAT'D BE A BIG PART OF THEIR INPUT.
I I THINK THIS TEAM COULD WORK WITH THE CONSULTANT.
I HAVE A FEELING IT'LL BE, YOU KNOW, IN PARALLEL, AGAIN, DOCUMENTING WHAT THE CITY ALREADY HAS, HOW WE COMMUNICATE TO THE PUBLIC.
AND I WOULD IMAGINE, YOU KNOW, THERE COULD BE A PRETTY CLEAR LINE OF COMMUNICATION WITH THEM AND WE WOULD JUST BE ADDING ON MAYBE TO SOME OF THAT RESEARCH SIDE.
BUT, BUT HAVE THEY, TO DATE, COME UP WITH ANY, HERE'S WHAT'S MISSING OR HERE'S WHAT SEEMS TO BE MISSING IN YOUR TREE ISSUES.
UH, AND YOU AND I ARE ACTUALLY ON THE TEAM, UH, WITH URBAN ECOS.
SO I BELIEVE WE HAVE A COUPLE MEETINGS COMING UP, BUT YOU KNOW, THEIR WORK, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHEN THAT WILL BE FINISHED, BUT THE THOUGHT HERE IS WE WOULD BE DOING OUR WORK KIND OF IN PARALLEL FEEDING INTO THEIR WORK.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF WE IDENTIFY QUICKLY THAT THIS IS DUPLICATIVE, WE CAN KIND OF, YOU KNOW, PLAY THAT BY EAR.
BUT I HAVE A FEELING THIS WILL BE ADDITIVE.
UH, MARYANNE, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, I, I FEEL LIKE, UM, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO FOCUS ON FIRST WOULD BE THE, THE INFORMATION FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
'CAUSE I REALLY FEEL LIKE THAT'S WHERE THERE'S A BIG NEED AND, AND IT'S VERY DIFFICULT RIGHT NOW FOR PEOPLE TO GET THAT INFORMATION.
AND THEN AS WE GO, WE CAN ADD LAYERS ON IN TERMS OF CONNECTING IN WITH, UM, PUBLIC WORKS.
AND BECAUSE THE CITY HAS A LOT OF INFORMATION FOR CONSULTANTS ALREADY, SO MAYBE IT'S JUST A MATTER OF THE CITY MAKING SURE THAT ALL THOSE RESOURCES ARE CONSOLIDATED AND EASY FOR THE CONSULTANTS TO FIND.
AND THEN DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, CONNECTING WITH THE URBAN FORESTER AFTER WE'VE COMPILED EVERYTHING WE THINK WE NEED IN THERE, AND THEN THEY CAN DO LIKE A FINAL REVIEW SO THEY'RE NOT SPENDING A LOT OF TIME ON IT AND THEN
[00:20:01]
SAY, OH, HERE'S ONE THING YOU GUYS MIGHT WANNA, YOU KNOW, ADD IN, OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.YEAH, I REALLY LIKE THAT WAY OF THINKING ABOUT IT.
UM, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE FROM HEARING THE CONVERSATION HERE, THERE'D BE SUPPORT FOR, AND WE CAN'T DO IT AT THIS MEETING, BUT AT NEXT MEETING, DISCUSSING THE FORMATION OF A LIMITED TIME AD HOC TO DO SOME OF THIS, UM, TO DO SOME OF THIS RESEARCH.
SO I WILL SURVEY THE ROOM FOR HEAD NODS.
UH, DREW, DO WE NEED TO TAKE A VOTE ON WHETHER WE AGENDIZE THAT OR IS KIND OF A MUTUAL
YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THIS CAN BE, I THINK THE FORMER, UM, IF YOU WANT TO KEEP IT MORE INFORMAL.
SO THEN IN JUNE, WE'LL PUT THIS ON OUR LIST OF, YOU KNOW, DISCUSSION AND FORMATION OF AN AD HOC FOR 90 DAYS, WHATEVER TIMEFRAME WE DECIDE TO DISCUSS, UM, I GUESS COLLATING, COLLECTING AND PREPARING INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS THAT THE CITY OF PETALUMA HAS AND OUTSIDE MATERIALS IS APPROPRIATE FOR USE BY RESIDENTS TO QUICKLY FIND INFORMATION ABOUT TREES.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION? I'M JUST READING THE ITEM.
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION, POSSIBLE ACTION ON COMPILING AND IMPROVING ACCESS TO TREE RELATED INFORMATIONAL RESOURCES, WHICH THE COMPILING AND IMPROVING IS GONNA BE DONE BY WAY OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE CORRECTLY.
I MEAN, IS THAT CORRECT? SO CAN WE TAKE ACTION NOW? GREAT QUESTION.
WHEN WE'VE DONE THIS IN THE PAST, THE ACTION HAS TO DICTATE WHAT THAT AD HOC COMMITTEE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING.
SO WHEN, WHEN WE'VE DONE THAT IN THE PAST, WE'VE HAD TO COME BACK ANYWAY.
UM, YOU, YOU'RE NOT RUNNING A GROUND IF YOU RIGHT.
TAKE ACTION, TAKE THE VOTE TO ESTABLISH THE AD HOC, WE'LL TAKE IT BACK.
IF WE CAN, YOU KNOW, APPROVE IT, THEN WE'LL NEXT MONTH OR WE'LL SAY, HEY, THIS ACTION STANDS.
UM, BUT THE WORST CASE IS WE'LL HAVE TO BRING IT BACK UNDER AN AGENDA, THIS AD HOC, TAKE A VOTE SO THAT WE'LL PROBABLY OR PROPERLY AGENDIZE THE FORMATION OF AN AD HOC POSSIBLE ACTION.
DOESN'T DETERMINE AD HOC FORMATION SENSE.
MY, IN MY, MY INSTINCT IS TO HAVE AT THAT NEXT MEETING, UM, SOME CLEAR CUT TERMS AND THEN OUR DISCUSSION.
WE DON'T HAVE TO GO OVER ALL THIS INFORMATION AGAIN.
WE CAN JUST DECIDE WHO WANTS TO BE ON IT, HOW LONG IS IT GONNA RUN, UH, AND THEN JUST TAKE A VOTE ON THAT, IF THAT SEEMS DOABLE FOR EVERYONE HERE.
UM, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD DISCUSSION POINT FOR, FOR NEXT MEETING.
UM, SO WITH THAT, ANY FINAL QUESTIONS? COMMENTARY? EBERLY? I COULD SEE YOU THINKING ABOUT IT.
SO, SO SOME OF THE MEMBERS ARE, OR ALL OF THE MEMBERS COULD BE ON THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, BUT WHAT, WHAT, WHAT'S THE SITUATION WITH THE NON NON-MEMBERS? HOW DOES THAT USUALLY WORK? SO YOU CAN'T HAVE MORE OFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE AD HOC WHO ARE OUTSIDE OF TREE COMMITTEE THAN THERE ARE MEMBERS OF TREE COMMITTEE.
SO IF YOU HAVE THREE TREE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, YOU CAN ONLY HAVE TWO OTHER MEMBERS WHO ARE QUOTE UNQUOTE MEMBERS OF THAT AD HOC.
BUT YOU CAN CONSULT WITH AS MANY PEOPLE FROM THE PUBLIC AS YOU SEE FIT.
SO IF YOU SAT DOWN AND HAD A CONVERSATION WITH BILL REINHARDT AS AN AD HOC, THAT'S FINE.
HE'S NOT A FORMAL MEMBER OF THE AD HOC.
SO YOU COULD DO THAT WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE AROUND THE CITY WHO MAY HAVE EXPERTISE IN TRYING TO FIND INFORMATION ABOUT TREES OR HAVE INFORMATION.
SO, UH, BUT, BUT IF SOMEONE WANTS TO CALL THEMSELF AN AD HOC COMMITTEE MEMBER, YOU CAN ONLY HAVE TWO OF THOSE MAXIMUM OUTSIDE OF THIS GROUP.
UH, SO WITH THAT THEN WE HAVE AN ITEM FOR NEXT TIME.
UM, IF NO ONE ELSE SAYS ANY OTHER COMMENTS, I WILL OPEN THIS ITEM FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.
UH, WE DO NOT HAVE A GENERAL PUBLIC HERE TODAY.
I WILL ASK THE CLERK IF WE HAD ANY, UH, COMMENTS ONLINE ON THIS ITEM PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
THEN WITH THAT WE CAN CLOSE GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.
I THINK IT'S PRETTY SAFE TO SAY WE CAN, UH, CLOSE THIS ITEM NUMBER TWO FOR NOW, A PREVIEW OF COMING ATTRACTIONS FOR JUNE WHERE WE'LL DISCUSS THE EXACT TERMS OF AN AD HOC AND GET FOLKS ON THAT AND START THIS PROJECT IN EARNEST.
UH, AND WITH THAT, THAT IS OUR ONLY PUBLIC HEARING AND MATTER FOR CONSIDERATION.
[COMMITTEE COMMENT]
MOVE TO COMMITTEE COMMENT.AND THIS IS THE CHANCE FOR COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO GIVE UPDATES FROM OTHER COMMITTEES OR CCBS.
THEY MIGHT BE ON OTHER TREE ITEMS IN THE CITY, OR IF YOU HAVE IDEAS FOR AGENDA ITEMS IN THE FUTURE,
[00:25:01]
FEEL FREE TO, TO PUT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THOSE OUT NOW AS WELL.UM, AND I'LL JUST START, AM I RIGHT EBERLY, IF YOU WANNA KICK US OFF YOU YEAH, I PASSED AROUND THESE, UM, WALKING TOUR OF TREES IN HISTORIC PLUMA BROCHURES THAT WERE DEVELOPED IN THE NINETIES BY A GROUP CALLED THE TREE PLANTERS, I THINK.
UM, AND THEY WERE PRETTY AVAILABLE AT, YOU KNOW, THE VISITOR CENTER AND THE LIBRARY AND, YOU KNOW, OTHER PLACES WHERE YOU'D PICK UP MATERIAL, UH, ABOUT PETALUMA AND I, I CAME ACROSS AND I HADN'T BEEN ABLE TO LOCATE THEM, UM, FOR A LONG TIME.
I WENT TO THE VISITOR CENTER AND THEY, THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT, BUT AT ANY RATE THEY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE REALLY NICE.
THEY, BUT AT THIS POINT THEY'RE OUT OF DATE IN TERMS OF, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THEY REFERRED TO, UM, PEN, HENRY PARK IS HILL PARK I THINK.
AND THEN, BUT A LOT OF THE TREES UNFORTUNATELY ARE GONE.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE, THE DAWN REDWOOD THAT USED TO BE OUT IN FRONT OF CITY HALL.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT THEY'RE A NICE, UM, IDEA IN TERMS OF FOSTERING APPRECIATION FOR, FOR TREES AND THEIR IMPORTANCE, UM, TO THE CITY.
AND I SORT OF KICKED IT AROUND FOR A LONG TIME AND UM, ABOUT REDOING THEM, THEY GOT A GRANT TO, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THERE WOULD, THERE WOULD BE SOME COSTS INVOLVED AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE WAS EXPERTISE ON THIS COMMITTEE.
SOMEONE DID THE PRINT AND LAYOUT AND UM, YOU KNOW, SO THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO FIND, FIND SOMEBODY TO DO THAT.
BUT IT WAS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS PROBABLY, I DIDN'T REALIZE SORT OF WHAT WENT INTO MAKING AN AD HOC UM, UH, COMMITTEE.
I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE SORT OF SOMETHING SORT OF SIMPLE AND THAT MOST OF THE WORK COULD BE DONE BY PEOPLE THAT AREN'T ON THE TREE ADVISOR COMMITTEE.
BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE NICE RATHER THAN HAVE IT BE DONE BY VOLUNTEERS OUTSIDE THE COMMITTEE TO HAVE IT SPONSORED BY THE TREE ADVISOR COMMITTEE, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE.
SO, UM, SO YEAH, I WAS JUST THROWING IT OUT AS AN IDEA, BUT MAYBE HAVING IT AS ANOTHER AD HOC AT THIS POINT ISN'T A GREAT IDEA.
UM, I JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT POINT, I THINK THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WORTH DISCUSSING AND WHERE THAT OVERLAP IS WITH LIKE RELIEF BEING THE PRIMARY KIND OF PRODUCER OF TREE EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS OUTSIDE OF THE CITY RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND WHERE I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT DISCUSSION OF WHERE TAX SITS.
AND I THINK PART OF WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITH FORMING AN AD HOC TO GATHER INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE GOES RIGHT ALONG WITH THAT IS WHAT IS OUR ROLE IN PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? HOW ROBUST IS IT? YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THAT KIND OF FALLS RIGHT IN LINE.
SO, UM, IF YOU DON'T MIND EITHER LIKE, SENDING A COPY, I DON'T WANT TO USE UP ONE OF YOUR COPIES, BUT I'D LOVE TO HAVE THAT IN OUR, UH, TOOLBOX OF LIKE, HERE'S SOMETHING THAT WAS DONE BEFORE.
SO AS OUR DISCUSSIONS MOVE FORWARD ABOUT WHAT DOES OUR COMMUNICATION LOOK LIKE FROM THE CITY AND FROM TAC IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE EXAMPLES LIKE THAT.
SO THANK YOU EBERLY FOR BRINGING THAT FORWARD.
UH, TARN, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMITTEE COMMENTS OR UPDATES? UM, THANK YOU.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA TO, UM, MAYBE SOMEBODY CAN FIND THE ORIGINAL TREE COMMITTEE ART FILE FOR THAT PAMPHLET, UH, WHEN IT WENT TO PRINTER AND IT COULD JUST BE UPDATED OR SOMETHING.
I THINK IT'S, UM, I USED TO WORK AT THE, UM, HOTEL PETALUMA AND VISITORS LOVE THAT.
AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT MARKETING THING, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT KEYS FOR TREES.
IT JUST DOVETAILS WITH IT BEAUTIFULLY AND EVERYBODY'S JUST DELIGHTED TO PAY AN EXTRA FIVE BUCKS WITH THEIR ROOM, UM, ROOM FEE BECAUSE THEY FEEL CONNECTED TO WHAT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY IS DOING WITH PLANTING TREES.
AND THEN IF YOU GIVE THEM A BROCHURE LIKE THAT, I MEAN IT JUST DEEPENS THE EMOTIONAL BOND.
UM, THE ONLY THING I WOULD FEEL LIKE REPORTING IS I SENT A, UM, I NOTICED IN THE PAPER, UM, DOWN IN MARIN THAT COURT MADERA FINALIZED THEIR STREET TOUR LIST.
AND SO I JUST DID A REAL QUICK LOOK AT IT.
UM, AND WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THEIR DOCUMENT IS IT USES VISUALS AND I GUESS WE CAN DO THIS WITH THE, THE TREE RESOURCES WORK THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING DOING.
UM, BUT THEY HAVE A REALLY NICE KIND OF VENN DIAGRAM FOR THE INTERSECTION OF BIG KEY CONSIDERATIONS WHEN YOU'RE CHOOSING WHAT TREE TO PUT IN AND, UM, THE INTERSECTION OF YOUR, YOU KNOW, YOUR THREE BIG DECISION FACTORS IS LIKE THE SWEET SPOT OF WHAT TREES WOULD WORK.
AND IT'S JUST, FOR ME, I THOUGHT IT WAS A REALLY EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION TACTIC.
UM, SO I'D LOVE FOR EVERYBODY TO HAVE A A LOOK AT THAT.
AND ALSO THEY HAVE A GRANT PROGRAM, IT TURNS OUT IN CORN MADERA TO HELP RESIDENTS WITH, UM, THE MONEY FOR SIDEWALK ACCOMMODATIONS.
AND SO THAT'S YET ANOTHER MODEL FOR HELPING RESIDENTS 'CAUSE IT CAN BE SO COSTLY TO REPAIR THEIR SIDEWALKS FOR TREE'S SAKE.
[00:30:01]
THAT I AM, UM, GONNA BRING UP HERE IS, UH, SOMETHING WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST AND THAT IS ENFORCEMENT OF TREE ISSUES.UM, I KNOW FOR PUBLIC WORKS WE HAVE A REPORT, A PROBLEM, BUT DREW, SO MANY TREES ARE JUST GETTING CUT DOWN AND NOBODY'S ABIDING BY OUR EXISTING PERMIT, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, REPLACE IT.
I DROVE BY MY DENTIST'S OFFICE AND IT'S ON MCDOWELL AND IT WAS A NICE CANOPY TREE.
IT'S GONE AND THERE AIN'T NOTHING PLANTED THERE.
AND YOU KNOW, DANG IT, UM, CAN'T, ISN'T THERE SOME WAY TO, SOMEBODY CAN HEAD OUT THERE, I KNOW IT'S STAFF TIME, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, OR SEND A LETTER, HEY YOU GUYS CHOP DOWN YOUR TREE.
REMEMBER WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE THAT YOU NEED TO REPLACE THE TREE.
SO AT SOME POINT IN THE NEAR FUTURE WOULD BE GREAT IF WE CAN JUST KIND OF PUT A, YOU KNOW, FILL THAT HOLE BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST RUNNING ROUGH SHOT OVER OUR, YOU KNOW, URBAN CANOPY RIGHT NOW.
AND, UM, THAT'S A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE HAVE TO WALK TO ARTERIAL OR CONNECTOR, WHATEVER IT'S CALLED.
EVERY, EVERYBODY HAS TO WALK TO GET TO WORK.
AND THAT'S JUST ONE MORE STRETCH WHERE THEY'RE GONNA BE BLAZING IN THE SUN.
SO ENFORCEMENT, I REMEMBER WHEN OUR OUTREACH AD HOC TALKED WITH HEATHER HEINZ ABOUT THE ORDINANCE.
UH, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT ENFORCEMENT AND FOR THIS IS DIFFERENT.
THIS IS FOR, UM, UM, DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE IN AND OF THEMSELVES, COMMUNITY PLANNED URBAN PUDS, RIGHT? PUDS PLANNED URBAN DEVELOPMENTS.
SHE SAID TERMS OF CONDITIONS OF TERMS OF APPROVAL, SPECIFY FOR PLACES LIKE, UM, LIKE A, A COMMUNITY THAT GETS IMPROVED IN ITS ENTIRETY, LIKE A RIVER BEND.
BUT WE WEREN'T TALKING ABOUT RIVER BEND.
THEY ARE APPROVED TO HAVE CERTAIN TREES AND UM, WHEN THOSE TREES GET CUT DOWN, THAT'S A NO-NO, BECAUSE IT HAPPENED WITH ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT, IT HAPPENED WITH A OLD DOWN VILLAGE AND THEY'VE CUT DOWN LIKE SO MANY MATURE TREES.
BUT WHAT'S THE MECHANISM? AND HEATHER SAID THE MECHANISM IS GO BACK AND SEE WHAT THE TERMS OF APPROVAL WERE AND IF THEY CUT DOWN TREES, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A, THAT'S A REAL VIOLATION.
SO NOT THAT WE'RE GONNA DO THAT RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW OR ANYTIME SOON, BUT DREW, IF WE COULD PLEASE LIKE, MOVE IT TO THE FRONT, SOME LITTLE, UM, EASY LOW STAFF OR OR TIME COST, UM, SOME WAY TO GET THESE IN FRONT OF STAFF SO THEY CAN SHOOT 'EM A LETTER SAYING, HEY, PLEASE JUST PLANT A REPLACEMENT.
AND MAYBE THAT WOULD BE AN EASY, RELATIVELY EASY WAY TO, TO STOP SOME OF THIS BAD BEHAVIOR THAT I SEE GOING ON CONTINUALLY.
ENFORCEMENT IS OBVIOUSLY A BIG ONE.
LIKE I SAID, I'M, UH, DREW IS GONNA GIVE KIND OF A 10,000 FOOT VIEW OF ENFORCEMENT RIGHT NOW AND MAYBE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES AROUND THAT.
AND I THINK IT'S NOT JUST FOR TREES, RIGHT? ENFORCEMENT IS A CONSTANT KIND OF, UH, MEASURE OF HOW DO WE BE EFFICIENT? HOW DO WE NOT WASTE TOO MUCH TIME, BUT HOW DO WE GET THE DESIRED RESULTS TO MAKE SURE WHAT'S ON THE BOOKS IS GETTING FOLLOWED.
UH, SO I THINK IT'S A GREAT TIME TO BRING IT UP.
I WAS HEARTENED THAT THE TREE PRESERVATION ORDINANCE, WHICH IS AT THE CENTER OF OUR EXISTING REGS AND I THINK WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO WHAT DOES IMPROVED ENFORCEMENT LOOK LIKE, TYPE OF DISCUSSIONS THAT IS SUPPOSED TO COME BEFORE PLANNING COMMISSION SUPPOSED TO BE THIS MONTH, BUT I THINK IT'S MORE LIKELY JUNE.
UM, SO I THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME TO BE ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS AND I'M HOPING THAT WE HAVE SOME OF THE, YOU KNOW, GET TO SOME ANSWERS AND GET TO SOME ACTUAL OUTPUT.
WHAT DOES GOOD ENFORCEMENT LOOK LIKE? WHAT DO THE TOOLS LOOK LIKE? SO GREAT THING TO BRING UP.
UH, AND THAT KIND OF LEADS, I JUST SAID PLANNING COMMISSIONS.
SO FOR MY COMMITTEE UPDATE, WE, UH, HAVE NOT HAD A PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING RECENTLY.
THE LAST ONE WE DID HAVE, I DID GET THAT GOOD NEWS FROM HEATHER HINES THAT WE WILL SEE THE TREE PRESERVATION ORDINANCE MOVING TO PLANNING COMMISSION SHORTLY AND THEN IT EVENTUALLY MOVES TO COUNCIL.
I WOULD SAY FOR THIS GROUP AS INDIVIDUALS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF TRACK THAT ONE IN YOUR MIND OR I'LL TRY TO GIVE AN UPDATE TO THIS GROUP WHEN THAT'S COMING FORWARD TO PLANNING COMMISSION BECAUSE I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE MORE EYES ON IT TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WE DISCUSSED HOWEVER MANY MONTHS AGO HAS CARRIED THROUGH.
THAT'S ALWAYS REALLY IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THOSE FUTURE DRAFTS CARRY THROUGH.
UH, AND THEN ON PAC, PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THEY'VE BEEN REVIEWING THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, WHICH HAS BEEN A GIANT LIFT FOR BJORN AND THE WHOLE LIKE PUBLIC WORKS AND MOBILITY TEAMS AT THE CITY.
AND TREES HAVE A PRETTY IMMENSE, UH, WHAT I WANNA SAY, HAVE SOME PRETTY IMMENSE CONSIDERATION IN THAT DOCUMENT.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I FIRST SAW THE A TP ON THE BIKE COMMITTEE, TREES WERE NOT IN THERE AT ALL.
UM, LUCKILY I WAS PART OF THAT FIRST AD HOC AND I GOT TO SAY WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT TREES, BUT
[00:35:01]
NOW AT MEETINGS, I'M NOT EVEN HAVING TO BRING IT UP.AND OTHER MEMBERS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE TALKING ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT TREES ARE TO ANY MOBILITY INFRASTRUCTURE AND LIKE IT BECOMES A TREE DOMINATED CONVERSATION.
SO GREAT NEWS FOR THIS GROUP AND FOR OUR INFLUENCE AND KIND OF INSERTING TREES AND ALL THOSE PLANNING CONVERSATIONS.
SO I, I WAS REALLY, UH, I TOOK A LOT OF HEART TO SEE THAT.
UM, AND OTHER THAN THAT I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE UPDATES.
UH, BILL, IF YOU HAVE ANY UPDATES FOR THE COMMITTEE? UH, SHOOT, I WISH I HAD SOME MORE UPDATES, BUT I GUESS I HAD LIKE KIND OF MORE QUESTIONS AND UPDATES AND IT SOUNDS LIKE ONE OF THOSE IS LIKE KIND OF THE STATUS OF THE TPO.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S GREAT THAT IT'S MOVING FORWARD WE'LL, UH, SEE MORE OF THAT AND YEAH, JUST HOW WE CAN STAY INVOLVED AS THE TECH GROUP HERE TO, UH, HAVE INFLUENCE ON THAT, I THINK WOULD BE INTERESTED TO, TO HEAR MORE.
UM, YEAH, AND THEN US AND, UH, THE WORK FROM THE CONSULTANT THAT'S WORKING ON THE URBAN FORESTRY PLANTS, THAT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S MEETINGS, UH, THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE INVOLVED WITH THAT HOPEFULLY YOU CAN BRING BACK TO THE COMMITTEE AND KIND OF KEEP US UPDATED.
UM, YEAH, BUT TO TERRENCE'S POINT, I, YOU KNOW, KEEP AN EYE OUT ON OUR COMMUNITY HERE AND ON TREES IN OUR COMMUNITY AND I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN SOME PROGRESS ON THIS, UH, PRESERVATION OF OUR STREET TREES THAT FELT LIKE, UH, WE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CITY'S REALLY PAID CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE PERMITTING, UH, THAT, THAT, UH, AND REMOVAL OF STREET TREES, I THINK THAT REALLY SLOWED OR STOPPED THAT TO, UM, SO, BUT OF COURSE THERE'S SOME, THERE'S, UH, THERE, YOU KNOW, UH, SOME STUFF THAT'S JUST NOT GONNA, UM, NOT GONNA BE EASILY STOPPED, BUT, UM, YEAH.
AND, UM, SO, UH, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S IT FOR ME FOR NOW.
ROGER? YEAH, UH, FIRST I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT I THOUGHT ARBOR DAY WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL AND I, AND THANK YOU FOR THE PLANNING AND
THE SMASHER BURGERS WERE PRETTY GOOD AND, UH, UH, IT COULD HAVE, IT COULD HAVE ATTRACTED MORE PEOPLE IF WE, IF THE CITY HAD PUBLICIZED IT A BIT, I THINK.
BUT OTHERWISE, OTHER, OTHER THAN THE TUR THAN THE, UH, THAN THE THE, UM, UH, TANBARK EATING UP CITY HALL OR WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE MULCH EATING UP CITY HALL.
UM, THE OTHER QUESTION, IT SEEMS LIKE, UM, I, I GUESS THE QUESTION IS, AND MAYBE THIS WILL COME OUT IN THE FOREST MANAGEMENT, IS WILL THE, WILL THE PARKS DEPARTMENT STILL BE MANAGING OR STILL OVERSEEING THE TREE COMMITTEE? 'CAUSE IT, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS PARKS, BUT NOT HOLISTICALLY CITY STREETS OR CITY VEGETATION OR CITY ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE PARK AREA.
THE, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT HAS REALLY NOTHING TO DO WITH, NOR NOR DO THEY HAVE THE INCENTIVE OR THE, OR THE BUDGET.
SO I'M, I'M WONDERING IS, IS THAT PART OF THE QUESTION? WHO, WHO DO WE REPORT TO OR WHO ARE WE UNDER AND WHEN WILL THAT BE DISCUSSED? THAT'S A QUESTION.
UM, YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S ENOUGH.
UH, YEAH, I MEAN, I DON'T HAVE A GREAT ANSWER FOR THAT NOW.
I THINK THAT'S ALL WRAPPED UP IN THAT URBAN FORESTRY MANAGEMENT PLAN DOCUMENT.
AND THEN FROM THAT CONTINUED ADVOCACY TO COUNCIL TO GIVE DIRECTION ON WHERE WE WANT URBAN FORESTRY POLICY TO LIVE.
I MEAN, YEAH, WHO HAS STAFF PURVIEW OVER TREE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE INTO THE FUTURE.
THOSE ARE ALL THE RIGHT BIG QUESTIONS.
AND I DON'T THINK THERE'S A HUNDRED PERCENT CLEAR ANSWER RIGHT NOW.
UM, BUT I, I WAS SURPRISED TO HEAR THE CONSULTANTS SAY PRETTY FREQUENTLY THAT THEY WANTED MORE PUBLIC WORKS INVOLVEMENT IN TREE POLICY, WHICH I THINK EVERYBODY ON THIS GROUP HAS KIND OF GOTTEN THAT MESSAGE FROM A LOT OF OTHER CITIES THAT THERE AT LEAST HAS TO BE A PRETTY BIG INVOLVEMENT FROM PUBLIC WORKS.
SO I HAVE A FEELING THAT WHATEVER THEIR EVENTUAL OUTPUT AND RECOMMENDATIONS ARE, WHICH HAVE TO BE SOMETIME IN THIS COMING YEAR, UM, THAT WILL INFORM A LOT OF COUNCIL DECISIONS ABOUT, AND STAFF DECISIONS ABOUT HOW THESE POLICIES ARE MANAGED, WHAT STAFF IT LIVES WITH AND YEAH.
AND THEN WHAT THE FUTURE TREE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHERE DO WE FIT INTO THAT KIND OF NEW CITY STAFF, UH, CITY STAFF LANDSCAPE.
ALSO, I, I HAD TO LEAVE EARLY FROM THE MEETING WE HAD WITH THE FOREST MANAGEMENT THE LAST MEETING, THE, THE ZOOM MEETING.
UM, IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IF YOU MIGHT JUST SUMMARIZE SOME OF THE BIG POINTS THEY
[00:40:01]
MADE OR ARE GONNA BE MAKING REGARDING WHAT THEY FOUND OUT WITH THEIR ASSESSMENT OF TREES AND PRIVATE VERSUS PUBLIC TREES AND ALL THAT.IS THAT APPROPRIATE HERE? I I DON'T KNOW.
I HAVE A GREAT UPDATE IN MY, UH, IN MY BRAIN RIGHT NOW, SO SORRY ABOUT THAT.
BEFORE OUR NEXT MEETING, I WILL COME BETTER PREPARED WITH AN UPDATE OF WHERE WE ARE WITH COLLA, ALL THE OUTPUTS.
THEY STARTED RUNNING TOGETHER A LITTLE BIT, BUT THAT IS A GREAT RECOMMENDATION FOR NEXT TIME TO COME WITH LIKE AN UPDATE MAYBE.
AND WHO KNOWS, MAYBE WE CAN GET CLAY HERSELF TO SHOW UP WITH A QUICK UPDATE OF WHERE THINGS ARE.
UM, BECAUSE I, I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO GET A PULSE ON THAT BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF BIG QUESTIONS THAT ARE GONNA BE ANSWERED BY THIS.
SO IT'D BE NICE TO, TO TAKE THE, TAKE A BEAT AND SEE WHERE THAT IS.
UH, SO THANK YOU ROGER, AS USUAL, ASKING THE BIG IMPORTANT QUESTIONS THAT
UH, ANY UPDATES FOR THE COMMITTEE? UH, NO, NO, NO UPDATES REALLY.
UH, JUST ENJOYED BEING PART OF THE ARBOR DAY CELEBRATION.
I, I LOOK FORWARD TO BUILDING IT UP OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS INTO A NICE LITTLE, UH, COMMUNITY EVENT.
ALTHOUGH I DID WANNA MENTION DREW THAT FOR SOME REASON THERE WERE A BUNCH OF GOPHER TRAPS OUT ON THE LAWN RIGHT THERE WHERE WE WERE HAVING THE FESTIVAL WITH OPEN HOLES AND STUFF.
AND THE LITTLE, YOU KNOW, PARENTS HAD TO KEEP LIKE, GETTING THEIR KIDS AWAY FROM THE GOPHER TRAPS.
SO HOPEFULLY NEXT TIME WE, WE, WE WON'T HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPEN.
WELL, I'LL, I'LL JUST SAY REALLY QUICKLY, I WANTED, I FORGOT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR SHOWING UP.
LITERALLY EVERYBODY ON THE COMMITTEE WAS THERE, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND I THINK THIS YEAR WAS REALLY USEFUL.
YOU KNOW, WE FOUGHT CHALLENGES OF RAIN AND PROTESTS AND OTHER EVENTS KIND OF PULLING PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
AND WE LEARNED THAT THE PARK USE SELECT MATTERS, RIGHT? PRINCE PARK LAST YEAR HAD A BUILT IN AUDIENCE OF PEOPLE.
AND SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF LESSONS LEARNED ABOUT MARKETING, UH, SELECTION OF AREA.
BUT WHAT WAS NICE IS WE HAVE SOME COMMUNITY PARTNERS NOW, WHETHER IT'S FOOD, ART, OTHER, UH, VENDORS LIKE SONOMA COUNTY PARKS, YOU KNOW, THOSE FOLKS ARE KIND OF REALLY LOCKED IN NOW.
AND SO NOW THE NEXT WHATEVER FORM THAT ARBOR DAY COMMITTEE LOOKS LIKE IN COMING YEARS, THEIR FOCUS CAN REALLY BE ON MARKETING AND REALLY GETTING THE WORD OUT.
NOW WE KNOW WHAT IT IS AND WHO WE'RE WORKING WITH, AND NOW WE JUST NEED TO REALLY GET THE WORD OUT.
UM, I REALLY, YEAH, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU, DARREN.
IT'S JUST UNFORTUNATE THAT THE WEATHER WAS SO CRAPPY AND I REALLY ENJOYED MY VEGAN BON ME.
IT WAS REALLY GOOD FROM THE FOOD TRUCK.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO MENTION ONE THING I'D FORGOTTEN ABOUT.
UM, YOU KNOW, BRUCE HAGEN, UM, WAS QUERYING US ABOUT WHAT ARE WOULD BE GOOD TREES TO BE PLANTED INTO AREAS THAT, UM, WHERE YOU CREATE A, A LARGE PLANTER IN A STREET, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, WOULD ALLOW.
SO, YOU KNOW, MY ANSWER BACK TO HIM REALLY QUICKLY WAS, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT A TREE THAT'S GONNA ALLOW, YOU KNOW, GOOD VISIBILITY.
AND, BUT THEN I STARTED, I'VE BEEN FOCUSING MORE ON SPECIES, BUT I'VE ALSO JUST BEEN PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO WHAT HE WAS ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE CITY OF NOVATO.
IT'S A VERY EASY, UM, FUN TRIP TO TAKE THE SMART TRAIN DOWN THERE TO GRANT AVENUE, AND THEY'VE GOT THESE SYCAMORE TREES THAT ARE NOW GROWING UP.
THEY'RE, I DON'T KNOW HOW OLD, THEY MIGHT BE MAYBE 15 YEARS OLD, BUT THEY'RE PLANTED INTO THE STREET, TAKING AWAY SOME OF THE PARKING, BUT NOT THAT MUCH.
BUT IT JUST MAKES IT SUCH A NICE WELCOMING PLACE TO WALK.
COOLER, OF COURSE, BUT JUST, IT'S REALLY PRETTY, IT'S TURNING INTO LIKE A, YOU KNOW, A NICE LITTLE DOWNTOWN SECTION FOR NOVATO AND SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE NICE IF WE COULD EMULATE HERE.
BILL, YEAH, JUST ON THAT TOPIC, I THINK THAT, UH, THAT THAT'S KIND OF AN OUT OF THE BOX, LIKE SOMETHING WE DON'T SEE IN OUR TOWN RIGHT NOW.
BUT I LOVE TO LIKE, KEEP TALKING ABOUT THOSE TYPES OF, UM, YOU KNOW, O OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE DONE IT IN A, IN A DIFFERENT WAY THAT IS REALLY SUCCESSFUL.
AND, UM, AND NONE, WE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THE ANSWERS, BUT WE CAN RAISE THE QUESTIONS AND GET IT OUT THERE, HOPEFULLY.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I FORGOT TO ASK OR POSED AND, UH, A A MINUTE AGO WAS JUST, I WAS THINKING MORE AND MORE ABOUT ALL THE, THE, THIS, UH, STREET WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AND, UM, AND, AND OFTEN I, I WONDER LIKE, HEY, WELL, YEAH, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR POWER LINES AND OUR TELECOMMUNICATIONS LINES ARE JUST VERY UNSIGHTLY OFTEN AND ARE AN IMPEDIMENT TO GROWING, UH, A A GOOD SIZED TREE, GOOD SIZED SHADE TREE.
AND I'VE JUST ALWAYS ASSUMED IT'S JUST INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE TO BURY THESE LINES.
BUT IT WOULD BE JUST, YOU KNOW, I JUST DON'T WANT TO KEEP, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO LIKE POSE A QUESTION MAYBE MAYBE
[00:45:01]
SOMEBODY IN THE COMMITTEE ALREADY KNOWS.I KNOW IN THE, IN, UH, WE, YOU PROBABLY HAD SOME DEVELOPERS HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, BURY THE LINES IN SOME OF THEIR PROJECTS, OR DOES, DOES OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT GET INVOLVED AND, AND ARE THERE, ARE THERE GRANTS THAT THAT HELP WITH THAT KIND OF THING? UM, BUT IT, IT COULD SURE REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY OPEN UP OUR, OUR SKIES TO, TO MORE BEAUTIFUL CANOPY.
IF WE COULD, UH, GET CREATIVE ABOUT REMOVING SOME OF THE IMPEDIMENTS, WHETHER IT'S OUR, OUR POWER LINES OR OUR NARROW, UH, PLANT OR STRIPS.
UM, IF WE COULD PLANT IN THE ACTUAL, UH, RIGHT OF WAY SO THAT WHETHER THE PARKING, PARKING STALLS THAT COULD, I COULD REALLY OPEN UP, UH, SOME NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR US KNOW ALL GREAT IDEAS.
AND WHAT WAS GREAT ABOUT BRUCE HAGEN IS HE'S DONE A GREAT PRESENTATION AND PUT TOGETHER MATERIALS AND PUT DOLLAR AMOUNTS AND NUMBERS BEHIND IT, WHICH THEN MAKES IT SOMETHING THAT'S WAY MORE TANGIBLE TO GIVE TO STAFF, OR JUST AS HE'S DOING, SHOWING UP TO EVERY MEETING WHERE IT MIGHT BE APPLICABLE AND SAYING, WE SHOULD DO THIS IDEA, WE SHOULD DO THIS IDEA.
BECAUSE EVENTUALLY IT WILL CATCH.
AND TO YOUR POINT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, INFRASTRUCTURE AND DESIGNING IT AROUND TREES, UM, YEAH, AND WE TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE OF URBAN FORESTRY, PG AND E IS A HUGE PIECE TO NAVIGATE BOTH THE PHYSICAL UTILITIES AND THEN AS AN ORGANIZATION, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE A HUGE PIECE OF THIS PUZZLE TO NAVIGATE.
AND IDEALLY WE'LL GET BETTER AND BETTER LINES OF COMMUNICATION WITH THEM, UNDERSTAND THEIR POLICIES, AND TRY TO WORK AROUND THAT.
AND YES, WE HAVE HAD DEVELOPERS IN CASE BY CASE BASIS, UH, PROPOSE UNDERGROUNDING UTILITIES, UM, BUT IN TERMS OF WHAT'S REQUIRED AND WHAT'S NEEDED FOR PUBLIC WORKS TO DO THAT OUTSIDE OF INDIVIDUAL PROPOSED DEVELOPMENTS, I DON'T KNOW.
UM, BUT, BUT THESE ARE ALL GOOD POINTS TO BRING UP.
AND I THINK, LIKE I KEEP SAYING, THIS IS THE TIME TO DO IT.
THIS IS THE TIME TO BRING FORWARD THESE IDEAS AS INDIVIDUALS COME TO CITY COUNCIL DURING PUBLIC COMMENT AND SAY THESE THINGS BECAUSE IT DOES CREATE THIS KIND OF BACKGROUND DRUMBEAT WHERE WE'RE GETTING IT OUT INTO THE DISCUSSION OF, OF THE DECISION MAKING BODY.
SO YEAH, BRING THE, BRING THE GOOD QUESTIONS TO COUNCIL AND THEN LET THEM DIRECT STAFF TO
UH, SO YEAH, GREAT, GREAT POINTS ALL AROUND.
UM, YEAH, ROGER, JUST TO, JUST TO GET ON THE, ON THE BACK OF THAT, THE, UH, I'M FROM A TOWN THAT HAS A LOT OF VIEWS, MY PREVIOUS TOWN, UH, VIEWS OF THE OCEAN.
AND THEY WOULD VOTE BY BLOCK BY CITY DISTRICT ON WHICH WHO WANTS UNDERGROUNDING.
AND THEN THE, THE UTILITY COMPANY WOULD HAVE TO COMMIT TO A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF IT, BUT THEN THE INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTS ALSO PAY BECAUSE THEY'RE IMPROVING THEIR VIEW AND THEY HAVE TO PAY FOR THE UNDERGROUND CONNECTION TO THEIR HOUSE, WHICH USED TO BE OVERHEAD.
SO IT'S NOT AN INEXPENSIVE PROCESS, UH, FOR, FOR THE MUNICIPALITY OR FOR THE, THE HOMEOWNER.
AND IT'S A TOUGH, IN SOME CASES A TOUGH SELL 'CAUSE IT'S EXPENSIVE.
SO THE OTHER, I I JUST WANNA REINFORCE THIS NOVATO, UH, I, I, THOSE TREES ARE, THEY'RE NOT PROTECTED BY ANY CURBS OR GUT OR ANYTHING.
THEY'RE JUST OUT THERE IN A PAVEMENT BETWEEN PARKING STALLS, RIGHT? THEY HAVE CURBS DOWNTOWN.
THEY HAVE CURBS, I BELIEVE SO, YEAH.
AND I'M JUST, THEY JUST LOOK VERY VULNERABLE.
BUT, BUT I THINK THE, FROM MY STANDPOINT, THEY ADD SO MUCH TO THE QUALITY OF THAT DOWN COMMERCIAL STREET, AND THEY IMPROVE THE SALES OF THOSE SHOPS AND THOSE RESTAURANTS AND, AND SOMEHOW THAT CONNECTION OF MONEY AND TREES NEEDS TO BE MADE, UH, STRONGER, I THINK.
AND THAT IS THE WORK OF THIS COMMITTEE AS INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS TO INFLUENCE OUR COUNCIL AND KEEP SHOWING UP AND ASKING FOR IT.
UH, YOU KNOW, I HAD THE MAYOR TELL ME, HE'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS NEED TO, YOU KNOW, I'M TRYING TO GET ALL MY ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS DONE NOW EVERYBODY KEEPS TALKING ABOUT TREES, I NEED YOU.
THE CONTINUED ADVOCACY IS WORKING, AND NOW OB OBVIOUSLY STAFF PICKS UP ON THE CUES.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE BRINGING FORWARD IDEAS.
SO THIS IS A GOOD TIME WHEN THESE IDEAS, THE THE TIME HAS COME AND THEY'RE KIND OF BUBBLING UP ALL OVER THE PLACE.
GREAT, GREAT POINTS AND GREAT DISCUSSION FROM THE COMMITTEE.
UH, SO WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO
[STAFF COMMENT]
STAFF COMMENT, DREW FOR UPDATES.THANK YOU FOR THE RANGE OF COMMENTS.
I'M VERY IMPRESSED BY THE, THE COMMITTEE.
I THINK YOU COVERED A LOT, SO I'VE BEEN KEEPING NOTES, BUT, UM, HAPPY TO OPEN THE FLOOR BACK UP IF I SKIPPED OVER ANY, UH, I WAS KIND OF SPACING OUT ROGER WITH THAT LAST COMMENT.
I WAS JUST PICTURING KIND OF A MARKETING CAMPAIGN WITH A MONEY TREE, YOU KNOW, DOWNTOWN SHAKING IT LEAVES, SO THANK YOU.
I CAN'T GET THAT OUTTA MY HEAD, BUT, UM, APPRECIATE IT.
[00:50:01]
A, UH, THIS, ALTHOUGH GOPHERS, WE, WE KNOW, UH, BREED YEAR ROUND, THERE'S AN INTENSIVE IN THE SPRING, BUT WE SHOULDN'T HAVE THAT.AND WE HAVE OUR GOPHER, UM, ABATEMENT CONTRACTOR WHO'S SUPPOSED TO BE ON SITE WHENEVER THEY'RE TRAPS.
SO IF HE WASN'T AROUND, YOU KNOW, HE GOT PULLED OFF, I NEED TO KNOW SO THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN BECAUSE YES, IT'S SCARY TO HAVE AN EVENT AT THE DAY WHILE WE'RE HAPPENING WITH DOGS, KIDS, ET CETERA.
SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR LETTING US KNOW THE QUESTION TOO.
MAYBE THIS WASN'T IN ORDER, BUT I'LL, I'LL GO BACK TO, YOU KNOW, WHERE DOES THE TREE ADVISORY COMMITTEE LIVE? I THINK ANYWHERE HONEST ANSWER IS, I, AS WE DON'T KNOW RIGHT YET, BUT THE HOLISTIC APPROACH IS GONNA BE THAT THREE-LEGGED STOOL WHEREVER IT LIVES.
AND WE KNOW THAT PARKS AND RECREATION DOES HAVE A LARGE ROLE TO PLAY IN NOT JUST TREE PRESERVATION, BUT WE OFTEN ARE THE ONES ENGAGING WITH THE SERVICE GROUPS ON TREE RELATED PROJECTS.
WE COORDINATE WITH MORE VOLUNTEERS IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
WE'RE A LITTLE BIT MORE FORWARD FACING AND REACHABLE WITH OFFICE HOURS AT THE COMMUNITY CENTERS, OFFSITES, ET CETERA.
SO WE DO HAVE A LARGE ROLE TO PLAY WITH THE ACTIVITY AS WELL AS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE FUNCTIONS OF A LOT OF TREES AND PARKS.
WE ALSO HAVE, UH, STAFF THAT ARE CERTIFIED ARBORISTS.
SO WE OFTEN GET CALLED IN TO GO, HEY, WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN MADE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE, WE NEED TO PUT EYES ON IT RIGHT AWAY.
WE DON'T HAVE TIME NECESSARILY TO GET A THIRD PARTY REPORT.
WE'LL GO OUT THERE AND JUST DO KIND OF A QUICK, QUICK AND DIRTY ASSESSMENT.
AND THAT'S PRETTY TYPICAL OF MOST DEPARTMENTS.
BUT YOU BRING UP A GOOD POINT.
WE ARE NOT AS LARGE AS RIGHT AS THE PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES DIVISION, NOR DO WE COVER AS MUCH SCOPE AND MORE TREES THAT ESSENTIALLY ARE IN THE RIGHT OF WAYS OR A LOT OF, OF, OF, UM, INTEGRATION IN THE PROJECTS.
SO THAT'S THE SECOND, YOU KNOW, STOOL OR LEG OF THE STOOL.
AND THEN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS ALSO SEEN KIND OF A RE REBIRTH OR MORE INVESTMENT IN THE CITY.
SO WHEREVER IT LIVES, IT HAS TO HAVE AGENCY WITHIN THOSE THREE DEPARTMENTS, AND THERE HAS TO BE THAT COORDINATION.
I THINK THAT'S WHERE THE TREE COMMITTEE REALLY COMES INTO PLAY.
SO WHETHER IT'S UNDER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, UNDER PUBLIC WORKS OR UNDER PARKS, IT ALWAYS HAS TO KEEP SIDE OF THE OTHER TWO, UM, AND FIND WAYS TO INTEGRATE IT.
SO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S TALKING TO EACH OTHER.
I THINK, LIKE THE CHAIR SAID, WE'RE DOING A BETTER JOB OF LOOKING AT PROJECTS SPECIFIC THROUGH THE LENS OF TREE, TREE PRESERVATION, TREE CARE.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK YET TO DO, BUT I THINK THAT'S A MUSCLE THAT AS A CITY WE'RE GETTING STRONGER, BUT AS YOU MENTIONED AND ASK ME TO SPEAK TO THE, THE ENFORCEMENT AREA IS STILL AN AREA THAT'S NOT WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.
UM, SO WHERE DOES THAT COME IN? AND, AND RIGHT NOW CODE ENFORCEMENT IS UNDER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IT USED TO BE UNDER PUBLIC SAFETY.
I THINK IT IS, UH, IN GOOD HANDS UNDER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
IT'S MORE TIED INTO, UM, BUILDING AND PLANNING PERMITS, BUT HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT THOSE, UM, ORDINANCES ARE BEING ADHERED TO AND THAT FINES ARE BEING LEVIED, ET CETERA.
SO THAT'S JUST KINDA WHERE I STAND RIGHT NOW.
I THINK WHERE WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY IS WITH THAT URBAN FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN, RIGHT? WHAT ARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS? WHAT ARE THE BEST PRACTICES? WHERE DO WE FEEL WE WANT THE TREE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO LIVE? ALWAYS KEEPING IN MIND, YOU KNOW, YOU DO HAVE YOUR, YOUR BOUNDARIES ARE THE CITY.
WE'RE TALKING TREES AND THAT'S THE FUN PART.
OKAY, OTHER QUESTIONS? I HEARD THE SIDEWALKS TALKED, I JUST HAD TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, IT IS IN BUDGET SEASON.
WE PRESENTED OUR DRAFT BUDGET WORKSHOP, UM, I THINK IT WAS TWO WEEKS AGO NOW.
UM, EXCITING BUDGET, A LONG NIGHT, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, WHO HAS BEEN KEEPING, UM, TABS ON IT.
THERE WAS A GOOD CONVERSATION TOWARDS THE END ON A NEW PILOT PROGRAM FOR A REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM FOR CITY SIDEWALKS.
SO IT IS, I I THINK IT WAS A $70,000 AND MAYBE IT'S UP TO $140,000 NOW.
I, I DON'T THINK THAT'S REALLY THE, THE LEADING HEADLINE, BUT I THINK THE POINT IS, IT'S A PROCESS NOW WHERE WE HAVE A REBATE PROGRAM FOR FOLKS TO, AND BE INCENTIVIZED TO FIX SIDEWALKS.
AND ESSENTIALLY HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS IS IT'S A 50% MATCH UP TO ABOUT 4,000, I BELIEVE, UM, TO REPLACE AND REPAIR SIDEWALKS.
AND YOU GET TO COME OUT, GET IT EVALUATED, SEE IF IT'S APPLICABLE FOR A, UM, KINDA A, A, A GRADING OR A REPLACEMENT.
AND THE IDEA IS TO START KEEPING TRACK AND START MOVING A LITTLE BIT ON SIDEWALK REPLACEMENTS.
AND HOPEFULLY THAT PROGRAM JUST GROWS FROM THERE.
BUT YOU HAD TO START SOMEWHERE.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE SAW.
AND WE SAW A LOT OF SUPPORT ON THE COUNCIL.
A LOT OF QUESTIONS TOO, UH, WHICH STAFF HAVE TO COME BACK AND RE REDELIVER, BUT WHEN WE PRODUCE THE, THE BUDGET, UM, KEEP TABS ON THAT, THAT, THAT SMALL BUT MIGHTY PROVISION, WHICH IS A START OF A SIDEWALK, UH, REBATE PROGRAM THAT WE HOPE WILL, WILL, WILL GROW LEGS,
[00:55:02]
WHICH I THINK HAS A STRONG NEXUS TO THE TREES, OBVIOUSLY.THE, UH, COMMENTS I HAVE FROM STAFF RIGHT NOW, I WANTED EVERYONE TO BE AWARE THE HISTORIC OAK AT THE BACK OF THE MUSEUM.
SO IF, IF I DIDN'T SHARE LAST MONTH, UH, WE'VE HAD OUR EYES ON THE OAK.
AND WHAT WE'VE DECIDED AND DONE IS WE'VE REMOVED THE DECKING, WHICH I THINK CAME FOR A LOT OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
I BELIEVE IT WAS DISCUSSED AT BY THIS COMMITTEE AS WELL.
SO THE DECKING WAS REMOVED, AND WE'VE GOT SOME SHORT FENCING THAT WAS REPLACED TO DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM BEING OUTSIDE ONTO THE ROOT SYSTEM.
SO JUST THIS WEEK, UH, THERE IS A AIR SPADE ROOT EXCAVATION WORK BEING DONE BY SNOW MARINE ARBORISTS TO EXPOSE THE ROOT, KIND OF DETERMINE, UH, WHAT THE HEALTH OF THE, THE DECAY IS AND KIND OF COME UP WITH NEXT STEPS.
IT'LL BE MULCH, IT'LL BE MONITORED.
WE HAVE THAT TREE ON, UH, MORE HEIGHTENED, UM, EVALUATION.
THERE'S A COUPLE MORE TREES ON THE PROPERTY TOO.
THERE'S A, A BUNYA BUNION IN THE FRONT THAT WE KEEP EYES ON.
AND THEN THERE'S A SEQUOIA AS WELL.
SO THEY HAVE THREE TREES THAT, YOU KNOW, CIRCLE THE MUSEUM THAT WE'RE ALL VERY FOCUSED ON, BUT THAT HISTORIC OAK, IF YOU GET QUESTIONS ABOUT IT, THE BACK PATIO WAS CLOSED THIS WEEK FOR THAT WORK.
UM, BUT THEN IT'LL BE OPENED BACK UP AND YOU'LL SEE THE GATES AROUND IT AND SOME MULCH, BUT KNOW THAT WE'RE KEEPING EYES ON IT AND OBVIOUSLY IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT TREE FOR THE CITY.
BUT, UM, WANTED TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW THAT WORK'S BEING DONE AND IT'S BEING DONE FOR THE HEALTH AND SAFE OF THE TREE.
UM, THERE WAS ALSO A SECTION OF FENCE, UM, DAMAGED BY A FALLEN OAK AND REPAIRED AT PRINCE PARK.
JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, UH, THESE THINGS HAPPEN, BUT, UH, I FLAGGED IT TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL, KEEPING EYES ON THAT.
I WANTED TO DOVE IN A LITTLE BIT.
UH, THE CHAIR ASKED TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE TREE REMOVALS KIND OF LIVE AND LAND.
AND I, I THINK, UM, UH, ARYN, YOU TOUCHED ON IT AS WELL, THE TREE REMOVALS IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY.
THAT'S REALLY WHERE OUR JURISDICTION IS.
TREE REMOVALS DO REQUIRE A PERMIT, UM, THROUGH OUR, UH, ENCROACHMENT, OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT THROUGH OUR ENCROACHMENT PERMIT SYSTEM, THERE ARE THREE KIND OF UNIQUE PROVISIONS WHERE A TREE REMOVAL WOULD BE GRANTED.
UM, SO YOU HAVE TO SATISFY ONE OF THOSE THREE PROVISIONS.
AND ULTIMATELY, UM, IT COMES WITH AN ARBORIST'S REPORT AND A, UM, AN APPROVED REMOVAL FROM A, THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES.
BUT ESSENTIALLY THE THREE ARE, YOU KNOW, FIRST AND FOREMOST, THE THREE IS DERM TO PUBLIC HEALTH.
UM, THEY CALL IT NUISANCE, BUT IT'S, UH, BEST ENTRANCE OF HEALTH, SAFETY OR WELFARE, THE COMMUNITY.
SO THIS IS, UM, JUST ESSENTIALLY A HEALTH AND SAFETY PROVISION.
TWO, IT'S JUST THE PHYSICAL CONDITIONS OF THE TREE.
THE TREE IS IN, UM, IN POOR HEALTH AND NEEDS TO BE REMOVED FOR, FOR THOSE REASONS.
AND THEN THE THIRD IS THE REMOVAL OF THE TREE IS NECESSARY TO ENSURE REASONABLE ACCESS OF AN ADJACENT PROPERTY OR TO PRESERVE PROPERTY, UM, FOR A, A, A PERMANENT RIGHT OF WAY, ESSENTIALLY.
UM, AND AGAIN, ONCE THAT IS DETERMINED THROUGH AN ARBORIST REPORT, THROUGH AN APPLICATION, THEN AN ARBORIST REPORT, IT STILL HAS TO BE EVALUATED AND APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS.
THERE IS AN APPEAL, UM, WHICH IS OFTEN EXERCISE AFTER THAT.
UH, AND THEN FOLLOWING THAT, UM, IF THERE WAS ACTION TAKEN, NOT JUST TO REMOVE A TREE, BUT UM, LET'S JUST SAY, UM, USE THE WORD MUTILATE A TREE, RIGHT? POOR PRUNING DAMAGE.
THE TREE BEYOND, UM, REMOVAL OR MUTILATION IS SEEN THE SAME WAY.
IT'S IT'S VIOLATION, IT'S, IT IS AN INFRACTION AND IT'S FINES.
UH, AND THEN THERE'S CONDITIONS ON MITIGATION OR MAKE RIGHTS.
UH, OR IT COULD BE, UM, COSTS TO REPAIR AN AREA PLUS REP REPLANTING.
AND THEN THERE'S, UM, A CONVERSATION ON REPLANTING SPECIES, BUT ALSO LOCATION.
SO I DON'T HAVE THE, UM, WHAT THAT VIOLATION IS.
I THINK WE SHOULD GET BACK TO YOU WITH THAT.
SO, UM, MAYBE IT'S A PSA ABOUT WHAT THAT IS, KIND OF LIKE FIREWORKS, UM, THAT SEEMS TO GET PEOPLE'S ATTENTION WHEN IT'S THAT BIG RED NUMBER.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT COULD BE PART OF IT.
BUT I THINK THE OTHER PART OF IT IS JUST EDUCATION AROUND, YES, YOU NEED A PERMIT TO REMOVE A TREE.
IF THAT TREE IS IN A PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY OR IMPACTING A PUBLIC RIGHT AWAY, UM, THAT'S REALLY WHERE
[01:00:01]
YOU HIT THAT TRIGGER.AND, AND THIS CITY NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED.
SHOULD YOU HAVE THOSE QUESTIONS OR SEE A TREE THAT YOU KNOW, YOU HAVEN'T SEEN, UM, TRUCK OUT OR ANYONE OUT INSPECTING, ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU SEE A TREE PRUNED OR IN A, IN A POOR SHAPE OR MUTILATED.
I THINK THE BEST THING WE NEED TO DO IS, IS JUST REPORT THAT TO STAFF AND SAY, I, I WANT, UM, AN INSPECTOR TO COME BY, CONFIRM THIS TREE, UM, IS BEEN PRUNED OR, OR REMOVED.
AND THEN JUST ASK THAT QUESTION.
HAS, HAS A PERMIT BEEN ISSUED THAT HELPS US PUT EYES ON IT.
AND THAT ALSO HELPS SPREAD THE WORD OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING UP ON TREES THAT HAVE BEEN REMOVED ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
THAT'S REALLY MY STRONG RECOMMENDATION NOW UNTIL I THINK WE'LL START SEEING A LOT MORE ENERGY AND EMPHASIS PUT INTO THIS WITH THE URGENT OR URBAN FOREST MANAGEMENT PLANT AND THE TREE PRESERVATION ORDINANCE UPDATE.
BUT IN THE INTERIM, WE JUST HAVE TO BE MORE, MORE VIGILANT AND THAT JUST IS ON US TO SAY, SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING KIND OF KIND OF MENTALITY.
SO I OWE YOU THE FINES IN PARTICULAR, SO YOU HAVE THAT IN YOUR BACK POCKET.
IF I SKIPPED OVER ANY HAPPY TO REVISIT? NO, I THOUGHT THAT WAS THOROUGH.
TARYN, IF YOU HAVE ANY FOLLOW UP, UH, THAT'S TERRIFIC.
UM, A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION AND REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
UM, I WOULD LOOK FORWARD TO A BETTER UNDERSTANDING WHETHER WE DO REQUIRE A FIRST STREET TREE REMOVAL, UM, IF AN ARBOR'S REPORT IS TRULY REQUIRED, BECAUSE I REMEMBER, I DON'T KNOW, A MONTH, A YEAR AGO OR SOMETHING, BILL, I THINK YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT A PROPERTY ON D STREET THAT RENOVATED, I THINK IT'S THE BIG WHITE HOUSE, AND THEY REMOVED ALL OF THEIR STREET TREES.
AND THEN HEATHER WAS PRESENTING THAT DAY, I THINK, AND SHE SAID THAT SHE TALKED TO THE PROPERTY OWNER, AND THE PROPERTY OWNER JUST CLAIMED THAT THEY WERE ALL HAZARD AND THERE WAS NO REPORT, NO ARBORIST, THIS AND THERE, BUT OUR ORDINANCE DIDN'T REQUIRE THAT.
SO WE JUST WE'RE BOUND BY THE UNDOCUMENTED TESTIMONIAL OF THE PROPERTY OWNER.
UM, UH, JUST SOMETHING KEEP OUR EYES OPEN ABOUT, BECAUSE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WILL COME TO US WITH A NEW TREE ORDINANCE, A LITTLE LOOPHOLE WE CAN CLOSE.
UM, SO, UH, I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING I'M CURIOUS ABOUT, UM, MOVING FORWARD SO THAT WE DON'T LET THESE PEOPLE CLAIM A, A LOOPHOLE THAT THEY'RE NOT ENTITLED TO.
AND I KNOW YOU HAVE A GREAT MEMORY.
I DON'T WANNA SPECULATE ON THAT EXACT CASE, BUT I THINK IT BRINGS UP A GREAT POINT.
LET'S, IF YOU CAN ALSO ADD ON TO ESTABLISHING WHAT THAT FINE WAS, WHETHER TRULY THAT ARBORIST REPORT IS REQUIRED, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THAT'S A BIG THRESHOLD WHERE SOMEONE CAN'T JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS A, A NUISANCE VERSUS AN ARBORIST REPORT KINDA SHOWING, UH, THAT INFORMATION.
AND THEN HEATHER WILL REMEMBER TOO, IF YOU WANNA TALK TO HEATHER HEINZ ABOUT IT.
THAT'S A GOOD, I A GOOD IDEA FOR FOLLOW UP.
LIKE I SAID, YOU HAVE A GOOD, A GOOD MEMORY.
UM, SO WITH THAT, IF THERE AREN'T ANY OTHER LAST MINUTE CONSIDERATIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE, THEN WE WILL ADJOURN OUR MEETING AT 4:32 PM THANK YOU.