[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:02]
I'LL CALL TO ORDER THIS MARCH 18TH, 2026, REGULAR MEETING OF THE PETALUMA TREE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AND WALKING THROUGH OUR AGENDA, THE FIRST THING WE HAVE IS ROLL CALL FOR OUR CLERK'S OFFICE.
UM, WITH NO ONE ELSE IN THE ROOM.
[GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT]
MOVE INTO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.DURING GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT, THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO MAKE COMMENTS ON ITEMS OF PUBLIC INTEREST THAT ARE WITHIN TREE ADVISORY COMMITTEE'S, SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION, AND THAT ARE NOT LISTED ON THE CURRENT AGENDA.
PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE LIMITED TO UP TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON.
I WILL ASK THE CLERK, I DO HAVE ONE SPEAKER CARD HERE IN THE PUBLIC.
I'LL ASK THE CLERK IF WE RECEIVED ANY ONLINE COMMENTS PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
SO WITH NO FURTHER ADO, EVE O'ROURKE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, SO THRILLING TO BE IN THIS ROOM, ISN'T IT? THIS IS A GOOD DAY AND A GOOD ONWARD SORT OF MOMENTUM I WANTED TO PASS.
I HOPE THIS WILL BE PASSED TO EVERYBODY.
IT'S A PROJECT THAT WAS DONE IN 2009 IN VALLEJO OF ALL PLACES TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT THEIR TREES SO PEOPLE WOULDN'T GO AND HAVE THEM CUT DOWN, HACK THEM.
THE CITY WOULDN'T, YOU KNOW, DO BAD THINGS.
I JUST WANTED TO HOPE, HOPE THAT THIS GETS PASSED ALONG TO EVERYBODY.
UH, THANK YOU EVE VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENT.
I'M JUST GONNA PUT A QUICK PLUG THAT WE ARE GONNA HAVE COMMITTEE, UH, POTENTIAL VACANCIES IN MAY.
SO EVE, BECAUSE YOU KEEP COMING TO TREE COMMITTEE, IF YOU'D LIKE TO BE ON THE DAAS, I THINK YOU'D BE A GREAT ADDITION.
ANYWAY, WITH THAT, WE WILL CLOSE GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT AND WE WILL MOVE ON.
AND EVE, HOW DO WE GET THIS BACK TO YOU? UM, I WILL BE HANGING AROUND HERE.
SO KEEP IT A COUPLE WEEKS IS FINE, JUST SO YOU HAVE TIME TO LOOK AT IT.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THANK YOU FOR CONFIRMING THAT CATHERINE, WE WON'T WANNA TAKE ANYONE'S BOOK.
UH, SO WITH THAT WE WILL CLOSE GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT AND WE'LL MOVE ON TO APPROVAL OF
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
MINUTES.AND THIS WOULD BE AN APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR THE MEETING OF FEBRUARY 18TH, 2026.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE A MAJORITY OF MEMBERS HERE TODAY WHO WERE AT THAT MEETING.
SO I'LL LOOK AROUND IF ANYONE HAS ANY COMMENTS OR UPDATES TO THE MINUTES.
NOT SEEING ANY FRANTIC HAND RAISES FROM ANYONE HERE OR FROM KEITH.
UH, WITH THAT I WILL SAY THOSE MINUTES ARE APPROVED AND WE WILL MOVE TO PUBLIC
[PUBLIC HEARINGS AND MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION]
HEARINGS AND MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION.SO OUR LOAN ITEM FOR THIS MEETING IS TO REVIEW, DISCUSS AND ESTABLISH RECONSTITUTED AD HOC ASSIGNMENTS FROM EXISTING SUBCOMMITTEES TO ALIGN WITH THE NEW URBAN FORESTRY MANAGEMENT PLAN, WHICH WAS JUST APPROVED THIS PAST MONDAY.
UH, A LOT OF GREAT TREE POLICY WITH THE TPO AND THE URBAN FORESTRY MANAGEMENT PLAN ALL IN ONE MEETING.
UH, SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE, WE'RE CREATING NEW AD HOC ASSIGNMENTS TO MATCH THE URBAN FORESTRY MANAGEMENT PLAN ELEMENTS, WHICH MAY INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO.
UH, AND THESE WERE SOMETHING WE HAD DISCUSSED LAST MEETING.
CREATED MORE GENERAL AD HOC COMMITTEES THAT COULD DIVVY UP DIFFERENT WORK AND TRY TO FOLLOW WHAT'S IN OUR URBAN FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN.
SO THESE CONSIST OF PROTECT, WHICH SAYS IS TO ADVOCATE AND EDUCATE COMMUNITY AROUND POLICIES LIKE THE TREE PRESERVATION ORDINANCE.
I WOULD SAY IT'S FINDING WAYS ALSO TO MITIGATE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF LIKE OVER PRUNING OR TREE LOSS.
UM, UNEXPECTED OR UNEXPLAINED TREE LOSS.
SO PROTECT IS THE FIRST AD HOC WE DISCUSSED.
SECOND IS GROW, WHICH INVOLVES IDEAS LIKE WORKING WITH GROUPS LIKE RELIEF TO PROMOTE TREE PLANTINGS AS WELL AS ANY OTHER STRATEGIES, ADVOCACY AROUND TREE PLANTING.
AND THEN NUMBER THREE WE DISCUSSED WAS ENGAGE, WHICH IS WORKING WITH STAFF TO KEEP OUR PUBLIC FACING WEBSITE UPDATED.
I THINK UPDATED ONLINE MATERIALS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT, SOMETHING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A LOT, UH, AND TO STAY ON TOP OF CURRENT EVENTS, THAT KIND OF THING.
UH, NATURALLY I THINK THERE'S SOME OVERLAP BETWEEN THESE.
I THINK IT WOULD BE A MATTER OF DIFFERENT MEMBERS OF THESE AD HOCS AT OUR MEETINGS COMING TOGETHER, GIVING UPDATES ALSO FROM THE MILIEU OF WHAT WE DISCUSSED, PICKING OUT LIKE WORK TOPICS AND WHO'S GONNA TAKE WHAT.
AND OF COURSE, A MEMBER CAN BE ON MULTIPLE OF THESE AD HOCS IF THEY SO CHOOSE WITH A MAXIMUM ON ANY AD HOC OF UP TO THREE TREE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
AND THEN MEMBERS FROM THE PUBLIC CAN CONTRIBUTE AS WELL.
UH, SO THAT'S THE GENERAL OVERVIEW.
BEFORE WE LAUNCH INTO TO DISCUSSION, UH, DREW
[00:05:01]
OR JEN, ANYTHING TO ADD? ANYTHING I MIGHT HAVE MISSED? YEAH, THANK YOU CHAIR.I THINK THAT WAS A GREAT SUMMATION AND, UM, I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE JEN SANTOS AGAIN.
WE, WE INTRODUCED HER AT LAST MEETING, BUT WE'RE MOVING HER CLOSER TO THE DAIS HERE.
UH, IT'S A, IT'S A TURN, IT'S A TRANSITION, WHICH WE APPRECIATE.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST QUICKLY WITH THE AD HOC ASSIGNMENTS, YES, MAXIMUM OF THREE MEMBERS, A MINIMUM OF TWO.
SO WE'LL NEED TWO OF, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO ESTABLISH THAT.
AND THEN, LIKE YOU SAID, THAT CAN LET US GO.
SO YOU DON'T NEED THE THREE MEMBERS TO START, BUT YOU NEED TO LEASE THAT TWO TO FORM 'EM HERE TONIGHT.
AND THEN AGAIN, GIVE YOURSELF SOME, SOME ROOM TO GROW, EVOLVE, FIND OTHER MEMBERS.
UM, THAT'S OFTEN A, A NICE WAY TO, TO GO.
BUT REALLY LOOKING FOR SOME, UH, ACTION TONIGHT TO, TO GET OUT THE GATES, UM, WITH SOME OF THESE FORMAL ACTIONS AND, AND TALK ABOUT MONDAY.
UH, ALSO MAYBE HELPED INFORM A LITTLE BIT MORE AND GAVE YOU GUYS AN IDEA OF, UM, WHERE THE COMMITTEE WANTS TO TAKE SOME OF THESE.
AND TARYN, NOW IS DISCUSSION TIME, SO PLEASE KICK US OFF WELL JUST ONE CLARIFYING ING QUESTION SO WE CAN KEEP, UM, OUR BUSINESS FOCUSED IN THE, UM, WHAT'S PRACTICAL.
DREW, DO YOU HAVE OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD A REMINDER OF WHO ROLLS OFF THE TREE COMMITTEE AND WHEN? I WILL TRY TO PULL THAT UP IN THE BACKGROUND IF YOU BUY ME SOME TIME SO I CAN GET WORKING ON THAT IF YOU GIMME A MINUTE.
THAT, THAT'S A GREAT POINT, TARYN.
AND I'LL ADD THAT ANYONE, OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T HAVE MARYANNE WITH US TODAY, BUT IF SOMEONE DOESN'T JUMP ONTO AN AD HOC TODAY AND THERE IS AVAILABLE ROOM YOU CAN LATER.
UM, SO IT'S ALWAYS THE KIND OF THING WHERE WE CAN ADAPT MEMBERSHIP AT ANY OF OUR, OUR MEETINGS.
UM, AND I, I ENVISIONED THAT THESE GROUPS WOULD BE PEOPLE INTERESTED IN THESE TOPIC AREAS.
AND THEN I THINK THERE WOULD BE SOME INITIAL MEETINGS TO FIGURE OUT LIKE, WHAT ARE THE PERTINENT MATTERS YOU WANT TO GO AFTER.
LIKE FOR ME, WHEN I LOOK AT PROTECT, I'M THINKING THAT, OH, THERE'S A SECOND READING OF THE TPO AND I THINK THERE WERE SOME ISSUES THAT WERE LEFT IN THE AIR OR UNRESOLVED AT CITY COUNCIL.
SO IT COULD BE THAT GROUP GOING TO INFLUENCE DECISION MAKERS HAVE EXPLAINED THE VIRTUES, EXTOL THE VIRTUES OF THE TPO, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT I THINK, I THINK HAVING THESE MORE GENERAL CATEGORIES GIVES YOU SOME LEEWAY TO REALLY FIGURE OUT WHAT IS THE MOST AT THE MOMENT, WHAT THE MOST EFFECTIVE ACTION WOULD BE.
SO YEAH, ANYONE OF THOSE QUESTIONS? DISCUSSION, CATHERINE GUIDE US HERE.
UM, ALL MEMBERS, UM, ASIDE, EXCEPT FOR STEPHANIE AND DIANE, THEIR TERMS ARE UP JUNE 30TH OF 26.
STEPHANIE AND DIANE ARE THROUGH JUNE 30TH, 27.
AND THEN IF EVERYONE, YOU KNOW, ANYONE ELSE WANTED TO REAPPLY, IT'S JUNE 30TH, 26TH.
AND I GUESS KEITH AND MARYANNE, THEIR APPOINTMENTS TECHNICALLY WOULD EXPIRE AS LIAISONS UNLESS THEY GET REAPPOINTED IN JUNE.
'CAUSE I BELIEVE THOSE ARE YEARLY.
I THINK MARIANNE'S NOW SERVING HER SECOND, UM, FROM A LIAISON FROM THE PARKS AND REC COMMISSION.
AND TYPICALLY WE ALLOW FOR A SECOND.
SO YOU, WE WOULD HAVE A NEW LIAISON IN SEATED IN JULY FROM REC AND PARK.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION ABOUT WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DOES THE LIAISON DO? I MEAN, I KNOW THE DEFINITION OF IT, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS.
UM, ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, COMMISSION LIAISON ASSIGNMENTS, UM, ARE CRITICAL TO HELP.
IT'S A, IT'S A TWO WAY STREET.
SO IN SERVING, UM, TYPICALLY THESE ARE FOUR YEAR TERMS ON COMMISSIONS.
SO, UH, EIGHT OR NINE OF THE SUBCOMMITTEES OVER THOSE FOUR YEARS, YOU WOULD ESSENTIALLY HAVE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN IN A LOT OF THESE SUBCOMMITTEES, LIKE THE TREE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AND BECAUSE THERE'S USUALLY A GOOD NEXUS BETWEEN THE REC AND PARK COMMISSION AND THE TREE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UH, MARYANNE USES HER STAFF COMMENTS TO UPDATE THE REC AND PARK ABOUT WHAT THE TREE ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS TAKING ON WHAT'S COMING DOWN THE, DOWN THE LINE.
AND THEN VICE VERSA, COME BACK AND TELL YOU ALL WHAT'S GOING ON WITH PARKS AND RECREATION.
IF YOU PLAY THAT ACROSS THE BOARD, IT WORKS REALLY WELL AND FUNCTIONS.
BUT, UM, IT REALLY, IT'S MORE TIME, IT'S MORE VOLUNTEER SHIFT AND IT'S TAKES THE RIGHT PERSON THAT'S INTERESTED IN THOSE COMMITTEES TO HELP ELEVATE THOSE ISSUES.
SO WE GET SPOILED, YOU KNOW, WHEN THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A, A STRONG, YOU KNOW, MARYANNE'S VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT TREES AND PARKS.
SO SHE, SHE LOBBIED TO STAY ON THAT ASSIGNMENT AS LONG AS SHE CAN.
BUT THE IDEA IS, YOU KNOW, TO TAKE THAT OPPORTUNITY AND ALSO GO ON TO COMMITTEES THAT YOU WOULDN'T NORMALLY, UH, BE EXPOSED TO SO THAT AT THE END OF YOUR TERM, YOU CAN REALLY BE, HAVE A WELL-ROUNDED, UM, YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCE WHEN YOU GO OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND HELP TALK ABOUT SOME OF THESE ISSUES.
[00:10:01]
THEN THERE'S COUNCIL HAS THEIR OWN LIAISON ASSIGNMENTS AND THOSE ARE APPOINTED BY, UH, BY COUNCIL ACTION.AND THOSE INCLUDE COMMITTEE COMMISSION ASSIGNMENTS OUTSIDE OF THE CITY AS WELL, SO THAT THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO TAKE, UM, UH, SUBCOMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS AS WELL.
ALSO, LIKE THE, THE, STEPHANIE, CAN YOU GET A LITTLE CLOSER? OH, SURE.
I, IT'S HARD 'CAUSE I'M, HE'S RIGHT THERE.
BUT, BUT, BUT MY QUESTION IS LIKE THE, A LIAISON, IS THAT LIKE, LIKE, COULD I SAY I WANNA BE A, I WOULD LIKE TO, I'M INTERESTED IN BEING A LIAISON TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
HOW DOES THAT, IS THAT REALLY WHAT HAPPENS? IS LIKE IT'S INTERDEPARTMENTAL AND YOU CAN SIMPLY SAY, I'D LIKE TO NO.
IT IS, UM, IT IS DESIGNATED IN THE ENABLING LEGISLATION OF THE COMMITTEE OR COMMISSION.
AND SO TYPICALLY COMMISSIONS HAVE LIAISON ASSIGNMENTS TO WHAT OUR SUBCOMMITTEES, SO PARKS AND RECREATION HAS A, A LIAISON ASSIGNMENT TO THE PUBLIC ARTS COMMITTEE, THE MUSEUM BOARD, UM, THE PUB, UH, PAC, PEDESTRIAN BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
SO THERE HAS TO BE KIND OF A NEXUS TO THAT.
BUT NOT ALL COMMITTEES HAVE THOSE ESTABLISHED IN THEIR ENABLING, ENABLING LEGISLATION.
BUT YOU'RE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY, YOU KNOW, TO, UH, THROUGH THE PROCESS TO GET A APPOINTED TO THESE.
UM, BUT THE, THE UNIQUE PART ABOUT THESE ARE, THESE ARE ONE YEAR ASSIGNMENTS FROM JUNE TO JULY EVERY YEAR.
AND ON TREE COMMITTEE WE HAVE LIAISONS THAT ARE SEATED WITH US, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY LIAISON POSITIONS.
SO LIKE, KEITH IS A MEMBER OF PLANNING COMMISSION, AND THEN FOR A YEAR HE DECIDED TO SIT ON TREE COMMITTEE AS WELL TO KIND OF PASS INFORMATION BETWEEN THE TWO.
MARYANNE DID THE SAME WITH PARKS AND REC, BUT ON TREE COMMITTEE, IF YOU'RE JUST A MEMBER OF TREE COMMITTEE, WE CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE ANY LIAISONS TO OTHER COMMITTEES OR OTHER, UH, SUBCOMMITTEES, UH, BILL.
YEAH, I, I WANTED TO MENTION THAT RIGHT WHEN I STARTED, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS BACK NOW, UH, UH, TREE COMMITTEE WAS MEETING ONCE EVERY TWO MONTHS.
IT, THERE WAS, UH, I JUST DON'T THINK THE TREE COMMITTEE WAS AS ACTIVE AS WE ARE TODAY.
AND, BUT COUNCIL HAD HAD A LIAISON COUNCIL MEMBER WAS ON THE TREE COMMITTEE.
SO I THINK THAT RIGHT AS I STARTED, UH, THAT WAS REPLACED, THAT LIAISON WAS REPLACED BY PLANNING, WHICH HAS BEEN GREAT.
BUT, UM, I STILL THINK THAT IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE MORE VISIBILITY FROM COUNCIL HERE.
SO, UM, JUST JUST TO KNOW THAT THAT'S BEEN PART OF THE, THAT WAS PART OF THE NORM AT SOME POINT.
IT, UH, WE KIND OF, UM, DROPPED OFF THE RADAR.
WELL, MAYBE WE CAN MAKE AN ADVOCACY MOTION THAT TREES ARE BECOMING IMPORTANT ENOUGH.
WE HAVE ENOUGH TREE POLICY WHERE WE MAY NEED A COUNCIL LIAISON.
NOT THAT WE WANNA LOSE KEITH OR WHOEVER IS AT PLANNING COMMISSION, BUT, UH, A COUNCIL MEMBER SURELY WOULD GIVE US A, AN INSIDE TRACK ON SOME OF THESE KIND OF BIGGER POLICY THINGS THAT END UP HAPPENING.
UM, SO YES, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'LL HAVE, UH, POTENTIALLY SOME NEW FACES COMING IN JUNE, JULY.
UH, BUT I DON'T WANT TO PR UM, DISCOURAGE ANYONE FROM APPLYING NOW.
I THINK THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO SET A FOUNDATION FOR WHAT THIS WILL BE, BECAUSE THIS IS PRETTY NEW.
UH, I THINK WHEN DREW AND I DISCUSSED IT, TREE COMMITTEE HAS CLASSICALLY HAD A LOT OF AD HOCS FOR EVERY LITTLE TASK AND THEY KIND OF WERE HARD TO KEEP UP WITH AND MANAGE.
AND IT'S NICE TO HAVE SOMETHING GENERAL WHERE YOU HAVE YOUR TEAM AND YOU GUYS FIGURE OUT WHAT WORK YOU'RE GONNA BE DOING, MAYBE THAT MONTH REPORT BACK TO GREATER TAC AND THEN HAVE SOME, HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY.
SO WITH THAT, ARE ANY OF THESE KIND OF IDEAS PROTECTING, GROWING, OR ENGAGING, JUMPING OUT TO ANYONE? DOES ANYONE SAY I WANT TO BE ON ALL OF THEM? UH, ANY QUESTIONS OR, YEAH, IF I, I GUESS IF, IF THERE'S NO QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, IF SOMEONE JUST WANTS TO START VOLUNTEERING, THAT'S GREAT.
SO I HAVE A THOUGHT ABOUT PROTECT, UM, AND, UM, THE THOUGHT I HAVE, UM, IS I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THAT JUST FOR A COUPLE MONTHS, RIGHT? 'CAUSE I'M GONNA ROLL OFF AND, UM, 'CAUSE I'M, I'M THINKING ABOUT WHAT INTERESTS ME WOULD BE, UH, LIKE, UM, THE PARKS COMMISSION HAS ASSIGNMENTS FOR EACH OF THEIR COMMISSIONERS OF, UH, VARIOUS PARKS SELECTED THAT THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE TO TOUR.
AND I'D LIKE TO SEE THE TREE COMMITTEE PARTNER MAYBE WITH THE PARKS COMMISSION TO, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE EYES ON CERTAIN PARKS.
UM, HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT I'M TRYING, UM, THINKING.
UM, I WALKED TO THE LIBRARY ALL THE TIME AND THE LAST TIME I WALKED BY THE, UM, FRAGRANT GARDEN THERE, THERE WAS A FIG TREE THAT ITS POST HAD FALLEN
[00:15:01]
AND IT HAD PULLED THE FIG TREE DOWN.AND SO I GOT INTO THE BUSHES AND I UNTWISTED THE WIRE, REMOVED THE POST, STRAIGHTEN THE TREE, AND THEN USE THE POST AROUND THE OTHER SIDE TO PROP UP THE TREE AND, AND, AND STRENGTHEN ITS ABILITY TO GROW NEW ROTS ROOTS.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CLEARLY, WELL, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT HAD BEEN GOING ON, BUT I'M GONNA GUESS A FEW MONTHS.
AND I KNOW THAT THE PARKS COMMISSIONERS GO VISIT THE PARKS, BUT MAYBE THEY'RE NOT LOOKING AT THE TREES.
AND SO I THINK WE WOULD BE GREAT PARTNERS.
WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT AT THE SAME TIME AS THE COMMISSIONERS PERHAPS, BUT I THINK IT'D BE REALLY GOOD IF WE DID AND IF WE COULD KIND OF HAVE THIS, UM, SYNERGY SYNERGISTIC, KIND OF A BENEFIT OF PARKS COMMISSION, LOOKING MORE AT THE TREES AND US UNDERSTANDING THE PARKS COMMISSION'S PERSPECTIVE MORE FOR WHAT'S POSSIBLE WITH TREES, WITH THE DO'S AND DON'TS, WHAT THE CONSTRICTIONS ARE, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, UH, WHAT THE FUNDING IS.
UM, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE OUR TREES GET A LITTLE BIT MORE FORMAL.
UM, I DON'T KNOW, I'M NOT EXPRESSING IT WELL, BUT A LITTLE BIT MORE FORMALIZED MECHANISM TYPE OF EYES ON, AT LEAST FOR THE ONES IN THE PARKS.
AND I HAVEN'T REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT OUTSIDE OF THE PARKS.
I ABSOLUTELY THINK THAT'S A GREAT, GREAT SUGGESTION.
I REALLY, I THINK THAT'S REALLY, AND YOU AND I SEE THE SAME THINGS.
I MEAN, I DIDNT SEE THE TREE THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, BUT, UM, I JUST WANTED TO BACK UP A BIT BECAUSE I WANTED TO ASK YOU WHAT, WHAT THE, YOU WERE SAYING THAT THERE WERE SOME UNRESOLVED MATTERS DURING THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING AND I'M, I MEAN, I WAS, I WAS THERE
TO MY UNDERSTANDING, AND THIS IS ME SPEAKING THE NEXT DAY WITH A COUNCIL MEMBER.
'CAUSE I WASN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT, UH, BUT DIAMETER, WHICH AS WE EXPECTED AT PLANNING BECAME AN ISSUE.
THAT'S KIND OF THE EASY ONE TO MOVE AROUND WHAT THE RIGHT SIZE IS.
SO I THINK THAT WAS UNDECIDED.
I THINK THERE WERE SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS REALLY I THINK ASKING SOME QUESTIONS THAT WERE REALLY OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF THE PTO OR TPO, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE ASKING, WELL, HOW DO WE, UH, GIVE BACK TO PROPERTY OWNERS? AND, YOU KNOW, THE TPO ISN'T GONNA DO THAT.
THERE'S GONNA BE OTHER PROGRAMS. SO I THINK THERE ARE SOME AREAS OF JUST, I DON'T, I'M EDUCATING AND ADVOCATING AND SAYING LIKE, THE TPO IS A SPECIALIZED TOOL TO PREVENT TREE LOSS.
UH, AND REALLY KIND OF STEPPING THROUGH THAT SO COUNCIL MEMBERS UNDERSTAND, UH, KIND OF WHAT THE GOALS ARE.
SO THAT, THAT WAS HOW I THOUGHT IT ENDED TOO.
BUT I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT HAPPENS BETWEEN NOW AND THAT SECOND READING, LIKE, UM, THERE, THERE WAS ALL KINDS OF BANDING ABOUT, WITH THE SAME KINDS OF ISSUES THAT WE KNEW WERE GONNA BE UP THERE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW IMPLEMENTATION AND FINES AND HOW IS THAT ALL ARE, IS THE CITY COUNCIL GOING TO MEET AND DECIDE THAT BY THEMSELVES? OR HOW IS THAT GONNA WORK, DARREN? UH, WELL, SO ORDINANCES GENERALLY HAVE TWO READINGS.
SO THE FIRST READING IS COUNCIL REALLY GETTING THEIR ARMS WRAPPED AROUND IT.
THEY IDENTIFY A LOT OF THE SAME POINTS THAT ANY OF US WHO HAVE LOOKED AT IT A LOT ALREADY KNEW YEAH.
ARE GONNA BE POINTS OF CONTENTION.
I THINK IT THEN STAFF GOES AND TRIES TO FIGURE OUT FROM THE COMMENTARY AND FROM THE GENERAL, LIKE, UH, I WOULD SAY CONSENSUS THAT EMERGED, WHAT THEIR RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE.
WHAT STAFF, WHEN YOU SAID STAFF, STAFF IS GONNA BE HEATHER HINES OF M GROUP AND BEN ANDERSON, WHO'S OUR CONSULTING ARBORISTS, WHO ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE PRESENTED ON IT AND REALLY KIND OF SHEPHERDED IT THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
ARE GOING TO BE THE ONES THAT TAKE THAT FEEDBACK AND REALLY TRY TO HELP.
AND THIS IS WHERE WE KIND OF RELY ON CITY STAFF TO THEN HELP GET FURTHER IN THE WEEDS ON THOSE ISSUES AND HELP THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS MAKE A DECISION.
SO AT THE NEXT READING MM-HMM
THEY'RE GONNA BE FACED WITH SOME OF THESE SAME ISSUES, BUT NOW MAYBE THEY'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION OR MORE DETAILS ABOUT PROS AND CONS OF DIFFERENT DECISION POINTS.
AND SO YOU MIGHT HEAR THE SAME ISSUES COME UP, BUT HOPEFULLY THE DISCUSSION WILL START, YOU KNOW, ALREADY KIND OF WAIST DEEP IN DISCUSSING IT.
AND THEN THEY, AND THE JOKE IS, THIS IS SEEING THE SAUSAGE GET MADE.
THIS IS WHERE YOU SEE LEGISLATION FROM THE DIOCESE.
THEY HAVE TO DECIDE ON WHAT POLICIES TO MAKE, HOW TO STRUCTURE THINGS.
THEY'LL EVEN GET INTO LANGUAGE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'VE SEEN AT PLANNING OR SOME OF THESE MEETINGS, THEY'LL PUT THE LANGUAGE ON THE SCREEN YEAH.
SO ONCE WAS ENOUGH, BUT NO, I'M JUST KIDDING.
BUT, BUT I THINK IN THE MEANTIME, IT'S A LOT OF PUBLIC ADVOCACY AS WELL.
IF WE KNOW THOSE POINTS THAT AT ISSUE, IT'S
[00:20:01]
ADVOCACY TO INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SAY, HEY, I KNOW YOU WERE CONFUSED ABOUT X OR THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT X HERE AS A MEMBER OF TREE COMMITTEE.LET ME TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, FURTHER MY POSITION.
UM, WELL, UM, PARDON ME, BUT I HOPE DREW CAN PROVIDE SOME CLARITY BECAUSE WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING TO ME, I DON'T KNOW, SOUNDS LIKE CONTINUED TO A DATE.
CERTAIN SECOND READING IS WHERE YOU BASICALLY MAKE MINOR TWEAKS.
AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WHAT WE DEFAULTED TO MONDAY NIGHT BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T RESOLVE IT, IS BASICALLY STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.
UM, BECAUSE HOW WOULD YOU GO TO SECOND READING, WHICH TYPICALLY IS IN CONSENT CALENDAR AND HAVE DISCUSSION.
UM, DREW, DO YOU KNOW, CAN YOU GIVE US A LITTLE BIT SHARPER GUIDANCE? THANKS, DARREN.
I MEAN, UM, THE CHAIR GAVE A GREAT, UH, SUMMARY IN A SENSE WHERE THE, THE PROCESS, UM, YOU KNOW, IS REALLY INTERESTING.
I FIND INTERESTING, AND I HOPE YOU ALL FIND IT TOO, IS BECAUSE THE CONVERSATION GOT REALLY IN, INTO THE WEEDS, INTO THE ROOTS, UM, BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN GONE THROUGH SO MANY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND ITERATIONS.
UM, SO THE ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED, UH, OR, OR APPROVED RIGHT TO COME BACK, UM, WITH SOME AMENDMENTS.
AND THOSE AMENDMENTS WERE SOME DIRECTION TO STAFF.
AND AT THE VERY END OF THE MEETING, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE'S TIRED.
AND SO THAT WHEN IT KIND OF SLOWS DOWN AND THERE'S A LOT OF REPEATING, UM, YOU KNOW, AND JEN, JEN AND I ARE THERE TOO.
AND IT'S ALWAYS THE POINT OF THE MEETING WHERE YOU, YOU GOTTA PERK UP AND SAY, OKAY, THE AMENDMENTS AND WHAT WE GET DIRECTION FROM IS REALLY CRITICAL.
UM, AND WE, WE GOT SOME DIRECTION ON, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FINANCES AND FEE SCHEDULES.
WHAT, WHAT WE COME BACK FOR THE, THE, THE ENCROACHMENT FEES VERSUS THE TREE REMOVAL FEES.
HOW DOES THAT ALL LOOK LIKE? SO WE KNOW WE NEED TO FLUSH THOSE OUT AND BRING THOSE BACK.
UM, THERE WAS ALSO SOME QUESTIONS ON NOTICING.
SO WHEN THERE'S A TREE REMOVAL, THERE WAS A PRETTY, PRETTY GOOD PASSIONATE DISCUSSION AND THERE WAS SOME GOOD CASE STUDIES ABOUT WHY AND WHY NOT.
SO STAFF WOULD BRING BACK SOME RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, IN THAT SECOND READING.
AND THEN THERE WERE SOME OTHERS THAT WERE KIND OF NOT ONE OFF COMMENTS ABOUT LOOKING ABOUT INCENTIVIZING PROGRAMS, LIKE COMBINING THE SIDEWALK, A STREET TREE, UM, PROGRAM OR PILOT PROGRAM WITH A, WITH A TREE, STREET TREE, UH, REPLACEMENT.
SO TRY TO INCENTIVIZE THOSE THAT MAYBE HAVE A FINANCIAL BARRIER OR AN EDUCATIONAL, UH, DEFICIT TO SAY, OKAY, IF THE CITY'S GONNA, UM, GO AND HAVE THIS SIDEWALK PROGRAM, THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE THAT HOMEOWNER ON THEIR TREES.
AND SO THOSE ARE MINOR CHANGES.
TARYN, THAT WOULD COME BACK, UM, WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND THEN THE STAFF REPORT THAT WOULD POST, UH, AND I THINK WE SAID BY MAY, I THINK WE SAID ABOUT, UM, I THINK WE GAVE THAT, UH, WHEN IT COMES BACK FOR THAT SECOND READING, THAT STAFF REPORT IS REALLY GONNA HIGHLIGHT THE CHANGE, THE CHANGES OR THE ADDITIONS TO WHAT WAS DISCUSSED IN THE DIRECTION.
SO WE TOOK THE DIRECTION FROM, UM, THE ORDINANCE THAT WAS, THAT WAS APPROVED, THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE GONNA COME BACK WITH THESE THINGS THAT THEY'D LIKE TO SEE.
UM, AND THEN WE GO BACK FOR THAT, THAT SECOND READING.
IF IT GETS ADOPTED, THEN YOU'VE GOT 30 DAYS AFTER THAT BEFORE IT TAKES EFFECT.
SO, UM, AND THEN THERE'S A THIRD READING, CORRECT? RIGHT, IF IT'S APPROVED.
THAT I THINK IT GOES INTO EFFECT ABOUT 30 DAYS AND THE FIRST READING.
AND THEN BEFORE YOU GO, JEN, DID I MISS SOMETHING BIG ON THE AMENDMENTS? I FEEL LIKE I DID, BUT, UM, WHAT ABOUT THE 12 INCHES? THAT'S NOT A, AN AMENDMENT RIGHT? MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THE SIX INCH DIAMETER WAS, WAS ACCEPTED.
I, I DON'T, I THINK YOU GOT IT, DREW.
WE WAS LANDED ON THE SIX INCH.
DID THEY LAND ON THE SIX INCH? THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT IT, BUT THERE WAS, YEAH, YEAH.
AND I'M WONDERING, UH, WOULD IT GO INTO, IF WE WANTED TO DO, HAVE SOME IDEAS AND PROVIDE A MEMO TO STAFF REGARDING MARKETING IDEAS? I KNOW WE'VE GOT A REALLY GOOD MARKETING, LIKE ONLINE MARKETING DIRECTOR MM-HMM
UM, SHE, I DON'T KNOW HER NAME, I FORGET, BUT SHE'S BLONDE, I THINK.
UM, BUT IF WE HAD SOME IDEAS AND WE WANTED TO PUT THAT IN A MEMO AND WITH THE INTENT OF DELIVERING THAT TO STAFF OR THEIR CONSIDERATION, WOULD THAT GO UNDER PROTECT OR GROW? OR MAYBE BOTH.
IF IT'S RELATED TO PROTECT AND GROW YEAH.
OR, OR MAYBE ENGAGE, UH, WHICH IS KIND OF THE PUBLIC FACING SIDE, WHICH IS LIKE UPDATING THE WEBSITE.
I MEAN, YOU COULD ARGUE, I THINK, FOR ANY OF THEM, AND I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE PART OF OUR EXERCISE, IS WHEN PEOPLE HAVE GOOD IDEAS OF POTENTIAL TASKS TACK COULD TAKE ON WITH STAFF INPUT ON LIKE HOW WE EFFECTIVELY INSERT, YOU KNOW, SOME KIND OF EXPERTISE OR FEEDBACK, THEN
[00:25:01]
OUR DIFFERENT GROUPS CAN SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, MAYBE ENGAGE OR GROW COULD SAY, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT ON OUR DOCKET.MAYBE WE'LL TAKE THAT ON AND BRING IT BACK TO THE GREATER COMMITTEE.
BECAUSE WE COULD ALMOST HAVE A TEMPLATE OR A TEMPLATE OF A PROJECT ACTION PLAN FOR EACH OF THESE THREE THINGS.
LIKE BY WEEK THREE, HAVE YOUR IDEATION BY WEEK FOUR, CONCLUDE YOUR RESEARCH BY, YOU KNOW, OR SIX, WHATEVER.
AND, YOU KNOW, DELIVER THESE DELIVERABLES AT THE END.
AND THAT CAN INCLUDE MEMO TO APPROPRIATE STAFF REGARDING, UM, WHICHEVER AD HOC YOU'RE IN.
I LIKE HAVING SOME UNIFORMITY.
HAVING A TEMPLATE FOR EACH COMMITTEE TO AT LEAST GIVE YOU A STARTING POINT TO HAVE YOU MAP OUT YOUR ACTION PLAN.
DIANE, BILL, KEITH, ANY THOUGHTS, QUESTIONS, OR, LIKE I SAID, IF YOU'RE JUMPING OUTTA YOUR CHAIR, YOU KNOW, YOU WANNA PROTECT ANYTHING LIKE THAT? WELL, I, I FEEL GREAT ABOUT THE PROTECT SIDE OF THINGS, SEEING THE TPO GET UNANIMOUS SUPPORT FROM, UH, PLANNING AND, UH, THANKS DARREN AND KEITH AND OUR COUNCIL.
SO, UH, THERE'S MORE TO BE DONE, CERTAINLY LIKE INTEGRATING THE FORESTRY MANAGEMENT PLAN AND, UM, YOU KNOW, FIGURING OUT THE FINES AND FEES AND, AND ALIGNMENT WITH INCENTIVES TO, FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING, TO NOT HAVE TO BE FACED WITH, UH, UH, TOO MANY, UH, FEES.
BUT LET'S SEE WHAT, UH, THE GROW SIDE IS SOMETHING I'M INTERESTED IN, UM, PARTICIPATING IN.
I, I'VE GOTTEN TO KNOW SOME OF THE RELIEF FOLKS A LITTLE BETTER.
AND, UM, LOVE TO SEE OUR STREET TREES REPOPULATED.
MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN, UM, SOMETHING THERE THAT, UH, I COULD HELP.
AND AGAIN, I'M A FEW MONTHS HERE AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN BEYOND THAT, SO.
BUT YEAH, I COULD SEE MYSELF ON ANY OF THESE THREE, BUT, UH, I'LL DEFINITELY RAISE MY HAND FOR THE GROW.
WE'VE GOT ONE MEMBER FOR GROW, IT MUST SAY GROW COULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO LIKE GO OUT AND DO RESEARCH AND PROVIDE STAFF WITH, HEY, WE'VE LOOKED AT ALL THESE BEST PRACTICES FOR TREE PLANTING.
CAN WE EVENTUALLY GET THIS ONTO WHATEVER OUR EVENTUAL LIKE WEBSITE IS? GET THIS OVER TO THE ENGAGE TEAM OR, SO THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TOO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT IN ANY OF THESE, LIKE, PROTECT, GROW, ANY OF THESE, LIKE WHAT BEST PRACTICES ARE IN THAT FIELD, HOW CAN WE FEED IT INTO SOMETHING LIKE THE TREE TECHNICAL MANUAL, EVEN SMALL THINGS LIKE THAT, LIKE RESEARCH AND CONTRIBUTING TO A GREATER DOCUMENT COULD BE LIKE PRETTY NICE CHUNKS OF WORK FOR, FOR OUR TEAM TO DO.
I HAVE TO TELL EVERY TIME I SAY I, I'M ONLINE AND THERE'S NO ONE ELSE IN THE ROOM.
UM, SO ANYWAYS, UH, I, I'D LIKE TO BE PART OF THE GROW TOO.
I DON'T KNOW HOW, I DON'T KNOW IF I'LL BE ABLE TO GET FROM THE PLAN COMMISSION, ANOTHER STINT ON, ON THE TREE ADVISORY.
I THINK OUR WORK IS FANTASTIC.
UM, HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF RESPECT FOR OUR, YOU KNOW, GROUPS LIKE RELIEF THAT ARE JUST DOING AMAZING WORK IN THE CITY, UM, AND STUFF, AND WOULD LOVE TO, UM, HELP WITH THAT.
WELL THAT SOUNDS LIKE WE'VE GOT AT LEAST TWO MEMBERS FOR GROW, SO THAT'S PERFECT.
SO GROW IS NOW AN OFFICIAL AD HOC BECAUSE WE HAVE AT LEAST TWO MEMBERS.
SO OUR TWO TALLEST MEMBERS, I MAY ADD
MAYBE IT'S THE TREES ARE GROWING, WE'RE GETTING TALLER.
UM, SO ANYONE ELSE MAYBE A VOLUNTEER FOR A DIFFERENT COMMITTEE THAT'S REACHING OUT TO YOU, DIANE? YEAH, I WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE PROTECT.
UM, AND I WOULD LIKE TO PUT SOME MORE DEFINITION AROUND IT BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE IF THAT INCLUDES, YOU KNOW, IS IT PHYSICAL PROTECTIONS, IS IT JUST LEGAL? CAN WE GO OUT AND TAKE A SURVEY OF WHAT MATURE TREES, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE, AND SORT OF, IS THERE A PROCESS FOR PROTECTING THEM, YOU KNOW, OR IS IT JUST SORT OF RANDOM, WE WAIT FOR SOMETHING TO COME TO PERMIT AND THEN WE, YOU KNOW, SAY, NO, YOU OR YES, YOU CAN DO THIS.
SO CLARIFYING THAT, YOU KNOW, HOW WILL IT AFFECT THE PUBLIC? AND ALSO DOES THE CITY HAVE A COUNT OR ANY MAPS OF ALL OF OUR TREES, LIKE IN THE PARKS AND THINGS? DO THEY KNOW WHICH TREES I KNOW WICKERSHAM IS, HAS CHANGED A LOT? DO WE HAVE UPDATED COUNTS OR IS THAT SOMETHING WE COULD WORK ON? YEAH, THAT'S A, A GREAT QUESTION AND IT'S ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING WE COULD WORK ON.
UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU HIT ON A COUPLE OF THE PARKS.
THERE'S, THERE'S A FEW PARKS, YOU KNOW, WICKERSHAM, WALNUT, UH, PENRY PARK, OAK HILL, RIGHT? MM-HMM
IF YOU LOOK AT THOSE, THOSE ARE 19TH CENTURY PARKS, RIGHT? MM-HMM
AND YOU'VE GOT A VERY, UM, VARIED GROUPS OF TREES IN THERE THAT ARE QUITE FASCINATING.
AND WE DON'T KEEP INVENTORIES LIKE THAT, RIGHT? WE, WE HAVE CERTAIN TREES THAT WE KEEP SPECIALIZE ON, UM, FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE
[00:30:01]
AN INVENTORY OF PENRY PARK PER SE, THAT YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE TREES THE SPECIES MAPPED OUT.WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING THROUGH THE UFMG.
UM, WE'RE OBVIOUSLY GOING THROUGH AND, AND, AND MAINTAINING TREES.
AND WHEN THERE'S ISSUES, WE RESPOND, BUT NOT TO THE DEGREE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WHERE YOU REALLY GET A WHOLE PALLET WITHIN A PARK AND YOU UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING'S THERE.
AND I WAS LISTENING KIND OF TO, TO YOUR POINT, TARYN, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE GO THROUGH WITH OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND WE, WE REPORT BACK ON PARKS, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'D BE REALLY INTERESTING TO WORK THE TREE COMMITTEE INTO THAT.
AND, AND YOU'RE NOT BOUND BY PARKS, UM, BUT YOU COULD DO A WALK, RIGHT? MM-HMM
THROUGH THIS ONE NEIGHBORHOOD AND HIGHLIGHT A TREE OR SOME TREES TO REALLY KIND OF ELEVATE THE WHY.
YOU KNOW, WHAT WE HEARD KIND ON MONDAY IS, YOU KNOW, WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO PROTECT THESE TREES? AND YOU, YOU BROUGHT SO MANY DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT WOULD NORMALLY, UM, FIND A LOT OF REASONS TO, TO, TO FIND DIFFERENT GROUND, HAVE COMMON GROUND AROUND THAT.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO THAT POINT WHERE WE'RE, WHY, WHY ARE THESE TREES SO IMPORTANT TO PROTECT AND WHAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT THESE PLACES? 'CAUSE IN PARKS, YOU'RE RIGHT, YOU, YOU'RE, YOU'RE KIND OF EYE LEVEL.
YOU'RE NOT OFTEN LOOKING UP OR TAKING SOME OF THESE TREES FOR GRANTED.
AND WE'VE GOT SOME GREAT SPECIES WITHIN THE PARKS.
AND ALSO, IF WE TAKE ON A NEIGHBORHOOD APPROACH, LIKE YOU'RE SAYING, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IDENTIFY SOME OF THE KEY TREES, YOU KNOW, WE COULD EDUCATE THAT BLOCK BY BLOCK, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE, AND, AND DO OUTREACH OBVIOUSLY TO THE PUBLIC AS WELL, BUT RIGHT.
MAYBE IF WE TACKLE CHUNKS OF IT, YOU KNOW, AND SAY THESE TREES ARE CANOPY TREES AND YOU KNOW, AND THIS ONE IS GOING TO BE IN ANOTHER 10 YEARS AND, AND HAVE PEOPLE FEELING GOOD ABOUT THEIR TREES AND KNOWING WHERE THEY'RE GOING, YOU KNOW, SORT OF WITH THEM, RIGHT.
AND MAKING IT SORT OF PART OF THEIR FAMILY OR WHATEVER IT IS, YOU KNOW? ABSOLUTELY.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO WORK ON THAT.
EDUCATION, OUTREACH, UM, AND PROTECTION.
STEPHANIE, I'M KIND OF WONDERING ABOUT THE, THE MYSTERY URBAN FORESTER THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE, OH, YEAH.
THAT WAS ENTERING THIS PICTURE.
I, WHEN ISN'T THAT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN WHEN THIS ORDINANCE IS PASSED? WELL, SO THE ORDINANCE DOESN'T NECESSITATE A STAFF MEMBER.
HOWEVER, I WILL SAY IN OUR URBAN FORESTRY MANAGEMENT PLAN, WHICH WAS A LITTLE UNDER THE RADAR, BUT WAS ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR ON MONDAY AND IT WAS APPROVED, DOES ADVOCATE FOR THAT POSITION TO EXIST.
AND I THINK ONE THING THAT WILL BE ON OUR RADAR, WHETHER IT'S FROM SOME SUBCOMMITTEE OR REALLY IT'S EVERYONE, UH, BUT BUDGET DISCUSSIONS ARE COMING UP IN MAY, AND THAT'S THE TIME WHERE YOU FIND ROOM IN THE BUDGET.
AND WHEN I SAY FIND ROOM, YOU PUT ADVOCACY AND PRESSURE ON DECISION MAKERS TO SAY, LET'S WORK THIS INTO THE BUDGET.
NOW, DREW, YOU MAY HAVE MORE INSIGHT THIS THAN I DO.
I MEAN, I'D IMAGINE FISCAL YEAR BUDGETS, A LOT OF THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENED.
UH, BUT MAYBE THERE'S AN EFFECTIVE WAY FOR OUR GROUP TO ADVOCATE FOR A POSITION LIKE THAT.
AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD FALL INTO ANY ONE PARTICULAR SUBCATEGORY, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A BIG THING THAT OUR WHOLE COMMITTEE SHOULD BE AWARE OF.
WELL, I, I WAS, I MISUNDERSTOOD SOMETHING FROM THE BEGINNING.
I THOUGHT THAT, THAT THERE WAS A DEADLINE FOR GETTING THIS APPROVED BECAUSE I THOUGHT THERE WAS MONEY AND A GRANT FROM CAL FIRE TO FUND THAT POSITION FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR.
NOW SUDDENLY, WHAT, WHAT'S HAPPENED TO THAT? OR WAS I MUST HAVE BEEN TOTALLY MISINFORMED.
NO, I'VE STILL THE SAME THING.
THINK WE ALL HAVE, RIGHT? NO, I, I I THINK THAT'S TRUE.
AND SO IS THE TRUTH THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE NEED TO GET BUDGET DOLLARS LINED UP AS SOON, SOONER THAN RATHER THAN LATER.
EVEN THIS YEAR WILL PASS, HOPEFULLY WITH THE GRANT FUNDING OUR URBAN FOREST, A A CONSULTANT AT LEAST.
WELL, I WANNA MEET HIM OR HER RIGHT NOW.
I, I FEEL WELL, WELL, WHY NOT? LIKE, I THOUGHT THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN RIGHT AWAY.
THAT FOR EVEN FOR THIS ONE YEAR, BECAUSE I THINK THAT WOULD BE A PERSON THAT COULD, THAT WOULD REALLY BE ESSENTIAL IN COORDINATING AND DIRECTING A LOT OF THE ENERGY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW.
BUT IT'S, IT'S A, A MYSTERY POSITION NOW, OR NOT WHAT? WELL, THE, THESE ARE ALWAYS A LITTLE BIT OF A PROCESS.
DREW, DO YOU HAVE ANY MORE INSIGHT ON THAT? YEAH.
UM, THE URBAN FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN THAT WAS ADOPTED WAS A BIG MOMENT.
SO I DON'T WANNA UNDERSCORE ANY OF THAT.
SOMETIMES YOU'RE WORKING ALONG AND THEN YOU TAKE BIG LEAPS AND THAT'S A BIG LEAP.
AND THAT IS THE POLICY DOCUMENT.
UM, THERE'S NOT, UH, AN AUTHORIZATION OF BUDGET ON ANY OF THOSE PLANS, BUT IT'S A ROADMAP SAYING, HEY, THESE ARE, UH, OF ALL THE OUTREACH OF ALL THE RESEARCH THAT WE'VE DONE, THESE ARE THE CRITICAL NEXT STEPS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED
[00:35:01]
THAT WE WANNA PRIORITIZE.AND URBAN FORESTER, I THINK WAS THE TITLE.
UM, THERE WAS A SERIES OF LIKE TASKS THAT WOULD BE UNDER THIS URBAN FORESTRY POSITION.
UM, IT DOESN'T PRESCRIBE WHETHER IT WOULD BE A STAFF, UM, OR A CONSULTANT OR A TERM OR EVEN A JOB DESCRIPTION YET.
I THINK IT'S ON US, THE COUNCIL OF COMMUNITY, THE TREE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO HELP DECIDE WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE.
UM, THERE IS SOME GRANT FUNDS AND, AND THAT A LOT OF THAT WAS HELPFUL AND CRITICAL IN GETTING THE URBAN FORCE MANAGEMENT PLAN ADOPTED.
BUT ALSO THE WORK THAT BEN ANDERSON IS DOING, UM, CONSULTING ALONG THE WAY, THAT'S THE SAME POT OF MONEY.
SO THE IDEA IS THERE'S, YOU, YOU SPEND THAT MONEY TO ON RAMP OR ONBOARD AN HERS FORESTER OR A SIMILAR POSITION MM-HMM
AND THEN YOU START DECIDING AND BUILDING THE SCOPE AND COME BACK TO SAY WHAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE.
IF YOU CAN THEN DEVELOP SOME COST RECOVERY THROUGH A TPO OR ANOTHER AREA YOU KEEP BUILDING, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, YOU KNOW, THE STAFF BECOMES A, A BETTER, UH, DEAL FOR THE CITY OR THE TAXPAYER THAN A POSITION, I'M SORRY, THAN A CONSULTANT.
UM, BUT YOU GOTTA GET IT OFF THE GROUND.
AND I THINK THAT'S YOUR POINT, STEPHANIE.
YOU'RE READY FOR IT AND YOU WANT IT.
AND I THINK THE IDEA IS, UM, IT, IT WOULD BE A CONSULTANT IN THE NEAR TERM, UM, BECAUSE WHERE WE ARE IN THE BUDGETS, UM, TO BE FRANK, BUT I THOUGHT THERE WAS A GRANT THAT CAL FIRE HAD PROVIDED FOR A POSITION FOR ONE YEAR.
MOST OF IT'S BEEN SPENT ON THE POINT YEAH.
BUT YES, I THINK IT'S ALSO BEN ANDERSON'S THE CONSULTANT WORK THAT HE'S DOING ON TREES IS ALSO YEAH, GREAT.
OF GREAT VALUE TO THE CITY AND THE, AND TREES.
WELL, THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
WELL, AND IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA, DREW, FOR MAYBE WE CAN WORK WITH PATRICK CARTER.
I BELIEVE HE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR OVERSIGHT OF THAT GRANT.
MAYBE IN APRIL WE CAN HAVE HIM COME AND GIVE AN UPDATE, UH, PATRICK CARTER'S IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, AND HE CAN GIVE US AN UPDATE ON, BECAUSE AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS, I THINK WE'VE ALL HEARD DIFFERENT BITS AND PIECES, I THINK LIKE RELIEF AND JOHN TRIS AND CERTAIN OTHER KEY MEMBERS HAVE, WERE LIKE WRITING THE GRANT.
AND I THINK THEM PLUS WHOEVER'S MANAGING IT NOW, IT WAS CINDY CHONG.
NOW IT'S PATRICK CARTER PROBABLY KNOWS EXACTLY THE INS AND OUTS AND HOW MUCH IS LEFT, WHICH I THINK IS YOUR BIG QUESTION.
AND I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT TO MAYBE, MAYBE WE CAN COORDINATE IF HIS SCHEDULE ALLOWS, AND THEN WE CAN ASK SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS AND START THE MOMENTUM ROLLING.
LIKE, HEY, WE THOUGHT WE WERE GETTING AN URBAN FORESTRY OUT OF THIS, THAT, YOU KNOW, OKAY.
AND, AND I KNOW THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ANY CLEAR, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF INS AND OUTS HERE THAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
BUT, UM, I JUST HAVE TO SAY THAT TREES HERE AND THE NOW OF THEIR FATE IS, IS IT'S INSTANTANEOUS.
THERE IS SO MUCH, THERE ARE SO MANY TREES THAT HAVE SO MANY PROBLEMS RIGHT NOW DUE TO, UH, THE LACK OF ANYONE COMING TO THE, THE AID OF A PARTICULAR AREA WHERE, UM, THERE'S A GREAT DEAL OF NEED.
AND TARYN KNOWS ALL ABOUT THIS, BUT THE, I JUST WANNA MAKE THIS EXAMPLE BECAUSE I THINK IT'S JUST, IT'S, I WAS JUST DREAMING ABOUT CALLING UP THE URBAN FORESTER AND HAVING THEM COME TO THE BLOCK BETWEEN MADISON AND EAST AND WASHINGTON, NOT EAST WASHINGTON.
THE BLOCK BE ON PAY BETWEEN MADISON AND, AND WASHINGTON, AND THEN THE LIBRARIES ON THE CORNER, RIGHT? MM-HMM
THAT, THAT BLOCK USED TO HAVE A CANOPY.
WHEN I BOUGHT MY HOUSE 21 YEARS AGO, THERE WAS A CANOPY AND I, THAT WAS PART OF THE ALLURE OF BUYING MY HOME.
YOU COULD DRIVE FROM WASHINGTON THROUGH THIS CANOPY, TURN LEFT, AND THERE'S MY HOUSE.
AND A YEAR OR TWO AFTER I MOVED IN, IT IT, THEY WERE MOSTLY CUT DOWN AND THEY WERE HUGE TREES.
THERE'S ONLY ONE LEFT ON THE WHOLE STREET.
AND THE, THEN THE RESIDENT IN THE MIDDLE KEPT HER TREE AND THE OTHERS WERE CUT DOWN.
THEY PEOPLE WERE TOLD THEY WERE DISEASED OR FOR WHATEVER THE REASON MM-HMM
RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE ABOUT THREE INCREDIBLY SCRAWNY, STARVED, DROUGHT RIDDEN TREES THAT ARE ABOUT, UM, FOUR FEET TALL ON THAT STREET THAT NEED TO BE PRUNED.
AND THEN THE PERSON THAT TOLD ME THE WHOLE HISTORY, WHO LIVES THERE, SHE JUST HAD HER TREE LOPPED OFF ON THE TOP AND SHE'S TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING, BUT I'M SURE THAT WAS THE WRONG THING TO DO.
AND SHE SAYS, WELL, I BETTER GO OVER AND TRY TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE TREES THAT ARE ALL, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN PRUNED YEARS AGO.
AND THE FACT, AND THEN SHE POINTED ACROSS THE STREET AT A MATURE HUGE TREE AND
[00:40:01]
SAID, THAT TREE NEEDS TO, I WAS TOLD THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE PRUNED OR IT'S GONNA BE FALLING DOWN.THE POINT IS THIS WHOLE BLOCK WAS COMPLETELY DISRUPTED.
AND I'M NOT POINTING FINGERS AT ANYBODY.
YOU KNOW, THE CITY WAS TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING BY WIDENING THE STREET OR IMPROVING IT, BUT THERE'S NO HELP FOR PEOPLE WHO, WHO LIVE ON THAT STREET.
I MEAN, I'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO GET BEN TO GO OVER AND CONSULT WITH PEOPLE BECAUSE, SO THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING, I JUST THOUGHT RIGHT AWAY, WOW, AS SOON AS WE GET THIS ORDINANCE THROUGH, WE CAN ACTUALLY, OR SOMEBODY THAT WE CAN GET FROM THE CITY TO COME IN AND REALLY HELP.
'CAUSE THESE TREES, ONCE YOU PRUNE THEM, WE ALL KNOW THIS, THEY'RE DONE.
SO SHE JUST HAD HERS TOPPED AND I THINK THAT WAS PROBABLY WRONG.
AND THAT'S THE BIGGEST TREE THAT'S LEFT.
AND THEN THERE'S THREE THAT ARE JUST LIKE I SAID, SO SCRAWNY AND DYING AND THEY WERE NEVER REALLY CARED FOR.
SO, AND IT'S LIKE RIGHT NOW, IT'S LIKE RIGHT NOW IF SOMETHING ISN'T DONE, THOSE ARE PROBABLY GONNA DIE THIS YEAR.
SO THE GOOD NEWS IS I HEAR YOU AND YOU'VE GOT SOLUTIONS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU THAT CAN GO UNDER ENGAGE.
I MEAN ENGAGE COULD BE AS SIMPLE AS DRAFTING A LETTER THAT POINTS PEOPLE TO RESOURCES AND KNOCKING ON THEIR DOOR JUST LIKE RELEAF KNOCKS ON DOORS AND ASKS, DO YOU WANT A TREE? RIGHT.
THERE ARE HIGH DISTRESS AREAS SUCH AS PAYAN THAT GETTING ON ONE OF THESE AD HOCS, YOU COULD JUST BASICALLY KNOCK ON DOORS.
DO YOU NEED RESOURCES? CONNECT THEM TO SOMEBODY, UM, GIVE THEM SOME INFORMATION.
LIKE DON'T LISTEN TO ANYONE WHO'S NOT AN ARBORIST.
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THEN ALSO YOU COULD THINK ABOUT GOING ON GROW, BECAUSE MAYBE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY M THE LIBRARY PARK IS MC MCKINLEY? NO.
KENNELWORTH KENNELWORTH PARK IS, THAT'S THE ONE BY THE LIBRARY.
THE TREES WERE CHOPPED DOWN THERE BECAUSE THERE'S TOO MUCH WATER IN THE GROUND.
FINE, IT'S GONNA BE 10 YEARS BEFORE WE GET A PARK PLAN.
AND SOMETHING'S DONE WITH THAT.
SO MAYBE BEING ON THE GROW AD HOC, YOU CAN APPROACH DREW OR STAFF AND FIND OUT WHAT ARE GOOD TREES FOR WATERLOGGED SOIL? IS IT A WILLOW WEEPING WILLOWS? WELL, CAN WE JUST GO PUT IN SOME WEEPING WILLOWS AND USE THE TREE ADVISORY COMMITTEE BUDGET TO DO THAT AND REALLY TO HELP US DO THAT.
AND THAT WAY THOSE KIDS CAN HAVE SOME SHADE AND PLAY ON THAT JUNGLE GYM.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S IMPOSSIBLE.
AND THE CITY WILL GET SUED FOR LIKE BURNS SLIDING DOWN A PLA.
SO THAT COULD BE A SOLUTION RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW THAT COULD HAPPEN IN A FEW MONTHS WITHOUT AN URBAN FOREST MANAGER.
WELL, I, I LIKE THAT SUGGESTION A LOT.
I THINK I'M GOING TO JOIN THAT.
AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT DREW HAS SENT ME A PLAN FOR KEN KENILWORTH PARK.
AND I'VE BEEN KIND OF CONVINCED THAT THERE, THAT WE SHOULD WAIT.
AND I'VE HAD JANICE CATER THOMPSON TELL ME THAT SHE WOULD LIKE TO GET THE CITY TO PUT UP SOME SAILS BY THAT PLAYGROUND BECAUSE THERE'S NO, THERE ARE NO TREES THERE AND PARENTS CAN'T TAKE THEIR KIDS THERE.
AND I HOPE THAT SHE PURSUES THAT BECAUSE I KIND OF, YOU KNOW, I'VE TALKED TO DREW A LOT 'CAUSE THAT WAS LIKE ONE OF MY MAJOR GOALS WAS TO GET TREES OVER THERE.
BUT I FEEL LIKE HE'S DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB OF EXPLAINING IT TO ME.
BUT LET'S GET SOME SALES UP FOR THESE POOR PARENTS THAT BAKE OVER THERE.
SO, OR TRELLIS WITH A VINE ON IT.
SO YOU'RE SAYING GROW PARTY, YOU'RE GOING FOR THE GROW AD HOC.
I HOPE THAT YOU'RE ON THAT COMMITTEE.
'CAUSE I REALLY LIKE THAT IDEA AND I WOULDN'T HAVE THOUGHT OF IT MYSELF.
WELL, SO, SO RIGHT NOW I THINK WE HAVE, BILL AND KEITH HAVE VOLUNTEERED IF YOU VOLUNTEER FOR GROW AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, I WANNA SAY THAT PART OF THIS TOO, WHETHER IT'S PROTECT OR GROW, IF, IF THERE ARE AREAS WHERE YOU WANT TO MAKE CHANGE LIKE THAT, I THINK AN IMPORTANT STEP IS LIKE DOCUMENTING IT IN SOME FASHION AND BRINGING IT BACK TO THE COMMITTEE TO SAY THAT HERE'S THE STRIP, HERE'S SOME PHOTOS I WOULD LIKE TO DO X AND TARYN DID GET TO A GOOD POINT, WHICH IS THAT TREE COMMITTEE DOES HAVE DISCRETIONARY FUNDS, I BELIEVE ABOUT $11,000.
AND REALLY, LIKE WHEN YOU WERE DESCRIBING, I WANNA POINT THE URBAN FORESTER THERE TO, TO FIX IT.
AND IT'S LIKE, WELL WE'D STILL NEED TO HAVE LIKE COST RECOVERY AND PAY FOR THEIR TIME.
AND SO MAYBE THERE'S A WAY TO WORK WITH PROPERTY OWNERS TO LITERALLY USE SOME DISCRETIONARY TREE COMMITTEE MONEY TO FUND TREES TO HELP PAY FOR SOME ASPECT OF WHETHER IT'S RELIEF OR WHATEVER THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE OPTION IS TO WORK.
[00:45:01]
WE COME IN IS THE LEGWORK TO UNITE THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS TO SAY, LOOK, I'M PART OF TREE COMMITTEE, WE'VE IDENTIFIED YOUR AREA.I MEAN, AND THAT'S, THAT'S NOT A SMALL TASK, RIGHT? THAT'S A PRETTY BIG LIFT.
BUT I THINK HAVING AN AD HOC IS REALLY NICE BECAUSE YOU CAN WORK WITH YOUR TEAM MEMBERS OUTSIDE OF MEETINGS.
YOU GUYS CAN EMAIL, TEXT, CALL TO FIGURE IT OUT AND PUT AN ACTION PLAN TOGETHER.
YOU KNOW, AND THAT MIGHT BE LIKE EVERY FEW MONTHS YOU IDENTIFY AREAS AND TRY TO PUT PROPOSALS TOGETHER, COME BACK TO THIS GROUP, TRY TO GET FUNDING OR YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE A PRETTY EASY SELL ON PLANTING TREES.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, AND THEN PUT AN ACTION PLAN IN PLACE.
THAT COULD BE A REALLY EXCITING MODEL WHERE WE'D WORK WITH RE I MEAN I THINK THAT'S SOME OF THE WORK RELIEF DOES, BUT MAYBE WE'RE JUST AUGMENTING THAT.
SO I, I REALLY LOVE THAT IDEA.
SO RIGHT NOW IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE THREE VOLUNTEERS FOR GROW.
I WOULD SAY FROM WHAT YOU WERE SAYING TOO, YOU COULD ALSO JOIN, GROW, AND ENGAGE.
I THINK ENGAGE HAS A BIG PIECE OF DEVELOPING A LOT OF MATERIALS FOR THE PUBLIC.
THOSE FREE PDFS, THOSE BEST PRACTICES ON OUR WEBSITE.
SO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IN THE ENGAGE GROUP IT MAKES A FLYER THEY CAN HAND OUT IF THEY'VE IDENTIFIED PROPERTY OWNERS IN A PARTICULARLY DISTRESSED AREA.
WE HAVE SOME FLYERS THAT WE CAN HAND OUT TO THEM WITH LINKS OR QR CODES TO SAY, HEY, WE NOTICED, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THIS AS A TREE DISTRESSED AREA.
HERE'S SOME FREE RESOURCES TO HELP YOU KIND OF MAKE YOUR TREES HEALTHIER OR PLANT MORE TREES IN THE FUTURE.
SO THAT'S ALSO AN INTERESTING, YOU GUYS ARE THINKING OF A LOT OF GREAT PROJECTS AND THAT'S WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS IS THERE'S A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY TO LIKE FIGURE OUT AN ACTION PLAN.
UM, BUT I THINK SOME ELEMENT OF THIS IS ALSO GONNA INVOLVE LIKE A FIRST STEP OF IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM, BRINGING IT BACK TO THIS GROUP, GETTING INPUT, AND THEN YOU CAN KIND OF MOVE FORWARD WITH A PLAN.
WELL, SO STEPHANIE IS GONNA BE ON EVERY COMMITTEE.
I HAVEN'T YOU'VE SEEN THE PROBLEMS. THEY OVERLAP SO MUCH.
AND, AND HONESTLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I THINK MAYBE IS FOR THE GROUP OF US THAT HAVE WORKED ON THE TPO, YOU KNOW, TO CONTINUE UNTIL, UNTIL THE ADVOCACY, UNTIL THESE ISSUES ARE DECIDED.
DON'T YOU THINK? I MEAN IT SOUNDS, I MEAN IT'S NOT LIKE A DONE DEAL FROM WHAT I CAN TELL WHAT I MEAN HOW, HOW WE SHOULD BE INFLUENCING MAYBE COUNCIL MEMBERS OR MM-HMM
I MEAN, DO YOU THINK THEY'RE GONNA DO A BETTER JOB OF GETTING TO, I HOPE THEY DO, LIKE, YOU KNOW, DECIDING ON THE, THE, THE WAY THAT THE, THE, THE REGULATIONS ARE CARRIED OUT AND THE, THE FUNDING AND ALL THAT.
THAT'S IS THAT, CAN WE TRUST THAT THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN THROUGH THEM? OR DO YOU THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE THAT KIND OF FORCEFUL ADVOCACY THAT WE REALLY HAVE BEEN PRACTICING? WELL, I WOULD SEE THAT AS PART OF PROTECT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE ARE SORT OF DEFENDING THAT.
I WOULD SEE THAT AS PART OF THE PROTECT AD HOC, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I DID WANNA CONTINUE AS WELL AND I KNOW YOU DO AND SOME OTHERS DO.
SO YEAH, I THINK THAT THAT'S JUST A NATURAL FIT.
WELL, I MEAN HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK, HOW, HOW VALUABLE IS THAT A WAY TO SPEND OUR TIME OR IS IT NOT? LIKE I, I THINK ADVOCATING FOR POLICY IS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO SPEND TIME.
ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE AT THERE ARE THESE KEY MOMENTS LIKE DREW SAID, WHERE YOU TAKE THESE LEAPS IN POLICY AND WE'RE KIND OF AT ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS I THINK, I THINK THERE IS A TRACKING UNTIL THAT'S ON THE AGENDA NEXT.
BECAUSE PART OF IT IS TO SEE WHAT STAFF COMES UP WITH.
BECAUSE A LOT OF THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT FEES AND ABOUT WHAT KNOBS TO TURN THE, AGAIN, THE HEAVY LIFT STAFF DOES, IS GIVING US A PLACE TO START WITH AND GIVING US BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND THEN CONSULTING MAYBE WITH YOUR AD HOC, WITH YOUR EXISTING RELIEF CONNECTIONS, GET ON THE SAME PAGE ABOUT ALRIGHT, WHAT ARE, WHAT IS THE BEST POSSIBLE OUTCOME, RIGHT? AND THEN HAVING THAT COMBINED EFFORT IN THE LEAD UP, LIKE YOU GUYS DID REALLY WELL THIS TIME, THAT COUPLE WEEKS LEADING UP TO THE MEETING TO MM-HMM
PUT OUT EMAILS, PUT OUT INFORMATION MM-HMM.
I THINK THERE'S A, A PRETTY CLEAR PATH THERE.
IF IT'S MAY, YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT BE BY OUR APRIL MEETING OR MAYBE OUR MAY MEETING, DEPENDING ON THE TIMING, WE'LL TRY TO LIKE REALLY KEEP IT ALL ON OUR RADARS.
AND WATCH THAT AND SEND OUT UPDATES.
UM, I WONDER IF, UM, WE'VE GOT PEOPLE GOING IN TO GROW AND PROTECT.
WE DON'T HAVE, UM, MARYANNE HERE MM-HMM
I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S A WAY TO THINK ABOUT ROLLING ENGAGEMENT INTO PROTECT AND GROW EACH AS PART, UM, IN REPRESENTING THAT ON A PROJECT TEMPLATE THAT WE CAN GO OVER IN OUR NEXT MEETING.
UM, UM, THAT PART OF THE DELIVERABLES IS UH, MEMOS OR MEETINGS WITH STAFF FOR INFORMATION WE THINK IS
[00:50:01]
NEEDED PER DISTRESSED AREAS.UM, AND WE CAN DIVIDE UP DISTRESSED AREAS PERHAPS PER UM, PARKS PER UM, AREAS THAT WE, UH, OF UNDERSTANDING IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WE THINK NEED TO BE UH, PROMOTED.
UM MM-HMM
THAT A FREE REAL ESTATE ON WATER BILLS THAT EVERYBODY GETS EVERY MONTH IN FRONT OF THEM.
BUT IF THERE'S A WAY TO ROLL UP ENGAGEMENT INTO THE OTHER TWO.
'CAUSE I'M WONDERING HOW LIKELY ARE WE TO GET PEOPLE INTO THESE OTHER ONES WHEN THESE ARE PRETTY HEFTY? WELL, AND MY HESITATION IS THEN THAT WE CAN ONLY HAVE A MAXIMUM OF SIX PEOPLE PARTICIPATING.
AND I SEE KIND OF A FULL COMMITTEE ENGAGEMENT IF YOU HAVE, 'CAUSE WE CAN ONLY HAVE THREE OF OUR MEMBERS IN EACH ONE.
AND IF, ESPECIALLY IF SOMEONE DOUBLES UP, WE'RE SUDDENLY LIMITING PARTICIPATION.
BUT I THINK YOU ACTUALLY JUST OUTLINED WHY ENGAGE IS A GOOD COMMITTEE.
THAT MIGHT BE THE COMMITTEE THAT DEVELOPS TEMPLATES FOR THE OTHER COMMITTEES.
SAY, HEY LOOK, WE REALLY SAT DOWN AND THOUGHT ABOUT THE WAY, BEST WAY TO GATHER FEEDBACK.
THE BEST WAY TO PRESENT TO OUR GROUP.
YOU KNOW, HEY GROW COMMITTEE, HERE'S A GOOD TEMPLATE TO USE TO PUT IN YOUR PHOTOS, PUT IN YOUR ASK OF THE COMMITTEE WHEN YOU COME BACK FOR TREES YOU WANNA PLANT.
SO I THINK ENGAGE, AND THAT'S REALLY LIKE WHEN I SAID ON THAT UH, DOCUMENT, YOU KNOW, THE WEBSITE, I THINK THERE'S REALLY LIKE ENGAGING THE PUBLIC WITH RESOURCES, MAINTAINING THOSE RESOURCES.
THERE'S ENGAGING INTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS AND THERE'S MAKING OUR, THE REST OF OUR MEMBERS EVEN BETTER AT ENGAGING IN WHATEVER THEIR CURRENT ACTIVITY IS.
SO I THINK, I THINK IN YOUR DESCRIPTION YOU ACTUALLY DESCRIBE WHY ENGAGE IS KIND OF A, A GOOD COMMITTEE FOR ANYONE WHO'S LIKE ADMINISTRATIVE, ORGANIZATIONALLY MINDED.
I WAS ACTUALLY GONNA VOLUNTEER FOR THE ENGAGE 'CAUSE I KNOW WE WERE A BIT LIGHT THERE.
UH, AND I DO LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY OF LIKE FIGURING OUT STRUCTURALLY WHAT ARE OUR RESOURCES, HOW DO WE SET IT UP, HOW DO WE DO ENGAGEMENT, RIGHT? THIS IS A BRAND NEW THING FOR TAC.
UM, SO I WOULD VOLUNTEER FOR THAT ONE.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE POTENTIALLY THREE MEMBERS VOLUNTEERING FOR GROW.
AT LEAST ONE MEMBER FOR PROTECT TWO, TWO MEMBERS FOR PROTECT.
OH, DIANE AND TN AND DIANE IS IT, IS IT TN AND DIANE? YEAH.
OH, TARYN AND DIANE FOR PROTECT, UM, BILL, KEITH, AND STEPHANIE FOR GROW.
I'M GONNA RAISE MY HAND ON ENGAGE IF ANYONE FEE.
SO WE HAVE ONE MORE SPOT ON PROTECT.
UM, AND THEN TWO MORE SPOTS ON ENGAGE ONE MINIMALLY.
SO IF ONE OTHER PERSON CAN JOIN ENGAGE, IT CAN EXIST AND WE CAN START WORKING ON SOME BEST PRACTICES AND DOCUMENTS.
STEPHANIE, IF YOU'LL VOLUNTEER, THAT'S AWESOME.
'CAUSE STEPHANIE, YOU'VE REALLY GOT A CLEAR SENSE OF THE HIGHEST NEED RIGHT NOW IN THESE KEY DISTRESSED AREAS.
YOU'VE IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEMS AND IT HELPS US FIGURE OUT LIKE HOW TO COMMUNICATE THAT.
UM, OKAY, SO THEN WE WOULD'VE TWO MEMBERS CURRENTLY FOR ENGAGE, THREE MEMBERS FOR GROW.
AND I'LL SAY THIS JUST SO THE CLERK, EVEN THOUGH I'M SURE CATHERINE'S ON IT, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE TWO MEMBERS FOR ENGAGE, MYSELF AND STEPHANIE, THREE MEMBERS FOR GROW, WHICH WOULD BE BILL, KEITH, AND STEPHANIE.
AND THEN FOR PROTECT IT WOULD BE DIANE AND TARYN.
AND THEN OBVIOUSLY FOR ANYONES WHERE WE HAVE VACANCIES, SOMEONE CAN JOIN LATER.
MARYANNE MAY WANNA BE TO TAKE UP THOSE LAST TWO VACANT SPOTS.
UM, SO WE KIND OF LEAVE THAT OPEN.
AND THEN OF COURSE ON THESE AD HOCS YOU CAN HAVE UP TO TWO FORMAL MEMBERS OF THE AD HOC FROM THE PUBLIC.
AND I'LL JUST LOOK AROUND TO DREW, JEN AND CATHERINE TO STOP ME IF I'M SPEAKING OUTTA TURN.
BUT THE WAY AD HOCS WORK, WE CAN HAVE UP TO TWO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AS FORMAL MEMBERS OF THAT AD HOC, BUT THEN WE CAN CONSULT WITH UNLIMITED MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IF YOU JUST WANT THEIR OPINION OR WANNA MEET WITH THEM TO GO OVER SOMETHING.
YOU CAN REACH OUT TO ANYONE YOU WANT TO.
BUT IF YOU DECIDE IF SOMEONE IS LIKE A KEY FIGURE MM-HMM
THAT REALLY IS LIKE DIVING INTO THIS WITH YOU, YOU CAN SAY, HEY, DO YOU WANT TO BE A FORMAL MEMBER OF OUR AD HOC WHO'S NOW ON ALL OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS? YOU COULD HAVE TWO OF THOSE PEOPLE YEAH.
SO SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND, LIKE WHO YOU MIGHT WANT TO RECRUIT OR AGAIN, IF YOU JUST WANNA DO SIT DOWNS, YOU CAN DO THAT WITH ANYONE AS AN AD HOC, UH, AND GET THEIR EXPERTISE AND THEIR INPUT ON THINGS.
SO I JUST WANNA TO ENTER THAT INTO THE CONVERSATION.
BUT I GUESS WITH THAT, I THINK WE'VE GOT A PRETTY GOOD SHAPING OF THIS.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS, UH, TARYN, UH, AND DIANE, STEPHANIE, BILL, KEITH, EVERYONE FOR WALKING THROUGH WHAT THESE COULD LOOK LIKE.
ANY OTHER THOUGHTS, CHANGES, ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS ITEM BEFORE WE MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENT? YEAH, BUT I, UM, I THINK WE SHOULD GO OVER WHAT THE PROJECT TEMPLATE SHOULD BE SO THAT WE CAN START WORK.
WELL, I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT, UM, MM-HMM
HONESTLY, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A LITTLE MORE EFFECTIVE OUTSIDE OF A MEETING WHEN WE CAN BE IN FRONT OF A WORD PROCESSOR AND PUT TOGETHER SOME KIND OF FORMAT.
AND AS A MEMBER OF THE ENGAGE TEAM, I WILL TAKE THAT
[00:55:01]
ON TO PROBABLY HAVE SOMETHING I CAN FUNNEL THROUGH DREW AND KATHERINE AS A FIRST DRAFT, UM, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.AND I THINK JUST WITH THE, UM, MOMENTUM, UH, OF MONDAY NIGHT AND JUST LOOKING AT THE SHORT TERM FROM NOW THROUGH JUNE, AS A, AS I KNOW MANY MAY BE TERMING OFF, UM, JUST THAT REALLY FOCUS ON THE ENGAGEMENT AROUND THE TPO.
UM, AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, SOME, SOME OF YOU SAW THAT BA BASIC BARE BONE WEBSITE THAT'S NOW CREATED.
SO HOW DO WE TRANSLATE IN PLAIN LANGUAGE, YOU KNOW, THE TPO, UH, INTO SOME OF THAT ENGAGEMENT THAT WE NEED TO DO BECAUSE THE MOMENTUM AND PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT IT NOW MM-HMM
AND SO THIS IS KIND OF OUR CRITICAL MOMENT NOT TO STEER PEOPLE AWAY, UH, TO GET OVERWHELMED WITH AN ORDINANCE, BUT MORE SO WHY THIS IS A GOOD THING.
AND I, I WOULD REALLY LEAN ON THIS COMMITTEE TO FOCUS IN ALL OF THESE AREAS IN THE FIRST, IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS UNTIL WE CAN GET IT FORMALLY ADOPTED AND, AND GET THE, UM, INTER GOV PROCESS PLAYED OUT, IS TO REALLY FOCUS ON HOW DO WE ARTICULATE IN PLAIN LANGUAGE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TPO AND HOW THIS AFFECTS STREETS.
UM, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, GETTING THE WAY THEY ARE, HOW DO WE REVERSE COURSE? SO THAT I HOPE IS THE BEGINNING OF THE WORK PORN AND THEN, AND THEN KIND OF LIKE ONCE, ONCE ADOPTED.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S FOR A LATER DATE.
AND I THINK WHILE YOU, UM, BEFORE OUR NEXT MEETING, WE CAN EACH MEET AND SAY, OKAY, LET'S DISCUSS AND TRY TO GET A DRAFT OF OUR OBJECTIVE OF WHAT OUR OUTPUT IS GONNA BE, WHAT RESEARCH OR DATA WE NEED TO SUPPORT IT, AND MAYBE WHAT ARE SOME TARGET DISTRESSED AREAS THAT WE PROPOSE, AND THEN WE CAN BRING THEM BACK TO THE NEXT MEETING AND SEE HOW THEY COMPARE, RIGHT.
SO WE'RE NOT ALL WORKING ON THE SAME AREA.
AND THEN, THEN WE CAN START, UH, UM, POPULATING THE TEMPLATE THAT YOU CREATE AND THEN GET ROLLING FASTER SO THAT WE CAN DO, I THINK THAT'S, I THINK THAT SOUNDS ACHIEVABLE.
SO I, I LIKE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
SO BY NEXT MEETING, IF THIS SOUNDS AGREEABLE TO EVERYONE HERE, IS TO AT LEAST HAVE ONE OR TWO MEETINGS AS A GROUP.
IDENTIFY PRIMARY OBJECTIVES, IDENTIFY PRIMARY TASKS, UH, AND WHAT THOSE, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT OF DETAIL ABOUT WHAT THOSE WOULD REQUIRE.
AND ESPECIALLY IF YOU CAN MARK OUT LIKE WHERE YOU WOULD NEED OTHER TAX SUPPORT OR STAFF SUPPORT.
LIKE START REALLY THINKING, YOU KNOW, WHAT SOME OF THE, THE, UH, WHAT SOME OF THE, THE BARRIERS AND OPPORTUNITIES AND ALL THOSE THINGS ARE TO GET YOUR OBJECTIVES ACHIEVED.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT TO COME BACK, BECAUSE FRANKLY, I THINK IF THIS TAKES SHAPE THE WAY I'M IMAGINING A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT PART OF TAC MEETINGS, UM, YOU KNOW, 30 MINUTES AT LEAST COULD BE DEDICATED TO EACH GROUP GIVING THEIR UPDATE ON HERE'S OUR OUTLINE.
YOU KNOW, GIVE IT TO STAFF SO THEY CAN SHARE IT ON SCREEN.
HERE'S OUR OUTLINE, OUR OBJECTIVES, THEN WE HAVE DISCUSSION AS A GROUP.
WHERE DO WE NOT STEP ON EACH OTHER'S TOES AND WHO WANTS TO TAKE ON WHAT? UM, AND THEN BY NEXT MEETING, I THINK IT'S NOT UNREASONABLE TO HAVE, UH, SOME KIND OF DRAFT TEMPLATE ON LIKE HOW WE CAN TAKE ACTION AND, AND MAYBE EVEN A FORMAL WAY TO PRESENT IT TO THE GROUP MM-HMM
UM, A FORMAL KIND OF LAYOUT OF HERE'S OUR OBJECTIVE, HERE ARE THE PIECES WE NEED.
HERE'S SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION THAT CAN BE GIVEN TO THIS GROUP, UM, AND ALSO TO ANY OTHER STAKEHOLDERS YOU NEED TO MEET WITH.
UH, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, RELATIVELY SIMPLE WITH THE HELP OF WORD PROCESSING TEMPLATES AND LET'S BE REAL WITH AI.
WE CAN PROBABLY PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER THAT'S PRETTY EFFECTIVE, UM, TO FEED BACK TO THIS GROUP.
AND I THINK 30 DAYS SEEMS REASONABLE.
DOES ANYONE WORRIED WITH THEIR SCHEDULE WITH EASTER WITH ANYTHING THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO OVERCOMMIT? BUT I THINK ONE MEETING, IF AS CHARGED UP AS EVERYONE IS, I THINK ONE MEETING TO GET ROLAND MIGHT BE YEAH.
AND THAT'LL GIVE MARIANA A CHANCE TO JUMP IN IF SHE WANTS.
I, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT DIANE HAS DONE WITH THE GROUP THAT WE'VE BEEN MEETING WITH, YOU HAVE DONE SO MUCH WORK TO SIMPLIFY THE ISSUES AND THE TPOI MEAN, WE BRAINSTORM THAT AND SHE CAME BACK WITH A SIMPLE PAGE THAT WE USED WHEN WE DID OUR TREE HUGGER.
SHE DID, I I ATTENDED THE TREE HUGGER DINNER AT, UH, AQUIS AND WHERE WE GOT 30 SOME PEOPLE TO COME.
BUT YOU ARE SO GOOD AT THAT AND YOU ARE, YOU, YOU THOUGHT OF IT BEFORE NOBODY EVEN ASKED YOU.
SO SHE'S PUT A LOT OF THIS INTO SIMPLE LANGUAGE.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT BECAUSE YEAH, YEAH.
YOU PRACTICE WELL, YOU SET PRETTY HIGH EXPECTATIONS.
WE WILL BE EXPECTING GREAT THINGS.
UH, DREW CAN CONFIRM, BUT I DO THINK WE JUST NEED TO TAKE A VOTE.
UM, YOU NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE THREE AD HOCS AND THEN DO A VOTE.
SO I THINK IT'S FINE TO DO ONE MOTION IN ONE SECOND FOR THE, FOR THE SET OF THREE.
I WOULD SAY IF SOMEONE WANTS TO MAKE A MOTION
[01:00:01]
TO ADOPT THE AD HOCS AS DESCRIBED WITH THE MEMBERSHIP THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED DURING THE MEETING, UH, YOU CAN, I WILL INVITE THAT MOTION NOW.IF ANYONE WANTS TO MAKE THE MOTION, I'LL MAKE THE MOVEMENT.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR IF WE HAVE A SECOND.
AND SO I'LL ASK THE CLERK CALL DIANA OR STEPHANIE, ROLL CALL VOTE.
WAS THAT DIANE OR STEPHANIE? UH, STEPHANIE.
YEAH, WE HAD A COUPLE AND THEN A VOTE.
AND THEN ALL IN FAVOR? UH, AYE.
I SHOULD HAVE OPENED THIS MATTER FOR GENERAL PUBLIC, OR EXCUSE ME, FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
I KNOW WE JUST HAVE EVE IN THE, UH, GENERAL PUBLIC HERE, BUT I WILL INVITE ANYONE TO BRING A SPEAKER CUT UP TO THE FRONT TO HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SHARE THEIR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS, UM, PUBLIC HEARING MATTER.
I'LL ASK THE CITY CLERK IF WE HAD ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS PRIOR TO THE MEETING REGARDING THIS.
WELL, WITHOUT ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS, WE'VE ALREADY TAKEN OUR VOTE, SO I BELIEVE WITH THAT, WE CAN CLOSE THAT PUBLIC HEARING AND MATTER FOR CONSIDERATION.
EVERYONE FEELS LIKE A, A NICE START TO GET EVERYONE WHILE WE'RE STILL ENERGIZED.
AND WITH THAT, WE WILL MOVE TO COMMITTEE
[COMMITTEE COMMENT]
COMMENTS.SO THIS IS A CHANCE FOR ANYONE TO SHARE UPDATES, UH, FROM EITHER LIAISON APPOINTMENTS LIKE KEITH WITH PLANNING COMMISSION, ANY UPDATES THERE, OR IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUICK NOTES OR ANYTHING RELEVANT TO THE COMMITTEE.
AND MAYBE I WILL START ON MY LEFT, UH, STEPHANIE, IF YOU HAVE ANY UPDATES AND WE'LL WORK OUR WAY AROUND.
UM, I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NONE RIGHT NOW.
UH, BILL, I DON'T HAVE ANY THAT REALLY COME TO MIND, BUT IT JUST AGAIN, UH, WHAT A WEEK FOR THE TREES HERE IN, IN OUR TOWN.
AND SO, UH, EXCITING TO SEE HOW THIS PLAYS OUT OVER THE NEXT, UH, FEW MONTHS AND FEW YEARS.
AND I'LL JUST GIVE A QUICK UPDATE.
KEITH IS ACTUALLY PLANNING COMMISSION LIAISON, BUT MAN, THAT HEARING FOR THE TPO AT PLANNING COMMISSION WAS TOTALLY DIFFERENT THAN THE FIRST TIME.
IT SHOWS THE POWER OF ADVOCACY GETTING ON THE SAME PAGE.
LIKE I CAN'T SPEAK HIGHLY ENOUGH TO YOU GUYS, GUYS WHO ORGANIZED, WHO BROUGHT THAT MESSAGE FORWARD.
IT FELT LIKE AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT.
SO, UM, GREAT, GREAT WORK ALL AROUND.
UH, TARYN, UM, I JUST WANNA SAY DARREN, THANK YOU BECAUSE AT THAT FIRST PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING, YOU WERE TAKING A LOT OF HITS.
I MEAN, IT WAS LIKE NOBODY WANTED TREES.
THEY WERE ALL ARGUING ON WHAT THEY PREFERRED FOR THEIR OWN LIVES AND THEIR OWN BACKYARD.
THEY WERE SO OFF ASSIGNMENT AND, AND IT FELT, IT FELT REALLY INAPPROPRIATE HOW MUCH PUSHBACK YOU GOT.
AND, UM, I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION AT THAT MEETING.
UM, AND I WANNA SAY THANK YOU BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN THE SPIRIT OF THIS.
YOU'RE SUCH A STRONG CHAIR, YOU'RE SUCH A STRONG LIAISON OR, OR YOU WERE BACK IN THE DAY.
UM, AND, UH, NOBODY CAN PULL TOGETHER SUBJECT MATTER KNOWHOW, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE, UM, PROCESS EXPERTISE, UM, IN SUCH A HIGHLY ARTICULATE, DIPLOMATIC, PASSIONATE, UM, PERSUASIVE WAY AS DARREN RASON.
AND I JUST HAVE TO SAY, OUR CITY IS SO BLESSED TO HAVE YOU ON PLANNING COMMISSION, TREE COMMITTEE, VIK AND PED.
YOU'RE LIKE, UH, THE MOST DEDICATED AND SELFLESS, UM, PUBLIC SERVICE VOLUNTEER.
I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT.
UM, AND, AND I JUST WANNA THANK YOU AND LET YOU KNOW THAT IT'S MORE THAN I CAN EXPRESS.
MY HEART FEELS LARGER, IT SWELLS WITH GRATITUDE.
WE WOULD NOT HAVE GOT HERE TO WHERE WE GOT TO IN THESE PAST TWO WEEKS WITHOUT YOU BEING A FORMIDABLE JUST WARRIOR.
AND WE WOULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN HERE WITHOUT THE TREMENDOUS LOBBYING.
BUT THAT WAS MOUNTED THIS CAMPAIGN IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS.
AND I WILL ALSO SAY WE DID, WOULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN TO THIS WITHOUT DREW AND PATRICK'S SUPPORT.
AND, UM, AND HEATHER HINES PULLING TOGETHER A DRAFT OF THE ORDINANCE THAT HAD BASICALLY, ESSENTIALLY EVERY LITTLE THING WE HAD ASKED FOR BASED ON THE HUNDREDS OF HOURS OF RESEARCH THAT OUR AD HOC DID AND ASKED AND MET WITH HER ON.
SO I REALLY WANT YOU TO SOAK THAT IN.
UNBELIEVABLE AND SO APPRECIATED.
UM, AND NOW I'M GONNA TAKE YOU DOWN A COUPLE NOTCHES,
[01:05:01]
I THINK THAT THIS HAS BEEN FIVE YEARS IN THE MAKING SINCE THE COMMUNITY MOUNTED THAT CAMPAIGN FOR OUR CITY COUNCIL TO CHOOSE AS ONE OF THEIR TOP 10 PRIORITIES REWRITING OUR TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE.THAT WAS A HUGE CAMPAIGN BACK IN THE DAY.
AND THERE WERE, UM, I DON'T KNOW, I THINK 60 EMAILS, WHICH WAS A RECORD BREAKER IN MY LIFETIME AT CITI, UM, COUNCIL.
AND, UM, IT'S BEEN WHATEVER, CLOSE TO FIVE YEARS IN MAKING THIS HAPPEN.
SO I THINK THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME COMMEMORATION, A PLAQUE, UM, A MURAL, A TREE PLANTED, A SCULPTURE OF A TREE WHICH CAN NEVER BE CHOPPED DOWN.
THE COMMUNITY CAME TOGETHER FIVE YEARS AGO.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING HARD ON THIS FOR THREE YEARS, RIGHT? CITY STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING.
WE SHOULD COMMEMORATE THIS BECAUSE PUTTING THIS STAKE IN THE GROUND, WHAT CITY COUNCIL HAS DONE WITH THIS AND WHAT STAFF HAS DONE WITH THIS IS TRANSFORMATIVE.
IT DIDN'T HAVE TO TURN OUT THIS WELL.
IT DIDN'T HAVE TO BE EXCELLENT, BUT GUESS WHAT IT IS.
AND HOW OFTEN, PARDON ME FOR SAYING THIS, DOES GOVERNMENT EVER DO ANYTHING THAT'S EXCELLENT? AND I DON'T MEAN THAT AS A SLIGHT, BUT IT'S HARD TO TURN A HUGE SHIP THAT HAS A LOT OF PROCEDURE AND PROCESS.
AND I FEEL STRONGLY THAT WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT SOMETHING TO COMMEMORATE THIS HUGE THING THAT BROUGHT TOGETHER THE CITY GOVERNMENT, THE CITY COMMUNITY, OUR APPOINTED OFFICIALS, OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS.
SO I WANTED TO MAKE THAT COMMENT FOR DISCUSSION.
AND THE LAST THING I WANTED TO SAY IS WHEN YOU WALK AROUND ALONG LYNCH CREEK TRAIL, YOU KNOW, JUST TOWARD TOWN FROM PAYAN, LOOK AT THE TREES.
'CAUSE THERE ARE A COUPLE OF TREES THAT OF OVER TIME HAD THEIR LIMBS GROWING TOGETHER SUCH THAT THEY MAKE CIRCLES, TREES, THE BRANCHES INTERSECT, AND THEY MAKE ENCLOSURES.
AND YOU CAN PEEK THROUGH THEM.
AND THAT'S A REALLY WONDERFUL, AND I WONDER IF PEOPLE HAVE NOTICED THAT.
WHILE WE'RE NAMING, I MEAN, WE COULD NAME A MILLION PEOPLE, BUT I'LL SAY OUR PRIOR CHAIR, HOWARD FORMBY, DID SO MUCH WORK IN MOVING THIS FORWARD.
AND, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE WHO I DIDN'T THINK OF UNTIL THAT TPO CAME UP, BILL REINHARDT, WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR PUTTING OUR TREE ELEMENT OF OUR LAST GENERAL PLAN 20 YEARS AGO WHEN NO ONE WAS TALKING ABOUT TREES.
HE WAS HELPING WRITE THE GENERAL PLAN AND MAKING SURE THERE WAS A DEDICATED TREE ELEMENT.
IF YOU READ GENERAL PLAN 2025, WHICH IS ABOUT TO EXPIRE, UH, BILL PUT THAT IN THERE.
AND WHEN WE HAD THE TPO HEARING, HE HAD WRITTEN THIS WONDERFUL EMAIL CLOSING LOOPHOLES, LIKE WITH GUIDANCE THAT I THINK STAFF JUST SAID, OH YEAH, OF COURSE.
AND THEY WERE LIKE, OF COURSE WE'RE INTEGRATING BILL'S COMMENTS.
LIKE, YEAH, ALL THAT MAKES SENSE.
SO YEAH, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF GREAT PEOPLE TO PUSH THIS FORWARD.
IT DOES FEEL GREAT TO BE THE GROUP THAT GETS TO BE THERE AT THE FINISH LINE, BUT, UH, THERE'S BEEN A GREAT, GREAT, UM, GROUP OF TREE COMMITTED FOLKS, SO THANK YOU TARYN.
AND I'LL ASK DREW TO THINK ABOUT, MAYBE SPEAK TO IT AT YOUR, UM, STAFF COMMENT ABOUT THE IDEA OF A COMMEMORATIVE THING, WHAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO, ESPECIALLY WITH, UH, POTENTIALLY WITH FUNDING THAT WE HAVE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BECAUSE I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO HONOR IT.
UM, SO WITH THAT, IT'S A HARD ONE TO FOLLOW.
DIANE, IF YOU HAVE ANY UPDATES OR COMMENTS.
WELL, I, I AGREE WITH TARYN A HUNDRED PERCENT.
AND I, EVERYONE ELSE HAS DONE SUCH AN INCREDIBLE WORK, AND IT'S THE FIRST TIME I'VE WORKED AT THIS CAPACITY WITH, YOU KNOW, SORT OF LIAISON BETWEEN SOME OFFICIALS AND THEN PASSIONATE PEOPLE.
ALSO LARGELY BECAUSE OF WENDY AND HER LEADERSHIP SKILLS.
I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M USUALLY LEADING AND I'M DON'T THINK I'M VERY GOOD AT IT.
I WAS REALLY HAPPY TO HAVE SOMEONE ELSE WHO WAS VERY STRATEGIC IN HER PLANNING AND KNEW WHAT WAS INVOLVED AND REALLY KNEW HER STUFF AND KNEW THE COUNCIL SOME, AND KNEW, YOU KNOW, WHAT GETS THINGS DONE.
AND I THINK THAT WAS A HUGE PIECE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO WORK FURTHER WITH RELIEF BECAUSE THEY HAVE SO MUCH VISIBILITY, BECAUSE THEY HAVE SO MUCH SUCCESS, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST A REALLY GREAT ORGANIZATION TO BRING INTO THE FOLD SOMEHOW.
SO I THINK THAT THAT IS SOMETHING I COULD PURSUE WITH PROTECT, UM, AND SEE WHERE WE CAN GO WITH THAT.
WE ARE BEYOND LUCKY TO HAVE AN ORGANIZATION LIKE RELIEF AS STRONG AS THEY ARE.
UH, WENDY, CAROLYN, THEIR WHOLE TEAM HAVE BEEN MASTER FOR CHARLES, EVERYONE AND EVE, RIGHT? AND EVE AND EVE, OF COURSE.
WELL, OF COURSE EVE HAS BEEN PART OF IT.
SHE'S THE ONLY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC THAT CONSISTENTLY IS HERE AT MEETINGS, SO SHE'S BEEN A HUGE MEMBER.
UM, SO YES, GREAT, GREAT CONGRATULATORY, COMMEMORATING IS DEFINITELY WORTHY OF.
SO WITH THAT, I WILL CLOSE COMMITTEE COMMENT AND MOVE OVER TO DREW
[STAFF COMMENT]
AND STAFF COMMENT.[01:10:01]
UM, AND YOU, YOU ABSOLUTELY DESERVE THE, THE CREDIT AND MORE, UM, THAT TARN WILL SPEAK TO AS YOU ALL DID.UM, IT'S BEEN SUCH A TREMENDOUS EXPERIENCE FOR ME JUST, UH, GETTING TO KNOW THIS COMMISSION OVER THE LAST YEAR.
SO I, I DO FEEL A LITTLE, UM, GUILTY COMING IN, YOU KNOW, UH, IN THE LESS THAN 10 YARD LINE, THE, THE END ZONE AND GETTING TO CELEBRATE IT WITH YOU ALL.
UM, I WAS VERY MUCH HAPPY BEHIND THE SCENES.
UM, BUT IT'S BEEN REALLY POWERFUL AND IT, AND YOU, YOU ALL DESERVE TONS OF CREDIT.
AND SO, UM, LET'S KEEP IT GOING.
AND WE'VE GOT A COUPLE MORE MEETINGS TO GO, BUT, UM, YOU, YOU SHOULD, YOU SHOULD FEEL, YOU SHOULD FEEL IMMENSELY PROUD OF YOURSELF, SO THANK YOU.
UM, JEN, I WANNA PUT YOU ON A, SO I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF UPDATES, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, JEN'S BEEN THREE WEEKS PLUS FOUR WEEKS IN WITH THE CREW.
UM, SHE COMES AT THIS EXCITING TIME WHERE EVERYTHING'S GROWING, UH, AND IT'S GREEN AND ALL THE THINGS, BUT HOW, YOU KNOW, HIGH LEVEL WITH THE CREWS, ANYTHING THAT KIND OF RISES TO THE TOP THAT YOU WANT THE TREAT COMMITTEE TO BE AWARE OF IS THROUGH THE PARKS AND REC LENS.
WELL,
SO HIGH WEED MOWING IS REALLY ON OUR MINDS.
WE'RE MOVING STAFF AROUND TRYING TO GET TO THE HIGH WEEDS, WORKING WITH OUR, UH, PARTNER CONTRACTORS TO TRY TO GET THINGS, UH, MOWED DOWN, GRAZED AND, UM, AND SAFE OUT THERE FOR DOGS AND PEOPLE.
SO THAT'S REALLY TOP ON OUR MIND.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW, JUST GETTING TO KNOW THE CREW AND THE STAFF AND THE PROCEDURES AND YEAH, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON.
I'M SURE I'M MISSING A, A TON OF THINGS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, GETTING TO KNOW TOO, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE CAME FROM, UH, ADMINISTERING A TPO UP IN SANTA ROSA, RIGHT? AND, AND WANTING, AND ALMOST GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE YOU KIND OF, WE GOT TO ON MONDAY.
AND SO IT WAS A, IT WAS A REALLY KIND OF A COOL MOMENT TOO, WHERE, YOU KNOW, JEN'S IN A ROLE, YOU KNOW, STRUGGLING TO ADMINISTER POLICY, RIGHT? KNOWING WHERE YOU WANNA GET TO AND NOT QUITE THERE.
UH, AND THEN BEING HERE AT RIGHT AT THE END, RIGHT WHERE YOU CAN KIND OF SEE, UH, WHERE WE'RE GOING.
IT'S ALSO GREAT THAT YOU CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, LEARN HOW TO ADMINISTER THE PLAN ALONG WITH ALL OF US.
UM, I WILL PUT A COUPLE OF DATES OUT THERE FOR YOU ALL.
UM, WE ARE STARTING OUR, AGAIN, OUR GRAZING PROGRAM.
THIS IS THE, THE SHEEP THAT ARE OUT THERE.
UH, 'CAUSE THIS IS GONNA BE A, A LEGENDARY SEASON.
UM, WE'RE ALREADY, UH, SEEING IT.
UM, SO THEY'LL, THEY'LL START, WE WILL BE PUTTING TOGETHER KIND OF A GRAZING SCHEDULE ONLINE.
UH, I THINK WE CALL IT THE FLOCK FINDER HERD GETTER OR SOMETHING.
UM, BUT PEOPLE REALLY GET INTO IT.
ONCE THEY LAND, THEN THEY WANT TO KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GOING.
AND SO THEY KIND OF SCHEDULE THEIR WALKS AND AFTERNOONS AROUND WHERE THE SHEEP ARE GONNA BE NEXT.
UH, WE'VE GOT MORE ACRES, MORE DEPARTMENTS ARE, UH, INVOLVED, WHICH HAS BEEN GREAT TO SEE THAT PROGRAM GROW FROM 50 ACRES A FEW YEARS AGO TO NOW OVER 250.
UH, SO IT'S JUST BEEN A REALLY EXCITING, UM, TIME FOR US.
AND WE'RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE SUCH GOOD PARTNERS IN OUR AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITIES TO HAVE ACCESS TO, TO REALLY GOOD HIGH QUALITY HERDZ.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND PRIORITIES UPDATE ON MONDAY.
SO WE'VE GOT THINK THREE MEETINGS IN A ROW.
SO, UM, WE, IF YOU HAD FUN ON MONDAY, COME ON BACK.
UH, WE'VE GOT AN UPDATE FOR GOALS AND PRIORITIES EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS.
WE DO IT, AND THEN WE UPDATE IT IN BETWEEN THAT TIME.
SO IT'S A TIME WHERE WE CAN KIND OF, UH, TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED, TALK ABOUT WHAT WE CAN EXPECT.
UH, IT'S A GREAT TIME FOR COUNCIL TO KINDA ASSESS AND, HEY, HOW, HOW ARE WE DOING? GIVE FEEDBACK TO STAFF ON IF WE NEED TO ADJUST OR MAKE PIVOTS.
AND IF YOU'RE A BIG PICTURE PERSON OR, OR ARE REALLY CURIOUS ON HOW IT ALL KIND OF WORKS TOGETHER, UH, IT'S NOT THE MEETING YOU WANNA MISS.
SO IT'LL START A LITTLE EARLY.
UH, AND IT'LL BE ESSENTIALLY ONE BIG BEEFY ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
TREES WILL BE FEATURED, UH, FOR SURE.
WE HAVE, SPEAKING OF TREES, WE HAVE FIVE NEW TREES PLANTED AT THE LUC, UM, MULTI-USE SYNTHETIC TURF REPLACEMENT PROJECT.
SO AS PART OF THAT PROJECT, THERE WAS A LOT OF FEEDBACK ON SHADE IN GENERAL.
EVERY PARK PROJECT WE WANT MORE SHADE.
UH, BUT WITH THE REDESIGN OF THAT PARKING LOT, WE'RE ABLE TO EXPAND AND GET AN AREA THAT WE CAN NOW PLANT SOME TREES.
SO THOSE FIVE, UM, TREES WERE INSTALLED.
UM, THEY ARE THE, THE, THE LARGER, THE 36 INCH BOX.
UH, AND SO WE DON'T OFTEN GET A CHANCE TO DO THAT.
BUT THE SITE AND THE LOCATION, AND BECAUSE THAT'S KIND OF A HIGH TRAFFIC AREA, WE, WE
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FELT PRETTY STRONG THAT THE LARGER BOX WOULD HAVE A, HAVE A GOOD CHANCE THERE.SO, UM, YEAH, GEN OVERSAW THAT THOSE INSTALL AND THE CREWS WERE DILIGENT TO GET 'EM WATERED BEFORE THE IRRIGATION WAS HOOKED UP.
SO IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THAT, UM, IT'S JUST NICE TO SEE NEW TREES IN THE GROUND AND, AND I CAN'T WAIT TILL THOSE GROW AND MATURE.
WE HAVE ONE MORE DATE, ARBOR DAY PROCLAMATION ON APRIL 20TH THIS YEAR.
UM, SO WE'VE, WE'VE, UH, TYPICALLY HAD A, A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE TREE ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND RELIEF KIND OF GO UP AND BE RECOGNIZED.
IF ANYONE WANTS TO REACH OUT TO ME OR VOLUNTEER, UM, CHAIR, IF YOU'D WANT TO LET US KNOW.
UM, BUT THIS PROCLAMATION IS GONNA BE SPECIAL THIS YEAR IN PARTICULAR, WE'RE GONNA INTEGRATE SOME OF THE LANGUAGE OF JUST, YOU KNOW, RESONATING WITH, UH, WITH THE TPO.
AND THERE HAVE BEEN FIRST MANAGEMENT PLAN.
THIS IS GONNA BE A SPECIAL YEAR FOR THAT PROCLAMATION.
UH, SO APRIL 20TH IS WHEN IT'S SET TO GO AT COUNCIL, AND THAT IS MY UPDATES.
THANK YOU DREW FOR THE UPDATES.
UH, DREW, THANK YOU FOR THAT UPDATE.
I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU A QUESTION, UM, SINCE YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON TOWARD NEXT MONDAY'S, UM, COUNCIL PRIORITIES AND, UM, GOALS MEETING, WOULD YOU PLEASE BE ABLE TO COMMENT ON, UM, IF THERE ARE ANY THINGS THAT ARE AT THIS POINT ARE KIND OF RISING TO THE TOP, SUCH AS A PARKS PLAN OR ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR TREES? YOU SAID TREES WOULD BE ON, UM, WOULD BE IN THE DISCUSSION.
I'M SPECIFICALLY INTERESTED IN WHAT WE COULD DO FOR DESIGNATED FUNDING FOR TREES, OF COURSE.
AND THEN I REMEMBER ATTENDING TO THE PARK, ATTENDING THE PARKS COMMISSION MEETINGS IN THE PAST WHERE, AND COUNCIL MEETINGS WHERE THEY'VE ALL BEEN SAYING WE NEED A, A MASTER PARKS PLAN, I THINK THEY CALLED IT.
AND THAT PARKS WANTED A DESIGNATED BUDGET.
UM, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHETHER THOSE THINGS ARE, IS THIS THE YEAR THAT THEY MIGHT RISE TOWARD THE TOP? SO THIS, UM, YES, WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT ALL OF THAT, UM, WITH THE CAVEAT THAT THIS IS, UH, AHEAD OF THE BUDGET CONVERSATION.
SO THE BUDGET WORKSHOP HAPPENS TYPICALLY IN MAY.
SO THE GOALS AND PRIORITY UPDATE WE'D LIKE TO GET, UH, AT LEAST OUT IN FRONT OF THE BUDGET.
UM, BUT THERE'S NOT GONNA BE THE CONVERSATIONS ON FUNDING, NOT FUNDING ALLOCATIONS, WE'RE NOT QUITE THERE YET.
UM, BUT WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS YEAR IS WE HAVEN'T ROLLED OUT A LOT OF THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, UH, UPDATES AS PART OF THE GOALS AND PRIORITIES.
YOU KNOW, THE CIP DIVISION IS SO BEEFY AS IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE BRING THAT OUT, IT'S ALMOST A SEPARATE ITEM FOR AS THE BUDGET.
UM, BUT DIFFERENT THIS YEAR IS, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT 'EM, BOTH THE GOALS AND PRIORITIES AND THE CAPITAL PROJECTS.
'CAUSE WE END UP TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF THE CAPITAL PROJECTS ANYWAY.
UM, SO I THINK THE, THE COMMUNITY AND COUNSELOR ARE HUNGRY FOR SOME UPDATES ON WHERE WE ARE WITH SEVERAL OF 'EM.
SO THE, THE STRATEGIC PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN, UM, WAS DEFINITELY ONE THAT'S BEEN RISING THROUGH THE PRIORITIES.
SO WE'LL GIVE KIND OF AN UPDATE ON THAT.
UM, BUT THERE'S NOT GONNA BE A BUDGET TIED TO IT OR A TIMING THAT YOU'RE GONNA LEAVE THAT MEETING WITH.
IT'S MORE OF LIKE, THIS IS WHERE WE ARE, THESE ARE SOME AREAS OF WHERE WE'RE GONNA GO.
UH, AND THEN THESE ARE THE OTHER PLANS, YOU KNOW, THE FAIRGROUNDS, UH, MASTER PLAN, THE, THE, UH, GENERAL PLAN UPDATE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE PLAN, THE PLAN, THE PLAN.
IT'S, IT'S ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE WHICH ONES ARE READY FOR ADOPTION, WHICH ONES ARE MOVING, AND THEN COUNCIL CAN ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT REPRIORITIZATION.
WOULD YOU MIND PLEASE EXPLAINING WHAT'S, WHAT'S A CAPITAL, UM, THING VERSUS JUST A REGULAR YEAH, THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, UH, OR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS IS A, A DIVISION OF PUBLIC WORKS.
AND THOSE ARE MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS TYPICALLY, AND FOR OUR CITY, THOSE ARE GENERALLY ANYTHING OVER A $50,000 CONSTRUCTION TENDS TO GO INTO A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.
UM, BUT THERE ARE SEPARATE BIDDING REQUIREMENTS ABOVE THRESHOLDS.
BUT THE CIP DIVISION ARE, ARE, ARE GROUPS OF ENGINEERS AND PROJECT MANAGERS.
SO COMPLEX PROJECTS THAT ARE OF HIGH NUMBER OF USUALLY PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
THOSE ARE, GOES INTO OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM OR PROJECT.
THE, THE NUANCE TOO TO CONSIDER IS THOSE ARE, UM, ALSO TEND TO BE LIKE MULTI-YEAR PROJECTS.
SO, YOU KNOW, FUNDING GOES AND GETS TRANSFERRED INTO THAT PROJECT AND, AND YOU MAY SPEND 20% ON THE DESIGN FOR THREE YEARS AND THEN THAT FOURTH YEAR YOU SPEND 80% IN CONSTRUCTION.
SO THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM OUR ANNUAL BUDGET WHERE IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU USE IT EVERY, AND THEN YOU START OVER AT JULY 1ST.
SO THAT'S WHY IT'S, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO TRACK AND, AND KNOW WHERE SOME OF THESE LONG RANGE PROJECTS ARE BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY'S JUST KIND OF WONDERING WHERE, WHAT'S GOING ON, ARE YOU SPENDING THE MONEY OR NOT? AND WE
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HAVE TO ACCOUNT FOR EVERY DOLLAR SO WE GET TO TALK ABOUT HIM.AND I'LL, UH, I'LL EARMARK DREW MAYBE FOR NEXT MEETING.
WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE TO AGENDIZE THE DISCUSSION OF A PLAQUE MEMORIAL? WHAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE? WHAT OUR BUDGET COULD POTENTIALLY BE? UH, 'CAUSE I LIKE TARYN'S IDEA FOR THAT.
UH, WE'LL TEE THAT UP AND BE THINKING ABOUT IT AND BRING YOUR IDEAS AND INSIGHTS AND UH, JEN, JEN AND I WILL DO THE SAME.
AND YEAH, SO IT'S LOOKING LIKE FOR APRIL WE MAY HAVE, IF, IF WE KINDA GET EVERYTHING TO ALIGN, WE MAY HAVE AN UPDATE FROM PATRICK CARTER.
I KNOW HE'S BUSY RUNNING ALL OVER THE PLACE, SO IF WE CAN GET AN UPDATE FROM PATRICK CARTER ON THE GRANT AND FUNDING AVAILABLE AND WHAT THE STATUS IS WITH THAT FOR URBAN FORESTRY GRANT, WE CAN TALK ABOUT A COMMEMORATION AND WE CAN HOPEFULLY HAVE THE FIRST REPORTS FROM OUR NEW AD HOCS AND WHAT WE'RE GONNA GET READY TO GO.
I THINK THAT MAKES FOR A GOOD MEETING.
WELL, I GUESS WITH THAT, IF WE HAVE NO OTHER COMMENTS, I WILL ADJOURN OUR MEETING AT, UH, FOUR 50.