Park Board · Thursday, September 25, 2025 · City Council Digest

2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Park Board- June 23rd, 2025- Minutes

packet pp.3–5

Topics: Parks

▶ Watch from 1:39 Open packet at p.3 ↗

Staff report:

APPROVAL OF MINUTES a) 06-23-2025 Park Board Minutes Page [1] CITY OF ISSAQUAH Park Board and Arts Commission Joint Meeting 7:00 PM Tibbetts Manor, 750 17th Ave June 23rd, 2025 MINUTES NW, Issaquah

Park Board- July 28th, 2025- Minutes

packet pp.7–9

Topics: Parks

▶ Watch from 3:13 Open packet at p.7 ↗

Staff report:

APPROVAL OF MINUTES b) 07-28-2025 Park Board Minutes Page [1] CITY OF ISSAQUAH Park Board Meeting 7:00 PM City Hall South, 135 E. Sunset July 28th, 2025 MINUTES Way, Issaquah

4. REGULAR BUSINESS

Urban Forestry Program Updates Dan Hintz, Urban Forest Supervisor

Information · packet pp.11–30

Topics: Trees

▶ Watch from 5:25 Open packet at p.11 ↗

Staff report:

Urban Forestry Program Updates SEPTEMBER 25, 2025 | PARK BOARD Dan Hintz, Urban Forest Supervisor

Parks & Community Services- Summer Highlights 2025 (I) Jeff Watling- Parks and Community Services

Director · packet pp.31–44

Topics: Parks

▶ Watch from 23:25 Open packet at p.31 ↗

Staff report:

Parks & Community Services Summer Highlights 2025 SEPTEMBER 27, 2025 | PARK BOARD MEETING JEFF WATLING, PARKS & COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR

5. REPORTS

Director's Report

▶ Watch from 1:12:24

Chairperson's Report

▶ Watch from 1:22:16

Youth Representative Report

▶ Watch from 1:32:08

2847 segments .txt ↗

0:11 ↗ Tim,

0:14 ↗ >> boy, am I glad you guys sent the email

0:15 ↗ out. I was I had next Monday a lot and

0:19 ↗ until the email came out, I was like,

0:20 ↗ "Oh my gosh."

0:22 ↗ >> So did I. I was I was a wreck. I was a

0:24 ↗ mess.

0:25 ↗ >> I said to her, "Thank you, Ryan, for

0:28 ↗ sending me straight. If this is the

0:30 ↗ lonely people in here, at least go

0:33 ↗ closer to

0:36 ↗ all the

0:42 ↗ >> Hannah and Paul.

0:45 ↗ >> Hey, can you guys hear us?

0:47 ↗ >> Yep. Hi guys.

0:50 ↗ [clears throat]

0:50 ↗ >> Hello everybody. Sorry I got kids today,

0:52 ↗ so they may interrupt and I'll do my

0:54 ↗ best.

0:55 ↗ >> No [laughter] problem.

0:57 ↗ >> Life happens.

0:59 ↗ Baby.

1:02 ↗ >> Oh, yes.

1:06 ↗ >> It's dinner time. Snack time

1:10 ↗ in here.

1:13 ↗ >> Thank you.

1:18 ↗ >> Maybe I'll just

1:25 ↗ You approve both minutes at the same

1:27 ↗ time.

1:29 ↗ Is that a good idea? Um,

1:31 ↗ >> yeah, I think you can do it on one

1:33 ↗ motion. Just ask, you know, view of

1:36 ↗ both.

1:39 ↗ >> I move to approve the minutes from both

1:42 ↗ months.

1:44 ↗ >> We'll get there.

1:46 ↗ >> Yeah.

1:55 ↗ >> 59.

1:57 ↗ I'm gonna test this.

1:59 ↗ >> Oh, Marlene doesn't be able to join us.

2:03 ↗ >> Why are we here on a seat?

2:07 ↗ [laughter]

2:07 ↗ >> Sorry.

2:10 ↗ >> We address the issue on the

2:12 ↗ >> meeting.

2:15 ↗ I would say

2:18 ↗ >> due to cultural calendar, we we released

2:20 ↗ our schedule before the CR.

2:22 ↗ >> Actually, that's

2:23 ↗ >> unfortunate.

2:28 ↗ Fair question.

2:29 ↗ >> Good.

2:32 ↗ >> All right, we're ready.

2:34 ↗ >> It is 7 o'clock. As chair, I'll call

2:38 ↗ this [snorts]

2:39 ↗ September 25th, 2025 meeting of the

2:42 ↗ Hispan Parks Board to order.

2:46 ↗ To start, we will do roll call. I say

2:49 ↗ your name. Please say here or present.

2:52 ↗ Brian Olsen here.

2:55 ↗ David Lou,

2:59 ↗ >> sorry, just got here.

3:02 ↗ >> Perfect.

3:02 ↗ >> Present.

3:04 ↗ >> Katie Bell,

3:05 ↗ >> present.

3:06 ↗ >> Thank you. Chris Kovac,

3:09 ↗ >> excused.

3:11 ↗ >> Excused.

3:14 ↗ >> Tim Mley.

3:19 ↗ >> Usually he jumps online.

3:22 ↗ Anna Nakovic.

3:27 ↗ >> Thank you.

3:28 ↗ >> Diana Ren,

3:30 ↗ >> present.

3:32 ↗ [snorts]

3:33 ↗ >> Jana Tushi,

3:36 ↗ >> excuse.

3:36 ↗ >> Excuse.

3:38 ↗ >> Arlene Waxy,

3:41 ↗ >> excused.

3:45 ↗ Paul Adair,

3:47 ↗ >> here.

3:49 ↗ [snorts]

3:49 ↗ >> Martha Gintner,

3:50 ↗ >> here.

3:52 ↗ Jeffrey Newell here.

3:57 ↗ >> Thank you.

4:00 ↗ Do we have on the board? I think

4:04 ↗ um has everybody had a chance to review

4:06 ↗ both sets of minutes from the June 23rd

4:08 ↗ and July 28th park tour

4:13 ↗ meetings.

4:16 ↗ Does anybody have any corrections or

4:17 ↗ edits?

4:23 ↗ Then if there are no corrections,

4:25 ↗ anybody like to make a motion to approve

4:28 ↗ both minutes?

4:29 ↗ >> I move to approve approve both sets of

4:32 ↗ minutes.

4:34 ↗ >> I'll second that.

4:36 ↗ >> Thank you. With no corrections, on

4:38 ↗ behalf of the board, the minutes are

4:40 ↗ approved.

4:42 ↗ Uh is anyone present

4:47 ↗ online for public comment?

4:52 ↗ double check.

4:55 ↗ Not

4:57 ↗ >> um I do know we had some emailed in

4:58 ↗ comments

5:01 ↗ um which

5:03 ↗ are part of the slide, the last bullet

5:05 ↗ point if I understand the slide

5:08 ↗ correctly.

5:09 ↗ >> Yeah. And if if you would like we can

5:11 ↗ have that email be part of the record.

5:13 ↗ >> Yeah, that'd be great. Part of the

5:14 ↗ minutes as as public comment. Yeah.

5:18 ↗ >> [clears throat]

5:22 ↗ >> Okay,

5:25 ↗ we can move on to regular business.

5:29 ↗ >> I think the first thing on our list

5:32 ↗ is the urban forestry program update.

5:37 ↗ >> I can super fast. Absolutely. Thank you,

5:40 ↗ Dan. Hence, our urban forest supervisor

5:41 ↗ is here. Uh thanks so much. Along with

5:44 ↗ um urban forest um uh program updates

5:48 ↗ with the adoption of the the management

5:50 ↗ plan earlier this year. Dan's also here

5:53 ↗ to give a I think a timely update on um

5:56 ↗ our heritage tree program. U you you may

5:59 ↗ recall a year and a half ago we came and

6:03 ↗ had a series of conversations with you

6:04 ↗ all about um the need to update the

6:08 ↗ heritage tree program. We're not here

6:09 ↗ tonight to provide a a draft or a

6:12 ↗ proposal of the heritage tree program.

6:13 ↗ We just thought with enough new park

6:15 ↗ board members this year, it'd be worth

6:17 ↗ just a reminder of what that program is,

6:19 ↗ what our intent is. Um, as Santi comes

6:22 ↗ back uh this fall, as Dan is back, we're

6:25 ↗ we're planning on bringing a draft uh to

6:27 ↗ you in November. Um so really meant to

6:30 ↗ just be an update um and some questions

6:33 ↗ and discussion tonight. So thanks D.

6:36 ↗ >> Thank you, Jeff. Um, thank you all for

6:37 ↗ having me tonight. Um, again, my name is

6:39 ↗ Dan Hints. I'm the urban forest

6:40 ↗ supervisor. I know I've met most of you,

6:42 ↗ but not quite everyone, but I've been in

6:44 ↗ this role for two and a half years. It's

6:46 ↗ a uh was a newly created role at the

6:48 ↗ time. So, really great to see the city

6:49 ↗ and within our parks and community

6:51 ↗ services department and investing in our

6:52 ↗ urban forests and all the great benefits

6:55 ↗ that our trees provide, but also, you

6:57 ↗ know, the uh, you know, some of the

6:58 ↗ challenges and responsibilities as

6:59 ↗ relates to tree risk, tree management,

7:02 ↗ uh, and tree care. So, um, this

7:04 ↗ presentation, uh, Robin, if you want to

7:06 ↗ go to the next slide, please. Um, is

7:08 ↗ going to provide some

7:13 ↗ >> for folks that

7:22 ↗ >> that's okay.

7:25 ↗ >> It's still

7:31 ↗ out there. I can't advance it.

7:38 ↗ >> Oh, there we go.

7:39 ↗ >> I'm used to it. I'm used to it.

7:42 ↗ >> Um,

7:44 ↗ so if Robin, if you wouldn't mind going

7:46 ↗ one up or one back. Uh, not expecting

7:49 ↗ anyone to read through all of this, but

7:51 ↗ if people are interested, I did bring a

7:52 ↗ couple printed copies if you want to

7:53 ↗ kind of look through this or hold on to

7:55 ↗ this. Um, but as Jeff mentioned, you

7:58 ↗ know, kind of as I came on our first,

8:02 ↗ um, when I first came on, you know,

8:05 ↗ being a new new program, new position,

8:08 ↗ really kind of building the foundation,

8:09 ↗ uh, and really in urban forestry, having

8:12 ↗ a management plan, this is kind of

8:14 ↗ intended to be a 10-year roadmap to how

8:16 ↗ we kind of build and develop this urban

8:18 ↗ forestry program. And it's certainly a

8:19 ↗ lot of work in our parks department to

8:21 ↗ work in cross departments with public

8:23 ↗ works, planning, sustainability. And

8:24 ↗ we'll uh essentially give a just a

8:26 ↗ couple slide overview of what this plan

8:28 ↗ looks like. So I know for some folks

8:29 ↗ this will be reviewed. You saw this in

8:31 ↗ development through most of 2024 into

8:33 ↗ adoption in February of 20 uh 25. Um but

8:37 ↗ essentially the plan is in three

8:39 ↗ sections. So Rob, if you don't mind

8:40 ↗ going to head one. Um current conditions

8:43 ↗ essentially what we have. It looks like

8:44 ↗ this might be loading. I apologize. A

8:47 ↗ bunch of stuff at a time here. So, if

8:49 ↗ you just want to [snorts]

8:51 ↗ >> just click through it,

8:52 ↗ >> scroll a couple scrolls through it.

8:55 ↗ >> Yeah.

8:56 ↗ >> Okay.

8:57 ↗ >> So, if you just want to do all of them,

8:58 ↗ I think. My bad. Um, so the first

9:01 ↗ section, like I said, it's kind of kind

9:03 ↗ of what we have. So, that's kind of

9:04 ↗ looking at the current composition. Um,

9:06 ↗ I'll say one of the other foundational

9:08 ↗ piece of any urban forestry programs,

9:10 ↗ public tree inventory. So, that's

9:11 ↗ something I'll talk about in a few

9:12 ↗ slides in terms of implementation of

9:14 ↗ this plan. you know having essentially

9:15 ↗ the road map but then a really good

9:17 ↗ understanding of what we have. So as

9:18 ↗ part of our green isn't qua

9:20 ↗ implementation plan we had some

9:21 ↗ composition analysis done for our 1500

9:24 ↗ plus acres of open spaces but we don't

9:25 ↗ really have that nuance detail for you

9:27 ↗ know individual park trees and rideaway

9:29 ↗ trees and that's where I think there's a

9:30 ↗ lot of room for uh uh growth uh and you

9:34 ↗ know kind of information there as it

9:35 ↗ relates to our urban forest and in more

9:38 ↗ of the truly built environment. Uh so

9:40 ↗ looking at management programs existing

9:42 ↗ and kind of ones that we need to build

9:43 ↗ towards alignment with existing plans.

9:45 ↗ So you've heard a lot of physical

9:46 ↗ climate action plan or 55% tree canopy

9:49 ↗ goal. Um you know some of the overlaps

9:51 ↗ that we have with kind of transportation

9:52 ↗ planning obviously park system plan as

9:55 ↗ well creeks to peaks. Um so you know

9:57 ↗ kind of this is kind of what that first

9:59 ↗ section really looks like if if you are

10:00 ↗ wanting to flip through that. Sorry, I

10:01 ↗ didn't bring more copies, but um staff

10:04 ↗ and community engagement, uh

10:05 ↗ vulnerabilities, you know, essentially

10:07 ↗ what are the challenges we see both from

10:08 ↗ a management point of view, but some

10:10 ↗ things are a little more difficult to

10:11 ↗ control, like obviously a change in

10:12 ↗ climate, some of the pests and diseases

10:14 ↗ that might be associated with that. Um

10:16 ↗ and then kind of an evaluation or audit

10:18 ↗ that we can kind of have currently and

10:20 ↗ kind of do uh systematically, you know,

10:22 ↗ on like two-year intervals is what we're

10:23 ↗ shooting for in the plan using a US

10:25 ↗ Forest Service urban forest audit. So um

10:29 ↗ Robin if you want to hop to the next

10:30 ↗ one. Thank you. So then it gets into the

10:33 ↗ vision recommendations kind of after

10:34 ↗ what we what we have and you know sort

10:36 ↗ of setting up what we need. This is kind

10:38 ↗ of getting into those recommendations.

10:40 ↗ So you all helped workshop this a little

10:42 ↗ bit probably gosh like a year and a half

10:44 ↗ now having kind of a a highlevel vision

10:46 ↗ for our urban forest. Um so I won't read

10:48 ↗ it out loud but that's kind of what's in

10:50 ↗ italics on the top half of this slide.

10:52 ↗ And then it's broken into five sections

10:54 ↗ for uh recommendations which include you

10:57 ↗ know goals, strategies and priority

10:59 ↗ actions. So that's you know equitable

11:01 ↗ and resilient canopy cover. That's

11:02 ↗ really the the forest the trees itself.

11:04 ↗ Um uh like I said we talk about that at

11:06 ↗ a macro level in terms of you know our

11:08 ↗ overall canopy cover in the city which

11:10 ↗ is currently about 51%. We do have that

11:12 ↗ 55% goal by 2035 in the climate action

11:15 ↗ plan. Um, but really getting into some

11:18 ↗ of the kind of individual tree care,

11:19 ↗ like I said, you know, kind of how we're

11:21 ↗ working across departments, working with

11:22 ↗ our contractors, working with private

11:24 ↗ residents to educate around, you know,

11:26 ↗ proper tree care and maintenance and

11:28 ↗ ideally trying to incentivize, you know,

11:30 ↗ improving canopy on private property,

11:31 ↗ which I'll I'll talk about our tree

11:33 ↗ giveaway program that just launched last

11:34 ↗ week. I have a slide for that here in

11:36 ↗ just a little bit. Uh, maintenance and

11:38 ↗ management, that's where, you know, I

11:39 ↗ work uh out of our parks operations

11:41 ↗ building. So, uh, really trying to, you

11:43 ↗ know, kind of, uh, ingrain best

11:44 ↗ practices for tree care with our team

11:46 ↗ there, which is really great that

11:47 ↗ there's a lot of folks invested in that.

11:48 ↗ We actually have another certified

11:50 ↗ arborist on our parks operations team

11:51 ↗ who's really kind of taken on some of

11:53 ↗ this. Um, Christy Bishop, uh, and, you

11:55 ↗ know, trying to work more with public

11:56 ↗ works as they're working around trees

11:58 ↗ and sidewalks and some of the conflicts

11:59 ↗ we have with infrastructure and trying

12:01 ↗ to just find the right balance where we

12:02 ↗ can with obviously needing to, you know,

12:04 ↗ improve some of those, uh, you know,

12:06 ↗ kind of pieces of the built environment,

12:07 ↗ but also trying to preserve, care for

12:09 ↗ trees as best we can. Uh the third one

12:11 ↗ is really kind of getting into our code

12:13 ↗ or our treatable ordinances. So title

12:15 ↗ 18, which is our land use code, had a

12:16 ↗ huge overhaul in 2023 and we're even

12:18 ↗ going through another sort of revision

12:21 ↗ of the tree code uh chapter in title 18

12:24 ↗ uh currently. So that is something that

12:26 ↗ is uh at this point kind of at the

12:27 ↗ council stage that uh the the planning

12:30 ↗ policy commission has really been kind

12:31 ↗ of working on with our planning

12:32 ↗ department. Funding is a level of

12:34 ↗ service is kind of how we get there, you

12:35 ↗ know, kind of what we're providing. Um,

12:37 ↗ and then the last one, something I'm

12:38 ↗ very passionate about is, you know, that

12:40 ↗ communitya education, engagement, and

12:42 ↗ stewardship. And I'll probably leave it

12:43 ↗ at that for now because I'll have a

12:45 ↗ couple slides in a bit touching on our

12:46 ↗ green program and our park ranger

12:48 ↗ program, which are big parts of that

12:50 ↗ community education and engagement. So,

12:52 ↗ lastly on the next slide, Robin, is um,

12:55 ↗ you know, essentially how do we

12:56 ↗ implement this? That's kind of where we

12:58 ↗ get more into the strategies, priority

13:00 ↗ actions, and you know, how do we

13:01 ↗ monitor? I kind of talked about the US

13:02 ↗ Forest Service audit. Um, you know,

13:05 ↗ there's some of these highle goals

13:06 ↗ around, like I said, tree canopy. Um,

13:08 ↗ you know, getting a tree inventory and

13:10 ↗ having better understanding of the

13:11 ↗ composition and, uh, you know, kind of

13:13 ↗ what to prioritize planting, what to

13:15 ↗ maybe pull back on. You maybe heard me

13:16 ↗ talk about emerald ashbor as a

13:18 ↗ preparedness plan, something that we're

13:20 ↗ likely to see in the near future and

13:21 ↗ it's going to be a really big challenge

13:22 ↗ for our ash population, but we don't

13:24 ↗ have an exact idea of how large of a

13:26 ↗ proportion that is of our urban canopy.

13:28 ↗ So that's the type of data that we're

13:30 ↗ really hoping to to collect to make more

13:32 ↗ informed decisions, more efficient

13:33 ↗ decisions as it relates to managing our

13:35 ↗ trees and urban forest.

13:36 ↗ >> And ashore, sorry, Dan, is a is a bug.

13:40 ↗ >> It's a pest. It it it, you know, burrows

13:43 ↗ in and then the larae as it comes out,

13:45 ↗ you know, feeds on the cambian or the

13:46 ↗ living layer of the bark and essentially

13:48 ↗ kills ash trees uh top down. So there's

13:51 ↗ becoming better technology to stem

13:53 ↗ inject trees to actually maybe prolong

13:55 ↗ their life or kind of keep them going,

13:56 ↗ but you have to catch it really early.

13:58 ↗ So there's kind of an early detection

13:59 ↗ process to this too. But it is been an

14:01 ↗ estimated $4 billion of resource damages

14:04 ↗ in the Midwest and East Coast from, you

14:06 ↗ know, entire populations where ash trees

14:07 ↗ are a bigger part of their forest, but

14:09 ↗ it's not insignificant here in terms of

14:10 ↗ our native Oregon ash and then a lot of

14:12 ↗ ornamental ash trees we plant in streets

14:14 ↗ and parks. So looking at some, you know,

14:16 ↗ information cost supporting resources

14:18 ↗ and like I said, you know, that

14:19 ↗ evaluation, monitor, revise. So right

14:21 ↗ now, we're looking at this as a 10-year

14:23 ↗ plan with, you know, potentially an

14:24 ↗ update after that. And we were really,

14:26 ↗ you know, not even quite finished with

14:27 ↗ year one. So still pretty early in that

14:29 ↗ process. So um, and folks, if you have

14:32 ↗ questions online or now, please just

14:34 ↗ jump in. I I'm happy. But this is kind

14:36 ↗ of the transition from real high level

14:38 ↗ what the urban forestry plan looks like

14:40 ↗ and a couple of the handouts here at

14:42 ↗ least the folks in person. Um, and then

14:44 ↗ getting into a few what we've kind of

14:46 ↗ looked at as priority implementation

14:47 ↗ items on the next few slides here. So,

14:50 ↗ we'll hop through those next. Um, so I

14:54 ↗ mentioned, you know, one of the ideas is

14:55 ↗ how do we incentivize uh tree canopy

14:57 ↗ improvements on private property? I

14:59 ↗ mean, we're pretty dang lucky in Isiqua

15:01 ↗ to have almost 20% of our land mask in

15:03 ↗ our public park system. And that

15:05 ↗ actually doesn't include some of the

15:06 ↗ other publicly managed lands like

15:07 ↗ lakesam state park or the bit of King

15:09 ↗ County or DNR uh managed land within the

15:12 ↗ city. So we we are really fortunate to

15:14 ↗ have that but that still means 75% or at

15:17 ↗ least 2/3 is in private land ownership.

15:20 ↗ So how do we work with residents?

15:22 ↗ Obviously tree code is a big part of

15:23 ↗ that but how do we do that in maybe a

15:25 ↗ more engaging exciting less regulatory

15:27 ↗ way and this has been a great

15:29 ↗ partnership with uh the sustainability

15:31 ↗ department. I'm not sure if any folks

15:33 ↗ have met David Reedi that uh our manager

15:35 ↗ Stacey McKinstry. It's a really powerful

15:37 ↗ twoperson team in our executive

15:39 ↗ department. Uh, so sustainability team I

15:41 ↗ should say. Um, and we're really kind of

15:43 ↗ launching this and hoping to make this

15:44 ↗ an annual event, but we're partnering

15:46 ↗ with, as I mentioned, sustainability.

15:47 ↗ 300 trees is a great kind of grassroots

15:50 ↗ nonprofit that popped up in Belleview at

15:52 ↗ their supporting tree giveaways with

15:53 ↗ City of Belleview, City of Redband, and

15:54 ↗ now Isiqua. Uh, and then Friends of

15:56 ↗ Physical Salmon Hatchery has kind of

15:57 ↗ been a late partner to this effort,

15:59 ↗ which has been great. And I really like

16:01 ↗ how they've kind of uh, uh, coined kind

16:04 ↗ of the effort. They're working with us

16:05 ↗ from canopy to curve. So they're looking

16:07 ↗ at how tree canopy benefits storm water

16:09 ↗ and water quality and ultimately how

16:11 ↗ that uh is is really you know critical

16:13 ↗ for salmon. Um so they are working both

16:16 ↗ with this tree giveaway program and also

16:17 ↗ with public works on adopt a drain which

16:19 ↗ is you know working with folks in the

16:21 ↗ neighborhoods to be keeping uh

16:23 ↗ pollutants leaves all that stuff out of

16:25 ↗ out of storm drains and and the benefits

16:27 ↗ that provides for water qualities water

16:29 ↗ quality. So we're looking to distribute

16:31 ↗ uh 275 trees. This just launched last

16:33 ↗ Friday actually. So, it's been really

16:34 ↗ great getting uh daily updates from 300

16:37 ↗ trees. They really do the backend

16:38 ↗ application. We've been pri uh promoting

16:40 ↗ it mainly to um priority neighborhoods

16:44 ↗ uh uh through a tree equity tool. So, we

16:46 ↗ identified about nine census blocks in

16:48 ↗ the city that have um fairly significant

16:51 ↗ uh summer heat disparity temperatures.

16:53 ↗ So, um, uh, neighborhoods that all have

16:56 ↗ three and a half or four degree plus

16:58 ↗ temperature differences because of lack

17:00 ↗ of canopy, usually impervious surfaces,

17:02 ↗ a lot of asphalt work, just, you know,

17:04 ↗ the sun kind of radiates and creates

17:05 ↗ what you hear sometimes the term a heat

17:07 ↗ island or heat island effect. Um, so our

17:10 ↗ initial outreach has not been huge in

17:12 ↗ terms of citywide. We've been doing some

17:14 ↗ targeted yard signs, a few email blasts

17:16 ↗ with Highlands Community Association.

17:18 ↗ Essentially, a lot of the areas that

17:20 ↗ have that lower canopy and the higher

17:21 ↗ heat disparity are are the highlands,

17:23 ↗ Oldtown, a little bit of central Isiqua.

17:26 ↗ Um, this is geared towards residents in

17:28 ↗ small organizations. We do have a

17:29 ↗ definition for that. So, we're not

17:30 ↗ necessarily giving it away to, you know,

17:33 ↗ commercial properties or things like

17:34 ↗ that, but we had a condominium on Isle

17:36 ↗ Creek that just reached out to us and

17:37 ↗ ordered 10 trees, which is great. Um,

17:39 ↗ but we are probably going to be ramping

17:41 ↗ up the promotion of this over the next

17:42 ↗ few weeks and ultimately have a giveaway

17:44 ↗ event on November 15th at Pickering

17:46 ↗ Barn. So, really, really great way. We

17:48 ↗ have some funding from S sustainability,

17:50 ↗ some funding from our team um that's

17:52 ↗ putting this together for that pickup

17:54 ↗ event uh on November 15th. So if any of

17:56 ↗ you are interested in a tree or know

17:58 ↗ people, we do have a website. If you

18:00 ↗ just search tree giveaway, it's pretty

18:01 ↗ easy to find, but we'll you'll see it in

18:03 ↗ more communications from the city uh

18:05 ↗ here pretty soon. I can just reiterate,

18:07 ↗ Dan, this this program represents a

18:10 ↗ really cool opportunity. So many we do

18:11 ↗ so much tree planting. We plant

18:13 ↗ thousands of trees a year, but this is a

18:15 ↗ really cool opportunity for us, as Dan

18:18 ↗ said to

18:20 ↗ help. We can't mandate planting trees or

18:22 ↗ private property, but we want to

18:23 ↗ incentivize and and realize um as you

18:27 ↗ said, those parcels and the compilation

18:29 ↗ of those private parcels play a big role

18:31 ↗ in canopy cover uh for for

18:35 ↗ >> So, I'll probably have a quick update on

18:37 ↗ that in November in terms of we already

18:38 ↗ forming a map of where those trees are

18:40 ↗ being ordered from. It's really neat to

18:41 ↗ see some of the other results. has given

18:42 ↗ away somewhere around 20, not quite 25%

18:45 ↗ of our trees. So, um, that's just in a

18:47 ↗ few days. We're pretty optimistic we'll

18:49 ↗ reach that number of 275 and hopefully

18:51 ↗ maybe be able to grow that in in future

18:52 ↗ years. Uh, so one of the other planning

18:54 ↗ efforts that I think is really

18:56 ↗ important, and I'll admit this was

18:57 ↗ something that I kind of nudged to

18:58 ↗ include in our forest management plan,

19:01 ↗ um, if if folks aren't familiar,

19:02 ↗ hopefully most people are, but Tradition

19:04 ↗ Plateau is a very flat sort of uh, uh,

19:08 ↗ part of Tiger Mountain, kind of just

19:10 ↗ south of Interstate 90. you can see on

19:11 ↗ that photo on the top there. Um, a lot

19:14 ↗ of people don't necessarily know the

19:16 ↗ city has a lot of land up there that we

19:18 ↗ manage. It is part of the traditional

19:19 ↗ plateau natural resource conservation

19:21 ↗ area. So, meaning it is an area that's

19:23 ↗ intended for, you know, passive

19:25 ↗ recreation, but really conservation long

19:27 ↗ term in terms of the, uh, forest

19:29 ↗ resources up there. So, uh, one of the

19:32 ↗ most amazing trees and locations on

19:34 ↗ Tradition Plateau that's on city

19:35 ↗ property is the Big Tree uh, on the Roof

19:38 ↗ Keys Big Tree Trail. So that's the photo

19:39 ↗ on the bottom there. That is probably a

19:42 ↗ 200 plus year uh old growth Douglas fur

19:45 ↗ tree. Um that uh is you know 8 n feet

19:48 ↗ diameter. So as I mentioned we have you

19:51 ↗ know 15 to600 acres of forested open

19:54 ↗ space in our park system. Uh almost a

19:56 ↗ quarter of that if not a little bit more

19:58 ↗ is within the traditions plateau uh

20:01 ↗ NRCA. So it's an area that we you know

20:05 ↗ if you're going by the canopy metric it

20:06 ↗ has a 91% tree canopy. He's like, "Oh,

20:08 ↗ that's great." But this is an area that

20:10 ↗ has had multiple generations of logging.

20:13 ↗ It's had a lot of other uh impacts that

20:15 ↗ have, you know, essentially degraded the

20:17 ↗ uh complexity or biodiversity of some of

20:19 ↗ the forests where we might have, let's

20:21 ↗ say, a standard Douglas fur that's

20:22 ↗ uniform age, uniform species from uh

20:25 ↗ resulting from, you know, logging in the

20:27 ↗ 1980s. So, so we're really looking, this

20:29 ↗ is probably even more of a 20 to 30year

20:31 ↗ kind of management plan. Really focused

20:33 ↗ on kind of sounds like a buzz term, but

20:35 ↗ ecological forestry. We're not looking

20:37 ↗ at doing timber harvest for the sake of

20:38 ↗ obviously selling timber. There could be

20:40 ↗ recommendations around thinning areas

20:42 ↗ for the health of the forest long term.

20:44 ↗ Um you'll hear that term ecological

20:45 ↗ thinning. Um we're working with a group

20:47 ↗ called Northwest Natural Resource Group

20:49 ↗ that specializes or a nonprofit that

20:51 ↗ works uh up and down the Washington

20:53 ↗ coast. Uh in Oregon as well uh

20:55 ↗ specializes on ecological forestry and

20:57 ↗ they've done a lot of consulting work

20:58 ↗ with Department of Natural Resources and

21:00 ↗ and several tribes uh based in

21:02 ↗ Washington state. So really really great

21:04 ↗ group to be working with and we're

21:05 ↗ actually going to be kicking off that

21:06 ↗ planning process here in about a week or

21:08 ↗ two which is really exciting. So uh

21:11 ↗ really like kind of a better assessment

21:13 ↗ of that 435 or so acres and hopefully

21:15 ↗ some good strategies around how we can

21:17 ↗ continue to care and improve the forest

21:19 ↗ health and what is a really you know

21:21 ↗ kind of big contiguous forest there on

21:23 ↗ the plateau and some of the slopes

21:25 ↗ coming down to I90.

21:26 ↗ >> Would you agree Dan? I think this is a

21:28 ↗ good this assessment is a good example

21:30 ↗ of when we talk about tree canopy often

21:34 ↗ canopy is talked about solely as volume

21:36 ↗ like the most important thing about

21:37 ↗ canopy is volume but what's really

21:39 ↗ important is also the health and

21:41 ↗ condition of the canopy. So though this

21:43 ↗ has a great volume number this

21:45 ↗ assessment is really going to help us

21:48 ↗ ensure that the health of that canopy.

21:50 ↗ >> We heard and I know I don't think Zach's

21:52 ↗ on the park board anymore. or if like

21:53 ↗ there might have been other folks that

21:54 ↗ were really kind of emphasizing

21:56 ↗ understory species, wildlife, you know,

21:58 ↗ uh how we're controlling invasive

22:00 ↗ species like holly and ivy. So, it's

22:01 ↗ it's looking at more than literally the,

22:03 ↗ you know, the top of the forest, the

22:04 ↗ tree canopy, and as Jeff's saying, kind

22:06 ↗ of that holistic approach to, you know,

22:08 ↗ both the different structures and levels

22:10 ↗ of the forest and everything that

22:11 ↗ interacts with that, you know,

22:12 ↗ especially uh uh you know, kind of

22:14 ↗ wildlife and and also, you know, there's

22:15 ↗ a lot of tribal interest in this in

22:17 ↗ terms of, you know, plants that are

22:19 ↗ historically used for foraging or other,

22:20 ↗ you know, kind of cultural practices,

22:22 ↗ too. So that's definitely going to be

22:23 ↗ kind of an element of the of the plan,

22:25 ↗ too. So, um, yeah, once again, yeah,

22:27 ↗ focusing on forest health and looking at

22:28 ↗ kind of that 20 to 30year time frame.

22:31 ↗ Um, so this kind of comes back to uh

22:33 ↗ what I kind of already talked about a

22:34 ↗ little bit, so I'll try to keep this

22:35 ↗ pretty quick and I know it's a text

22:36 ↗ heavy slide. Um, I'm working on a update

22:39 ↗ to our canopy assessment. So, when I

22:41 ↗ talk about that current 51% tree canopy,

22:44 ↗ that is what 2021 data. This uses

22:46 ↗ satellite uh, you know, essentially

22:48 ↗ imagery, which usually lags one or two

22:50 ↗ years. So even if we wanted 2025, it's

22:52 ↗ probably not available yet. Um, so we'll

22:55 ↗ be updating this with 2023 data. Um, we

22:58 ↗ weren't necessarily planning on doing

22:59 ↗ this soon, uh, after, you know, having

23:01 ↗ just done it as part of the forest

23:02 ↗ management plan, but there are some, uh,

23:04 ↗ custom geographies within the city that

23:06 ↗ will really help inform some of the tree

23:08 ↗ code updates. So essentially at the

23:10 ↗ zoning level, at the neighborhood level,

23:11 ↗ at the storm water level where we'll

23:13 ↗ also have tree canopy uh assessed at

23:16 ↗ those kind of areas, like I said, custom

23:18 ↗ geographies, plus we'll have an updated

23:20 ↗ citywide uh canopy cover number. So um

23:23 ↗ if folks are familiar, King Conservation

23:24 ↗ District um is a great great quasi

23:28 ↗ governmental organization uh within King

23:30 ↗ County that essentially supports the

23:32 ↗ member jurisdictions, which are the

23:33 ↗ cities like Isiziqua. Uh so we all pay

23:36 ↗ taxes into that fund and we essentially

23:38 ↗ can ask that money back for conservation

23:40 ↗ related projects. So this is going to be

23:42 ↗ a really small uh cost being leveraged

23:45 ↗ across many member jurisdictions that

23:47 ↗ are doing updates. So this saves us

23:49 ↗ probably uh you know we're probably

23:51 ↗ doing this at 20% of the cost if we had

23:53 ↗ just contracted this out directly by

23:54 ↗ ourselves. So it's it was just a great

23:56 ↗ opportunity to do that and you know kind

23:57 ↗ of track how we're doing citywide and

23:59 ↗ like I said at some of these levels as

24:00 ↗ it relates to to tree code too and some

24:02 ↗ storm water management requirements we

24:04 ↗ have through department of ecology and

24:06 ↗ then contrasting like I said the really

24:07 ↗ two foundations

24:08 ↗ >> yeah

24:10 ↗ make sure

24:11 ↗ >> yeah sure Paul

24:13 ↗ >> uh yeah I was curious because you

24:14 ↗ mentioned this update to the canopy

24:16 ↗ cover since you have 2021 data and that

24:17 ↗ it might be up to 2023 data will the

24:21 ↗ bomb cyclone affect that at all like if

24:23 ↗ it's uh that the canopy at all since

24:26 ↗ obviously there were a lot of trees lost

24:27 ↗ in that or is that not kind of

24:29 ↗ negligible in terms of what this will

24:30 ↗ tell you?

24:31 ↗ >> Gosh, Paul, that's such a good question.

24:32 ↗ I've been asked that a few times and you

24:34 ↗ know, my my best answer is, you know,

24:37 ↗ partly TBD. I don't think we're talking

24:39 ↗ like multiple percentage points. I'm

24:41 ↗ thinking it's probably in the

24:42 ↗ neighborhood of tenths of percentage

24:43 ↗ points. Uh once again, 2023 will predate

24:46 ↗ the storm, so it won't really give us

24:47 ↗ the uh the the you know, update there.

24:50 ↗ But, you know, hopefully the next round

24:52 ↗ we'll kind of see that and that'll be

24:53 ↗ interesting to see uh you know, if we do

24:55 ↗ see a little kind of blip there. It's

24:56 ↗ it's it's just yeah, it's hard to judge

24:58 ↗ exactly and you know, places we lost

25:00 ↗ trees might have had overhanging canopy,

25:01 ↗ especially in our open spaces. Uh I

25:04 ↗ don't feel like there's giant canopy

25:05 ↗ gaps in, you know, areas like Tradition

25:07 ↗ Plateau, but certainly some of our

25:08 ↗ developed parks and rightways, we have

25:10 ↗ lost a significant amount of trees. So,

25:12 ↗ yeah, I you know, try to do some math.

25:14 ↗ Our GIS manager Brian Overberman does

25:17 ↗ some really he started in the forestry

25:19 ↗ field does some really good analysis of

25:20 ↗ like he's the one that told me he's like

25:22 ↗ yeah city limits probably have 250,000

25:24 ↗ trees so we're talking a fraction of a

25:26 ↗ percentage of trees lo I mean it's still

25:28 ↗ significant we're talking about several

25:29 ↗ hundred trees lost in the built

25:31 ↗ environment from the storm but as it

25:32 ↗ relates to the amount we have citywide I

25:34 ↗ don't think it's gigantic um so that's

25:37 ↗ my best answer probably not percentage

25:38 ↗ points but maybe tenths of percent uh

25:41 ↗ would be my best guess for for what was

25:43 ↗ lost there.

25:45 ↗ That's a great question and and I think

25:47 ↗ your your response

25:49 ↗ this this canopy analysis isn't

25:51 ↗ necessarily going to have the data to to

25:55 ↗ understand the effects of the bite.

25:57 ↗ >> It's going to need to be a later one.

26:00 ↗ >> Well, we're hoping to do this at minimum

26:01 ↗ on four-year intervals. Like I said,

26:03 ↗ this is kind of jumping that a little

26:04 ↗ bit, but it was a really great

26:05 ↗ opportunity to do this with King

26:06 ↗ Conservation District and kind of

26:08 ↗ leverage some of the resources that

26:09 ↗ they're pulling together from other

26:10 ↗ cities in the county. Um, and then they

26:12 ↗ talked about the tree inventory. So,

26:13 ↗ this is something I'm working on with

26:14 ↗ Jeff to kind of figure out. There's, you

26:16 ↗ know, fortunately a lot of the funding

26:17 ↗ for urban forestry comes through DNR's

26:19 ↗ community forestry assistance program. A

26:21 ↗ lot of their grant funding has been put

26:22 ↗ on hold some of the state budget

26:24 ↗ challenges a little bit related to

26:25 ↗ federal funding, too. So, we're trying

26:27 ↗ to get a little creative possibly

26:28 ↗ working with King Conservation District,

26:30 ↗ possibly working through our tree fund

26:32 ↗ um to see how we can kind of put

26:33 ↗ together funding to do at least do a

26:35 ↗ first big initial phase for a tree

26:36 ↗ inventory. was like I already said

26:38 ↗ foundational piece unlike canopy

26:40 ↗ assessment it's data on individual trees

26:42 ↗ so that's going to be the species of

26:43 ↗ tree the size usually the diameter

26:45 ↗ possibly the height condition of trees

26:47 ↗ so kind of knowing hey are these trees

26:49 ↗ young and really vigorous or these trees

26:51 ↗ kind of on the tail end where we need to

26:52 ↗ start thinking about replacement and a

26:54 ↗ huge huge tool for kind of prioritizing

26:56 ↗ more proactive management versus

26:58 ↗ sometimes is the reactive management

26:59 ↗ when we have storms or we just get calls

27:01 ↗ from neighbors that are concerned about

27:02 ↗ trees or we're just trying to kind of

27:04 ↗ trying to catch up. So having this data

27:05 ↗ will be a great public education tool

27:07 ↗ because you look at other cities uh big

27:09 ↗ cities but even Samish just published

27:11 ↗ theirs you know where you can actually

27:12 ↗ be on a GIS map walking along a sidewalk

27:14 ↗ click on a tree and you know identify

27:16 ↗ what it is what I my dream is to also

27:18 ↗ have management responsibility because

27:20 ↗ it's very tricky in the city what is

27:22 ↗ park what's the public works what is the

27:23 ↗ adjacent land owner um so I'm always

27:26 ↗ fine if people call me and then I have

27:27 ↗ to figure it out and kind of either be

27:28 ↗ like that's us or not but um the goal

27:30 ↗ would be to have a publicly available

27:32 ↗ map where you know you someone could

27:33 ↗ click on it and kind of figure out who

27:35 ↗ is at the HOA, what department, the

27:37 ↗ city, and kind of have contact. And so,

27:39 ↗ like I said, that's the public education

27:40 ↗ tool. And then a big part that I'm I'm

27:42 ↗ guessing maybe the park board's heard

27:44 ↗ about, uh, the asset management system,

27:46 ↗ cardograph. So, really tracking

27:48 ↗ materials, labor, equipment, you know,

27:50 ↗ hours towards tasks like mowing, tasks

27:52 ↗ like prepping baseball fields. Uh, we

27:55 ↗ want to be able to do that for tree

27:56 ↗ work, too. So that would be having this

27:58 ↗ essentially inventory integrated with

28:00 ↗ our asset management system which is a

28:02 ↗ software cardograph uh is definitely a

28:04 ↗ big goal of the public tree inventory as

28:06 ↗ well. [clears throat] Um and then I

28:08 ↗ think yeah thanks Robin I believe two

28:12 ↗ more slides on greenisle and park board

28:14 ↗ before a few uh wrapping up on heritage

28:15 ↗ trees as Jeff kind of prefaced earlier.

28:18 ↗ So hopefully most folks most folks on

28:20 ↗ this call are familiar with our greenle

28:22 ↗ program but the green cities network has

28:24 ↗ been around for a couple decades. that

28:25 ↗ started with Seattle, but there's 15 or

28:27 ↗ so cities in this network that really

28:29 ↗ the goal of it is engaging the community

28:31 ↗ in hands-on stewardship and education

28:34 ↗ around our uh natural areas and and

28:36 ↗ forested parks and open spaces. So,

28:39 ↗ that's uh Taylor Nichols pouring some

28:41 ↗ wood chips there, Alex Anderson, our

28:42 ↗ park ranger. Um and myself, that's kind

28:45 ↗ of our small team. Taylor is our

28:47 ↗ greenest volunteer coordinator. Um all

28:49 ↗ three of us started similar times in the

28:51 ↗ last three years kind of building out uh

28:53 ↗ you know essentially a natural resource

28:55 ↗ team uh within our parks uh department

28:57 ↗ here. Uh and just figured I'd share some

28:59 ↗ quick accomplishments on on green. We've

29:01 ↗ had 53 events uh to date. This is

29:03 ↗ actually probably a little higher since

29:04 ↗ I did this slide about a week ago. Uh

29:07 ↗ 2,000 volunteer hours. We've really been

29:08 ↗ trying to focus on youth engagement. So

29:10 ↗ we're actually really proud. A third of

29:12 ↗ those hours have been uh uh from from

29:14 ↗ youth under 18. Uh forest stewards are

29:17 ↗ dedicated recurring volunteers that kind

29:19 ↗ of have like an adopt an area model. So,

29:21 ↗ you know, we train them up. We try to

29:23 ↗ find maybe a neighborhood park they live

29:24 ↗ near or maybe they're happy to travel

29:26 ↗ and really take on sometimes that's just

29:28 ↗ working independently or with partners,

29:30 ↗ family, friends. Uh but a lot of them

29:32 ↗ have kind of taken on leading events on

29:34 ↗ our behalf. We provide tools. We kind of

29:35 ↗ help support. Often we're out there for

29:37 ↗ the first few events and and more and

29:38 ↗ more of our forest stewards are kind of

29:40 ↗ running with that where they're leading

29:41 ↗ small events on behalf of the city and

29:43 ↗ green is aqua. So that's been really

29:44 ↗ great to see that expand here over the

29:46 ↗ last few years where we have like a

29:47 ↗ really really great cohort of of forest

29:49 ↗ stewards. Uh and then we're really

29:51 ↗ trying to build out the kind of

29:52 ↗ environmental education too. So kind of

29:54 ↗ knowing that pulling weeds, planting

29:56 ↗ trees, dealing with blackberry is really

29:58 ↗ physically tough and tedious and there

30:00 ↗ might be people that either just don't

30:02 ↗ want to do that and want to engage in

30:03 ↗ different ways or just you know physical

30:04 ↗ abilities too can be challenging for

30:06 ↗ some of that. So, we're trying to

30:07 ↗ provide a lot of educational events that

30:09 ↗ still touch on a lot of the same uh kind

30:11 ↗ of topics of work we're doing, but might

30:13 ↗ be in a more casual setting like the

30:15 ↗ classroom or a walk or hike um or

30:18 ↗ different tableabling events. So, uh

30:20 ↗ we've been really really uh proud that

30:22 ↗ our small little team leading on some

30:24 ↗ great community partners have led 30

30:26 ↗ plus education events, you know,

30:27 ↗ engaging with 400 people. And that

30:29 ↗ doesn't even count some of our uh bigger

30:31 ↗ events we table like the sustainability

30:32 ↗ fair, our first annual wildlife

30:34 ↗ coexistence day we had back in June

30:36 ↗ where we probably had three or 4 hundred

30:37 ↗ people visit uh the city table and about

30:39 ↗ another dozen or so partners that were

30:41 ↗ talking about wildlife that's local to

30:43 ↗ the area and how we best you know kind

30:45 ↗ of coexist as as neighbors from you know

30:47 ↗ big bears down to salmon down to uh you

30:49 ↗ know pollinators and and snails and and

30:52 ↗ uh all sorts of small creatures too. So,

30:54 ↗ we're really looking at that really

30:55 ↗ broadly as this kind of wildlife

30:57 ↗ coexistent effort that's really led by

30:58 ↗ our park ranger, which will be the next

31:00 ↗ slide, but the last plug I'll put on

31:01 ↗ green is October 18th, we're going to

31:03 ↗ celebrate our annual Green Aqua Day at

31:05 ↗ three sites. I love that Taylor this

31:07 ↗ year, Confluence Park. We're doing trees

31:08 ↗ and tops. So, we're doing an event

31:09 ↗ dedicated uh to families and young kids,

31:13 ↗ six or so and under. It's not a hard

31:14 ↗ rule, but that's about what we're

31:15 ↗ shooting for. Then we'll have a project

31:17 ↗ at our Miawalki Forest, which is another

31:19 ↗ great project that's maybe a whole

31:20 ↗ another conversation for another time.

31:22 ↗ uh and at the anthology open space. Uh

31:24 ↗ so those are a lot of our big partners.

31:26 ↗ Apologize for the acronyms. Mount Sound

31:28 ↗ Greenway as well Trails Club, Trout

31:30 ↗ Unlimited, uh Gibson High School. We've

31:32 ↗ been doing a lot of work with a couple

31:33 ↗ interns there, which has been cool. And

31:35 ↗ then we've had great engagement from

31:36 ↗ Costco, REI, more recently from Seaman.

31:38 ↗ So, you know, really engaging uh the

31:40 ↗ general public, community groups, um

31:43 ↗ schools, and corporate groups is is

31:45 ↗ really kind of what the program does.

31:46 ↗ So, um, probably the next one, one more

31:49 ↗ plug as we're transitioning. Just green

31:51 ↗ isqua. Great work by Dan, by by Taylor,

31:55 ↗ um, and by Alex.

31:57 ↗ That program multiplies our efforts to

32:00 ↗ deal with invasives. And sort of the

32:03 ↗ edges of our forests that are so

32:05 ↗ vulnerable to um, becoming unhealthy in

32:09 ↗ a hurry. and we've um taken out volumes

32:13 ↗ of invasives and and really are

32:15 ↗ transforming transforming some key areas

32:18 ↗ of our urban forest. Um so it's yeah a

32:21 ↗ huge huge success.

32:23 ↗ >> Yeah, thanks Jess. Um so yeah, always

32:25 ↗ happy to chat more about that and you

32:27 ↗ know if you ever have individuals or

32:29 ↗ groups or businesses you're associated

32:30 ↗ with we're always happy to try to you

32:32 ↗ know uh put put events together. So

32:34 ↗ we're we're kind of transitioning into

32:35 ↗ planting season which people really love

32:37 ↗ those type of projects too. So, um, but

32:39 ↗ yeah, last I I supervised our park

32:41 ↗ ranger. This is Alex Anderson. Um, nice

32:44 ↗ little shot we staged here recently at

32:46 ↗ Confluence Park. Um, he's like, I need a

32:48 ↗ new head shot. Uh, but anyway, so I I

32:50 ↗ think it's it's important to kind of

32:51 ↗ start with Alex is not a commissioned

32:53 ↗ ranger. Uh, he does not have any law

32:55 ↗ like uh, you know, uh, authority to

32:57 ↗ write tickets or citations or obviously

32:58 ↗ arrest anyone. We really focus on

33:00 ↗ enforcement through education. So, how

33:02 ↗ do we enforce our park rules, our park

33:04 ↗ code in a way that's try not to, you

33:06 ↗ know, be too wagging your finger to uh,

33:09 ↗ you know, just kind of, hey, we're going

33:11 ↗ to find you. We're going to charge you

33:12 ↗ for this and and really kind of focus

33:13 ↗ on, as Alex describes really well, the

33:15 ↗ authority of the resource that we all

33:17 ↗ are are uh, you know, need to be

33:19 ↗ stewards of these public lands. we are

33:21 ↗ all invest in these is this is our

33:23 ↗ public land and how do we you know

33:24 ↗ educate why hey hey you know maybe these

33:26 ↗ actions we're doing maybe you're just

33:28 ↗ not aware of the impacts that might have

33:29 ↗ on on you know salmon you know as people

33:32 ↗ are you know still wanting to put their

33:33 ↗ dogs in the stream as salmon are

33:34 ↗ migrating upstream right now or or or

33:36 ↗ just different examples like that. So um

33:39 ↗ that that is really kind of the model we

33:40 ↗ have and um another huge area of Alex's

33:43 ↗ job is supporting our human services and

33:45 ↗ the behavioral health team. So for our

33:48 ↗ uh unhoused people in our park system,

33:50 ↗ Alex is working on contacts working with

33:52 ↗ human services and ultimately you know

33:55 ↗ depending how that moves along you know

33:56 ↗ we do post notice to vacates and you

33:58 ↗ know we we are you know get a little bit

34:00 ↗ more strict about it but we provide a

34:01 ↗ lot of leeway provide a lot of

34:02 ↗ opportunity for resources and Alex is

34:04 ↗ really kind of the front line of that

34:06 ↗ with our behavioral health as it relates

34:08 ↗ to our parks and open spaces and a lot

34:10 ↗ of neighboring private properties where

34:12 ↗ Alex is kind of the the kind of first

34:14 ↗ kind of contact there too as we get

34:16 ↗ calls. or complaints about camps or

34:18 ↗ dumps and things like that. So, yeah, uh

34:20 ↗ I forget exactly the amount he told me.

34:22 ↗ You know, I had it in the notes there,

34:23 ↗ but um Alex does track the amount of

34:25 ↗ pounds of illegal dumping he pulls out

34:27 ↗ of parks, which is not insignificant,

34:28 ↗ but it's actually been really great to

34:30 ↗ see that with this program in place, the

34:32 ↗ large camps where stuff overflows and

34:35 ↗ just kind of piles up is not really the

34:37 ↗ same problem we had even just two

34:39 ↗ summers ago or certainly in the past.

34:41 ↗ So, so that number is actually going

34:42 ↗ down in terms of these kind of large

34:44 ↗ scale cleanups where we're just pulling

34:46 ↗ truckloads of garbage and debris, you

34:48 ↗ know, from our open spaces. Um, but it's

34:50 ↗ still in the neighborhood of, you know,

34:51 ↗ hundreds of hundreds of pounds of

34:53 ↗ material that, you know, Alex, you know,

34:55 ↗ and our team haul out and, you know,

34:57 ↗ keep out of our park system. Um, 230

34:59 ↗ contacts is what he shared with me so

35:01 ↗ far to date. So that might be things as

35:02 ↗ simple as reminding people of uh uh you

35:05 ↗ know uh our our unleash uh dog rules to

35:08 ↗ like said wildlife education to homeless

35:11 ↗ uh you know can't make contacts. Uh all

35:14 ↗ sorts of stuff that Alex is tracking

35:15 ↗ through his parks enforcement map.

35:17 ↗ >> Ebikes.

35:18 ↗ >> Yes. Ebikes on our turf has been a

35:20 ↗ problem.

35:20 ↗ >> Motorcycles.

35:21 ↗ >> Yeah. Yep. Uh those are harder to track

35:23 ↗ down and make contacts as you might

35:25 ↗ imagine. But um but still that has

35:27 ↗ certainly something he's worked with a

35:29 ↗ lot. Uh and then a big park that Alex

35:30 ↗ and I love working on together like said

35:32 ↗ I already kind of talked about wildlife

35:33 ↗ coexistence. This I'll just say really

35:35 ↗ quickly started out as a program

35:36 ↗ actually out of our isquent middle

35:38 ↗ schools about a decade ago and then

35:39 ↗ Woodland Park Zoo came in and they've

35:41 ↗ been a huge partner as part of this and

35:42 ↗ we have a great series of wildlife

35:44 ↗ trails throughout some of our parks and

35:46 ↗ open spaces that catches amazing footage

35:48 ↗ and we love to share it for the sake of

35:49 ↗ people just getting excited about

35:50 ↗ animals and wildlife but certainly

35:52 ↗ through an educational lens of you know

35:54 ↗ how how do we best coexist in

35:56 ↗ residential settings. So, it's a lot of

35:57 ↗ work with Recology, our service

35:58 ↗ provider, on like bear cans and and, you

36:01 ↗ know, being smart about bird feeders

36:02 ↗ and, you know, your pets outside at

36:04 ↗ certain times of day, certain times of

36:05 ↗ year. And then the recreational setting,

36:07 ↗ too, where folks might just be nervous

36:08 ↗ about going out because they know

36:09 ↗ there's bears, cougars, and kind of how

36:11 ↗ to educate, you know, the likelihood of

36:12 ↗ spotting them, what you do if you do

36:14 ↗ actually happen to come across a big uh

36:16 ↗ carnivore like that. So, Alex regularly

36:18 ↗ leads outdoor 101 hikes that really

36:20 ↗ focus on that kind of basic education

36:22 ↗ and uh we've been doing more with our

36:24 ↗ public works team uh solid waste um uh

36:27 ↗ person with public works on some of the

36:29 ↗ residential trash stuff as it relates to

36:30 ↗ wildlife too. So, uh going to continue

36:33 ↗ to host this annual wildlife coexistence

36:35 ↗ day in partnership with the farmers

36:36 ↗ market which has a great built-in

36:37 ↗ audience of course and we kind of took

36:39 ↗ over the meadow for the first Saturday

36:40 ↗ in June and had had really good turnout

36:42 ↗ for it. Um yeah and then you know kind

36:45 ↗ of just tying back to the previous slide

36:46 ↗ leading educational interpretive events

36:48 ↗ and really supporting green as well. Um

36:51 ↗ I'll pause there for a second before we

36:53 ↗ go to the next slide or Robin if you

36:54 ↗ would go to the next slide which is kind

36:55 ↗ of transition into heritage trees. Any

36:57 ↗ kind of general questions comments for

37:00 ↗ the the program forest management plan

37:02 ↗ before we kind of dive into the specific

37:04 ↗ program here for the last few slides.

37:07 ↗ >> Pretty thorough Dan as usual.

37:09 ↗ >> Thanks Martha. [laughter]

37:11 ↗ Um, yeah. So, a few of these slides you

37:14 ↗ may have seen because these are borrowed

37:15 ↗ from as Jeff mentioned, uh, you know,

37:17 ↗ some folks that were with with the park

37:18 ↗ board, you know, a year and a half or so

37:20 ↗ ago, shortly after I came on, we had two

37:22 ↗ great interns that did a lot of work

37:23 ↗ capturing photos, capturing measurements

37:25 ↗ of our, uh, 25 or so current heritage

37:28 ↗ trees, but really just want to talk

37:29 ↗ that, you know, this is not an Isqua

37:31 ↗ specific program. These programs exist

37:32 ↗ in a lot of cities across the country,

37:34 ↗ even across the across the globe. Um,

37:37 ↗ really recognizing, you know, trees for

37:38 ↗ their significance in the community. So

37:40 ↗ that's celebrating, educating around

37:43 ↗ unique trees, trying to get people

37:44 ↗ inspired to connect with, learn about,

37:47 ↗ and hopefully care for some of these

37:48 ↗ broader efforts that we've been talking

37:50 ↗ about here for the first part of the

37:51 ↗ conversation. Um, so the program was

37:53 ↗ developed initially in 2005. I believe

37:55 ↗ it was to celebrate the 10-year

37:57 ↗ anniversary of our Tree City USA status,

37:59 ↗ which is a uh a recognition from the

38:01 ↗ Arbor Day Foundation that we've had for

38:03 ↗ now 30 or so years running. Um, and like

38:07 ↗ I said, yeah, trees that promote

38:08 ↗ identification and recognition of trees

38:10 ↗ that have that unique character of is

38:11 ↗ aqua. Pretty vague, but at the same

38:14 ↗ time, we have some criteria for that

38:15 ↗ that we'll have in a new slide here.

38:17 ↗ But, uh, we initiated a review, an

38:19 ↗ update of the heritage tree program at

38:21 ↗ the park board that stalled a little

38:22 ↗ bit, kind of focused on trying to

38:24 ↗ complete adopt the forest management

38:25 ↗ plan. And now, as Jeff said, this is

38:27 ↗ kind of a little tease preview before

38:28 ↗ maybe diving into this a little bit more

38:30 ↗ deeper in November. Um, next slide,

38:32 ↗ please Robin.

38:37 ↗ So, this is just one example. This can

38:38 ↗ be really quick, but this is the GKO

38:40 ↗ tree uh near if you know Coffee Sutra or

38:43 ↗ the dollar store um kind of in the mall

38:45 ↗ there across from I guess Kitty Corner

38:47 ↗ to the library there at Front Street in

38:49 ↗ Sunset. This is a this is a great tree.

38:51 ↗ It's not gigantic as far as a ginko tree

38:53 ↗ it is, but it is a tree that's probably

38:55 ↗ over a hundred years old. It was planted

38:57 ↗ by Isiqua's first mayor, uh Doc Gibson.

39:00 ↗ Um,

39:01 ↗ and uh, yeah, so it has both the

39:03 ↗ history, even though the diameter of it

39:04 ↗ is only about 3 feet and a lot of our

39:06 ↗ trees are a lot bigger than that, but

39:07 ↗ this is not necessarily a fig tree

39:09 ↗ program. That's kind of where we're

39:10 ↗ talking about the heritage. Um, and

39:12 ↗ yeah, so to have that kind of story,

39:13 ↗ working with the history museum on some

39:15 ↗ of these stories, if you all, some of

39:16 ↗ you might know Paul Winterstein, the

39:17 ↗ director there. We've led some kind of

39:20 ↗ uh, both natural cultural history tours,

39:22 ↗ kind of weaving heritage trees with

39:24 ↗ stories of the early uh, you know, kind

39:26 ↗ of at least European settlers. You know,

39:28 ↗ we'll talk a little bit here about

39:29 ↗ obviously uh indigenous or Native

39:31 ↗ American history and kind of their uh

39:33 ↗ huge significance of place on the

39:35 ↗ landscape in what is now is aqua, but

39:37 ↗ this is a great example of, you know, a

39:38 ↗ tree that has that history prominent

39:40 ↗ location. It it's technically on private

39:42 ↗ property, so the trees are a mix of

39:43 ↗ publicly and privately owned trees. Um

39:46 ↗ but just, you know, we have so we have

39:47 ↗ slides for all the trees like this, but

39:49 ↗ I just figured I'd put one in there for

39:50 ↗ just kind of an example. And I believe

39:52 ↗ this was actually one of the first

39:53 ↗ nominated and um selected for the

39:55 ↗ program in 2005.

39:58 ↗ Um

40:00 ↗ so just this is a really quick

40:01 ↗ reiteration of the park board role uh at

40:03 ↗ least currently and we don't see this

40:05 ↗ changing dramatically. I think there's

40:06 ↗ going to be some more nuance process

40:08 ↗ type stuff that we'll discuss more in

40:10 ↗ November. But um this is also a I don't

40:12 ↗ see a little higher level reminder

40:14 ↗ outside of heritage trees. The park the

40:15 ↗ park board does serve as our tree board

40:17 ↗ too. And if there's interest, we've had

40:20 ↗ a few fits and starts and I certainly

40:21 ↗ can be more uh committed or be provided

40:24 ↗ more opportunities for like even like an

40:25 ↗ ad hoc committee that talks about tree

40:27 ↗ stuff as a subset of the park board.

40:29 ↗ Brad Book who's no longer a member. Him

40:31 ↗ and I have met on some of that stuff

40:32 ↗ recently. Gosh, I feel like David maybe

40:35 ↗ has been involved that a little bit too.

40:36 ↗ Zach when he was on the board u have

40:39 ↗ been folks that have you know really

40:40 ↗ kind of been a good sounding board as we

40:42 ↗ kind of work this stuff through and

40:43 ↗ bring it back to the the full park board

40:45 ↗ for actual you know decisions on on some

40:47 ↗ uh the programmatic elements. Um so so

40:50 ↗ that is a good reminder that you know as

40:51 ↗ part of that Trees USA uh designation

40:53 ↗ that we do need to have a tree board and

40:55 ↗ you know that is the park board and

40:56 ↗ there's a lot of cities that have uh

40:58 ↗ similar boards and commissions that will

40:59 ↗ serve kind of multiple roles uh maybe

41:02 ↗ not a specifically designated tree board

41:04 ↗ but like a park board that also carries

41:06 ↗ that responsibility. So I figured that's

41:08 ↗ worth mentioning because [snorts] maybe

41:09 ↗ a lot of folks aren't aware of that. Um,

41:11 ↗ and then kind of coming back to heritage

41:12 ↗ trees, it's it's reviewing and

41:14 ↗ recommending uh usually coming from me,

41:17 ↗ coming through citizens first, of

41:18 ↗ course. So, we're not asking you just to

41:20 ↗ you know, select them out of thin air.

41:21 ↗ Uh, but ultimately the boards uh does

41:24 ↗ move forward those nominations to the

41:25 ↗ mayor for a mayoral proclamation and

41:27 ↗ that's ultimately how they get uh you

41:29 ↗ know uh officially adopted into the

41:31 ↗ heritage tree program. So, I have a

41:33 ↗ slide here and a couple that that is

41:34 ↗ kind of a flow graph for kind of that

41:36 ↗ process. But those are two just good

41:38 ↗ high level reminders. It's kind of

41:39 ↗ parkboard rule as it relates to trees

41:41 ↗ and and heritage tree program

41:42 ↗ specifically. That's one of our uh the

41:45 ↗ last slide was one of sorry Robin just

41:46 ↗ to say that's one of our uh that's our

41:48 ↗ native dairy oak kind of right near the

41:50 ↗ fish hatch trees. So that tree that

41:51 ↗ almost looks like upright the football

41:53 ↗ field goal there is is a uh is a

41:56 ↗ beautiful Oregon white oak which we

41:58 ↗ don't have a lot of in Isiqua. Um

42:02 ↗ >> how many heritage trees do we have? I

42:04 ↗ [snorts] I so I think technically it's

42:06 ↗ like 26 or 27. Several of them several

42:08 ↗ by that I think about three are dead but

42:11 ↗ still remnants of them. Like we have a

42:13 ↗ giant cotton wood on the Pickering Reach

42:15 ↗ that just kind of now lays down like

42:16 ↗ this but that was probably a 5ft

42:18 ↗ diameter tree that came down at the

42:19 ↗ storm some point in the last couple

42:21 ↗ decades. We have a cherry tree also near

42:22 ↗ the Pickering Bar that stands as a snag.

42:24 ↗ So essentially a a deadstanding tree. So

42:27 ↗ still provides habitat. It looks kind of

42:29 ↗ cool, but yeah, there's a few trees that

42:31 ↗ are not technically living that are

42:32 ↗ still posted and you can still find

42:34 ↗ them, but it feels a little different

42:36 ↗ than obviously uh uh living trees like

42:38 ↗ these three buro trees that are in the

42:40 ↗ Sycamore neighborhood on private

42:41 ↗ property that were probably planted by

42:43 ↗ really really early uh is residents. Um

42:45 ↗ so yeah, it's it's in the mid-upper 20s,

42:47 ↗ I should say. Yes, this program started

42:49 ↗ in 2005, had pretty consistent

42:50 ↗ nominations and selections through about

42:52 ↗ 2012 and has been pretty dormant for the

42:54 ↗ last decade plus. So in that seven or

42:57 ↗ eight year period

42:59 ↗ early on is something we'll discuss

43:00 ↗ maybe a little bit tonight but certainly

43:01 ↗ November is the number of trees to

43:03 ↗ nominate. We did have a restriction of

43:05 ↗ three just not to let this turn into

43:06 ↗ just like oh every tree we think is cool

43:08 ↗ we want to put in this program. Uh so

43:10 ↗ yeah at 8 years about three or so yeah

43:12 ↗ it's it's in the mid20s um is is kind of

43:14 ↗ where we're at. So,

43:15 ↗ >> another important part of this review is

43:17 ↗ going to be as we learn, you know, in

43:18 ↗ that seven-year period where those

43:20 ↗ nominations were coming in, 95% of those

43:23 ↗ nominations were by one city staff

43:25 ↗ person. So, so it it wasn't a didn't

43:29 ↗ feel like a program that was

43:32 ↗ out there and something that residents

43:34 ↗ felt like they could be part of

43:36 ↗ nominations. So, we would like to

43:38 ↗ improve that as part of this. So I think

43:40 ↗ process

43:41 ↗ >> the goal is a few process updates for

43:43 ↗ yes the nomination selection but then a

43:45 ↗ big part of it will be hey let's roll

43:46 ↗ this out in 2026 as a goal and how do we

43:49 ↗ better get that word out better get

43:51 ↗ people I've had a few people contact me

43:52 ↗ in the meantime which has been great.

43:53 ↗ We've done some really nice updates to

43:55 ↗ our website to make it look more visual

43:56 ↗ versus this kind of bulleted list that

43:58 ↗ used to exist. Um, but yeah, engaging

44:01 ↗ the public, trying to get them excited

44:03 ↗ about this is is definitely a big part.

44:04 ↗ And we kind of want to use some of our

44:06 ↗ big events like Arbor Day,

44:07 ↗ sustainability fair in the spring to

44:08 ↗ really kind of advertise that, kind of

44:10 ↗ have nominations. I'll come back to

44:11 ↗ that. That's in a slide here. I do not

44:13 ↗ need to be saying this all right now.

44:14 ↗ Um, so this is uh I guess kind of

44:17 ↗ discussions we had uh with the park

44:18 ↗ board in the past. Uh, and by that, you

44:21 ↗ know, about a year and a half or so ago.

44:23 ↗ Um, you know, one thing that we're

44:25 ↗ really missing is any acknowledgement of

44:26 ↗ tribal history in this program. And

44:28 ↗ we'll see on the next slide how it talks

44:29 ↗ about like early Isqua settlers. I mean

44:31 ↗ that's still a really interesting

44:33 ↗ important part of the the history here.

44:36 ↗ But it does kind of talk about this

44:37 ↗ place being like 1880s on. And so

44:40 ↗ culturally modified trees if people

44:41 ↗ aren't aware of are trees that were

44:43 ↗ modified by cultural practices by

44:45 ↗ indigenous people. Sometimes I was

44:46 ↗ peeling cedar bark for products.

44:48 ↗ Sometimes I was manipulating branches of

44:50 ↗ trees for wayinding and route finding.

44:52 ↗ And the more I've kind of learned and

44:54 ↗ talked mainly with staff at the Noami

44:56 ↗ Indian tribe is that it's not even

44:57 ↗ necessarily the tree itself, even though

44:59 ↗ those trees are likely pretty old

45:01 ↗ because these practices maybe haven't

45:02 ↗ been happening as recently. These trees

45:05 ↗ might be cedar trees that are 75 to 100

45:07 ↗ years old. Um, but just really what it

45:09 ↗ signifies for place and significance for

45:11 ↗ those families and those tribes. So,

45:14 ↗ culturally modified trees. When we

45:15 ↗ started this conversation, there was a

45:16 ↗ lot of interest like yes, let's include

45:18 ↗ this in heritage trees. this is a great

45:19 ↗ great opportunity to acknowledge and

45:21 ↗ kind of celebrate indigenous history.

45:23 ↗ Um, but the more I've kind of worked

45:25 ↗ with them, they would like to see

45:27 ↗ highlevel education around essentially

45:30 ↗ the concept of what uh culturally

45:31 ↗ modified trees are. But they are a

45:33 ↗ little worried about having individual

45:35 ↗ trees in a publicly available database

45:37 ↗ as it relates to you know ne negative

45:39 ↗ side be vandalism or or or actually

45:41 ↗ destruction of trees and the other side

45:43 ↗ would be just too much curiosity too

45:45 ↗ much kind of loving to death and you

45:47 ↗ know people trampling in areas where

45:49 ↗ there might not be good trail access or

45:50 ↗ sustainable access. Uh so so the the

45:53 ↗ really the strong messages we've had in

45:54 ↗ the last year and a half since this

45:55 ↗ conversation is we want to work together

45:57 ↗ on education really at a high level but

45:59 ↗ not at an individual tree level. So, we

46:02 ↗ still want to weave this into the

46:03 ↗ program details, but it will not be

46:05 ↗ likely that there'll be actually CMTs uh

46:08 ↗ nominated and selected as heritage trees

46:10 ↗ and and very much wanting to respect and

46:13 ↗ uh work with the tribes on that. So, uh

46:15 ↗ tree code clarifications as we talked

46:17 ↗ about title 18, there is a there's a

46:21 ↗ small added uh protection for heritage

46:23 ↗ trees once they reach that status. And

46:25 ↗ this was some confusion and we were kind

46:27 ↗ of working through the 2023 updates as

46:29 ↗ this was being presented. Um so

46:32 ↗ essentially heritage trees if they are a

46:34 ↗ nuisance tree if they are dead disease

46:36 ↗ dying provide a hazard to homes people

46:39 ↗ you know valuable targets um they can be

46:41 ↗ removed but essentially you know as part

46:43 ↗ of uh development projects they do have

46:46 ↗ some added protection in there. So

46:47 ↗ that's something that we've been trying

46:49 ↗ to work through is if you have a

46:50 ↗ heritage tree designated on private

46:52 ↗ property, it does limit a little bit

46:53 ↗ what you can necessarily do directly

46:55 ↗ around and with that tree. Uh so how do

46:57 ↗ we, you know, incentivize people to join

47:00 ↗ this program? Recognition, plaques, you

47:02 ↗ know, education, you know, kind of

47:03 ↗ celebration of those trees that are on

47:05 ↗ private property, knowing that, you

47:06 ↗ know, that person is taking a little bit

47:08 ↗ of a uh you know, trade-off on their

47:10 ↗ land there in terms of, you know, having

47:12 ↗ that tree a little additional protection

47:14 ↗ from, you know, let's say development or

47:15 ↗ redevelopment of that property. So, so

47:17 ↗ land owners kind of need to know that

47:18 ↗ going in. That's part of the education.

47:20 ↗ Something that was kind of confusing

47:22 ↗ when I first started is like is that

47:23 ↗ deed down? And that's been really clear

47:25 ↗ that, you know, you sign off on that as

47:27 ↗ a land owner, but as soon as you want to

47:28 ↗ sell your home or sell your property or

47:30 ↗ something like that, the new owner would

47:32 ↗ have to then, you know, essentially kind

47:33 ↗ of sign off to continue that program.

47:35 ↗ So, it's not something that is like in

47:36 ↗ perpetuity necessarily. So, that's

47:39 ↗ something that we've clarified. But

47:40 ↗ it's, you know, essentially the the tree

47:42 ↗ preservation's there to to do that and

47:43 ↗ heritage trees is really there kind of

47:45 ↗ as that, like I said, education

47:46 ↗ celebration. Um, but there is, like I

47:48 ↗ said, a little added uh protection

47:50 ↗ around development projects in heritage

47:52 ↗ trees in our current tree code. Um, so

47:55 ↗ that's something that was a little

47:56 ↗ unclear as that was being developed, but

47:57 ↗ has has been kind of um something that

47:59 ↗ I've been able to work with our

48:00 ↗ community planning department to just

48:01 ↗ get that clarity on and what that means,

48:03 ↗ you know, from it's not deed on the

48:05 ↗ property or anything like that. The city

48:07 ↗ can't do that. Um uh so that is

48:09 ↗ essentially a a owner's decision to have

48:11 ↗ that uh you know nominated and and and

48:13 ↗ carry that um carry that tree on their

48:16 ↗ property with that designation. Uh

48:18 ↗ mentioned the website updates uh so

48:19 ↗ that's just kind of graphically visually

48:21 ↗ looks a lot better than it did. We

48:23 ↗ didn't really have any photos initially

48:25 ↗ uh tour as I mentioned with the history

48:26 ↗ museum and then you know kind of this

48:28 ↗ conversation of you know limited

48:29 ↗ individual trees being nominated

48:31 ↗ historically is there and this is kind

48:33 ↗ of a little bit of a just pun we do not

48:35 ↗ certainly need to use this or do this at

48:37 ↗ all but like groves of trees or stand of

48:39 ↗ trees. Do we want to have maybe a

48:41 ↗ parallel process that doesn't maybe have

48:43 ↗ that same uh added level of protection

48:46 ↗ necessarily but still recognize

48:48 ↗ celebrates educates around unique groves

48:50 ↗ or collections of trees? Um, and I have

48:52 ↗ some ideas of what those could look

48:53 ↗ like, but that's part of the kind of

48:55 ↗ conversation a little bit starting

48:56 ↗ tonight and then certainly uh moving

48:58 ↗ forward in November two. Um, so I'll try

49:01 ↗ to go I think I have two or three more

49:03 ↗ slides I'll try to go through kind of

49:04 ↗ quickly, but that's kind of recapping.

49:05 ↗ This is essentially what the process

49:07 ↗ looks like right now on our website.

49:08 ↗ This is kind of out of date having an

49:10 ↗ online form, but it's looking at size or

49:12 ↗ age, historic significance, ecological

49:14 ↗ value. I'll say really quickly, historic

49:16 ↗ significance, a tree that's notable

49:17 ↗ because of its association with early

49:19 ↗ settlers of the region or historic

49:20 ↗ events. So that's where we're saying,

49:21 ↗ you know, tribal history, stuff like

49:23 ↗ that. We want to better weave in there

49:25 ↗ with what is kind of the current uh

49:27 ↗ historical significance description. And

49:29 ↗ then it's kind of talking about how you

49:30 ↗ can nominate, you know, there's an

49:32 ↗ approval process for the the land owner.

49:34 ↗ Um, and then kind of what the heritage

49:36 ↗ tree status looks like. So this this is

49:38 ↗ out of date, but this is, you know,

49:39 ↗ essentially what currently exists. So

49:41 ↗ Ron, if you hop to the next one,

49:43 ↗ >> that being the brochure sort of confirms

49:46 ↗ it's time to do a little repression

49:48 ↗ update. time. So that yes, um this this

49:52 ↗ is, you know, essentially what I just

49:53 ↗ kind of called out looking at specimens

49:55 ↗ for the size of trees. But I've had some

49:57 ↗ really good feedback just talking to

49:58 ↗ Brad Book recently, other folks. It's

50:00 ↗ like this shouldn't be purely a big tree

50:01 ↗ program. We should be celebrating older

50:03 ↗ trees that might not get to that size or

50:05 ↗ trees that have, you know, maybe

50:07 ↗ importance in ecological settings. Like

50:09 ↗ I can think of cottonwood trees that

50:10 ↗ bald eagles nest in annually near the

50:12 ↗ farmers market. They may not be that

50:13 ↗ different than other cottonwood trees,

50:15 ↗ but that kind of gets to the ecological

50:16 ↗ value one there. Um, so, uh, this is

50:20 ↗ essentially just kind of focusing in on

50:21 ↗ those three existing categories for

50:23 ↗ nominations, which open a conversation.

50:25 ↗ You know, this is pretty typical for a

50:27 ↗ lot of these programs. I think we're not

50:29 ↗ necessarily looking at creating new

50:30 ↗ categories, but we could have that

50:32 ↗ conversation. But it's like how do we

50:33 ↗ kind of tweak, update, and and adjust

50:35 ↗ these a little bit for the program here.

50:37 ↗ Um, and then I think this is the last

50:39 ↗ kind of slide of content next. Um this

50:42 ↗ is this is essentially kind of what we

50:44 ↗ had started to propose for a process is

50:46 ↗ you know having spring kind of outreach

50:48 ↗ arbor event sustainability which is

50:50 ↗ usually sustainability fair in April. So

50:53 ↗ having about a three-month roll out

50:54 ↗ April May June where we're you know

50:56 ↗ really trying to you know encourage a

50:58 ↗ community to submit nominations

51:00 ↗ something that I would review kind of

51:01 ↗ initially put together little reports do

51:03 ↗ tree health assessments you know if

51:04 ↗ trees are on their last legs maybe

51:05 ↗ that's not the appropriate tree for

51:07 ↗ heritage tree program. um you know, kind

51:09 ↗ of working with Jeff on director level

51:11 ↗ approval for public trees, but for

51:13 ↗ private trees, that would obviously be

51:14 ↗ the homeowner. I mean, someone can

51:16 ↗ nominate a tree on someone else's

51:17 ↗ private property, but it needs to be

51:18 ↗ signed off on by that land owner. Um, so

51:21 ↗ that's kind of the blue bubble to the

51:22 ↗ side there. coming back to the park

51:23 ↗ board in September with a presentation.

51:26 ↗ The number of three, we can talk about

51:27 ↗ that, but you know, we're maybe looking

51:29 ↗ at still keeping this a little bit

51:30 ↗ selective in terms of how many

51:32 ↗ nominations move forward to approve

51:33 ↗ trees to a fall council meeting where

51:35 ↗ the mayor declares the uh, you know,

51:37 ↗ heritage tree status and then it goes to

51:39 ↗ the, you know, project map website and

51:41 ↗ that really, you know, how do we build

51:43 ↗ the public facing, the outreach, you

51:44 ↗ know, the programs, little plaques,

51:46 ↗ little identifiers, things like that

51:48 ↗ that, you know, people can, you know,

51:49 ↗ walk through. The best email I got

51:51 ↗ recently was from a mom whose

51:53 ↗ seven-year-old daughter, seven-year-old

51:54 ↗ daughter loves trees and asked to have

51:56 ↗ like Matt more details when they want to

51:58 ↗ visit all the heritage trees. And like

52:00 ↗ unless you know that they're designated

52:02 ↗ or go to our website and have heard

52:04 ↗ presentations like this, like you might

52:05 ↗ see a tree and not know that it's part

52:06 ↗ of this program. And to me that was just

52:08 ↗ really awesome for something that is a

52:10 ↗ bit dormant to have someone reach out,

52:11 ↗ try to get more information and just

52:13 ↗ say, "Hey, my my young kid really wants

52:14 ↗ to see all his heritage trees." So to me

52:16 ↗ it's like how do we how do we get more

52:18 ↗ of that out of this program. Um so

52:20 ↗ that's that's essentially not something

52:22 ↗ we're asking to vote on. We can

52:23 ↗ certainly discuss it a little bit as you

52:25 ↗ all want to tonight but I think Robin

52:27 ↗ the next slide kind of addresses some

52:29 ↗ questions kind of related to process

52:30 ↗ some kind of higher level questions and

52:32 ↗ essentially this is the end of the

52:33 ↗ presentation and and up to you all how

52:34 ↗ much you really want to dive into this

52:35 ↗ right now versus kind of knowing that

52:37 ↗ this is going to be the uh you know kind

52:39 ↗ of focus of the November meeting. But um

52:41 ↗ you know kind of talking about that

52:42 ↗ process on the last slide which you can

52:44 ↗ always go back to. How do we continue to

52:46 ↗ publicize this program once we kind of

52:48 ↗ you know kind of settle in on some

52:49 ↗ updates to the process? Um how do we

52:51 ↗ communicate the intent of the program

52:53 ↗ around education celebration community

52:56 ↗ engagement? Um and then kind of this

52:58 ↗ separate category distinction. You know

53:00 ↗ what what do we do for stands of trees

53:02 ↗ of trees? Um for instance those are

53:05 ↗ three Douglas furs at lower hillside

53:07 ↗ cemetery that are each uh nominated

53:09 ↗ individually. So that's not considered a

53:10 ↗ stand. Those are three standalone

53:12 ↗ heritage trees that just happen to be

53:14 ↗ part of a a grove there in the cemetery.

53:16 ↗ So I'll stop there and see if anyone has

53:19 ↗ any thoughts or just kind of general

53:20 ↗ questions and and also knowing that yes,

53:22 ↗ this is kind of the starting point of

53:23 ↗ this and and really trying to come back

53:25 ↗ to this with a bit more depth and detail

53:27 ↗ in in November.

53:30 ↗ this now be an appropriate time to kind

53:32 ↗ of address the question that was

53:34 ↗ presented by uh Connie because you know

53:37 ↗ one one this is what we're talking about

53:40 ↗ and she just has a a a question about um

53:43 ↗ whether a community member can nominate

53:45 ↗ a publiclyowned tree without specific

53:49 ↗ authorization by the city. So I think do

53:52 ↗ you want to go ahead what Conniey's

53:55 ↗ asking I think the crux of Conniey's

53:56 ↗ question is so so yes anyone can

53:59 ↗ nominate a tree but then who has

54:02 ↗ authority to approve that nomination to

54:04 ↗ move forward through a review through

54:06 ↗ myself the park board and ultimately to

54:08 ↗ the mayor. So I think that's where

54:10 ↗ Connie would like to see more

54:13 ↗ ownership of the community. you know,

54:14 ↗ her kind of philosophy is these are

54:17 ↗ publicly owned and managed trees, but

54:19 ↗ also there's a lot of us that are

54:21 ↗ thinking through a lot of considerations

54:22 ↗ of public use and park use and, you

54:24 ↗ know, kind of wanting to make sure that

54:27 ↗ um both they fit the intent of the

54:29 ↗ program and, you know, as we talk about,

54:31 ↗ you know, Tibbitz Valley Park because

54:34 ↗ where this came up is, you know, kind of

54:35 ↗ what implications designation would have

54:38 ↗ for like say future park use and

54:39 ↗ development too. So, um, so yes. So, so

54:42 ↗ to to answer the question, and that's

54:44 ↗ what she was kind of challenging when

54:45 ↗ she did this a while ago and in her

54:47 ↗ email was that, you know, nominating

54:49 ↗ it's one thing, but then I think she

54:50 ↗ would like to see that just kind of go

54:52 ↗ straight through the review approval

54:53 ↗ process with the park board and not

54:54 ↗ necessarily [snorts] be something that

54:56 ↗ either Jeff's signing off on, I'm

54:58 ↗ signing off on. I think that's kind of

55:00 ↗ the crux of what she's

55:04 ↗ >> just going to, you know, going back to

55:06 ↗ her email. So she was saying that um her

55:08 ↗ applications for those tweets were

55:10 ↗ rejected and and was there like I I

55:14 ↗ don't remember we was something we

55:16 ↗ discuss as a

55:18 ↗ >> Yeah, we did we did discuss it. We did

55:20 ↗ discuss it. Um and absolutely I I think

55:22 ↗ she brings up a great question. Um I

55:25 ↗ think as we review this process, we

55:27 ↗ absolutely want to encourage more

55:30 ↗ community involvement. We want residents

55:32 ↗ to submit nominations. We don't want it

55:34 ↗ to be like it was for the first seven

55:37 ↗ years of really just being one a single

55:40 ↗ staff person doing this. Um so we very

55:43 ↗ much want to invite that. Um I would say

55:45 ↗ we very much as a department echo the

55:48 ↗ sentiment that we we're stewards of your

55:50 ↗ park system. This isn't our park system.

55:53 ↗ Um, I think where we would want to

55:56 ↗ clarify and play a role and and think

55:58 ↗ it's important that if it is a

56:01 ↗ nomination on a city park or city

56:04 ↗ property, it's not that we're trying to

56:06 ↗ control the nomination. We want to

56:09 ↗ inform you. uh we want, you know, to

56:12 ↗ have an urban forest supervisor and a

56:15 ↗ park planning manager have a chance to

56:17 ↗ say, "Hey, here's something on the park

56:20 ↗ CIP that we need to be thinking of with

56:22 ↗ this nomination. Hey, here's the

56:25 ↗ condition of that tree. It's in its last

56:28 ↗ five years of life or, you know, to to

56:31 ↗ be able to bring that information to you

56:34 ↗ um to to think about." So much like that

56:36 ↗ nomination, we didn't we didn't keep

56:38 ↗ that nomination from we we had that

56:41 ↗ conversation and said, "Hey, the the you

56:43 ↗ know what Connie was suggesting, I think

56:45 ↗ it's a very valuable collection of trees

56:48 ↗ um is all of the London pines um that

56:51 ↗ line Titz Valley Park, a really

56:53 ↗ prominent stand of trees. Um ultimately,

56:57 ↗ and it kind of leads to the discussion

56:59 ↗ is we didn't move forward with

57:01 ↗ recommending it because we didn't have a

57:03 ↗ way of

57:05 ↗ nominating a whole stand of trees. Um

57:08 ↗ that that's not something that's in the

57:10 ↗ program. And so um not to make an excuse

57:14 ↗ for it, but I guess just responding that

57:17 ↗ um

57:19 ↗ I don't think we're in a place of much

57:20 ↗ difference with Connie. We would agree

57:24 ↗ uh that we want community-led

57:26 ↗ nominations. We think vetting them is

57:29 ↗ important. We want to vet them. We don't

57:31 ↗ want to hide them from you. Hey, here's

57:33 ↗ all the nominations we received. Here's

57:35 ↗ our position or here's here's what's

57:38 ↗ happening within that park or may be

57:40 ↗ happening within that park. Here's the

57:42 ↗ condition of that tree. We want to be

57:44 ↗ able to inform you.

57:46 ↗ >> So, go so going forward. I mean, I guess

57:49 ↗ is that still in the conversation for

57:51 ↗ her to renominate those or I guess I I

57:54 ↗ like have we decided that because we

57:57 ↗ don't have a way to for a person to

58:01 ↗ nominate those many trees that we're not

58:04 ↗ doing it or I guess just like to to ask

58:06 ↗ her questions like okay, how do we move

58:08 ↗ forward to kind of get kind of a balance

58:11 ↗ to answer what she's asking for? Yeah,

58:13 ↗ we'd either need to dramatically expand

58:16 ↗ the number of nominees per year um

58:18 ↗ because there's probably 30 to 40 London

58:21 ↗ plane trees along that stretch of um

58:24 ↗ Newport and then it wraps around I

58:26 ↗ believe that's 12th Avenue there too. Um

58:28 ↗ that's where we kind of proposing there

58:30 ↗ are other cities that do you know kind

58:32 ↗ of groves of trees and then yeah what is

58:34 ↗ the level of is that does that get the

58:36 ↗ same you know development protection or

58:38 ↗ is that just purely an educational uh

58:41 ↗ way to celebrate these kind of unique

58:43 ↗ collections or stands of trees. So

58:45 ↗ that's that's I think where the last um

58:47 ↗ question or bullet point there is

58:48 ↗ getting at um are these kind of parallel

58:50 ↗ processes where yeah they're not maybe

58:52 ↗ technically designated heritage trees

58:53 ↗ but we're still kind of celebrating and

58:55 ↗ kind of um putting that out there and

58:57 ↗ then um yeah because if if not you know

59:00 ↗ if we're going the the uh you know kind

59:02 ↗ of adjusting the number I mean that that

59:04 ↗ pretty dramatically alters the program

59:06 ↗ but you know that's something too that's

59:09 ↗ certainly up for conversation but would

59:11 ↗ love discussion tonight like you said I

59:13 ↗ think November is we start bringing

59:15 ↗ together a draft. We're not expecting to

59:17 ↗ bring a draft in November and have you

59:20 ↗ adopt it. Much like our typical process,

59:22 ↗ we'd love to bring a draft, discuss it,

59:25 ↗ vet it, get your thoughts uh before

59:27 ↗ we're taking any sort of final action on

59:29 ↗ it. But as Dan said, um we we want to

59:32 ↗ put our heads together and then present

59:34 ↗ something to you and discuss with you

59:36 ↗ what how do we deal with these stands of

59:38 ↗ trees and groves of trees versus

59:41 ↗ individual trees. Yeah. Yeah. So, more

59:44 ↗ to come.

59:46 ↗ >> Yeah.

59:48 ↗ >> Hi Anna.

59:50 ↗ >> Hey guys. Um,

59:53 ↗ one of my questions and this is moving

59:54 ↗ off of the Grove question and kind of

59:57 ↗ the process and more about kind of

59:59 ↗ looking at the questions that are on the

1:00:03 ↗ slide and just something that came up in

1:00:05 ↗ my mind. um as part of the nomination

1:00:09 ↗ process and part of these heritage

1:00:11 ↗ trees, do they get named right like do

1:00:15 ↗ we do we say this is you know I I can't

1:00:19 ↗ think of a name of a tree right now

1:00:21 ↗ because my brain is not totally there

1:00:24 ↗ but do they do they get special names as

1:00:26 ↗ a way to kind of help for example

1:00:28 ↗ children relate to them right to kind of

1:00:31 ↗ um give them an identity that's really

1:00:34 ↗ relatable and Um, I don't know. I I

1:00:38 ↗ think that would help with with this

1:00:40 ↗ intent and also with the connection with

1:00:42 ↗ the community, but uh also kind of a

1:00:45 ↗ side question.

1:00:46 ↗ >> That's a great that's an awesome

1:00:47 ↗ question. I think that's exactly how how

1:00:49 ↗ do we make this more engaging? How do we

1:00:51 ↗ celebrate this more? How do we So, so to

1:00:53 ↗ answer your question, it's it's no right

1:00:54 ↗ now it's it's very much the the the

1:00:57 ↗ common names are given to them. Douglas

1:00:59 ↗ fur, you know, giant sequoia, you know,

1:01:02 ↗ large leaf magnolia, uh, you know, some

1:01:04 ↗ of the different different ones we have

1:01:06 ↗ in our program. So, they're they're very

1:01:07 ↗ much through the kind of botanical just,

1:01:09 ↗ you know, naming conventions. But, um, I

1:01:12 ↗ think that's really really cool. It

1:01:13 ↗ could be a great way that, you know, we

1:01:15 ↗ could promote them and yeah, especially

1:01:17 ↗ talking about youth education and

1:01:18 ↗ engagement, too. And maybe there's even

1:01:20 ↗ a process where people can give [snorts]

1:01:21 ↗ them. I It's funny you say that because

1:01:23 ↗ often when we're planting little trees

1:01:25 ↗ with kids, it's like, "Hey, name the

1:01:26 ↗ tree." and we get some of the silliest

1:01:27 ↗ fun answers, but it's a great way to

1:01:29 ↗ kind of feel ownership of like, hey, I I

1:01:31 ↗ am planting this. I am, you know,

1:01:32 ↗ hopefully giving this tree decades or

1:01:35 ↗ even centuries of life. And uh um so

1:01:37 ↗ yeah, some of the some of the kind of

1:01:39 ↗ names we come up with are really really

1:01:40 ↗ fun. But that's that's a great

1:01:41 ↗ suggestion. I think kind of sort of

1:01:43 ↗ talking about this two-part. Yeah. Where

1:01:45 ↗ we're really trying to kind of pin down

1:01:46 ↗ the process, pin down some of these

1:01:48 ↗ parameters, and then once we feel good

1:01:50 ↗ moving forward with that, then how do we

1:01:52 ↗ Yeah. continue to make this more

1:01:53 ↗ engaging and and you know kind of fun

1:01:55 ↗ with the public

1:01:56 ↗ >> public facing side map and a tour and

1:01:59 ↗ tours. Yep.

1:02:01 ↗ Oh,

1:02:04 ↗ I mean this is actually just to add to

1:02:06 ↗ Hannah and say that I do think that's a

1:02:08 ↗ really the names or at least just really

1:02:09 ↗ giving them a focus is a very good idea

1:02:11 ↗ and that my experience like I'm uh with

1:02:13 ↗ my kids I'm at the troll all the time

1:02:15 ↗ and I just see people come you know

1:02:18 ↗ they've clearly been doing the maps of

1:02:19 ↗ looking at all the trolls around the PMW

1:02:22 ↗ or whatever and obviously this is not to

1:02:23 ↗ that extent but that having that kind of

1:02:26 ↗ focus that identity that specific thing

1:02:28 ↗ you are after that's really clearly

1:02:30 ↗ marked and has a moment. It really

1:02:32 ↗ works. Kids, adults, everybody really

1:02:35 ↗ loves that. So, I just I think they have

1:02:37 ↗ a name or any other way to really

1:02:39 ↗ identify them, I think is a really good

1:02:40 ↗ idea and really encouraging for this

1:02:42 ↗ program.

1:02:43 ↗ >> Yeah. No, thank you, Paul. I think

1:02:45 ↗ having small someone with a troll.

1:02:46 ↗ There's that rock with the little kind

1:02:48 ↗ of square plate that has the number has

1:02:50 ↗ Jacob two trees, you know, I think

1:02:52 ↗ that'd be a great way. We could we

1:02:53 ↗ could, you know, both have the actual

1:02:55 ↗ plant name or tree name. If we want to

1:02:56 ↗ give it a a personal name and then, you

1:02:58 ↗ know, kind of maybe a, you know, number

1:03:00 ↗ so people want to go collect or visit

1:03:02 ↗ all the heritage trees, at least the

1:03:03 ↗ ones that are truly publicly accessible.

1:03:05 ↗ A few of them are in people's backyards,

1:03:07 ↗ so you have to get permission permission

1:03:08 ↗ and stuff. But, um, I think I think

1:03:11 ↗ that's a great idea. So that's where

1:03:12 ↗ really really looking forward to like

1:03:14 ↗ these, you know, ways to to better

1:03:16 ↗ promote the program once we like said

1:03:17 ↗ kind of kind of finalize some of the the

1:03:20 ↗ process stuff here over hopefully the

1:03:21 ↗ fall and winter with with I'll say my

1:03:23 ↗ personal goal of really trying to kind

1:03:24 ↗ of launch this that kind of type of

1:03:26 ↗ outreach into spring.

1:03:28 ↗ >> Yeah. as your question regarding like

1:03:32 ↗ groves of trees or collections of trees

1:03:33 ↗ or small batch of trees whatever you

1:03:36 ↗ want to call it [cough]

1:03:38 ↗ [clears throat] is I don't think I

1:03:40 ↗ necessarily see an issue with having

1:03:42 ↗ that as a change to the uh to the

1:03:47 ↗ program

1:03:48 ↗ um

1:03:50 ↗ from a standpoint of the sheer number of

1:03:53 ↗ trees um but I think it's still the onus

1:03:57 ↗ or The expectation of the submitter

1:04:00 ↗ would be that you still have to show or

1:04:03 ↗ explain why that entire collection of

1:04:06 ↗ trees meets the criteria or why the

1:04:09 ↗ entire collection of trees should be

1:04:12 ↗ designated heritage versus if you're

1:04:15 ↗ pointing out this is the oldest largest

1:04:18 ↗ specimen or this tree is super unique to

1:04:22 ↗ this area and it or the bald eagles you

1:04:25 ↗ know. Yeah, you know, it's not a tree,

1:04:26 ↗ but the the Timbitz Valley central light

1:04:28 ↗ pole that has, you know,

1:04:32 ↗ seven years in a row or whatever now on

1:04:34 ↗ it. Right? If you could if you could say

1:04:36 ↗ this is why I believe this gro trees is

1:04:40 ↗ significant specimen historical whatever

1:04:42 ↗ then I think that that still fills the

1:04:46 ↗ criteria but it also kind of changes the

1:04:49 ↗ bar for the person submitting of that

1:04:51 ↗ that's a much larger burden of proof

1:04:53 ↗ almost if you will to say that it's not

1:04:56 ↗ just this one tree it is this whole all

1:04:58 ↗ 40 of these trees I'm telling you are

1:05:01 ↗ important

1:05:01 ↗ >> in this way and I think it's But as a

1:05:04 ↗ group, if we were the ones that sit and

1:05:06 ↗ and review those nominations, that's a

1:05:08 ↗ much more burden of proof for us to pick

1:05:11 ↗ if it's three trees or a collection as

1:05:15 ↗ one of your submissions. Yeah.

1:05:16 ↗ >> Is you can easily be like, well, this

1:05:18 ↗ one tree,

1:05:19 ↗ >> you can clearly say XYZ whereas this 40

1:05:22 ↗ trees,

1:05:23 ↗ >> half of them are your end of life or,

1:05:25 ↗ you know, etc. is I think that I don't

1:05:27 ↗ see the problem with the submitt part of

1:05:28 ↗ it. I think it's just that you really

1:05:31 ↗ want to submit something that you feel

1:05:33 ↗ though would fit all those things. It's

1:05:36 ↗ a lot hard to review or hard to

1:05:38 ↗ challenge

1:05:42 ↗ >> on your publicize the program to

1:05:44 ↗ residents. Uh I don't I don't remember

1:05:46 ↗ exactly where it was, but I was in the

1:05:48 ↗ car with my children earlier today and I

1:05:51 ↗ heard you can get a you can it's called

1:05:54 ↗ donating a tree to you. So, wherever

1:05:57 ↗ that sign was, that works great.

1:05:59 ↗ >> For a previous program, they discuss

1:06:02 ↗ >> sign the yard sign because your yard

1:06:04 ↗ sign at a minimum is perfect.

1:06:07 ↗ >> So, even something like that for for a

1:06:09 ↗ heritage tree or something that

1:06:10 ↗ >> is near those hight traffic areas like

1:06:12 ↗ the one

1:06:13 ↗ >> by um uh his squat coffee or whatever.

1:06:17 ↗ >> Yeah. I mean, it could be something you

1:06:18 ↗ have a tree you're proud of or excited

1:06:19 ↗ about, you know, here. Yeah. Yeah. Know

1:06:21 ↗ it can be as simple as that. You're

1:06:22 ↗ right. And actually it's been great to

1:06:23 ↗ see we you know the people that have

1:06:25 ↗ been requesting trees say how they've

1:06:26 ↗ heard he heard about the program and so

1:06:27 ↗ far it's like 50% plus from those yard

1:06:29 ↗ signs.

1:06:31 ↗ >> Yeah.

1:06:33 ↗ >> Thanks Ryan.

1:06:34 ↗ >> Awesome Dan. Thank you. Thank you for

1:06:37 ↗ the presentation. Thanks for your great

1:06:39 ↗ work. Thanks for your feedback

1:06:41 ↗ everybody. Um

1:06:43 ↗ again I you know appreciate the

1:06:46 ↗ discussion. Uh, like we said, we look

1:06:48 ↗ forward from the Heritage Street

1:06:49 ↗ standpoint of of bringing something in

1:06:51 ↗ November so we can really start diving

1:06:54 ↗ into some specifics and look to ideally

1:06:57 ↗ adopt something beginning of next year

1:06:59 ↗ so that we can

1:07:01 ↗ sort of start that first cycle of this

1:07:04 ↗ renewed program uh in the spring.

1:07:08 ↗ >> Awesome. Appreciate it. Thank you

1:07:10 ↗ everyone for taking the time tonight.

1:07:14 ↗ >> Excellent. Yes, as said, thank you very

1:07:16 ↗ much. I do believe our next piece of

1:07:19 ↗ business arts and community services

1:07:21 ↗ summer highlights 2025.

1:07:23 ↗ >> Yeah,

1:07:25 ↗ new Sarah. [laughter]

1:07:28 ↗ [snorts]

1:07:31 ↗ >> Thanks for that, Jeff. Uh Ryan, thank

1:07:33 ↗ you. Um boy, um looking at time, I look

1:07:38 ↗ forward to giving this presentation.

1:07:40 ↗ We'll try not to go uh too long. Um, I

1:07:43 ↗ had the pleasure of uh providing this

1:07:45 ↗ update to city council earlier this

1:07:47 ↗ month on September 2nd. Um, just so

1:07:51 ↗ excited to u do the best I can to give

1:07:54 ↗ an overview of what uh this department

1:07:56 ↗ did this summer. Um, uh, this department

1:08:00 ↗ continues to do amazing work and um, one

1:08:04 ↗ of the the phrases we use a lot in the

1:08:06 ↗ department is, hey, community just

1:08:07 ↗ happened. Hey, community is happening.

1:08:10 ↗ um when we think about our programs,

1:08:11 ↗ when we think about um condition of

1:08:13 ↗ parks, when you see um how spaces are

1:08:16 ↗ being used, when you see how community

1:08:18 ↗ events are happening and um uh just that

1:08:21 ↗ ability and that recognition that we uh

1:08:25 ↗ we can do a lot to help foster community

1:08:28 ↗ um in Isiqua, that's really meaningful

1:08:30 ↗ work to us. And um not to get too sappy,

1:08:34 ↗ but in I think a day and age in a time

1:08:36 ↗ right now when there's so much

1:08:37 ↗ uncertainty internationally, nationally,

1:08:40 ↗ locally, um the more community we can

1:08:42 ↗ foster um in Isiqua, that's um that's

1:08:46 ↗ helpful. So with that, why don't we jump

1:08:50 ↗ in? I kind of did this division by

1:08:51 ↗ division. I'm going to start with the

1:08:53 ↗ divisions you probably are most familiar

1:08:55 ↗ with. So, I'll I'll go relatively quick

1:08:57 ↗ and then uh jump into some of our

1:08:59 ↗ recreation teams that also done some

1:09:01 ↗ great work. Uh you're familiar with a

1:09:03 ↗ lot of this work. Um you were very much

1:09:05 ↗ part of this as we did public engagement

1:09:07 ↗ for Hillside, completed that, cut a

1:09:10 ↗ ribbon. Uh great work by Robin managing

1:09:13 ↗ that project. Um and then lo and behold,

1:09:16 ↗ we also completed pedestrian park and

1:09:18 ↗ senior center plaza. What a a fun event.

1:09:21 ↗ Uh so fun to see the community beginning

1:09:23 ↗ to embrace and just get familiar with

1:09:25 ↗ those uh re-energized spaces. Again, uh

1:09:29 ↗ Robin, outstanding work managing a very

1:09:32 ↗ complex project. Um anytime you do urban

1:09:35 ↗ work, right, Hillside Park was complex.

1:09:38 ↗ Anytime you do work in an urban area,

1:09:40 ↗ it's that much more uh that much more

1:09:42 ↗ complicated. And so uh great work there.

1:09:45 ↗ Um some acquisition news. you know that

1:09:48 ↗ we're um hard at work with an

1:09:50 ↗ acquisition strategy. Um you're familiar

1:09:53 ↗ earlier this spring uh city council

1:09:56 ↗ approved a 17 acre purchase and sale

1:09:58 ↗ agreement um on 17 acres. Um we call it

1:10:02 ↗ called KCARI 3. It was a planned um

1:10:06 ↗ third phase of a development project on

1:10:08 ↗ the uh sort of lower side of Squawk

1:10:11 ↗ Mountain uh just off of uh Sunrise. Um,

1:10:15 ↗ but we received just got news. We

1:10:17 ↗ applied for uh it was a $2.5 million

1:10:20 ↗ acquisition that we're uh set to close

1:10:23 ↗ on next uh early next year. We have uh

1:10:26 ↗ received $2 million in grant funding. Uh

1:10:28 ↗ so again, our strategy of being really

1:10:32 ↗ aggressive with grant funding,

1:10:33 ↗ leveraging our local dollars with grant

1:10:35 ↗ dollars to stretch our acquisitions. Uh

1:10:38 ↗ some some great news, great work there.

1:10:41 ↗ Um and then uh we're estimating we're

1:10:43 ↗ going to be going out to bid um uh next

1:10:46 ↗ week as we uh finalize some of our our

1:10:50 ↗ permanent questions with the dog park

1:10:51 ↗ and look forward to hopefully being

1:10:53 ↗ under construction this uh this fall.

1:11:00 ↗ >> Yeah, park operations. So, our park

1:11:03 ↗ operations team always hard at work

1:11:05 ↗ throughout the year. Summer's an

1:11:07 ↗ incredibly busy time for them.

1:11:09 ↗ uh you often don't see the magnitude of

1:11:12 ↗ their work in in data, but when you look

1:11:14 ↗ at um the acres of turf that this is

1:11:18 ↗ literally a big backyard that that team

1:11:20 ↗ maintains. When you look at 53 acres of

1:11:22 ↗ turf, 7.2 acres of landscaping beds that

1:11:26 ↗ uh we're we're stewarding um again owned

1:11:28 ↗ by all the residents of Isqua and uh

1:11:32 ↗ maintained by that team. Um 13,000 bags

1:11:35 ↗ of trash collected uh year to date. Um,

1:11:39 ↗ we like that data. We like a lot of

1:11:41 ↗ trash. Not that we're big fans of trash,

1:11:43 ↗ but that tells us our parks are being

1:11:44 ↗ used, our trails are being used, our

1:11:46 ↗ public spaces are being used. So, uh,

1:11:48 ↗ really really important. Uh, a lot of

1:11:50 ↗ dog lovers and dog owners in this

1:11:52 ↗ community. When you think of the volume

1:11:54 ↗ of doggy bags that um are our um doggy

1:12:00 ↗ stations go through. Um, over 250 picnic

1:12:03 ↗ shelter rentals. Um, and that's just our

1:12:06 ↗ our shelter rental season, which is the

1:12:09 ↗ summer or basically May through uh

1:12:12 ↗ September. Um, all other times our

1:12:14 ↗ shelters are obviously available for

1:12:16 ↗ anyone to use on a drop in basis. Um,

1:12:19 ↗ Lake Sam State Park. I'll give a little

1:12:21 ↗ bit more detailed update um under the

1:12:24 ↗ director's report, but um we are well on

1:12:26 ↗ our way. We have a signed agreement. Uh

1:12:29 ↗ we've begun maintenance. Uh soccer's

1:12:31 ↗ already begun. cricket pitches have been

1:12:32 ↗ put in and cricket is going to begin uh

1:12:36 ↗ this weekend.

1:12:38 ↗ Uh team has led some tree replacement

1:12:41 ↗ projects both in Central Park.

1:12:43 ↗ Confluence Park was really our first

1:12:45 ↗ step um um to bomb cyclone impacts. Um

1:12:49 ↗ um it might be interesting. I don't know

1:12:51 ↗ if you're you're nerd out on on data,

1:12:54 ↗ but I'd love to bring a map as we've

1:12:56 ↗ mapped the damage of of the bomb

1:12:58 ↗ cyclone. It's fascinating. It's

1:13:01 ↗ literally a strip that went from sort of

1:13:04 ↗ the I90 corridor if you think of all the

1:13:07 ↗ damage on the Sunset Trail Head through

1:13:10 ↗ Confluence Park uh right through

1:13:12 ↗ Newport. It's it's fascinating to see um

1:13:15 ↗ what what where and how that damage sort

1:13:18 ↗ of mapped through town.

1:13:21 ↗ Uh some d some drainage improvements at

1:13:23 ↗ the community center lawn that were well

1:13:24 ↗ appreciated and loved. the upper leftand

1:13:27 ↗ corner just in time for concerts uh

1:13:29 ↗ which ends up becoming uh the dance um

1:13:33 ↗ uh the dance area uh it it held up

1:13:36 ↗ really really well far better than uh it

1:13:38 ↗ has in prior years uh than our just

1:13:41 ↗ annual some annual maintenance of

1:13:43 ↗ playgrounds and etc. So

1:13:46 ↗ hardworking team.

1:13:48 ↗ Next one. Dan really highlighted much of

1:13:50 ↗ this so I I will I will jump past this

1:13:53 ↗ one. really duplicates a lot of what Dan

1:13:55 ↗ and our and our natural resource team

1:13:57 ↗ have done. Again, just um what they're

1:14:00 ↗ leveraging is amazing. Um our human

1:14:03 ↗ services team, a really really important

1:14:05 ↗ part of the department, obviously not

1:14:07 ↗ something we talk a lot about. Um we do

1:14:09 ↗ residually there is a human services

1:14:11 ↗ commission that uh Brenda and Hannah um

1:14:15 ↗ and our behavioral health team work

1:14:17 ↗ really closely with. uh they're doing

1:14:19 ↗ amazing work and and I think the value

1:14:22 ↗ of having human services in our parks

1:14:24 ↗ and community services department is

1:14:27 ↗ those adjacencies um not only to our

1:14:29 ↗ recreation facilities but our parks and

1:14:32 ↗ park ownership um the behavioral health

1:14:34 ↗ and homeless outreach program that we've

1:14:36 ↗ been able to put together um is pretty

1:14:39 ↗ amazing for a town of our size and

1:14:41 ↗ that's thanks to really great work by

1:14:44 ↗ Alex our park ranger by our behavioral

1:14:46 ↗ health staff by some really key

1:14:48 ↗ relationships uh that both of those

1:14:50 ↗ groups have with our um police

1:14:52 ↗ department. Um um some really impactful

1:14:56 ↗ positive work has happened. Doesn't mean

1:14:58 ↗ homelessness is gone. We as a city are

1:15:01 ↗ never going to solve homelessness on our

1:15:03 ↗ own, but I think we really want to

1:15:06 ↗ respond uh to to uh that situation in as

1:15:11 ↗ positive way as we can.

1:15:14 ↗ >> Sorry.

1:15:15 ↗ >> Oh, yeah. Go ahead.

1:15:16 ↗ >> It's all right. I haven't seen the

1:15:17 ↗ picture. How does that roller skating

1:15:19 ↗ thing go?

1:15:20 ↗ >> Is that coming later?

1:15:22 ↗ >> It's coming later, but it's going it's

1:15:24 ↗ going.

1:15:26 ↗ >> Okay.

1:15:26 ↗ >> It's going and it's all good. It's going

1:15:28 ↗ light. It's going It's going great. Gang

1:15:30 ↗ busters. Um that Pickering Barn sign is

1:15:33 ↗ um a community clothing event that our

1:15:35 ↗ human services team did with our again

1:15:38 ↗ adjacencies with the recreation staff to

1:15:41 ↗ house that at Pickering Barn. Um huge

1:15:44 ↗ huge support, huge number of donations

1:15:46 ↗ from residents. Uh another another event

1:15:48 ↗ is going to be coming up this October.

1:15:50 ↗ Um Culture Fest occurred at the

1:15:52 ↗ beginning of September. Um uh doubled

1:15:56 ↗ our our um um participation in that

1:16:00 ↗ event uh this last year. Really becoming

1:16:02 ↗ a great great event that the community

1:16:04 ↗ embraces.

1:16:06 ↗ Arts, another another um group that has

1:16:09 ↗ the arts commission. Uh, I know we've

1:16:11 ↗ had our joint meeting earlier this year.

1:16:13 ↗ Amy Dukes, our arts manager, just does

1:16:15 ↗ an amazing job and such a key part of

1:16:17 ↗ our team. Um um I think what's happened

1:16:20 ↗ at Pedestrian Park is a great example of

1:16:23 ↗ the adjacency of Robin and Amy working

1:16:26 ↗ so closely together and actually

1:16:28 ↗ incorporating art early in a design and

1:16:31 ↗ early in a in a park project of that

1:16:34 ↗ scale. I think has really produced um

1:16:36 ↗ more meaningful art and not just plop

1:16:39 ↗ art that that feels like it just

1:16:41 ↗ suddenly shows up. Uh the upper left is

1:16:44 ↗ an aerial if you haven't been by um um

1:16:48 ↗ the three trails intersection on Gilman.

1:16:50 ↗ Um the the mural has been painted.

1:16:53 ↗ Hopefully you've seen that where now we

1:16:56 ↗ have a consensus with public works on um

1:17:00 ↗ some markings that we're going to have

1:17:01 ↗ on the crossings themselves within the

1:17:04 ↗ rideway. Working with public works um on

1:17:06 ↗ getting that done. Um, but between the

1:17:09 ↗ art and the um the the crossing

1:17:13 ↗ designations, it's really going to make

1:17:15 ↗ a a big big difference and I think

1:17:17 ↗ pedestrians feeling super safe and

1:17:19 ↗ understanding sort of their intuit

1:17:21 ↗ intuitive connections there. Big

1:17:24 ↗ Shakespeare in the park event film

1:17:26 ↗ festival. I don't know if you're any any

1:17:28 ↗ film fans here, but that's become a

1:17:30 ↗ really really great um event. first time

1:17:33 ↗ we partnered with Isqua School District

1:17:35 ↗ and we're able to use the performing

1:17:36 ↗ arts center. That's a partnership we

1:17:38 ↗ want to to further expand so the

1:17:41 ↗ community can have access to that

1:17:43 ↗ performing arts center.

1:17:46 ↗ You're familiar with obviously the

1:17:47 ↗ public art that was at um part of

1:17:50 ↗ pedestrian park.

1:17:53 ↗ Next slide. Now jumping into really our

1:17:55 ↗ recreation team and and um just amazing

1:17:58 ↗ work by uh by all the divisions uh

1:18:01 ↗ within our community center team. They

1:18:04 ↗ really spearhead our summer camp program

1:18:06 ↗ them and the athletics teams. Um we had

1:18:09 ↗ 1,200 over 1,200 reg registrations and

1:18:12 ↗ participants of our of our summer day

1:18:14 ↗ camps. Um what we did this summer was I

1:18:18 ↗ think really substantial for ye the last

1:18:20 ↗ couple years we've had such an extensive

1:18:22 ↗ weight list. We've had um registration

1:18:25 ↗ day for day camps I think can be maybe

1:18:27 ↗ some of the most stressful days for

1:18:29 ↗ parents in town and we don't necessarily

1:18:31 ↗ like that. Um um camps were filling up

1:18:35 ↗ that fast. Camps still up fill up really

1:18:38 ↗ really fast. We can't totally control

1:18:39 ↗ that. But what the team did is really

1:18:41 ↗ looked at what are the key targeted age

1:18:44 ↗ groups that we really need to try and

1:18:46 ↗ add capacity to. Um um and we added um a

1:18:51 ↗ substantial amount of capacity to to

1:18:53 ↗ camps and um community responded and and

1:18:57 ↗ um certainly filled those filled those

1:18:59 ↗ spots. Um you'll see a thread through

1:19:01 ↗ all of a number of these recreation

1:19:03 ↗ updates. Teen employment is a really

1:19:05 ↗ really big thing to us. We're a

1:19:07 ↗ first-time employer for many. We're

1:19:09 ↗ probably the largest teen employer um in

1:19:11 ↗ town when you look at what we do with

1:19:13 ↗ camps and athletic programs and and the

1:19:17 ↗ pool um etc. So 39 teens and young

1:19:20 ↗ adults uh worked at day camp. Um uh we

1:19:24 ↗ take that reality that this is their

1:19:25 ↗ first job really really seriously. Um

1:19:28 ↗ they're likely going to turn pro in

1:19:30 ↗ something else. They're going to have a

1:19:32 ↗ career in something else. But the

1:19:34 ↗ leadership that's learned uh through

1:19:36 ↗ being a camp leader or being a referee

1:19:38 ↗ or being a lifeguard is um can be

1:19:41 ↗ carried um through their whole life. Um

1:19:45 ↗ I think I've shared this, the mayor is

1:19:47 ↗ proud to say her first job as a

1:19:48 ↗ 15year-old was a lifeguard. Um and that

1:19:51 ↗ led to her being an amazing engineer and

1:19:54 ↗ an amazing mayor. Um uh just one more

1:19:58 ↗ one example, I was I was a flag football

1:20:00 ↗ referee for Kent Parks as I was growing

1:20:02 ↗ up and the things I learned uh there

1:20:05 ↗ have carried me um along all the ways.

1:20:10 ↗ Steam camps is our is our creative way

1:20:12 ↗ of adding arts to STEM. So um these are

1:20:16 ↗ our science, tech, uh um and math camps,

1:20:20 ↗ but as well as arts. Lots of great

1:20:23 ↗ enrollment there. huge enrollment in our

1:20:25 ↗ sports camp programs. Many of those

1:20:26 ↗ sports cramps camps are contracted camps

1:20:29 ↗ that we're contracting with a a third

1:20:31 ↗ party provider. Uh but again, huge huge

1:20:34 ↗ numbers this year.

1:20:36 ↗ A lot of happy families and happy happy

1:20:39 ↗ participants. Events uh not short on

1:20:41 ↗ those. Uh the Isiqua Kids Triathlon was

1:20:44 ↗ back. um largest um largest attendance

1:20:48 ↗ with over 250 kiddos swimming, biking,

1:20:51 ↗ and running uh around the community

1:20:53 ↗ center lawn and and using the Julius

1:20:56 ↗ Bone Pool. Uh just a great event and a

1:20:58 ↗ partnership we do with the youth

1:20:59 ↗ advisory board. Um Fourth of July, we we

1:21:04 ↗ took a little softer touch uh with the

1:21:06 ↗ parade and a community picnic following

1:21:08 ↗ the parade. I don't know if any of you

1:21:10 ↗ attended that, but um it was a great

1:21:13 ↗ great afternoon. Um uh great event. You

1:21:16 ↗ see the the photo there in the lower

1:21:18 ↗ right. Extremely well attended. Next

1:21:20 ↗ year is America 250. It's the 250th.

1:21:25 ↗ Um um

1:21:27 ↗ I I there's a name for it. I'm not going

1:21:29 ↗ to try. 200 was easy. It was the

1:21:31 ↗ bicesentennial. It's a much fancier name

1:21:33 ↗ for 250, but um I know Isig is going to

1:21:38 ↗ look forward to to celebrating that um

1:21:40 ↗ next year as well. concerts, uh, record

1:21:43 ↗ attendance, literally record attendance

1:21:44 ↗ this year, um, uh, to those eight

1:21:47 ↗ events. Um, along with the long-standing

1:21:51 ↗ partnership we have with Kowanas, we

1:21:52 ↗ partnered with Rotary, um, and doing,

1:21:55 ↗ uh, food collection at a number of those

1:21:57 ↗ events. Over 200,000, 200, 2,000 pounds

1:22:01 ↗ uh, were were collected um, and a great

1:22:04 ↗ way to support the the food bank. Um,

1:22:06 ↗ the photo that you'll see there is the

1:22:09 ↗ the last concert uh was um, oh my

1:22:13 ↗ goodness, Red Karma. Am I getting that

1:22:14 ↗ name right? A a Taylor Swift cover. Um,

1:22:18 ↗ say we had a very young audience there.

1:22:20 ↗ A lot of young girls and uh, a lot of

1:22:23 ↗ screaming and just a a great great great

1:22:26 ↗ um, great atmosphere, great environment.

1:22:31 ↗ Adaptive recreation. Uh you might recall

1:22:35 ↗ postcoid as we began to sort of rethink

1:22:40 ↗ staffing and as revenues were coming

1:22:42 ↗ back, we uh reimagine staffing a little

1:22:44 ↗ bit and for the first time um hired a an

1:22:48 ↗ exclusive adaptive recreation

1:22:50 ↗ coordinator. Whereas before um our

1:22:52 ↗ adaptive programs were done by many many

1:22:55 ↗ staff. Um Cali Weber is our adaptive

1:22:58 ↗ recreation coordinator. She has just

1:23:00 ↗ done an amazing job and has allowed us

1:23:02 ↗ to really I think focus on adaptive

1:23:04 ↗ programs. Um how we integrate those

1:23:07 ↗ programs into our other programs whether

1:23:08 ↗ it's dayc camp programs um summer

1:23:11 ↗ concerts on the green uh we partner with

1:23:14 ↗ with Tavon and um allow many of our

1:23:17 ↗ adaptive rec participants to come and

1:23:20 ↗ enjoy the concerts. Not a separate

1:23:22 ↗ concert but it just it it it's

1:23:25 ↗ awesome. Thank you Martha. Totally

1:23:27 ↗ agree. Totally agree. So great great

1:23:29 ↗ work by Calie

1:23:32 ↗ and the community center team that

1:23:33 ↗ supports her.

1:23:37 ↗ Senior center continues to to thrive and

1:23:39 ↗ and grow. Trips have always been

1:23:42 ↗ extremely popular. um um 111 or 100 yeah

1:23:47 ↗ 111 new members um at the senior center

1:23:51 ↗ tells us even in the summer months we're

1:23:53 ↗ seeing uh more people coming to the

1:23:55 ↗ senior center wanting to be part of

1:23:57 ↗ what's happening and going on. Um

1:23:59 ↗ Kristen, who's our Kristen May, who's

1:24:02 ↗ our supervisor there, began a veterans

1:24:04 ↗ breakfast that's been really popular and

1:24:08 ↗ um just a great way to partner with our

1:24:10 ↗ um our veterans and the and the local

1:24:13 ↗ VFW.

1:24:15 ↗ Um you're familiar obviously if you were

1:24:17 ↗ there at the at the ribbon cutting for

1:24:19 ↗ the senior center plaza how meaningful

1:24:21 ↗ it was to the veterans that um along

1:24:24 ↗ with that plaza project we were able to

1:24:26 ↗ really open up and I think invite the

1:24:28 ↗ community to see uh the the memorial

1:24:32 ↗ there uh in front of the senior center

1:24:34 ↗ in new ways.

1:24:36 ↗ Fitness classes continue to be really

1:24:38 ↗ popular. um athletics group uh doing

1:24:41 ↗ amazing work. Gliders track and field

1:24:43 ↗ and gliders cross country which happen

1:24:45 ↗ is happens in the fall uh continues to

1:24:48 ↗ grow. Um again rep record participation

1:24:51 ↗ we're seeing in that program um as

1:24:53 ↗ that's a number of years old now.

1:24:56 ↗ Tomorrow night if you happen to be going

1:24:57 ↗ by Tivotsz Valley Park we call it Friday

1:25:00 ↗ night lights. We're hosting a cross

1:25:02 ↗ country meet under the under the lights.

1:25:04 ↗ Uh, so kiddos will be running um running

1:25:07 ↗ through Tibbitz Valley Park. Um, I'm

1:25:10 ↗ having a a fun meet under the lights.

1:25:13 ↗ Huge teen employer with our athletics

1:25:15 ↗ program. Over 70 plus teens employed uh

1:25:18 ↗ through um all the programs that they

1:25:20 ↗ do, whether that's gliders, um camps, um

1:25:24 ↗ classes, etc. Some new new programming

1:25:27 ↗ the team has done. Ball hockey at the

1:25:28 ↗ community center has been a huge huge

1:25:30 ↗ hit. Um maybe that's having an NHL team.

1:25:34 ↗ locally. Uh hockey seems to be uh

1:25:36 ↗ certainly uh catching stronger interest.

1:25:40 ↗ Some large tournaments we hosted at

1:25:42 ↗ Tibis Valley Park in Central Park. Uh

1:25:44 ↗ something we want to continue to try and

1:25:46 ↗ foster uh just given how that um not

1:25:50 ↗ only is a great way to use the parks,

1:25:51 ↗ but it's a great uh economic um uh

1:25:54 ↗ development incubator as well.

1:26:00 ↗ the pool. Uh certainly not last but

1:26:02 ↗ least. Um huge number of swim lessons.

1:26:05 ↗ The the volume of work and the volume of

1:26:07 ↗ participation and the volume of use that

1:26:09 ↗ goes through that little pool on the

1:26:10 ↗ hill is mindboggling. Um Katie, I know

1:26:14 ↗ you are a frequent user and have a young

1:26:16 ↗ swimmer. Um Zach and the team do some

1:26:20 ↗ amazing work. some new programs that

1:26:22 ↗ we've begun to incorporate. A water polo

1:26:25 ↗ is beginning to take off with 41

1:26:27 ↗ participants in classes this summer. Um

1:26:30 ↗ we've also started a junior lifeguard

1:26:32 ↗ program. Um we're always looking for new

1:26:35 ↗ ways of just engaging youth in this

1:26:37 ↗ community, but helping to foster. We're

1:26:39 ↗ going to be a lifeguard employer as long

1:26:41 ↗ as we have a pool. So getting that

1:26:43 ↗ interest um I think the again the

1:26:46 ↗ leadership that that um kids learn

1:26:48 ↗ through the what lifeguarding means and

1:26:51 ↗ represents uh we just think it's a great

1:26:54 ↗ a great program to foster. Um there's

1:26:56 ↗ that teen employment again um over 85

1:26:59 ↗ teens are employed um at the pool either

1:27:02 ↗ as lifeguards um or lesson instructors.

1:27:05 ↗ Um,

1:27:07 ↗ Zach and team um, again take that very

1:27:11 ↗ very seriously. Um, and u, it's not only

1:27:14 ↗ a key part of offering a quality

1:27:15 ↗ program, but again um, um, we hope that

1:27:19 ↗ those teams are taking a lot more than

1:27:21 ↗ just a paycheck away from uh, the years

1:27:24 ↗ that they're doing that doing that work.

1:27:30 ↗ >> Greening Barn. Um, hey look, they're

1:27:32 ↗ skating. Jen, great question. Um I'll

1:27:35 ↗ I'll pop to that at the end. Yes, the

1:27:36 ↗ rock and roll at the rink um is um

1:27:40 ↗ proving to be very popular. Um um uh the

1:27:44 ↗ the the partners we're working with have

1:27:46 ↗ been excited to do that in cooperation

1:27:48 ↗ with farmers market. They've been uh

1:27:50 ↗ maxing out their session uh

1:27:52 ↗ registrations um with market ending this

1:27:56 ↗ Saturday. We're looking to continue to

1:27:58 ↗ partner with them uh to make sure

1:28:00 ↗ there's access. Um some evening use and

1:28:03 ↗ other uses throughout the winter. Um uh

1:28:07 ↗ Rock and Roll Rink will be part of our

1:28:09 ↗ Boo at the Barn uh festival uh at the

1:28:11 ↗ end of October. So uh that's been a

1:28:14 ↗ great a great partnership and a great

1:28:16 ↗ relationship that we hope um I think is

1:28:19 ↗ a great example of how a community space

1:28:21 ↗ can incubate business. I know this is a

1:28:24 ↗ this is a group that would love to find

1:28:25 ↗ a permanent rink and we would love to

1:28:28 ↗ help them see that through and if that

1:28:30 ↗ rink happened to be in Isiqua, we think

1:28:32 ↗ it'd be a great asset for this

1:28:34 ↗ community.

1:28:36 ↗ So exciting. Um numbers at the farmers

1:28:39 ↗ market, uh we had record numbers last

1:28:41 ↗ year. We've we've broken those record

1:28:42 ↗ numbers from last year. So, uh, this

1:28:45 ↗ market truly has become a really,

1:28:47 ↗ really, uh, uh, special place and and

1:28:50 ↗ great work by Kella Dean and the team.

1:28:56 ↗ So, that's a super fast overview of a a

1:28:58 ↗ great summary. I hope you recognize this

1:29:00 ↗ photo. This is the our group shot from

1:29:03 ↗ Hillside Park. Um, um, and this phrase

1:29:07 ↗ is something really really meaningful

1:29:09 ↗ for us as a as a department. We had in

1:29:11 ↗ fact had our city all staff meeting and

1:29:12 ↗ I reminded the whole the whole city

1:29:14 ↗ staff of what we're about in parks and

1:29:16 ↗ community services and we really

1:29:18 ↗ everything we do boils down to one of

1:29:20 ↗ these two core values. We we invest in

1:29:22 ↗ your public spaces owned by the

1:29:25 ↗ residents of Isiqua and we invest in

1:29:27 ↗ people through through programs and

1:29:29 ↗ services.

1:29:32 ↗ So that's a summer. Then we go into

1:29:34 ↗ fall.

1:29:37 ↗ >> Thank you.

1:29:39 ↗ job.

1:29:42 ↗ >> Um,

1:29:44 ↗ do we have questions about anything that

1:29:46 ↗ we just saw?

1:29:48 ↗ >> Follow up.

1:29:49 ↗ >> That's the only question. I would have

1:29:50 ↗ check like any big challenges, any big

1:29:54 ↗ learnings, anything that just, wow, that

1:29:58 ↗ didn't work or boy, we should have

1:30:00 ↗ considered this or

1:30:03 ↗ >> Yeah, great great question. I I think

1:30:05 ↗ anytime at all you know yes there are a

1:30:08 ↗ number of programs that we um

1:30:11 ↗ continually evaluate. Um we talk a lot

1:30:15 ↗ as a team any program even the most

1:30:17 ↗ successful ones have a life cycle uh and

1:30:20 ↗ you either need to as that life cycle

1:30:22 ↗ begins to decline sort of reinvent the

1:30:24 ↗ program or maybe it's time to dismount

1:30:27 ↗ and offer something new. So you're right

1:30:30 ↗ I listed hey there's some new programs

1:30:31 ↗ that we're offering in athletics.

1:30:33 ↗ there's some other things that we've um

1:30:35 ↗ sort of let go of. Um so um like our our

1:30:40 ↗ mix of recreation programs are are

1:30:42 ↗ constantly evolving and need to

1:30:44 ↗ constantly be evolving. Um um I think

1:30:48 ↗ departmentwide

1:30:50 ↗ um um

1:30:52 ↗ yeah, we're constantly challenged. We're

1:30:55 ↗ challenged with resources. And I don't

1:30:56 ↗ mean to say woe was us, but um we are,

1:31:00 ↗ you know, we did all this work with

1:31:03 ↗ through [snorts] some budget reductions

1:31:04 ↗ uh that needed to be made that the city

1:31:06 ↗ needed to be made. So, we needed to be

1:31:08 ↗ really thoughtful. Um I want to make

1:31:10 ↗ sure um we talk a lot as a leadership

1:31:13 ↗ team that we're not um we're not burning

1:31:16 ↗ staff out. We're not we're not we're not

1:31:18 ↗ being so ambitious with the work plan

1:31:20 ↗ that it's not sustainable. Um we're

1:31:23 ↗ constantly bumping up against that. Um,

1:31:26 ↗ again, I don't say that as a negative,

1:31:28 ↗ but it's just a operational challenge

1:31:31 ↗ and a reality that we that we need to

1:31:33 ↗ make. I I think on the park planning

1:31:35 ↗ side, we've had to readjust this

1:31:39 ↗ cutting this many ribbons um has been a

1:31:42 ↗ years in the making and even in itself,

1:31:45 ↗ it's been really hard and I and I and I

1:31:48 ↗ um I say this to you and I I think you

1:31:50 ↗ all know this, but um you know, we went

1:31:54 ↗ from two park planners to one park

1:31:56 ↗ planner. Um, as we now venture off into

1:32:00 ↗ doing master planning for Tivitis Valley

1:32:02 ↗ Park and Central Park and and a number

1:32:05 ↗ of things in our capital plan, we're

1:32:06 ↗ going to be really cognizant of it. It

1:32:09 ↗ might not be at a rate and a pace that

1:32:12 ↗ everyone wants

1:32:14 ↗ >> that quite frankly we even want. But we

1:32:16 ↗ need to be really realistic um and and

1:32:19 ↗ practical in understanding that that

1:32:22 ↗ work is important. Um that work takes

1:32:25 ↗ time and energy and and we can only go

1:32:27 ↗ at um the the resource pace the pace

1:32:31 ↗ that our resources allow. So

1:32:34 ↗ >> not a wine just a

1:32:37 ↗ something Yeah.

1:32:39 ↗ >> We're con Yeah. Yeah. Like parks and

1:32:42 ↗ recreation professionals we we we would

1:32:45 ↗ we are masters of taking a um full-time

1:32:49 ↗ job and and doubling it. [laughter]

1:32:52 ↗ I think like anybody, right? I mean,

1:32:54 ↗ we're not the only ones, but we really

1:32:56 ↗ um to try to be cognizant of of our

1:33:01 ↗ working within our resources.

1:33:05 ↗ >> I think it sounds like it was a

1:33:07 ↗ successful.

1:33:08 ↗ >> Yeah.

1:33:10 ↗ >> Anybody else have any questions or

1:33:12 ↗ feedback throughout?

1:33:15 ↗ >> All right. Well, that'll move on from

1:33:17 ↗ regular business to reports. You get to

1:33:20 ↗ keep talking with the director's report.

1:33:22 ↗ All right. All right. Um yeah, first uh

1:33:26 ↗ just again further a few further

1:33:28 ↗ comments on Lake Sam State Park. Um

1:33:31 ↗ again for something that came up um on

1:33:33 ↗ our work plan, wasn't on our work plan

1:33:35 ↗ in last fall uh but became a strategic

1:33:39 ↗ moment that we really needed to to take

1:33:41 ↗ action. Um um really appreciate the

1:33:45 ↗ conversations that we had with you that

1:33:47 ↗ really help shaped uh how we frame that

1:33:50 ↗ agreement uh with state parks. We now

1:33:52 ↗ have a signed agreement with them. As I

1:33:54 ↗ said um uh maintenance and scheduling

1:33:57 ↗ has already begun um on the on the site.

1:34:01 ↗ Um exciting to see how Cricut um is

1:34:04 ↗ going to begin using it. Um we've also

1:34:07 ↗ worked with the state park on the

1:34:09 ↗ parking lot. Um, I know many of you have

1:34:11 ↗ probably driven into that over your

1:34:13 ↗ years and and know that feels like a

1:34:15 ↗ craters of the moon kind of experience.

1:34:18 ↗ Um, and so, um, thanks to partnering

1:34:22 ↗ with public works, uh, we are going to

1:34:26 ↗ be working with state parks to do some,

1:34:28 ↗ um, some maintenance improvements on,

1:34:31 ↗ um on

1:34:33 ↗ the parking lot. So, that should be

1:34:35 ↗ coming a little bit later this fall. But

1:34:38 ↗ um we really look forward uh to sort of

1:34:41 ↗ seeing how use looks. Um the agreement

1:34:44 ↗ itself, much like we talked about, it is

1:34:46 ↗ an 18-month agreement. So this is a of a

1:34:48 ↗ short-term agreement that gets us

1:34:50 ↗ through the the end of next year, gives

1:34:53 ↗ us this year to to sort of test it,

1:34:55 ↗ trial it, see how the community is using

1:34:57 ↗ it. Um at the same time, as I said, the

1:35:00 ↗ state park is going to be doing their

1:35:01 ↗ management plan update for the entirety

1:35:04 ↗ of the park. Um

1:35:06 ↗ um so

1:35:09 ↗ we will um sometime next year be

1:35:13 ↗ bringing back to you and having the

1:35:14 ↗ conversation of hey how did it go? How

1:35:16 ↗ how did we see the community using this

1:35:19 ↗ as we start flushing out and thinking of

1:35:21 ↗ the 20 27 2028 budget. Um we want to

1:35:25 ↗ begin preparing that conversation with

1:35:27 ↗ city council. What what is this what

1:35:29 ↗ does our role look like um in 2027 and

1:35:32 ↗ beyond? So, um I think we're set up

1:35:34 ↗ really, really well. I'm glad we didn't

1:35:36 ↗ do a long-term agreement. I'm glad we

1:35:38 ↗ didn't try and um map this out and

1:35:41 ↗ understand what the long-term

1:35:42 ↗ implications are going to be. Um this

1:35:44 ↗ gives us a chance to to again test it,

1:35:47 ↗ live with it for a little while, um and

1:35:49 ↗ then go from there. So um excited and

1:35:52 ↗ again thank you for um your support in

1:35:55 ↗ moving so quickly um on on that um the

1:36:00 ↗ strategic moment that came up that um I

1:36:03 ↗ think we all agree and felt like we

1:36:04 ↗ needed to act um to make sure those

1:36:06 ↗ those fields still have community use.

1:36:09 ↗ The exciting thing is and I' I've shared

1:36:11 ↗ this multiple times. I'll share it with

1:36:13 ↗ you. For the first time, those fields

1:36:16 ↗ have access

1:36:18 ↗ to the whole community and not just one

1:36:20 ↗ soccer club. And I I think we all agree

1:36:23 ↗ that's really really meaningful. Um that

1:36:26 ↗ that's public fields. Those are public

1:36:28 ↗ fields that having multiple sports and

1:36:30 ↗ multiple sports groups and even just the

1:36:33 ↗ community when the fields in use can go

1:36:36 ↗ utilize those fields. So exciting.

1:36:40 ↗ Um, one other update I have, um, and

1:36:44 ↗ that I'm I'm going to be talking about

1:36:46 ↗ something that isn't necessarily managed

1:36:48 ↗ by us, but I just want to give you all a

1:36:50 ↗ heads up. Um,

1:36:53 ↗ have you are you familiar with POS?

1:36:56 ↗ Pifos is one of those forever chemicals

1:36:59 ↗ that uh if you recall a number of years

1:37:02 ↗ ago was

1:37:04 ↗ really has taken a lead u recognize POS

1:37:07 ↗ in its water supply um uh this was a

1:37:11 ↗ number of years ago now since I think

1:37:12 ↗ it's been certainly been understood that

1:37:15 ↗ much every city in the country has some

1:37:17 ↗ degree of POS um um given the

1:37:20 ↗ proliferation of POS that's happened uh

1:37:23 ↗ really throughout the world and around

1:37:25 ↗ this this country. Um, a lot of that POS

1:37:29 ↗ work focused on water quality. Um, the

1:37:33 ↗ reason I'm bringing this up is is that

1:37:35 ↗ this next step that public works is

1:37:37 ↗ working on with the department of

1:37:38 ↗ ecology. Uh, they've been looping us in

1:37:40 ↗ in that they're now going to be looking

1:37:43 ↗ at ecology, trying to better understand

1:37:46 ↗ um, PAS in the soil and what that means.

1:37:50 ↗ So, not just in the water supply, but

1:37:51 ↗ the soil. Um,

1:37:54 ↗ later this fall and in October, there's

1:37:57 ↗ going to be some community awareness and

1:37:59 ↗ community information that's going to be

1:38:00 ↗ going out by public works and by ecology

1:38:03 ↗ about some of the sites that we're going

1:38:05 ↗ to be doing some testing on. A couple of

1:38:07 ↗ those are park sites. um park sites that

1:38:11 ↗ happen to coincide with where a lot of

1:38:13 ↗ the the origins of this POS here in

1:38:15 ↗ Isiqua were uh the foam the fire foam uh

1:38:19 ↗ that was um tested. A lot of that was

1:38:21 ↗ tested sort of where fire stations were.

1:38:25 ↗ So coincidentally uh the fire station

1:38:27 ↗ near Memorial Field, there's a lot of

1:38:30 ↗ foam that was sprayed out onto a certain

1:38:32 ↗ section of Memorial Field. Uh so there's

1:38:34 ↗ going to be some test pits. We want to

1:38:36 ↗ better understand uh what what uh those

1:38:39 ↗ volumes are and what it really means um

1:38:43 ↗ for having that chemical not just in

1:38:45 ↗ water but in soil. Um all the water

1:38:49 ↗ level testing of POS has been um deemed

1:38:53 ↗ to be really super minimal here in

1:38:55 ↗ Isiqua. So I don't mean to bring this up

1:38:57 ↗ as a huge alarm but um being better

1:39:01 ↗ informed is really really important. So,

1:39:03 ↗ there's going to be some testing going

1:39:05 ↗ on at Memorial Field. There's also going

1:39:07 ↗ to be some testing along a really small

1:39:10 ↗ portion of the Reineer Trail right in

1:39:12 ↗ front of what's known as City Hall

1:39:14 ↗ South. Um, City Hall South happened to

1:39:17 ↗ be a fire station before it was uh the

1:39:19 ↗ city council chamber. So, again, there

1:39:21 ↗ was probably some foam that was tested

1:39:25 ↗ right there in that lawn area by Reineer

1:39:28 ↗ Trail. So, both of those areas are

1:39:29 ↗ really, really important. There's some

1:39:31 ↗ other testing sites that'll be happening

1:39:33 ↗ around town. Those park areas aren't the

1:39:35 ↗ only ones, but uh I just wanted to make

1:39:37 ↗ sure you were aware of that.

1:39:38 ↗ [clears throat] Um as you start to see

1:39:40 ↗ and the community starts to get

1:39:41 ↗ information on that.

1:39:44 ↗ >> That's all I have.

1:39:45 ↗ >> That's great. Thank you. Does any

1:39:47 ↗ questions?

1:39:50 ↗ >> Excellent. Next up would be our youth

1:39:52 ↗ representative report. Oh, Hannah.

1:39:57 ↗ >> Oh, I just wanted to take a moment. Um,

1:39:59 ↗ I probably should have said something

1:40:00 ↗ after the summer update. Um, but just to

1:40:03 ↗ say like how amazing I think all of the

1:40:05 ↗ work that um, everyone has done this

1:40:09 ↗ summer um, has been. And I just wanted

1:40:12 ↗ to pass that on from my community. I've

1:40:14 ↗ heard of like so many wonderful comments

1:40:15 ↗ about our parks department and also

1:40:17 ↗ about like the summer concerts and

1:40:19 ↗ everything. Um, before I forgot, I just

1:40:21 ↗ wanted to make that comment of praise

1:40:23 ↗ and um, yeah, just say thank you.

1:40:27 ↗ >> Awesome. Thanks, Hannah. I will I will

1:40:29 ↗ pass that on to the team. [snorts]

1:40:33 ↗ >> Yes, thank you. Um, as noted that we

1:40:36 ↗ don't have a youth representative here

1:40:38 ↗ tonight. Do we have a youth

1:40:39 ↗ representative?

1:40:41 ↗ >> Yeah, I will I will check with the youth

1:40:42 ↗ advisory. I'll check with Kathy Jones of

1:40:45 ↗ the community center oversees the youth

1:40:46 ↗ advisory board. Um,

1:40:49 ↗ >> yeah, it's it's it's a new school year,

1:40:52 ↗ isn't it?

1:40:53 ↗ >> This is usually the time.

1:40:54 ↗ [clears throat]

1:40:55 ↗ >> Um, excellent. Uh I do not have a

1:40:57 ↗ chair's person report. I have a chair's

1:41:00 ↗ person challenge

1:41:02 ↗ >> and that is we've been informed and

1:41:03 ↗ notified that in November we're going to

1:41:06 ↗ discuss the heritage tree program in

1:41:08 ↗ further detail. So my challenge is

1:41:09 ↗ everyone get out see a heritage tree.

1:41:13 ↗ When you're out walking your your dog

1:41:14 ↗ when you're out bicycling around town

1:41:16 ↗ when you're out walking one of our parks

1:41:18 ↗ or open spaces or downtown look around.

1:41:22 ↗ Look at things you wouldn't normally

1:41:23 ↗ look at. Look at trees in a different

1:41:24 ↗ light. and see if there's something that

1:41:27 ↗ we can bring back to the table in two

1:41:30 ↗ meetings.

1:41:32 ↗ >> Awesome. [clears throat]

1:41:34 ↗ Does anyone have any items they wish to

1:41:36 ↗ bring up or discuss that were not on the

1:41:39 ↗ agenda?

1:41:44 ↗ Okay.

1:41:45 ↗ Um I guess with that, I don't remember

1:41:49 ↗ what our next meeting is cuz I didn't

1:41:51 ↗ look at it before, but it'll be in the

1:41:53 ↗ minutes. October 27th.

1:41:55 ↗ >> Thank you.

1:41:57 ↗ [clears throat]

1:41:57 ↗ >> Um and with that no further business at

1:42:01 ↗ 8:39 this meeting is adjourned.

1:42:03 ↗ >> Thanks everybody. Have a great night.

1:42:06 ↗ >> Thank you.

1:42:08 ↗ >> Bye guys.

1:42:10 ↗ >> Bye.

1:42:10 ↗ >> Paul, we didn't see your kiddos at all.

1:42:12 ↗ >> She went on. She said hello off camera.

1:42:15 ↗ >> Yeah, I I turned off when I went to deal

1:42:16 ↗ with them.

1:42:19 ↗ >> Have a great night.

1:42:20 ↗ >> Good night everybody. Anybody want some

1:42:22 ↗ pizza for the

1:42:26 ↗ [clears throat]

1:42:26 ↗ >> home your family?

1:42:30 ↗ They're going to keep the music.

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