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HomeMy WebLinkAbout102621 Packet PARKS, RECREATION & TREE ADVISORY BOARD MEETING AGENDA October 26, 2021 | 4:30 p.m. | Virtual Meeting ****The State of Emergency declared by Governor Inslee temporarily prohibits in-person contacts with the public required by the Open Public Meetings Act and the Public Records Act. The May 29, 2020 Public Health Order by Jefferson County Health Officer Thomas Locke also states no in-person meetings are allowed. Participation will be by teleconference**** • Join via computer or tablet at http://joinwebinar.com enter 9 digit Webinar ID 489-143-707 • Join by phone in listen-only mode: (360) 390-5064 Ext. 3 access code: 177-060-048# • Submit public comment emails to be read aloud (up to three minutes per person) to: publiccomment@cityofpt.us I. Call to Order/Roll Call II. Approval of Agenda III. Approval of August 24, 2021 Minutes IV. Public Comment (3 minutes per person) V. Old Business A. Gateway Park Replacement Tree (Staff recommendation and board discussion) - 5 min B. Arbor Day Report (Jennifer/Debbie – no action) -5 min C. Sims Way Poplar Replacement – community outreach (Staff update and board discussion) – 10 min D. Retroactive Review of Workplan Summary for Council Retreat (Debbie and board discussion input) – 10 min VI. New Business A. ARPA Funding Parks Strategic Plan (City Manager Mauro – no action) – 10 min B. Safe Space for Youth (John Nowak and board discussion) – 10 min C. DNR TreeLink, Tree of Heaven and Spotted Lantern Fly (Debbie) – 10 min D. Trails and volunteering - (Steve – no action) – 5 min VII. Staff update – Steve (5-10 minutes) A. Pool – Transfer of Operations to YMCA B. Skate Park Fence C. Pickleball D. Right of Way – Intro for another meeting. E. Parks staffing update VIII. Next Regularly Scheduled Meeting: December ____, 2021 IX. Public Comment (3 minutes per person) and Board Comment (may include proposed agenda items for future meetings) X. Adjourn Parking Lot/Future Meetings Right of Way in Port Townsend Boards and Commissions work Planning Training – Heidi Greenwood PARKS, RECREATION & TREE ADVISORY BOARD MEETING MINUTES Date: August 24, 2021 Time: 4:30 p.m. Location: City Hall (virtual) Members Present: Debbie Jahnke, Jennifer Rotermund, Jim Todd, John Nowak Members Excused: Sean Koomen, Brenda McMillan Members Absent: Staff Present: Public Works Director Steve King and Deputy City Clerk Haylie Clement Topic Motions/Recommendation/Action Approval of Agenda: The agenda was unanimously approved. Approval of Minutes: The minutes of April 24, 2021 were unanimously approved. Public Comment: There was none. Old Business: Pickleball Courts at Mountain View Steve King provided an overview of discussions since the last PRTAB meeting with the Dog Park representatives and the YMCA concerning court configuration. Jim Dow, Eric Seder, and Lynn Pierle from the pickleball club were present and provided a presentation illustrating a three court configuration leaving one of the three open for basketball and other activities. This configuration does not impact the dog park and facilitates multiple uses of primary interest to the YMCA. Concerns were raised by Mr. Todd regarding long term maintenance obligations. Steve provided an overview of the upcoming anticipated master planning process for Mountain View and the Golf Course and the need to secure more funding for parks to address the back log of maintenance as well as future park development. Motion: Move to support the club installing pickleball courts at Mountain View . The motion passed with 3 in favor and Jim Todd abstaining. New Business: Poplar Tree Removal and Replacement along Sims Way. Public Works Director Steve King briefed the Board with a presentation providing the concept of removal of Poplar trees on the Boat Haven side of Sims Way as a result of interference with the transmission power lines. The presentation also provide background for removal of Poplars on the Kah Tai side of Sims Way consistent with past studies and recommendations. Eron Berg, Exec. Director from the Port of Port Townsend was also present and shared the Port perspective on the project. The Presentation acknowledged the need to find grant funding to support a partnership project with the PUD, Port, and City. No Action Taken. The PRTAB provided support for moving forward with key recommendations concerning tree species, considerations for height, and the need for a plan. The board agreed that Poplars are not the right tree for the location and issues such as sprouting and sucker growth are a problem. Recommendations were also provided concerning emotional attachment and justifications for a significant change in the light of issues such as climate change. New Business: Gateway Park Landmark Tree. Steve King provided an update concerning the collapse of a significant section of the tree. The tree has been stabilized. Three options were presented for the tree. 1. Remove the damaged ½ of the tree; 2. Cable and perform weight reduction to preserve the tree for as much as 10-15 years while planting a replacement tree; or 3. Remove the tree and replant. Based on the arborist consultation, staff recommended option 2. No Action was taken. Consensus by the board supported moving forward with Option 2. Staff will bring back a recommendation for the replacement tree. Board member Rotermund suggested that we evaluate a California Ash as one of the possible options for replacement as the tree should be a stately park grade type of tree. New Business: Autumnal Arbor Day. Chair Jahnke presented that October is Urban and Community Forestry Month and our Tree City status requires an annual Arbor Day Proclamation and event. Chair Jahnke recommended that the City Council present an Arbor Day proclamation on Oct. 4th and recommended Oct. 16, 17,23 , 30 or 31 as the day to hold our Adopt A Native Tree Day to provide native trees and shrubs to the community. Board provided unanimous support. Staff Update: Steve King provided a brief update on a number of park, trails, and tree related topics including pool operations and staffing. An update on RCO grant funding was also provided. Steve shared that we are close to refilling the parks maintenance position. No Action. Public Comment and Board Comment: No public comment. Board member Nowak asked for time on the next agenda to discuss safe outdoor places for youth to gather with a focus on our parks. Chair Jahnke mentioned that RCO does not have a place in their programs for Port Townsend style trails, but rather support formalized trails such as the Olympic Discovery Trail. Next Meeting: The next regular meeting is October 26, 2021. The meeting adjourned at 6:02 p.m. PRTAB response page 1 PRTAB (Chair) Response to Mayor's 24 June 2021 Invitation Regarding Workplan Priorities 4 July 2021 • What 2-3 priorities do you believe are most important to consider as part of the overall City workplan – and how do they align with our 3-year Strategic Plan, Comprehensive Plan and/or functional plans? 1. Stabilize funding for both park capital needs and to support a parks staff size that our parks acreage and population require. The Trust for Public Lands recommends a minimum of five staff per 10,000 residents - we currently have two full-time field staff and have never had more than three since the 2008 recession (PROS Plan, Comprehensive Plan, Community Quality of Life Focus - Strategic Plan). 2. Actively promote a more equitable distribution of park services and amenities to include the west side of town. See for example 2020 PROS Plan Exhibits 2 and 81 and 'gaps' on the west side, referred to throughout the PROS Plan as well as the Comprehensive Plan Land Use Element. The 2014 Parks Plan specifically listed a 'Chetzemoka-sized park' needed on the west side. The northwest part of town has no neighborhood parks or a single piece of play equipment and the southwest side has a forested ravine and a small play park with one piece of equipment donated by Rotary. The centrally located 35th Street Park is undeveloped but for trails, and the 13th and Hancock P/OS property is completely undeveloped. There are no park restrooms on the west side and almost no benches for pedestrians to relax and rest on. • What Advisory Board work from this or previous years is incomplete and needs to be considered in 2022? 1. Street tree list update. In 2017, PRTAB submitted to staff an update to the existing 2009 Street Trees list and recommended it to update the Engineering and Design Standards' section on street trees. The update has never been implemented by staff, nor has Council seen it. PRTAB would like to continue updating the 2009 list to include larger species appropriate for parks as well as species which should not be planted here, but PRTAB needs some acknowledgement from staff/Council that this is not a waste of time. 2. 'Significant Trees' brochure and walking tours. PRTAB tried to develop a brochure for Arbor Day walking tours of our most interesting and important trees in 2013 but never got past the draft stage although Council has given permission to proceed. The only input we received from staff was that we couldn't use the word 'significant'. Now that we are finally starting to have Landmark Trees nominated and approved, we hope to develop a 'Landmark Trees' brochure when we have a sufficient number of approved trees. 3. Leash law/dog park brochure - Leash Law Communication Plan: Council tasked PRTAB to develop a communication plan to educate and inform the public about the leash law update in 2019. Effort was intended to develop outreach to the school district and with public notices in the newspapers and water bill newsletter. Brochure would be developed for distribution at trailheads, parks (including the new dog park), the Visitors Center and the ferry terminal. Documents were proposed to be made available on the City website in order to minimize costs and resource consumption as well as to accomodate QR technology, with some paper copies for conventional distribution. Unfortunately, most of 2019 board effort was consumed with the PROS Plan update, followed abruptly by the pandemic shutdown. PRTAB response page 2 • Are there things we should stop doing or do differently, both at the strategic and the operational levels? 1. The Tree Conservation Ordinance should be rewritten so that the City is required to comply with all the requirements for tree planting that other developers must follow (19.06.130.B). Right now the City exempts itself from Municipal Code that it requires others to follow (19.06.100.D), even though the City does more tree planting than any developer. In particular, the City should not plant monocultures or have plantings excessively dominated by single species or genera or non-native species for the reasons listed in the code. PRTAB has tried to convince staff not to plant monocultures but our concerns were discounted. 2. Parks and trails are visitor attractants and should qualify for some LTAC funding including funding for the dog park since many visitors bring their dogs with them. REET can also be used for parks funding. These funding sources could be partially redirected to support parks and trails. 3. Continue to evaluate parks funding and effort for equitable distribution of services and amenities. Parks on the east side are beloved because of their amenities. When a well-funded park has multiple kinds of children's play equipment, comfortable seating, WiFi, flower gardens, shade trees, and real restrooms, of course it is used more frequently, but fairness requires that other areas of our community have access to similar amenities in their own neighborhoods. • What else should we be considering? 1. Consider formation of a Friends and/or a Foundation group to support our parks, recreation, trees and trails or at least some subset of the list. We are the only advisory board that has four assigned areas of responsibility and zero budget. The City Library has both a Friends and a Foundation group. County Parks and Recreation has a Friends group. Fort Worden has a Friends group. All of these groups provide fundraising and community outreach to help with the mission they support. 2. New parks or features - community-built playgrounds and ROWs for parcours - During the PROS Systems workshop in 2019, we identified areas that need parks or at least some recreational infrastructure, in particular in the Rainier/Howard Street corridor to Hastings and Hastings to Discovery. One economical way suggested would be to use ROWs on the west side for small linear parks using community-built efforts with recycled and natural projects as much as possible. The limiting width of ROWs would still allow simple structures/linear activities for kids as well as to build parcours routes for youth and adults. In addition, community-built playgrounds are increasingly common (see the recent effort in Port Angeles) and we likely have the leadership, interest and skills in our community to tackle this idea. 3. More multiuse paths/trails on the west side of town for pedestrian and bicycle safety - A multiuse path on 12th or 14th Streets between Landes and Sheridan and on Hastings Avenue between Sheridan and Howard would add an important safety feature to encourage more walking and bicycling and less car traffic on these well-used routes. 4. Make the street ends listed in the PROS Plan (Appendix C) accessible to the public as view points and prevent future encroachment by adjacent neighbors on all street ends, noting that such use was eliminated for the listed Garfield ROW by a Comprehensive Plan amendment via Ordinance 3119. Spotted Lanternfly Spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is a new and emerging pest in the United States. Its preferred host is tree-of-heaven; however, it can be a serious pest on a wide variety of important agricultural crops, including grapes, fruit trees, hops, and ornamentals. Spotted Lanternfly Identification Adults can be found in July and begin laying eggs in September-October. They are 1 inch long and 1/2 inch wide. Forewings are grey with dark spots and venation at the wing tips. Hindwings are red at the base with black and white above. The abdomen is yellow and black. The hindwings and abdomen are hidden when adults are at rest. Nymphs hatch in April-May and develop through four stages. Early nymphal stages are small (less than 1/2 inch) and black with white spots. The fourth nymphal stage develops red markings and are over 1/2 inch long. Nymphs tend to cluster together and cannot fly. Eggs are grey-brown and laid in clusters on tree bark or a wide variety of outdoor surfaces and are easily overlooked. Egg masses can be found from September- April. Contact Us If you have questions about tree-of-heaven identification and control, please contact us: WA State Noxious Weed Control Board 360-725-5764 http://www.nwcb.wa.gov Email: noxiousweeds@agr.wa.gov Or contact your local county noxious weed control board, WSU Extension office, or Conservation District. Spotted Lanternfly Distribution Spotted lanternfly is currently established in several northeastern states, and the potential for rapid spread across North America is high. Egg clusters and adults can be easily transported by car, rail, or air. Careful inspections of materials before transport will help prevent further spread. Spotted Lanternfly Impacts Nymphs and adults damage plants by sucking sap from stems, trunks, and leaves. They also secrete large amounts of honeydew which hosts pathogens such as sooty mold. In Washington, grapes, fruit trees, and hops are most likely to be impacted. Get Involved! Spotted lanternfly is not currently in Washington State but is likely to first infest tree-of-heaven populations if it arrives. Mapping known tree- of-heaven populations allows for strategizing control efforts. Report any sightings of tree-of- heaven and spotted lanternfly by: • Downloading the EDDMapS application or reporting online at: https://www.eddmaps. org/ • Downloading the WISC application or reporting online at: http://invasivespecies. wa.gov/ • Reporting directly to the Washington State Department of Agriculture: pestprogram@agr.wa.gov Cover: Spotted lanternfly (left image - Lawrence Barringer, Pennsylvania Dept. of Agriculture, Bugwood.org; middle, right images - Tim Haye, CABI). First printing 2020. Tree-of-heaven is a Class C noxious weed in Washington State and is proposed for the WSDA quarantine list, which will prohibit its sale and distribution in WA. For more information about tree-of- heaven and spotted lanternfly please scan the QR code Tree-of-Heaven and Spotted Lanternfly Er i c a S m y e r s Pe n n s y l v a n i a S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y Tim H a y e , C A B I A widespread noxious weed hosts a new invasive insect L a w r e n c e B a r r i n g e r , P e n n s y l v a n i a D e p t . o f A g r i c u l t u r e , B u g w o o d . o r g Em e l i e S w a c k h a m e r , P e n n S t a t e Un i v e r s i t y , B u g w o o d . o r g Ri c h a r d G a r d n e r , B u g w o o d . o r g T i m H a y e , C A B I Tim H a y e , C A B I L a w r e n c e B a r r i n g e r , P e n n s y l v a n i a D e p t . o f A g r i c u l t u r e , B u g w o o d . o r g © 2 0 0 6 B e n L e g l e r Identification Tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima) is a fast- growing, deciduous tree native to China and Taiwan. Growing to 65 feet or taller, trees develop a taproot and lateral roots, which sprout stems and forms thickets. • Tree bark is smooth and gray, developing shallow, diamond- shaped fissures as it ages. It’s often compared to cantaloupe skin. • Leaves are alternate and pinnately compound - commonly with 10 to 27 leaflets. • Stems have large heart to shield-shaped leaf scars. • Leaflets typically 1.5 to 6 inches long. Margins are smooth except on each side near the base, where there are 1 to 3 rounded teeth, each with a gland bump on the lower surface. • The leaves and stems have a rancid peanut- butter or popcorn-like smell when crushed. Look-A-Likes Quick tips to differentiate from tree-of-heaven• Male and female flowers occur in clusters on separate trees. Flowers are small and yellowish green. • Female flowers develop a samara - a single seed in the middle of an oblong, papery wing that can be slightly twisted. Their color ranges from yellowish green, to pinkish tan and brown, and are ~ 1 to 2 inches long. • Female trees may be identified during the winter by clusters of remaining seeds on the branch tips. Smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) and staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) • Large shrubs with many stems. Smooth sumac is native to eastern Washington and grows to ~10 feet. Staghorn sumac is not native to Washington and grows to ~15 to 20 feet. • Both have pinnately compound leaves, with leaflets having toothed margins and no glands at the base. • Upright, dense flower clusters that form dense clusters of hairy reddish fruits (drupes). Black walnut (Juglans nigra) • Bark is brown to gray-black and has narrow, deep furrows. • Pinnately compound leaves with leaflets having toothed margins and no glands at the base. • Fruit is a walnut, round in shape, and enclosed in a greenish husk. Control Whenever possible, control plants as seedlings or young plants, prior to the development of their extensive roots. Do not leave cut stems and stumps on moist soils as they may resprout. Check with your county noxious weed board about disposal options. Contact with plant parts may cause skin irritation and rashes to sensitive individuals, so be sure to wear gloves and protective clothing. Manual: Seedlings and small plants can be hand-pulled, dug up, or pulled with a weed levering tool. This is best done when the soil is moist. Make sure to remove the roots as remaining fragments can resprout. Cutting or mowing plants alone will not provide control as stumps and roots will readily resprout. Herbicide: Timing of treatment is important for success. Apply foliar spray to small plants when leaves are fully emerged, from mid to later growing season. For larger plants, treatments such as basal bark, frill cuts, or stem injection should occur from mid-summer to early fall. Check with your county noxious weed control board and the Pacific Northwest Weed Management Handbook (https://pnwhandbooks. org) for specific herbicide treatment information. Frequently monitor the area for multiple years, controlling any new seedlings and resprouts. Plant the area with native and/or non-invasive plants to create shade and provide competition to discourage tree-of-heaven seedlings and prevent other weeds from establishing. glands Left and center images by Rod Gilbert; right image by Robert Vidéki, Doronicum Kft., Bugwood.org (c) 2002 Steven J. Baskauf, http://bioimages.vanderbilt.edu, CC by 4.0; Paul Wray, Iowa State University, Bugwood.org, 0008277; Chris Evans, University of Illinois, Bugwood.org, 5125019; Robert Vidéki, Doronicum Kft., Bugwood.org, 5396123. leaflet J a n S a m a n e k , P h y t o s a n i t a r y A d m i n i s t r a t i o n , B u g w o o d . o r g leaf scar J o h n M . R a n d a l l , T N C , B u g w o o d . o r g Identification Spread, Habitat, and Impacts Tree-of-heaven reproduces by seed and vegetatively spreads by root and stump sprouts. Mature female trees can produce 325,000+ seeds annually. Tree-of-heaven grows in primarily open habitats, including forest edges, roadsides, riverbanks, and urban areas. Found throughout the state, tree-of-heaven has a higher known distribution in eastern Washington. Besides being a preferred host for spotted lanternfly, tree-of-heaven can crowd out native vegetation, leach allelochemicals that may inhibit growth of neighboring plants, damage infrastructure, produce pollen that can be an allergen, and cause rashes for certain sensitive individuals. When necessary, prioritize the control of fem ale trees to prevent further seed production. Seedling image by Richard Gardner, Bugwood.org