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Home My WebLink About042324 PRTTAB Meeting Minuteslilyof TownseM. PARKS, RECREATION, TREES, & TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD Minutes City Council Chambers, 540 Water Street April 23, 2024 1 4:30 p.m. I Virtual or In Person Meeting • Join via computer or tablet at.http://ioinwebinar.com enter 9 digit Webinar ID 752-525-115 • Join by phone in listen -only mode: (360)390-5064 Ext. 3 access code: 699-128-175# • Submit public comment to be included in the meeting record to: https://publiccomment.fillout.com/citvofpt • If you are experiencing technical difficulties, please attempt all methods listed above before reporting any issues to: clerksupport@cityofpt.us Welcome, Introduction & Call to Order - Chair Debbie Jahnke Good afternoon and welcome to this meeting of the Port Townsend Parks, Recreation, Trees & Trails Advisory Board. The role of this Board is to assist City staff and to advise the City Council on legislative matters concerning parks, recreation, trees and trails. This meeting is open to the public at the City Council Chambers, virtually via this web format, and is also being video recorded for those who could not attend the meeting today and for future reference. Given that this meeting is in virtual format, we ask that the board members raise their hands to be called on by the Chair. The public can do the some to comment during the public comment periods. We take public comment at the beginning and end of the meeting. I. Roll Call: The meeting was called to order by Chair Debbie lahnke at 4:30pm. Pam Adams, Russell Hill, Matt Miner, Jim Todd, Becci Kimball, Debbie lahnke present, Jennifer Rotermund excused. II. Approval of Agenda/Changes to Agenda: no changes, approved by consensus III. Approval of March 2024 Minutes: approved by consensus IV. Public Comment (3 minutes per person/agenda items only): PRTTAB received two written public comments, both regarding the 12th and Hancock parcel, expressing concern about protecting habitat and other issues. V. Old Business (60 min) A. WSU Involvement in USDA and DNR grants and capacity building (Emma Bolin, Steve King, Robin Hill): WSU may help with capacity building as demonstrated in their raingarden program; WSU is willing to help with our grants, in particular with public outreach/engagement. Master Gardeners is an example of one of WSU's successful programs. How do we build a community's capacity? WSU has a land grant mission, tailored through Jefferson County, and raingarden program is a good model for neighborhood outreach and engagement. B. Tyler Street —Tree selection and planter options (Steve King, Robin Hill): We need to fix tree problems on Tyler (and Lawrence) with the right trees, right places. Staff will make recommendation to Council to use $13,000 of new Urban Forestry funds to help with tree planting costs since Tyler grant does not pay for sidewalk and street trees. Perhaps we will put a large tree on the opposite side of Tyler. Trees on Lawrence will be replaced; if we grow the 'temporary' trees in a manner that they can be moved at a later date to a permanent location. Trees in front of Finistere are destroying the sewer laterals, hornbeam wood is of interest to the boat school. More information will be provided next month; both projects need to be done in the next few months. C. Report on Public Lands Commissioner visit to Sather Park regarding DNR grant (Debbie Jahnke, Robin Hill): Commissioner Franz took a tour through Sather Woods to talk about the challenges our parks and urban forests face and what our new grant proposes to accomplish. We saw the areas impacted by what is thought to be laminated root rot, although testing needs to confirm. The Sather neighbors have put immense effort into the park. Where ivy once covered the ground and climbed the trees, we saw clouds of star flowers, Corallorhiza maculata or coral root, a saprophytic orchid, and Pacific sanicle, Sanicula crassicaulis. The saprophyte is common in undisturbed forests and decomposes woody debris, of which there is plenty in the form of felled Douglas firs. (There is also a gorgeous madrone that needs to be a landmark tree.) They are having to deal with the consequences of a serious overplanting of ocean spray. One can have too much of a good thing when the goal is diversity. The commissioner's group did not have time to walk through Bishop Park but promised to do so at a later date. Michael addressed the issue of removal of LRR-affected trees and using the wood for the boat school, the kitchen shelter and other park projects. There is not much concern about leaving behind root rot, generally leaving a perimeter and replanting with resistant species is the solution. Jim asked about leaving snags for habitat. There was some concern about limiting snag height. VI. New Business (20 min) A. PROS Plan updates relevant to RCO Grants due May 1 (Michael Todd, Steve King) 1. Golf Park -Recommendation for addition of passive play, habitat protection, other additions, these will need to be added to the PROS Plan, language needs to be added before the second round at RCO. We would add trails and everything that is listed in the new contract. Board will see language for proposed amendments at our May meeting. 2. West side parks and 121" and Hancock - PROS Plan language is limited but no restrictions are listed in the plan. We would need to add nature play, trails, shelter to the PROS Plan language for the site. Public was generally supportive at the public event at the site. Site is R-IV so it will need to be rezoned or it would qualify for up to 48 housing units/acre. LOS must be for city -owned land so private parks and those owned by other entities cannot be counted for level of service. Zoning change could occur after the grant process. In the RCO process, sustainability and removal (or non- introduction) of invasive species are important parameters. Quiet activities, with benches and a picnic shelter are considered along with ADA trails. It was noted that Koh Tai is an example of human access allowed in nature parks, Koh Tai is LWCF but has a story walk, trails, benches, shelters. Unanimous agreement provided by the board to go forward, we will see a formal update next meeting. B. Brief update on EverGreen Communities effort (Robin Hill, Debbie Jahnke): Robin and Debbie volunteered to be on the EverGreen Communities Steering Committee, a restart of a DNR effort that made it into the RCWs as the Evergreen Communities Act but was put on hold in 2008 with the recession and rescinded when this new effort arose recently from DNR. To be an EverGreen Community, a city needs all the Arbor Day qualifications, plus at least a partial tree inventory. We have numerous disjointed tree inventories that we are trying to consolidate. Robin noted that we have in house the technology to do a tree inventory. Logo under development was shared, illustrating that dense housing and canopy are not mutually exclusive. VII. Staff update — (10 min) A. Park Operations (Michael Todd) We are a month into the growing season; two seasonals at work now plus one more soon; focus is on trails. Caretaker at Koh Tai is working well, transient encamped only once and issue was quickly resolved. Becci suggested an open house or a piece on KPTZ or some sort of event to support the changes at Koh Tai. Golden Age is under discussion; consultant will test for asbestos and lead paint. Becci suggested selling the property, with discussion about cliff erosion; plan was mentioned for planting on the Chetzemoka bluff after coppicing, perhaps adding a split rail fence and some deep-rooted shrubs at a new line. Russell thanked staff for support at the dog park; staff thanked the Adopt A Park group for support and work effort. Updates about Sims Way project: Port is leading project for port side, on Koh Tai side, poplar thinning will proceed over time along the ROW, PUD are waiting for Port to get permitting for tree removal. Public visitors queried regarding a flyer (21 May posted at the Coop) about the tree work on 49th at 53rd approach that would remove 24 Western redcedars. PUD must follow national electric code to deal with trees that affect service/safety. Steve will check the site out. Emma announced that our first Comprehensive Plan meeting is May 9, 6pm at the Legion. VII. Next Regularly Scheduled Meeting: May 28, 2024 Vill. Public Comment: none IX. Adjourn: 5:43 pm 3