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12/02/2021 - Minutes (3) PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD of SALT LAKE CITY Formal Meeting Thursday,December 2,2021 5:00 p.m.—7:00 p.m. Public Lands Administrative Building: 1965 W.500 S.Salt Lake City,UT 84104 Upstairs Parks Training Room-MASKS REQUIRED Minutes (Approved) 1—Convening the Meeting 5:00PM • Call to Order o Samantha Finch o Polly Hart o Melanie Pehrson o Phil Carroll o Brianna Binnebose o CJ Whittaker o Ginger Cannon o Clayton Scrivner • Chair Comments PNUT Board Chair Samantha Finch welcomed the new members of the board.The PNUT Board is now comprised of 10 members. Ms. Finch shared with the board that she has emailed the board's letter of support for the pause of the Foothills Trails construction to the Mayor. Ms. Finch also gave a shoutout to the RAC in recognition of the closing of a successful season and thanked staff for preparing department updates materials for the board to utilize. 2—Approval of Minutes 5:03PM • Approve November 4, 2021 Meeting Minutes and October 26, 2021 Retreat Meeting Minutes. Ms. Hart recommended that the November 4, 2021 and October 26, 2021 meeting minutes are amended to provide clarification and additional information. Ms. Hart recommended that in the November 4, 2021 minutes regarding Miller Park, clarification regarding the project's consultants is added. Ms. Hart also recommended that the clarification on CIP fund allocation for Fisher Mansion is added. Lewis Kogan stated that the CIP budget includes the carriage house and improvements to the irrigation system and grounds.A separate fund from the CIP is being utilized to conduct a visioning study of the Fisher Mansion. Ms. Hart recommended that in the October 26, 2021 minutes,the names of pending board members are added to the breakout sessions and that it is identified in the minutes that the pending board members are awaiting approval. Mr. Carroll motioned to approve the minutes with the added amendments. Mr. Whittaker seconded the motion. The motioned to approve the minutes passed unanimously. 3—Public Comment Period 5:05PM • Verbal comments are limited to no more than 3 minutes; 15 minutes total. Written comments are welcome. Dan Schelling— Dan Schelling stated that on October 25, 2021, a large gulley developed on the western side of city creek after a rainstorm washout causing the area and road to become unsafe for use.Two weeks ago, Public Lands stated on social media that the trail was impacted by the washout but is not a contributing factor to the washout. Mr. Schelling stated that this statement released by Public Lands is false. Mr. Schelling called on Public Lands to take responsibility for the washout and conduct scientific research before engaging in trail construction. He also thanked the PNUT Board for their work in supporting the Foothills Trails. Hilary Jacobs— Hilary Jacobs expressed concern regarding the need for enforcement or ordinance and maintenance of the Foothills. Ms.Jacobs stated that on Saturday November 6th, an unauthorized event was held at the I Street Bike Park and no enforcement of ordinance was employed to stop the event. Ms. Jacobs also expressed that signage that was vandalized earlier in the year has yet to be replaced in the Foothills. Ms.Jacobs called on Public Lands to enforce ordinances and maintain the Foothills. Eric Edelman— Eric Edelman expressed concern regarding the Foothills Trail system. Mr. Edelman stated that Public Lands is currently not maintaining existing trails in the Foothills system. He also stated that he has been in contact with Lewis Kogan and has expressed concern regarding a risk of washouts in the Foothills. Mr. Edelman is frustrated that Public Lands stated on social media that the trail was impacted by the October washout but was not a contributing factor. Precautions could have been taken by Public Lands to prevent this washout from happening. Mr. Edelman also expressed a need for enforcement and maintenance in the Foothills and stated that many members of the public don't feel that there are heard by the PNUT Board and Public Lands Department. Mr. Edelman called on Public Lands and the PNUT board to focus on existing trail maintenance and not destroy existing trails. Dave Alderman— Dave Alderman expressed his concerns regarding the PNUT Board's CIP Application review process. Mr. Alderman stated as the applicant for the Cemetery CIP Project, he is concerned that the board is reviewing projects and formulating their recommendation before he can meet with Public Lands staff and finalize his application. He feels the PNUT Boards review process is out of sync since the city has expressed applicants have until the end of the year to compile recommendations. Jan Hemming— Jan emailed the following comment prior to the meeting: Hi Luke: Would you please report the following information at tonight's PNUT board that was presented during the November 22 walk-thru of Miller Bird Refuge and Nature Park. This was reported by Lewis Kogan, Trails and Natural Lands Division Director: • During the past two years, 600 trees have been removed from Miller Park.The city defended the practice by explaining that most (95%) were five feet high or less with a diameter of about 1.5 inches. Three species were targeted—Siberian Elms,Tree of Heaven, and Black Locust—all non-native, invasive species. • Twice a year,Tracy Aviary conducts bird counts in Miller Park. The city reported that "the bird count is up" and there is a healthy bird population in the park.The city acknowledged that two hummingbird nests were (accidentally?) removed in 2014, sparking new guidelines that have since been established in cooperation with Tracy Aviary and U.S. Fish and Wildlife. Thank you. Janet (Jan) Hemming Chair Yalecrest Neighborhood Council Ms. Hart asked if the PNUT Board has any bylaws pertaining to public comments submitted electronically. Kristen Riker recommended that the PNUT board establishes a follow-up plan to respond to public comments. Ms. Riker also stated that Public Lands staff would be happy to aid in responding to public comments. 4—Staff Discussion and Agenda Items 5:20PM • Budget 101 Presentation (Gregg Evans) 10 mins Gregg Evans provided the PNUT Board with an overview of Public Land's budget process and the 2021-2022 budget. Mr. Evans explained that Public Lands is funded through general funds, which are funds supported with general tax revenues and that Public Lands manages the golf enterprise fund, which is a self-supporting entity that provides goods and services to the public for a fee. The city operates on a fiscal calendar year starting July 1st and ending June 30th. The overall budget approval process begins in November and concludes in the beginning of June. From December to January, personnel services are projected, and revenue estimates are developed. In February, departments receive guidance on budget development from the Mayor's office and departments develop budget requests and budget reduction options. From March to April, departments present proposals to the Mayor and provide briefings to the City Council about services and budget options are developed. In April, the Mayor's recommended budget is prepared. In May,the Mayor's recommended budget is published and presented to City Council in May. City Council then reviews the Mayor's recommended budget and holds public hearings. The copy of the FY2022 Department of Public Lands budget approved by City Council can be found at https://www.slc.gov/Finance/investor-relations-city- financials/budget/ • Overview of Public Lands FY23 Budget Initiatives (Kristin Riker) 10 mins Kristin Riker provided the PNUT board with a brief overview of Public Lands FY23 budget initiatives.The budget initiatives categories are as follows. New Properties and Amenities- Every year, Public Lands receives new properties or amenities that are a result of CIP projects that are now completed and available to the public and in need of funding for materials, supplies and staffing. Climate Resiliency and Environmental Health— This initiative aims to increase the capacity of Public Lands to address ecological health and resiliency of public green spaces. Positions and supplies will be requested to support and expand native plant propagation and biodiversity projects. Weed Abatement Program— In 2012 Salt Lake City Public Lands was commissioned with an unfunded weed abatement program,transferred to PL from Sanitation.The program provides weed removal, mowing and spraying of herbicides in right of ways, alleys, medians and undeveloped city properties.There are no weed abatement funds in the PL budget. Since 2016, PL has requested funding for this program annually. Currently,the program operates on a complaint basis only. Forest Preservation and Growth— Significant and sustainable forest expansion requires a bolstered tree planting effort, as well as a strong commitment to preserving and protecting the City's valuable established trees.This initiative proposes to fund the Mayor's 1,000 tree initiative as well as provide funding for an FTE to mitigate unnecessary damage to trees during construction by applying and enforcing City code requirements pertaining to tree protection. Development and construction projects routinely inspected. It also includes a part time position to manage the new Mark Smith Arboretum. Golf Course Tree Maintenance— Golf Course property trees receive very little if any maintenance due to a lack of resources in the Golf Fund. For this reason,there exists a significant backlog leading to a decline in tree health (dead and unpruned trees) on the courses. This initiative proposes funding for contracted tree maintenance, managed by Urban Forestry,to resolve the backlog in 3 years. This work would bring the golf course trees to a condition that could be maintained and steadily improved. Although Golf is an Enterprise fund, trees on City Golf Courses provide community benefits, beyond those which they provide to the golf courses, and these city tree assets could be managed (by the Urban Forestry Division)to provide far greater benefit. Urban Wood Reutilization— This priority seeks to develop a program to recycle and reuse the many thousands of tons of wood that is removed from the City's Urban Forest each year effectively and responsibly. The program would feature the capability to generate quality mulch, lumber, and other wood products,for use directly by the City. It would also sort, produce, and make available various wood products for the public. The Urban Wood Reutilization Program will ultimately require new facilities, specialized equipment, and an additional FTE over a multi-year development. The 'facilities' component(Yard Development, Storage Building, and Equipment Awning) is being requested with a Community Reinvestment bond that will be discussed in January 2022. Any questions from the PNUT Board regarding budget priorities can be emailed to Luke Allen. • Pioneer Park Update (Nancy Monteith) 20 mins Nancy Monteith provided the PNUT Board with an overview of the proposed vision plan for the redesign of Pioneer Park. Over the Summer of 2021, engagement was conducted with the Salt Lake City Community to gain insights from key groups. Public Lands received 3,000 responses, which is considered statistically significant. During the engagement window,the community identified their preferences for active play, public spaces and passive features programming. Based on the community engagement, Public Lands is proposing a design that includes an all-ages playground, dog park, dog water area, pickleball courts, garden ribbons and a pavilion featuring a café, outdoor stage, welcome kiosk, restrooms and park ranger hub. The design will also result in the removal of 43 trees in the park,with 55 new shade trees proposed and 33 new ornamental trees proposed. Currently, Pioneer park contains 225 trees. With the implementation of the plan,the park will contain 270 total trees. The next steps of the process will consist of evaluating the plan with a sub- consultant with expertise in construction costing and sharing the content plan with the public for feedback. Public Lands is hoping to open the park in 2023. The PNUT board asked Ms. Monteith questions regarding the Pioneer Park plan.The questions and answers are as follows: - Q: Would it be possible to look at changing the park's infrastructure without removing trees and bring existing mature trees back to health? A: This is something that Public Lands will investigate. - Q: How does Public Lands justify and support water features in the park given that Salt Lake City is in a long-lasting drought?A: In the parks plan, the addition of a misting feature requires much less water usage than the addition of a splash pad.The misting feature will also be able to be turned on and off accordingly. Regarding placing a dog water feature in the park, Public Lands is hoping to provide an alternate space for dogs to go instead of Salt Lake City's canyons. Additionally, more public engagement will be conducted in January to gain feedback from the public regarding these features. After Ms. Monteith stated that the dog water feature in Pioneer Park was designed to reduce canyon use, Ms. Hart stated that Pioneer Park and our local canyons are entirely different experiences (uphill human exercise vs standing around watching your pet) and that one could not/would not replace or impact the other. - Q: Does the park contain a looped walking path?A:Yes,the park does contain a looped walking path as well as connecting paths that promote access to the park's features. - Q: How can Public Lands make the surrounding roads less of a barrier to the park?A:The state is conducting a repaving project of the surrounding roads but this project is not a construction project so it will not redesign the edges of Pioneer Park. Public Lands is in conversations with transportation and is hopeful that in the future, mid-block crossings might be possible.Transportation is also looking into how they can integrate the edges of Pioneer Park into their projects. - Q: What are the PNUT boards next steps?A: Sharing the plan with their community networks and gathering feedback. • May We Have Peace land acknowledgement presentation (Taylor Knuth) 5 mins The May We Have Peace land acknowledgement presentation was cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. • Donation Proposals-Action Item (Rock)Torres Mora) 5 mins Rocio Torres Mora presented a donation proposal regarding the Oak Hills Ball Park.The donation is totaling$4,000 raised by community members to make improvements to the park in honor of a Matthew Perry, a community member who has recently passed. The donation would encompass replacing the lighting in the park's two scoreboards, placing additional identification signs, repairing bleachers and other amenities and the addition of a memorial plaque. The PNUT board asked if Public Lands could look at improving the safety and congestion of Oak Hills Ball Park's parking lot and surrounding streets. The PNUT board also asked if Public Lands has a policy surrounding monuments and memorial markers in parks. Public Lands does have a policy that only permits memorials in Memory Grove. The proposal of a memorial plaque would not be allowed at Oak Hills Ball Park. Mr. Scrivner motioned to accept the donation proposal given that the proposal fits in the existing policy around memorials and Public Lands staff works with the donors to develop the proposal's details. Ms. Hart Seconded the motion. The board voted unanimously to pass this motion. 5—Board Discussion and Action Items 6:10PM • 501(c)(3) Subcommittee: Forming a subcommittee to explore the creation of a 10 mins 501(c)(3) Park Foundation. The purpose is to provide the public with a philanthropic vehicle for supporting Public Lands projects and goals under the Master Plan. (Samantha Finch) Ms. Finch asked the board if anyone would be willing to serve on this sub- committee.The sub-committee would meet once a month outside of regular meetings and its membership will be under a quorum. Ms. Binnebose expressed that she would be interested in being involved as her schedule permits. Ms. Finch asked that the board reaches out to her if they are interested in joining. • CIP Prioritization process: Selecting the top 10 for a recommendation 20 mins (Samantha Finch) As per the board's decision to conduct a Google Forms survey to gather information on the board's top projects, the PNUT board reviewed the collected data. After a discussion of the board's top CIP projects, Phil Carroll motioned to provide a recommendation of their top 18 projects and an explanation of their ranking process to the Mayor and Council. CJ Whittaker seconded the motion. All board members voted unanimously to pass this motion, completing the PNUT Board's CIP recommendation process. • Board Chair and Vice-Chair Nominations, Reminder that Elections will be in 10 mins January. (Samantha Finch) Ms. Finch solicited nominations from the board for the Board Chair and Vice-Chair positions. Ms. Hart was nominated to serve as Board Chair and Ms. Binnebose was nominated to serve as Vice-Chair. Ms. Finch will be following up with all board members in an email to collect any additional nominations. The election for Board Chair and Vice-Chair will be held in January's meeting. 6—Confirmation of Next Meeting, Board Comments& Future Agenda Items 6:50PM • Next Meeting:January 6, 2021 The PNUT Board's next meeting will be held January 6, 2021. The board is looking to conduct this meeting in a hybrid format. • Board Comment Period Mr. Carroll asked what happens to public comments after they are brought to the board during the public comment period? Ms. Riker responded that the department would be happy to follow up with information about the concerns brought up during the period. Public Lands can also add the answers to public comments in the staff updates packet so the board can share the information with the public. Additionally,the board can request updates to public comments as an agenda item. • Request for Future Agenda Item • PNUT Board Field Trip • Upcoming Involvement Opportunities 7—Adjourn 7:00PM Ms. Hart Motioned to close the meeting. Ms. Finch seconded the motion.The PNUT board voted unanimously to close the December 2021 meeting.