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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/06/2025 - Meeting Materials PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD of SALT LAKE CITY Formal Meeting Thursday,March 6,2025 5:00 p.m.-7:15 p.m. Join Via Zoom:https: Zus02web.zoom.us'4j/85931572397?pwd=fNtwVJf2HuGg6C2vUKo8kcui5T6Mox.1 Or Join at the Public Lands Administrative Building:1965 W.500 S.Salt Lake City,UT 84104 Upstairs Parks Training Room Join by phone Phone:+1 253 215 8782 Webinar ID: 859 3157 2397 Access code: 849030 AGENDA 1. Convening the Meeting 5:00 PM A. Call to order B. Chair Comments 5 mins 2. Approval of Minutes 5:05 PM - Approve February 6, 2025, meeting minutes 5 mins 3. Public Comment 5:10 PM - Verbal comments are limited to no more than 3 minutes; 15 minutes total. Written comments are welcome. 4. Director's Report 5:25 PM - Introduce new Landscape Architect-Tom Millar 5 mins - Introduce new Director-Tyler Murdock 5 mins - Summary of current high-priority department items. -Tyler Murdock 5 mins 5. Board Action Items 5:40 PM A. Cancel the July meeting 5 mins B. FY25/26 Budget Insights Letter-of-Support 10 mins 6. Staff Presentations, Updates& Discussions 5:55 PM A. Park Ranger Update- Nicholas Frederick 30 mins B. Donation Policy Discussion -Tyler Murdock&Ashlyn Larsen 30 mins C. Staff Updates. -Ashlyn Larsen 5 mins 7. Board Discussion 7:00 PM A. Committee Reporting 10 mins B. Board comments and question period &Request for future agenda items 10 mins C. Board Engagement Opportunities/Requests 5 mins D. Next meeting:April 3, 2025 8. Adjourn 7.20 PM PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD of SALT LAKE CITY Formal Meeting Thursday,February 6,2025 5:00 p.m.-7:15 p.m. Join Via Zoom:https:,//us02web.zoom.us,4j/89572796062?pwd=TA3WIES6Tnk2mlAmGvslpBPjOhgeFf.1 Or join at the Public Lands Administrative Building:1965 W.500 S.Salt Lake City,UT 84104 Upstairs Parks Training Room Join by phone Phone:+1 346 248 7799 Webinar ID: 895 7279 6062 Access code:642169 UNAPPROVED MINUTES 1. Convening the Meeting 5:00 PM A. Call to order - Melanie Pehrson - Talula Pontuti - Clayton Scrivner - Brianna Binnebose - Samantha Finch - Ginger Cannon - Jenny Hewson - Steve Bloch - Kerri Nakamura B. Chair Comments 5 mins Ms. Nakamura said they would return to chair comments, action items, and public comments once they had a quorum. Ms. Nakamura said her goal is to keep everything on time and the agenda moving. She thanked the staff for their work on the packet this month and appreciated all the written updates. 2. Approval of Minutes 5:05 PM - Approve January 9, 2025 meeting minutes 5 mins Ms. Cannon motioned to approve the January meeting minutes with Ms. Finch's adjustments. Ms. Pehrson seconded the motion.The Board unanimously voted to approve the January meeting minutes. 3. Public Comment 5:10 PM - Verbal comments are limited to no more than 3 minutes; 15 minutes total. Written comments are welcome. Ms.Anne Cannon said that, hopefully, attention can be focused on Wasatch Hollow and its needs. 4. Director's Report 5:25 PM - Introduce New Landscape Architects-Tom Millar 5 mins Mr. Millar said they've been on a hiring spree and have two positions funded this fiscal year.The staff reclassified some positions as they needed additional landscape architects. He introduced PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD of SALT LAKE CITY the new landscape architects Drew Badgett and Darian Westrick.Another will start with the Department next week.There's one final vacant position open. Ms. Westrick shared she comes to Public Lands from the private sector.The projects she is focusing on are Seven Canyons at Liberty Park, Ensign Peak Trailhead, Rose Park golf course, and Riverside Park, as well as a multi-year plan for tree plantings. Mr. Badgett shared that he comes from the private sector and in California. He worked on high- end residential buildings. He's working on some pocket park projects, calisthenics in parks, and some Riverside Park improvements. Before his higher education, he worked on community outreach and engagement in Seattle. - Term Expiration Recognition: Ms. Finch & Ms. Hewson -Tyler Murdock 5 mins Mr. Murdock appreciated Ms. Finch and Ms. Hewson's work for PNUT and the staff. He thanked Ms. Hewson for her help with some challenging issues in District 3 and the Foothills. He also shared that Ms. Finch is an example of an active Board member. He appreciates how she's stepped up and gone above and beyond in attending community council and City Council events to be a voice. He thanked them both for their work. Ms. Finch shared that she loved serving on the board and encouraged all citizens to participate in an advisory board. Ms. Hewson said it's been an honor and loved seeing how much more engaged the Board has become and grown. The Board and staff continued to discuss Ms. Finch and Ms. Hewson's term expiration. - Summary of current high-priority department items. -Tyler Murdock 5 mins Mr. Murdock said they've conducted three PNUT interviews, with one more the following week. They'll make recommendations to the Mayor's Office in the next few weeks. He said there's been a few news reports around the sycamore trees. He gave a detailed briefing last month and suggested it as a future agenda item. City Council will vote on the 18`to potentially allocate an additional $150,000 to Public Lands to implement a pilot study for sycamore trees, primarily in the Yalecrest Community, as well as a few other target locations to determine the most effective treatment for anthracnose and insects causing problems with the trees. This will allow staff to treat up to 500 trees, and pruning will begin immediately. Mr. Murdock, another topic that may be related to Public Lands in the news is that fencing will be going up around Fleet Block in the Granary District. This is the first step in the demolition. This area is sensitive due to the murals on those buildings. Public Lands is just one partner in this project, as the Bond funded the development of a 3-acre park in this area. Mr. Murdock shared that the SCAAMP consultants were in town this week. He thinks this is the most important work Public Lands is doing to address their deferred maintenance needs and capital asset replacement. This will be a more strategic approach to capital planning. He sees this as an item coming back to the Board frequently. Ms. Cannon will be involved in this project and share updates with the Board from a constituent perspective.The staff and the Board continued to discuss SCAAMP. Mr. Murdock shared the 2024 Annual Report. For the last two years, the annual report has been directly tied to the Reimagine Nature Master Plan. Mr. Murdock said that Ms. Larsen meets with the Division Directors throughout the year to get updates on progress, which are compiled into PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD of SALT LAKE CITY the Annual Report. Mr. Murdock highlighted a few highlights in the Annual Report.The Board and staff continued to discuss the Annual Report. Mr. Murdock said that he and Ms. Larsen will work on a strategy to inform PNUT members when staff are presenting to Community Councils and the City Council so the Board can be more aware. He's exploring the idea of a written update to share with them. He shared that Public Lands has two agenda items on the City Council's agenda on Tuesday focused on the Liberty Park CLR and Golf fees. Ms. Cannon asked if the Seven Canyons project is tied to the CLR. Mr. Millar said that all capital projects in Liberty Park know the CLR, but those projects haven't been paused. The Board and staff continued to discuss Liberty Park projects. Mr. Bloch asked for an update regarding the Director position. Mr. Murdock said some candidates plan to meet with the administration this week. Interviews for the Communications Manager position will be starting next week. 5. Staff Presentations, Updates& Discussions 5:40 PM A. Parks Operations Update -Toby Hazelbaker&Carmen Bailey 40 mins Ms. Bailey said they have some equipment to show the Board as there was a question about sustainability practices. Ms. Bailey said a lot of the electrical equipment is heavy and expensive. Some electrical equipment is 10 pounds heavier than gas, and staff use it for up to six hours a day while it's 100 degrees outside. Mr. Hazelbaker shared his screen to display the Parks Maintenance and Operations presentation. He shared his job as the Parks Maintenance and Operations Division Director. He shared his background. He said a culture change was one of the first things he focused on when coming to Public Lands. Many current employees have been with the City for 20-30 years and have been in Salt Lake City since the 1980s. He's been helping staff embrace how Salt Lake City is today and new practices that can go into play to change that culture. He is striving to change the culture of who they are, and one way he's doing that is by creating a mission statement for employees, "We keep Public Lands Clean, Green, and Safe." He handed out cards highlighting the mission statement and the staff's actions. The staff continued to discuss the Parks Operations Update, Mr. Hazelbaker talked about making a park clean,green, and safe from graffiti, broken trees, broken playgrounds, dead grass, etc. He said that green is also related to purchasing practices, the machinery staff uses, and how they use water.There's also the safety of the parks as such a diverse group of people use the parks. Safety is also related to playground safety and equipment safety. He brought up staff safety,which is also important as the staff works in hotspots in the city where public lands aren't being used appropriately.There's psychological safety and a culture where employees feel safe sharing ideas—the psychological safety of residents using the parks as the City grows.The staff continued to discuss the Parks Operations Update. Mr. Hazelbaker said part of his job is ensuring their operating under the appropriate schedules, standards, and standard operating procedures(SOPS). He shared the example of Cottonwood Park and how staff used only to go twice a week to pick up trash, and now they're sometimes there twice a day.This pulls staff away from other areas that deserve attention. The police have done a great job of cleaning out the abusive crowd that was there, but then they go to other parks or filter onto the trail, and that trash goes somewhere else.The staff's goal is also to help the public understand what it is to deal with a 30-year-old park versus a two-year-old park and what it's like to manage the park in the middle of a drought. That's a big part of what staff does administratively, and it helps staff be the eyes for these issues.They're training and encouraging PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD of SALT LAKE CITY staff to log the problems into Cartegraph and get good data.The staff continued to discuss the Parks Operations Update. The staff's greatest obstacles are: 1. Human Behavior: graffiti, copper being stolen, a door broken into, park misuse, off-leash dogs in improper areas, etc. Parks are designed for light use. Staff wants to track this to determine everyday maintenance use versus more significant impacts. 2. Weather: this is the most challenging item to budget around. Staff is ahead of the game in taking care of the leaves. Right now, there's not enough staff to rake leaves, as it's something seasonal work tends to do. He shared it's a balance of using Weather Trak and ensuring fields aren't muddy for the next morning's game. 3. Growth versus Available Resources: He discussed working with departments regarding new medians with grass or trees. Now, parks have to take care of those spaces, and they don't always have the resources to do so. He brought up people coming in from different urban environments and having different expectations on how to treat parks and trails. 4. Internal Culture:This involves ensuring the team understands that the department may not get all the staff and money needed to learn how to work smarter. He shared that staff are developing creative ways to make their jobs more efficient. Mr. Bloch asked how the field staff are using Cartegraph. Mr. Hazelbaker said staff have phones and tablets to log items into Cartegraph. He said the staff doesn't fully understand how the data impacts their day-to-day. He is working on explaining the why behind the Cartegraph. This data helps staff ask for additional funding or staff. Ms. Bailey said getting employees to track what they did that day has been challenging. Ms. Bailey said they can share their productivity, but they can't compare it to 20 years ago. The Board and staff continued to discuss the Parks Operations Update. Mr. Murdock said the data track tells a story; for example, one of the districts is spending 65% of their time on trash removal, so other parks aren't at the level they should be.That's a meaningful narrative.The other part of Cartegraph is complete park maintenance with asset replacement. This will help guide SCAAMP.The Board and staff continued to discuss Cartegraph and the Parks Operation Update. Ms. Finch asked if there were language barriers in Cartegraph. Ms. Bailey said yes. The City is working on switching over its online training to multiple different languages. Mr. Hazelbaker added that many of the seasonal teams work together on a team and have their own cultural pecking order that people who don't speak Spanish understand. There's still a disconnect.The Board and staff continued to discuss the Parks Operation Update. Mr. Hazelbaker said there can be quality assurance issues since supervisors are now spending more time in the office and aren't able to be in the field. Mr. Murdock said there are language barriers in the tracking system, language barriers that prevent existing staff from moving into leadership roles and operational roles. The Board and staff continued to discuss the Parks Operation Update. Mr. Hazelbaker said the last part of Park's duty to clean, green, and safe is sustainability and looking forward.A lot of what Parks can accomplish is with the assistance of other integral pieces of the City, such as taking the trash out, working with Public Utilities on water, and working with the police on safety issues in parks. He shared that Parks does light maintenance on their vehicles, but for the most part, it all goes to Fleet. Mr. Hazelbaker continued to discuss cleanliness, green, and safety. Mr. Bloch said the City is leading the front with gas power and the frequent red air days. Private city contractors aren't following business practices that align with the Mayor's goals. He'd like to hear more about what Parks are doing to be sustainable. Mr. Hazelbaker said it's true that electric equipment is cleaner, but you also give up weight, PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD of SALT LAKE CITY performance, and cost. He listed a few examples. Staff also carpools. Staff uses recycled leaves for mulch. Mr. Hazelbaker discussed the pros and cons of electric equipment and educated staff on choosing the right option for the job while considering the air impact.The Board and staff continued to discuss the Parks Operation Updates. Ms. Bailey said they want their employees to have choices. Even on red air days, field staff still has to go out and do the job. Their top priority is employees' safety. Maybe there's online training they can do on bad air days, and the outside job still needs to get done. So,they should be given the proper tools to make the best decisions. The Board and staff continued to discuss the Parks Operation Update. Mr. Hazelbaker shared the new trash cans the department was introduced to. They are 10 feet deep, about half of which is buried underground.These trash cans will help reduce staff time in emptying trash. Rather than picking up trash daily, it could be once a month. About 20 of them are going along the Jordan River Trail with the others, and parks are still to be determined.To empty these trashcans, they have a crane to pull the trash out. Rather than sending two people to empty the garbage,they can now send one out with the crane. Mr. Hazelbaker said this idea came from staff, which can help boost morale when an idea submitted by an employee gets executed.The staff is also looking at a new mobile trash vacuum system to suck needles and trash along the Jordan River. The Board and staff continued to discuss the Parks Operation Update. Mr. Hazelbaker shared a hybrid, Bermuda grass. Bermuda grass has been outlawed in Utah as an invasive grass, except in Washington County. He shared that BYU has a turf science department, and they have 30 different patches of hybridized Bermuda grass,which has been recently taken off the invasive list because hybridized Bermuda grass doesn't grow like a weed. The dormancy season can be an issue. It browns earlier and doesn't come back green until later in the season compared to regular grass.The Board and staff continued to discuss the Parks Operation Update. B. Donation Policy Discussion -Tyler Murdock 20 mins Mr. Murdock said they get many donation requests, which are often met with some confusion and frustration around the lack of a process. Ms. Larsen shared her screen to display the Draft Donation Policy. He shared some examples of why it's hard to accept all donations. He said the staff are having conversations with the administration, and there's much more work to be done to align what Public Lands needs with what the administration wants to see.The Mayor's team desires to make sure Public Lands is providing as many opportunities for people to donate as possible, which Public Lands wants to do. Still, there are challenges when it comes to offering multiple options.There are also challenges regarding tree donations and inadequate irrigation to keep those trees watered. He said this policy focuses on smaller donations and would also like to discuss those more significant donations. Ms. Larsen summarized the last time staff presented donations to the Board. She said that this current draft policy does not address those more significant donations, and the staff knows they need something to accommodate them. She said the staff is looking for feedback and input from the Board on the draft donation policy tonight.They will then consolidate and resubmit the Board's input to the Mayor's office. She said the current draft policy does propose the role PNUT can play in donations. One of those ways is with the City's existing code regarding plaques and memorials and defining"significance."Additionally,the staff is exploring having a standard format for plaques. So that's one way PNUT can be involved with donations and getting community-representative feedback on "significance."The other element is getting PNUT's input PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD of SALT LAKE CITY if the staff needs additional insight and community-representative feedback.The Board and staff continued to discuss the donation policy. Mr. Murdock said there needs to be something in place for more significant donations, and he thinks PNUT's involvement in the larger donation requests for the Peace Gardens (the bench and Rwandan memorial) could be a beneficial role for PNUT. Once the donation policy is finalized, he doesn't see them needing PNUT's perspective on every bench donation that comes through, but the struggle is with larger donation requests. It's hard when a large donation request comes through, and there isn't a master plan for that area. In the process of these more significant donations, he can see staff coming to PNUT with their recommendation.Then, PNUT can write a letter of support or not submit it to the Mayor's office to allow the donation agreement. Ms. Larsen said that included in their packet was a memo outlining how staff came up with the numbers for the donation policy. Staff wants people to donate, but the donation itself doesn't equate to the maintenance of installation, all the staff time, and post-maintenance care.Their research shows this donation policy follows many other municipalities' donation processes. Ms. Hewson asked if the audience for this policy is for both companies and individuals. The staff said yes. Ms. Hewson asked if this policy would go before the City Council. Mr. Murdock said no, it's an internal policy.The Board and staff continued to discuss the donation policy. Ms. Larsen said with the data staff is collecting on benches and landscaping capabilities for trees, staff would love to have a shopping cart of options for people to select locations to donate.The policy is the foundation for telling constituents that some parks are available for bench donations so that staff can provide alternative locations. Ms. Nakamura suggested allowing the donor to place a plaque on a bench in the park they want,then donate the bench to another needed location. Ms. Cannon said the policy said no plaques on benches. Mr. Murdock said that's not in the ordinance but in the policy. Mr. Murdock said the staff is exploring options to accommodate plaques for benches.The Board and staff continued to discuss the donation policy. Ms. Larsen will share the draft donation policy in the Board's Google Drive so they can submit comments for staff to review. Ms. Cannon thanked the staff for their work and doesn't think it's too limiting. Ms. Larsen shared that most people are receptive when the staff proposes different locations or trees from the donor's original proposal. Ms. Cannon asked if the donated trees would come with tree tags. The staff said they are open to exploring tree tagging. Mr. Murdock said the staff is currently designing two memorial tree groves.The staff is also reviewing parks' existing irrigation systems to determine better where trees can go in parks and survive.The Board and staff continued to discuss the donation policy. C. Staff Updates. -Ashlyn Larsen 5 mins Ms. Larsen asked for the Board's thoughts on canceling the July meeting. It's been canceled for the last two years;this year,the 411 is on a Friday. Many Board members said they would be out of town.The Board decided to put it as an action item for March to cancel the July meeting. Ms. Larsen reminded the Board to submit their OPMA training certificates to her by the April meeting. Ms. Pehrson said they should do this training during the retreat next year. Ms. Larsen said that regarding the stakeholder presentation, the staff has posted this information on their social media accounts and is including it in the February newsletter. She thinks it's something they can make a quarterly occurrence in the newsletter. 6. Board Discussion 6:45 PM A. FY25/26 Budget Insights & Letter-of-Support Discussion 25 mins PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD of SALT LAKE CITY Ms. Larsen shared her screen to display the Board's ranking process and draft a letter of support. Mr. Murdock said they can't have a budget direction yet, and the staff anticipates receiving that on February 121".What staff members share with the board to get feedback could change once they get more guidance from the administration. Mr. Murdock said some of their budget insights are related to the Public Safety Plan, and the administration has asked him to ensure everything related to Public Lands in the Public Safety Plan is going into budget insights so some additional changes could be made. Some of those are likely camera infrastructure for parks, bathroom security, and cleaning. Those items are not included in the budget insights, and the staff has a contracted security team. Still, a few other things related to the Public Safety Plan will fall under Park Security to increase that budget request. The Board and staff continued to discuss FY25/26 budget insights. Ms. Pontuti said the ranking process is similar to the CIP ranking process. Ms. Pontuti explained the ranking process. She asked the Board to include comments as they use these comments to draft the letter. She referenced the response sheet, allowing everyone to see how others ranked and their comments. Ms. Binnebose emailed all this information out, as well. Ms. Pontuti said she'll send an email outlining all the dates after the meeting. She noted that prioritization is due by the 21 St at 5:30 PM. Ms. Binnebose reminded everyone that the ranking considers how an insight was ranked and how many people ranked that item.The Board and staff continued to discuss FY25/26 budget insights. Mr. Bloch asked what the budget asked for. Mr. Murdock said that each budget insight summary listed the requested amount.Those amounts are pretty refined. The staff is narrowing down New Properties and Amenities.These numbers could still adjust over a few weeks. Ms. Nakamura explained the budgeting process on the City Council level. Mr. Murdock said that when the mayor proposed the GO bond, she allocated $2M for park maintenance, which was intended to be held to maintain new properties. The staff still has about$750,000; the rest has been allocated to new properties.The Board and staff continued to discuss FY25/26 budget insights. Mr. Bloch brought up adding capacity for a GIS Analyst. Mr. Murdock said these letters of support tell a great story and are valuable to the staff to bring to the administration, saying, "Here are the Board's priorities, and they represent the community." Mr. Murdock said he wonders if there's a mechanism where the Board can list secondary priorities they can include in a letter for the administration to see. Mr. Bloch asked if they aren't asking for a GIS Analyst because it doesn't fit into an existing insight budget. Mr. Murdock said it's not a top priority for them. He thinks there's a way for the Board to communicate their priorities somehow. Ms. Nakamura said she thinks this is a similar idea to replacing playgrounds and not having to compete with CIP funds to replace playgrounds due to regular maintenance. The Board and staff continued to discuss the FY25/26 budget insights. Ms. Nakamura brought up Ms. Binnebose's previous suggestion of flooding the city's GIS Analyst with many requests.Then,the staff has the data to support the need to better request their own GIS Analyst. Mr. Murdock said staff did that with the Parks signage position. Currently, staff uses part-time employees to fulfill their signage needs. Mr. Murdock said the administration thinks they should be contracting their signage needs out, which presents many operational challenges for staff. He said they may cross-train their employees; many planners have GIS experience, but that's not their job. He shared that they are collaborating with the University of Utah to provide GIS support for the Foothills. Mr. Bloch said other city departments have in-house GIS. He thinks PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD of SALT LAKE CITY presenting that information could help. Ms. Cannon said the percentage of the city's parks versus the percentage of the city's streets is quite different, so you have to consider the scale of land each department deals with. Public Utilities also has its own in-house GIS Analyst. Mr. Murdock said they've made a lot of administrative requests in the last few years.The Board and staff continued to discuss the FY2S/26 budget insights. B. Committee Reporting 10 mins Communications Committee Ms. Binnebose said their committee has been working on the rankings for budget insights and the draft letter. Since her term expires in September, Ms. Binnebose encouraged other Board members to join the committee. She is setting up email templates and how-to guides for when new people join the committee. SCAAM P Ms. Cannon said she's been meeting with Ms.Andra and was given a lowdown on the timeline for SCAAMP. It should have some transformative impact reports and use that data to plan better. She was able to provide some input on the survey that will be going out. The meetings will be monthly, and she'll bring updates back to the Board. Jordan River Committee Ms. Pehrson said she contacted the Glendale Community Council to share Ms. Maponga's work and asked if they would post some information on their Facebook page. Foothills Committee Mr. Bloch said he is working with staff to write a letter requesting a formal working group for the department. Urban Trails Committee Ms. Nakamura said there was good representation from the TAB advisory board.They are working on a vision statement and have GIS requests. GreenBike plans to attend their next meeting and talk about heat-mapping of bike usage. Ms. Binnebose said she liked the discussion on data requests but also thought about actionable items they can work towards, economic development opportunities, cultivating better relationships with tourism entities, and highlighting areas to look at. C. Board comments and question period & Request for future agenda items 10 mins Ms. Nakamura referenced the staff updates in the packet and said the Board could use this time to ask any questions regarding those updates. Ms. Finch requested an update on Allen Park. Mr. Murdock said a lot of that project isn't under their control right now, and it's in building permits. Mr. Murdock brought up his work on legislative intents, and he thinks Allen Park is a good example of an external barrier the staff deals with.The Board and staff continued to discuss future agenda items. Ms. Nakamura suggested a publicly-facing tool that shows where each project is in its timeline. Mr. Murdock said that's something the department can explore. Mr. Murdock shared that new public engagement software is coming out as early as May. He thinks that would be a good agenda item and tool for tracking project progress. Ms. Finch requested a written update on Fairmont Park. Ms. Larsen said the February newsletter will include an update for Fairmont. Mr. Bloch asked if people outside the department could PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD of SALT LAKE CITY provide presentations to the Board. He wants someone from Public Utilities or Rocky Mountain Power to present an update with the Foothills. The staff will look into this. Ms. Larsen proposed having the Park Rangers come and give an update, as it's been a year since they've presented an update.The board and staff continued to discuss the agenda and write update requests. D. Board Engagement Opportunities/Requests 5 mins Ms. Nakamura referenced the above link for upcoming events. E. Next meeting: March 6, 2025 Ms. Hewson motioned to adjourn the meeting. Ms. Finch seconded.The Board unanimously voted to adjourn the meeting. 7. Adjourn 7:35 PM y . ic a s ►L y • P u bl L nd I T Parks I Trails & Natural Lands I Urban Forestry I Golf Staff Responses to Public Comments Richard Schwartz Alas, rapid increase in number of electric mountain bikes has led to overcrowding in the summer on trails on the north bench last summer and fall. Also, a new breed of dog walkers has appeared with up to half dozen of our canine friends per individual barely under control Maybe we would benefit from some publicity about rules on the trails on tech trails this Spring. Staff Response: Thank you for sharing your concerns. We are aware of the increased e-bike and off-leash dog trail use and will be increasing our messaging this year on trails regarding rules and regulations. DEPARTMENT of * PUBLIC LANDS Public Lands Staff Written Updates Planning & Design - Fairmont Park The Fairmont Park survey is LIVE! A public open house will be held at the Forest Dale Golf Course Clubhouse on March 6th from 4-7pm, giving the community an opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas about the future of the park with the project team. Here is our project website: go bond parks.com/fairmontpark. Urban Forestry - Sycamore Trees The Urban Forestry Division has been monitoring the increase in prevalence and severity of a foliar fungal disorder known as Anthracnose over the last few years. In 2024 Anthracnose levels in Sycamore and London Planetree (some of the City's largest and most iconic trees) were widespread and resulted in significant defoliation of hundreds of mature trees. The Anthracnose fungus is common in many species of trees, and the prevalence of the fungus rises and wains based largely on seasonal weather patterns. Mild and wet spring seasons present ideal conditions for the fungus to thrive and multiply, while warmer and dryer spring seasons typically result in reduced fungal activity. While healthy trees can typically withstand and tolerate varying degrees of anthracnose infection, repeated years of defoliation can drastically reduce tree vigor, leading to branch dieback (and even death, for less healthy trees). Salt Lake City has approximately 4,500 Sycamore/London Planetrees growing along our neighborhood streets and in our parks. Approximately 2,000 of these trees would be classified as large or mature. Viable treatment options for anthracnose are available. However, the effectiveness and potential unintended consequences of large-scale chemical treatment of street trees is unclear. Therefore, the Urban Forestry Division is working with Utah State University to conduct a study of anthracnose treatment to better understand the best treatment options and their cost. The study (funded for $150,000 annually) will include the treatment and evaluation of approximately 500 of the city's largest sycamore trees with fungicide and insecticide. Please Note: as the fungicidal treatment last for 3 years, it will take 3 years to ramp up to the 500-tree total for the study. After year 3, the treatment cycle will repeat, for the same 500 trees. Chemical Treatments will be administered by a qualified contractor. In addition to the chemical treatments, each tree in the study group will receive pruning to remove deadwood and any other branches that are detrimental to tree health. This pruning work is intended to promote overall tree health and provide a consistent baseline condition for future tree health evaluations. Pruning will commence in March 2025. As the study will not treat all of the large sycamore trees in the city, it is anticipated that many residents will elect to obtain a permit from the Urban Forestry Division so that they can hire a private company to treat their parkstrip trees. The Urban Forestry Division will attempt to track and evaluate these trees as well. Over the study period, Urban Forestry Division Arborists will remain engaged in the neighborhoods where trees are being treated, keeping residents informed and gathering feedback regarding the treatments. This approach should provide valuable information regarding the effectiveness, drawbacks, limitations, and costs of large-scale chemical treatments for our urban forest. This information will facilitate decision making regarding future insect and disease challenges that threaten our trees. Foothills - Rocky Mountain Power (RMP) Fire Mitigation Update Restoration: Re-grading, Seeding, Trails, Fencing General Schedule going forward: Winter 2025 - 0 day to day operations based on Weather 0 2 weeks to get to Edgehill 0 Approximate 2-3 weeks with heavy equipment then demobilize 0 Not much work in March, demobilize for March 0 Seeding in April and trail rehabilitation for a few months Long-term monitoring of restoration for at least two years Access Alignment: Prior to approval of the RMP Fire Mitigation Project, Public Utilities and Public Lands coordinated with RMP regarding planning, access alignment, and restoration. The RMP easement follows the alignment of the power lines generally pole to pole. From worker safety, public safety, constructability, and restoration perspectives it was determined that having RMP work strictly within the easement was not the optimal access. Therefore, temporary construction easements were established that permitted RMP to utilize previously impacted areas such as trails, historic jeep roads, maintenance roads, and existing grades to install temporary construction access roads. From these previously impacted areas, RMP would install temporary access to some pole locations, refer to Figure 1. The RMP permanent easement generally follows the yellow line labeled Transmission Center Line on Figure 1. Following this alignment in some areas would be detrimental to worker and public safety, and ultimate regrading and restoration. Therefore, RMP was permitted to construct temporary access as depicted on Figure 1. Prior to mobilization a site tour was performed with RMP and their contractor to assess the locations and access needs. The Edgehill access was a late addition to the plan. Initial plans for access to poles 104 through 118A was to be via one of the two existing maintenance road from Terrace Hills cul-de-sac. It was identified that both access locations would require significant disturbance to the community and the maintenance roads. For example, the hair-pin turn on the west access road that leads to the water tank would have required significant cut and fill to accommodate the construction vehicles. The entire east access would have required widening and significant tree removal. Edgehill was looked at as an alternative solution. The Edgehill access also would have provided a secondary access and would have met potential long-term needs by Public Utilities for the water tank and water line pipe alignment. The proposal for a long-term access road from Edgehill was discarded after opposition from the community. Re-grading - General: RMP is continuing to move forward with access road re-grading and will do so as weather permits. The goal is to complete site regrading this winter so that RMP will demobilize the heavy equipment. If the weather does not hold, then there may be some regrading in the spring. Re-grading involves removing the general prism of the temporary construction roads and returning the areas to the natural grade in some places and in select locations leaving a smaller access road prism for emergency access for small equipment such as a lift truck. Specific areas are addressed below (refer to Figure 1). Seeding: Seeding of the entire impacted area will be completed in the spring 2025 with a planned start date in early April (weather dependent). The seed mix is an approved mixture for the area. SWCA Environmental Consultants has been contracted by RMP to perform long-term (two years) assessment and inspection of the restoration. Seeding will require much smaller equipment than re-grading heavy equipment. Approximately one week. Trails: Trails will reopen once re-grading activities are complete. Should additional grading be required in the spring, there will be temporary trail closures as needed. There will be local and temporary trail closures during seeding activities and trail reconstruction. A local trails contractor, Surface Trails LLC, has been contracted by RMP to monitor and re-construct trails as needed, this will be ongoing through the spring and summer. No new trails are included in the RMP work. Edgehill Road is not planned to be a formal trailhead. Fencing: Temporary fencing (orange construction fence) and some permanent fence (buck and rail) will be installed around some restored areas (refer to Figure 1). Edgehill Road: Edgehill will be final location restored. • Track out rock is to be removed at completion of activities that require access from Edgehill. • Runoff control - the temporary access road will be regraded to a more natural historic grade sloping to the west (toward the gully). Prior to RMP construction there was an existing berm and grading that directed water south, that grade will be addressed and re-graded. • Jersey barricades replacement- • Jersey barricades will be replaced as they were prior to construction, along the edge of tarmac and as previously located and placed end-to-end generally and depicted in Figure 2. • Not part of the RMP project: No parking signs will be installed as per the request of the Edgehill residents. • Not part of the RMP project: Residents have requested a cul-de-sac or hammerhead turnaround. SLC Transportation will assess the feasibility of the request. There are geographic space limitations that may require engineering retaining walls if a cul-de-sac or hammer-head is to be constructed. A full engineering design would be required. Of note, the public ROW ends approximately at the location of the fire hydrant, (refer to Figure 2). The white parcel line and more recent paving shown on the aerial image show the line between ROW and Public Utilities Parcel. The remainder of the existing "turn around" is not ROW but is on a City (Public Utilities) owned parcel. Public Utilities' intention is to have the 'turn around" returned to pre- RMP work conditions. Public Utilities is not opposed to a turn around on the parcel. XXXX, 2025 451 S State Street Salt Lake City, UT 84111 Dear Mayor Mendenhall and City Council, We, the Salt Lake City Parks, Natural Lands, Urban Forestry and Trails Advisory Board (PNUT Advisory Board) submit for your consideration our ranked list of recommended Budget Insight priorities for FY 25 Public Lands projects. We acknowledge that in our current economic context of inflation, staff shortages, and project backlog, it is difficult to prioritize funds for projects which are all urgent, even necessary. We are grateful to the Public Lands Department staff for providing the tools and guidance necessary to inform our recommendations. We ask that you consider the following recommendations in your own evaluation and prioritization of FY 25 Budget Insights: Budget Insight Rank Inflationary&Contractual Increases 1 Seasonal Staff Hours & Pay Adjustment 2 District Maintenance Field Supervisor Positions 3 Nevi Property Maintenance 4 After-Hours &Weekend Crevo 5 Park Security 5 Board members followed a stepwise process to, first, individually rank the projects based on information distributed by staff, then provided justification for each ranking. Board members discussed the rankings during a regularly scheduled monthly PNUT board meeting and received additional input/clarifications from Public Lands Department staff as necessary. Considerations for ranking prioritized meeting baseline management needs through understanding and accounting for projected population growth, dramatic increased usage, cost, and geographical equity. Additionally, building department capacity through livable wages and efficient management systems was a major priority based on our community-centered perspectives. The purpose of the PNUT Board is to: i) provide and oversee strong stewardship of, ii) educate and advocate for, and iii) encourage and facilitate public involvement and input into policies for, our city's parks, natural lands, urban forestry and trails. We are an advisory board composed of citizen volunteers that represent citywide and district specific community interests. We deeply care about Salt Lake City's public lands and know that maintenance and development of these spaces requires careful funding considerations. We again express deep appreciation for the Public Lands Department staff. They consistently respond to our requests and questions, address them thoroughly and promptly, and provide additional insight and clarification. This is critical to fulfilling our board powers and duties. Thank you for your continued support of Salt Lake City's Public Lands Department by funding public lands operational needs and projects, ensuring equitable access, maintenance and development for years to come, and safeguarding a sustainable future for the residents of Salt Lake City. Thank you, Keri Nakamura , PNUT Board Chair Salt Lake City Department of Public Lands Donation Policy and Procedures Purpose The purpose of this donation policy is to create guidelines for the acceptance of donations to the City's Department of Public Lands. It will establish a review process that considers the donor's intentions as well as their previous donations and their past, present, and future business with Salt Lake City Corporation; the needs and desires of the community; the advice of the Parks, Natural Lands, Urban Forestry, and Trails(PNUT)Advisory Board, and city benefits and costs associated with proposed donations, including long term costs of maintenance and care of donated property.This policy intends to help donors reach their intended goals while ensuring donations are received and utilized ethically and legally and are consistent with the mission, goals, plans, resources, and limitations of the Department of Public Lands and Salt Lake City Corporation. Policy 1. The Department of Public Lands welcomes donations that enhance parks, trails, natural lands, the City's urban forest, golf courses, and other open spaces. 2. To process a donation with the City, the donor must provide their full name, address, email address, and phone number to conduct business with the City. Donors may remain publicly anonymous. 3. Donations to the Department of Public Lands must align with the goals and objectives established in"Reimagine Nature,"the City's Public Land Master Plan. 4. The Public Lands Department Director and the appropriate Division Director must approve all donations. 5. The net benefit of a donation is considered when determining whether to accept a donation. Net benefit includes all lifecycle costs of ownership, including maintenance, repair, clean-up, administrative, and any potential liability or expenses associated with the donation. 6. For all monetary and in-kind donations intended for physical additions to a Public Lands property or asset, donors must cover the full cost of the requested item, including expenses for shipping, hardware, materials, demolition, and staff time, unless the Department Director has approved associated budgetary requests. 7. Donations may not be used to implement new ongoing programs or services unless a permanent budget source is identified to support the program or service. 8. Plaques and Memorials a. Memorial plaques and similar items are not accepted as donations except in accordance with City Ordinance 57-9-4. b. Donations containing a plaque or memorial must align with the parks' intended purpose(s)and meet material and installation specifications provided by Public Lands. c. Plaques and memorials may not be attached to or placed next to trees. d. Plaques and memorials may not be attached to or engraved on benches. e. All Donations containing a plaque or memorial must; i. Receive approval from the Department or appropriate Division Director. ii. Be reviewed by the Parks, Natural Lands, Urban Forestry, and Trails(PNUT) Board by submitting a memo explaining how the donation meets the requirements outlined in City Ordinance 57-9-4. 9. The Department of Public Lands may request that the Parks, Natural Lands, Urban Forestry, and Trails (PNUT)Advisory Board and the City Council consider any donation. 10. Donation procedures may be reviewed annually and change based on inflation and pricing fluctuations. 11. Approved donations must be coordinated with the department's Finance Manager to develop a donation agreement with the donor. 12. All accepted donations will receive standard maintenance levels during normal life expectancy. After their normal life expectancies, or if they must be removed early,the Department may decide not to replace them. 13. Donations that are vandalized or stolen will be repaired or replaced as feasible, but the Department of Public Lands does not guarantee repair or replacement of any items. 14. The Department of Public Lands may decline any donation. Procedures Tree Donations: 1. All donations are to be reviewed and approved by the Urban Forestry Division Director. 2. Monetary donations of any amount can be directed into a general planting fund for a tree to be planted at any park at anytime. 3_In-kind tree donations are not accepted. 4_Plaques and memorials may not be placed on or adjacent to public trees. 5_Donors who wish to plant a certain species or at a certain location must pay the full cost of the tree, shipping, staff coordination, and installation time. In such circumstances, a minimum of one tree may be donated for$750.The Urban Forestry Division Director and Parks Operations Manager will review requested tree planting locations to determine tree type and location feasibility. a. Donations of$750-$7,499 will allow the donor to select a specific tree species and a specific planting location. b_A minimum of 10 trees must be donated ($7,500+)for Public Lands to participate in a volunteer/donor tree planting event. Parks, Trails, and Natural Lands Donations: 1) All donations are to be reviewed and approved by the appropriate Division Director. 2)Monetary donations of any amount can be directed into a general fund to support Parks or Trails & Natural Lands maintenance. I—Public Lands does not accept pavers. 4) Benches a) Public Lands will only accept donations to replace existing benches. b) Beginning in Winter 2024, Public Lands will create a strategic plan to accommodate new park bench donations at designated locations.These locations will be carefully selected and will undergo an annual review and update process to ensure they meet the evolving needs of the community and park users. c) Public Lands accepts two bench styles for parks: Commercial/Public Use Grade Flat Bench,with center armrest: + Installation Bench replacement donation amount: $3,000.00 New bench installation donation amount: $5,000.00 Commercial/Public Use Grade Bench, w with center armrest: Bench replacement donation amount: $3,000.00 New bench installation donation amount: $5,000.00 Model CBPB-6SB-BK d) Public Lands accepts one bench style for golf courses. Commercial/Public Use Grade Golf _ Course Approved Bench Bench replacement donation amount: $3000.00 New bench installation donation amount: $5,000.00 e) Public Lands accepts one bench style for the Foothills. Commercial/Public Use Grade Foothills Approved Bench Bench replacement donation amount: $3000.00 I;; ii New bench installation donation amount: $1,200.00 f) Benches cannot have custom engravings or feature plaques. 5) Plaques and memorial specifications a) Public Lands will determine specifications for each donation based on installation requirements. b) All materials must be of commercial or public use-grade quality. c) Plaques must meet the following design and material specifications. • Material-Aluminum • Size- 8"W X 6"H • Depth- 5/16"Thick: Painted Edges • Shape- Rectangle(or Square) • Copy- Raised Copy-Horizontal Stroke • Finish- Leatherette-w/Brushed Surfaced • Border- No Border • Color-2025 Black SATIN Painted • Style- Per Artfile Supplied • Clear- Satin • Rosettes- No Rosettes Required • Pattern- No • Font:Arial Narrow • Font Size:Varies depending on narrative o Mounting into cement: • Mount- Blind: Standard Stud