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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/01/2025 - Meeting Materials PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD of SALT LAKE CITY Formal Meeting Thursday,May 1,2025 5:00 p.m.-7:15 p.m. Join Via Zoom:https:.Z/us02web.zoom.us/j/87109659345?pwd=iOdFjzXUJVFdlNt3cwlvCj259SybBR.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:+1-669-444-9171 Webinar ID: 8710965 9345 Access code:702590 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 April 3, 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 Board member(Sarah Foran)- Kim Shelley 5 mins - Introduce new Communications Manager Qana Cunningham)- Kim Shelley 5 mins - Introduce new Trails & Natural Lands Operations Manager(Kyle Andrews) -Tyler 5 mins Murdock - Summary of current high-priority department items. - Kim Shelley/Tyler Murdock 5 mins 5. Staff Presentations, Updates& Discussions 5:45 PM A. Special Events Permitting Presentation - Ryen Schlegel 30 mins B. Open Space Acquisition &Disposition Process-Cameron Johnson/Tyler Murdock 30 mins C. Staff Updates. -Ashlyn Larsen 5 mins 6. Board Discussion 6:50 PM A. Committee Reporting 15 mins B. Board comments and question period, & Request for future agenda items 5 mins C. Board Engagement Opportunities/Requests 5 mins D. Next meeting:June 5, 2025 7. Adjourn 7:15 PM April 14, 2025 Kim Shelley, Director Public Lands Department 1965 West 500 South Salt Lake City, Utah 84104 Re: Request to Form a Foothills Working Group Dear Director Shelley, At the January 9, 2025 Regular Meeting of the Parks,Natural Lands, Urban Forestry& Trails, Advisory Board of Salt Lake City, the Board unanimously passed a motion to ask the Public Lands Department to form a Foothills Working Group. This motion was consistent with paragraph 1 OB of the Board's By-Laws which provides as follows: Any Board member may make a motion to ask the Department to form a working group with stakeholders external to the Department. If approved by the Board, the request must take the form of a letter from the Board to the Department requesting this participation and describing the purpose of the working group. Members of a working group must be proposed by the Department in consultation with the Board. By-Laws¶ 10.13, Salt Lake City Parks,Natural Lands, Trails and Urban Forestry Advisory Board(May 2023). This is the first "Working Group"the Board has asked the Department to form under the current By-Laws. It is the Board's intention that for 2025, the scope of the Foothills working group be limited to the "East City Creek&Upper Avenues" and"Perry's Hollow, Twin Peaks & Dry Creek" Foothill Open Space Zones (FOSZs), which are the Department's prioritized FOSZs for planning and implementation and primarily located on Salt Lake City owned land. The proposed scope of the priority FOSZs are described in the Department's Foothills Trail System Evaluation (Jan. 2024) (referred to herein as the "2024 Evaluation"). Following the completion of a multi-agency Foothills Management Agreement, the working group could be expanded to include other lands, properties and trails owned by other agency partners, if agreed upon. It's our hope that this Working Group will be a success and the concept can be successfully carried forward to work on the other FOSZs identified in the 2024 Evaluation. The up rpose of the working group is two-fold. • First, to provide the Department with the ability to tap into subject matter experts identified as part of the Department's FOSZ Planning and Implementation Process identified in the 2024 Evaluation. These subject matter experts may be asked to (1) identify data needs; (2) review existing trail resources and conditions; (3) review recommendations about zoning within the FOSZs; and(4)review proposed single- or- multi-use trails, including the use of existing trails and the potential for new trail construction. • Second, to serve the role as the "Key Stakeholder Group" identified as part of the 2024 Evaluation's Public Communication Strategy. The Working Group will "include key stakeholders with knowledge of environmental, trails, and other management issues and will also represent the variety of distinct user groups and interests in the Foothills." If agreed upon by other Foothills landowner public agencies, a representative of the Working Group may also be included on a future multi-agency Foothills Working Group. As noted above, the Board's By-Laws provide that"[m]embers of a working group must be proposed by the Department in consultation with the Board."We take our consultation role seriously and look forward to working with the Department to review proposed foothills Working Group members. At this time, the board is aware that the Department is working with the University of Utah, Environmental Dispute Resolution program to further outline the proposed scope and compilation of the Foothills Working Group. The board, can play a role in consultation and establishment of the mission, goals and objectives of the Foothills Working Group. We look forward to assisting the Department with this work and to making this first Working Group a success. Sincerely, Kerri Nakamura Chair Parks,Natural Lands, Urban Forestry& Trails,Advisory Board of Salt Lake City DEPARTMENT of * PUBLIC LANDS Public Lands Staff Written Updates Parks • Approximately 450 trees are being planted in west-side parks during Earth Week, which efforts are of course supported by a number of Public Lands Divisions. Parks is helping with planting layout, cutting sod for tree-rings, planting, watering, mulching, and ongoing care. • The Mayor kicked off Earth Week in Jordan Park this weekend alongside Parks Operations Manager Joe Ramos. They spoke about the vital role trees play in our city and highlighted the benefits of mulch rings—reduced soil compaction, improved water retention, easier weed control, and protection from maintenance equipment—all while enhancing the park's appearance and demonstrating care from both staff and community members. • Park safety is improving in areas such as Cottonwood and Riverside Parks as well as the Jordan River Trail thanks to Parks maintenance teams, the RIT team, and SLCPD efforts. Strategic changes from closing the trail temporarily, demolishing old structures, moving portable toilets, and lifting vegetation have all helped, and not the least of which is increased PD and Park Ranger presence. This increased SLCPD presence is growing into Liberty and Herman Franks parks, and our staff is looking very much forward to increased PD foot and bike patrols there. On the other hand, Liberty Park and Herman Franks are experiencing an influx of very negative behavior from all-day/everyday "campers" (even though parks are cleared at night), drug selling/use, vandalism, environmental degradation, litter explosions, and general parks misuse. Public Lands, PD, Legal, and City Administration are working on a ride range of solutions. Voles are a growing concern, especially in the Cemetery. • For unknown reasons, the Salt Lake City bench has seen an explosion in vole populations, corroborated by U of U landscape maintenance teams. Voles are especially hard to eradicate because they don't have deep, consistent tunnel structure, but burrow near the surface and under structures. This degrades the efficacy of our safest mass-extermination method: Cot gas applications. While the machines that pump Co2 gas into gopher holes are quite effective, the vole's shallow habitat renders this method partially ineffective. Staff are then left with poison bait (can be dangerous to other animals) or mechanical trapping (time intensive). Making this all worse at the Cemetery is the vole's propensity to dig under rock or structures which has been undermining heavier headstones and monuments, resulting in unsightly tilting and even collapse. We are currently considering the best path forward in this unexpected development. • 100 trees have been successfully planted in temporary wooden planters along North Temple where trees were accidentally poisoned in fall of 2023. Irrigation has been routed to these trees, and until water lines are charged this Spring, crews are monitoring for soil hydration and hand-watering from a water trailer as needed. These 100 trees will spend this growing season in their planters while any residual herbicide levels in the native soil are allowed to dissipate. This fall, soil will be tested again to ensure its safety for transplanting, which - if found safe - will commence during winter 2025/2026. Approximately 125 additional trees will be included around the time of transplanting these original 100 to bring the grand total of trees back to pre-poisoning population counts. • On a parallel track to these operations, Public Lands will be honoring Councilmember Puy's request that a 2: 1 replacement of trees is undertaken, showing greening and shade commitment to the Fairpark community. These additional trees will need to be located on or near the west side of North Temple, but with the restitution of the original trees, will need to be planted in new developments or on tributary roads and green spaces. Planning will be tasked with finding appropriate locations and proper species of trees while Parks, Urban Forestry, and Public Lands contractors will do the heavy lift of sourcing, irrigating, and planting the new 2: 1 arrivals. Baseball Field Readiness • Some fields are already seeing practices, weather permitting. All supervisors have checked in with league presidents for priority maintenance needs. Many baseball fields have been groomed for March/April play through our mild winter. Infield surface care, lips, turf/seed, weeds, and fencing projects are mostly complete or underway with a few larger projects postponed to late spring/early summer at league request so as to not interfere with spring play. o Herman Franks Maintenance - Regular preparation for spring is underway/near completion. The league decided the major work would best be done late spring/early summer as spring ball closes down. This will include major turf removal and replanting on the east (Babe Ruth) field due to weed infestation, new infield mix brought in for all fields and then laser-leveled, and cutting, leveling, and replanting where lips have developed that cannot be raked out. This will occur mid-May to mid-June. o Sherwood Park Fencing - Fencing is placed and restorative work to the site will begin shortly, as well as closing off the southeast field mower access with a locking gate. All should be restored and Ready by the first week of April. Heavy use is expected at Sherwood Park ballfields, with regular league play on Saturday and new-to-the-city Latino League play on Sundays. While issues around alcohol use are of concern, the park has been kept tidy and looked in good shape as of Monday the 215t. Parking is an issue, with lots filling quickly and spilling out onto 4th south as well as neighborhoods to the north. o Sunnyside Park Design - Our consultants, J-U-B Engineers, have been working on a couple of concept designs that reflect the insights shared by the public in our first round of community engagement as well as feedback from operations staff and stakeholders (nearby property owners, such as the Church and the University). These concept designs have been cost-estimated to ensure we're presenting realistic options to the public. They have also been looked over by several internal groups to get buy-in from the entities that maintain and care for the park. Staff had a meeting in mid-March with the University of Utah to make sure our projects (their baseball stadium, and our park) are coordinated. A second round of community engagement is expected to take place in April. This will be an opportunity for park users, neighbors, and stakeholders to share insights on the concept designs, helping the project team to next develop a final site plan that prioritizes the most important elements. • The new (previously county-run) baseball field in our inventory now is the Jordan Park - South field. Some leagues that were used to reservations through county contacts are expressing entitlement to the field, and Parks reservations staff are working through the transition from county to city administration now. Signs are also being posted on-site for public awareness. Come May, this will be happening up at Sunnyside ballfields as well. Planning & Design Jefferson Park • The Department of Public Lands is scheduled to complete the new playground installation at Jefferson Park by the end of summer 2025. Originally scheduled for the summer of 2024, the installation faced significant delays due to contractor procurement. Fortunately, the City has secured a partner for installation with an estimated timeline for completion by end of this summer. • The playground replacement serves as the first step of a larger effort to reimagine the park. The City began engaging local residents at the Ballpark Bites event series in the summer of 2024. Staff spoke with dozens of park visitors and collected ideas for the future of the park. There is significant support for more shade, a new walking trail, lighting, and picnic areas. Residents will have additional opportunities to give input on the design of the public space later this year. The City is working with a consultant for full engagement and design of the park which will be completed by end of 2025. Fleet Block • The City has kicked off the redevelopment the Fleet Block. In March 2025, CAN and Public Services led an effort to demolish the existing abandoned buildings. While the buildings have been demolished, debris removal remains ongoing and is anticipated to complete in late spring. This April, CAN released an RFQ seeking proposals for the two northern parcels on the Fleet Block. Through this process, developers will be selected based on their qualifications and vision. Once they are selected and begin work on the development design concepts, they will present to community councils and other neighborhood groups. • Public Lands is currently preparing to launch a public engagement effort around the future open space located on the block. The City has selected a consultant team led by Sasaki Associates to complete the engagement, planning, and design of the space. The team will facilitate an inclusive and sensitive process that ensures that community is centered in the project. The first phase of engagement will kick off in May 2025 and the public will be invited to share ideas for the open space and artwork. This feedback will inform later stages of the project, including guiding principles and conceptual site designs. Urban Forestry • April is always a high-output month for the Urban Forestry Division. With dormant season neighborhood street tree planting finishing up, our Arborist turn their attention toward the volunteer tree planting season and the sharp increase in resident service requests. In April the OF Division has coordinated with local nonprofit, TreeUtah to plant 47 trees to Westpointe Park, 100 trees to Rosewood Park, and replacement plantings at the 9-Line Orchard. On Arbor Day, April 25th, 145 new trees were planted through a Public Lands Volunteer event at Jordan Park. In May, 50 more trees will be planted in both Rosewood Park and Westpointe Park, 30 new trees at the Salt Lake Cemetery, and 45 new trees will be planted on the 700 East median islands (adjacent to Liberty Park). • The Urban Forestry Division was also busy with public outreach in April, giving presentations for Rowland Hall School, the Downtown Community Council, and Utah State University Arboriculture class. The City Forester participated as a panelist for the Wonders of Tree Note event, the Leonardo. And OF Division arborists recorded an instructional video on how to cut in tree-rings to help volunteers working to beautify Jordan Park during Earth Week. • Insecticide treatments on approximately 500 trees (selected for the Sycamore Anthracnose Study) commenced in late April. These treatments should be completed by mid-May. Pruning work on the Sycamore study trees has been slow going with contracted crews, and the OF Division is exploring options to increase the pace of this work. • Lastly, the Urban Forestry Division would like to showcase the new 'tree- scape' on the island in front of the Public Lands Building. This island previously had a dying maple tree and grass. The OF Division salvaged an Oak tree that was to be removed for a new townhome development (200 South) and replanted it at Public Lands. We then proceeded to re-landscape the entire island with boulders, grasses, and shrubs. Natural Lands & Trails • TNL's new (and first) full-time Operations Manager, Kyle Andrews, started on April 14. We reclassified Tyler Fonarow's former role of "Recreational Trails Manager" to oversee all TNL operations, similar to the roles of Kyle Shields and Joe Ramos in Parks. Kyle most recently worked in Jefferson County (Golden), Colorado where he worked in their Open Space department for the last five years as a trails, open space, and land stewardship manager. His familiarity with a similar Intermountain West climate and geography and management of open spaces adjacent to an urban area is a huge plus. Kyle also has related experience in bike parks, irrigation, construction, and facilities management and we are excited to have someone with this depth and breadth of experience join our team. • The SLC Foothills Trailheads project should wrap up at different times this year. Victory Road, Bonneville Blvd, and Emigration trailheads should all be completed by end of May. Popperton should be completed later in the summer as it is awaiting building permits for its sewer-connected bathroom. 181" Avenue Trailhead was postponed due to the development of Public Utilities pumphouse behind the Morris Reservoir but TNL has recently submitted an updated trailhead to integrate into the pumphouse project. The pumphouse project is scheduled to go out to construction bid in May. • The RMP SLC Central Foothills - Phase III project is coming to a close. All restoration repairs will be finished in April, with a contract pending for RMP to pay for ecological monitoring over the next three years. TNL added some deferred trail maintenance projects along the BST and the 19t" Ave bike trail to coincide with this project this spring which will also be completed by the beginning of May. • June PNUT Updates will include a comprehensive summary of all the planting and restoration projects in our nature parks and open spaces scheduled for this year. Park Randers • The Park Rangers have been providing extra support along the JRT in close coordination with SLCPD. Rangers have noticed more positive activation in the area along with less trash, much less drug paraphernalia, and fewer trash can liners are missing. • The Public Lands Summer Events Mailer went out in April to every resident in the city. The goal is to make residents more aware of Public Lands events, including Park Ranger programs. We will track how much our attendance increases this year as a result. Communication & Engagement • Our team is in the process of hiring a new part-time Social Media Specialist (replacing Kristy Spencer) and hoping to have a decision made by the beginning of May. We are also hiring a full-time Communications Coordinator who will focus mainly on writing content and assisting with the overall outreach strategy for the department. The job is posted and we're hoping to extend an offer by the end of May. • Earth Day events (April 19 and 22) were a huge success and we're looking forward to planting 150 trees on Arbor Day at Jordan Park. • We have many events coming up and few highlights include: Cemetery Tree Planting (we'll be highlighting all of the new changes on social media) on May 3, Artist Stroll on May 8, and Mayor's Bike to Work Day on May 22. Golf • All six facilities are now open and operating at full capacity as of April 8. Leagues have started at all courses except for Mountain Dell, which will begin the second week of May. Several significant projects are underway at all courses: Bonneville • The course is being prepared for new cart paths. Some existing paths will be removed, and new paths will be strategically placed to avoid in-play areas. • Tee boxes have been leveled, and forward tees have been built up on several holes and are currently being resodded. • Last fall, in collaboration with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, non- irrigated areas between holes 3 and 4, 10 and 18, and 13 and 14 were seeded with drought-tolerant grass varieties, including Snake River, Siberian Crested Wheat, and Great Basin Wild Rye. These seedlings have sprouted, and these grasses will help us reduce water consumption, enhance biodiversity, and lower costs associated with fertilizers, pesticides, and labor. • The clubhouse has received a facelift with new paint applied to both the interior and exterior of the building. • The driving range has been seeded with drought-resistant grass to help keep dust down for both staff and neighbors. Additionally, the driving range fence is being replaced with modern posts and netting, which may lead to temporary closures during this project. • Trees are being pruned or removed throughout the course and around the clubhouse. Some trees have been removed due to disease issues, safety issues, their impact on the surrounding turf, and concerns about playability. Forest Dale • Tee boxes on several holes have been leveled and are currently closed while the sod establishes. Glendale • Dave Carter, the head golf professional, retired after a 40-year career with the City, and Chris Richards was promoted and started on March 31. • Several tee boxes will be leveled and resodded in the coming weeks. Nibley Park • The project to excavate and fill the sinkhole void in the parking lot and resurface it is currently underway. Mountain Dell • Demolition and excavation have begun on two new sets of concrete stairs near the clubhouse. • The roof replacement project was completed last week, with crews finishing the gravel work and passing the final inspection. • Additional repairs are being made to the deck due to issues with the materials used during the initial replacement. • Cart paths have been resurfaced or replaced on both courses. • Kobe Rosales has been hired as the new assistant golf professional, replacing Chris Richards. He will start on April 27. Rose Park • We are currently in the planning phases of the irrigation system replacement project. PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD of SALT LAKE CITY Formal Meeting Thursday,April 3,2025 5:00 p.m.-7:15 p.m. Join Via Zoom:https:.Z/us02web.zoom.us/�/82576387053?pwd=eagjMQfrlbkDL30TUv9ac3v4YYMGCl.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:+1-669-444-9171 US Webinar ID:825 7638 7053 Access code:183948 UNAPPROVED MINUTES 1. Convening the Meeting 5:00 PM A. Call to order - Aaron Wiley - Melanie Pehrson - Talula Pontuti - Brianna Binnebose - James Alfandre - Eric McGill - Meredith Benally - Dave John - Ginger Cannon - Kerri Nakamura - Steve Bloch B. Chair Comments 5 mins Ms. Cannon ran the meeting as Ms. Nakamura was absent. Ms. Cannon thanked all the staff leadership over the last few months while the department sought a new director. She thanked Mr. Scrivner for his work on the team looking for a new Director. 2. Approval of Minutes 5:05 PM - Approve March 6, 2025, meeting minutes 5 mins Mr. Bloch motioned to approve the March meeting minutes. Ms. Pehrson seconded the motion. The Board unanimously voted to approve the March 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. Cannon read a brief disclosure from their Bylaws regarding public comment. Ms. Anne Cannon said she was here to meet the new District 6 representative,James Alfandre. Mr. Alfandre apologized for being unable to attend in person but said he was happy to connect. 4. Director's Report 5:25 PM - Summary of current high-priority department items. -Tyler Murdock/Kim Shelley 5 mins Ms. Shelley reintroduced herself to the new Public Lands Director and her background. She shared that she and Mr. Murdock will provide updates for the Director's Report. Ms. Shelley said that staff had their budget presentation to the Mayor on March 215T for both Public Lands and Golf,which was well received. She shared with the board that the mayor gave directions for all departments to have a flat budget, and after presentations, the mayor asked for it to be even PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD of SALT LAKE CITY flatter. Mr.Wiley asked what a Flat Budget was. Ms. Shelley said that means they can't ask for more than they did last year. Mr. McGill asked what was meant by making the budget even flatter. Ms. Shelley said they'll look deeper into their contracts to see their options. Staff is not currently anticipating cuts to any of their services, but they will keep the Board posted as they prepare for their presentation to the City Council in May. Ms. Shelley apologized for the limited notice regarding the Jordan River Trail closures. It was a decision that was made quickly and evolved rapidly. She said staff would inform the board of these closures before they hit the news media.This situation was dire, and action needed to be taken quickly. Mr. Murdock shared his screen to display the Jordan River Trail closure map and detour. Mr. Murdock said this decision was primarily driven by the public safety concerns in the Rose Park area, and the Police Department has been pushing for this, which happened on Monday.The dog park at Cottonwood Park is staying open. The closure begins just after the dog park, roughly 350 North to 700 North at Riverside Park. Mr. Murdock said it coincides with several improvements that were planned for the already. Public Land contractors started working on a Backman Open Space Community project.This is likely to be completed by the end of summer. One benefit of this project is the contractor will be relocating the Jordan River Trail to improve sightlines.The staff will also clean up, remove vegetation, and do other work during the closure. Primarily, the Police Department will continue to lock down this area and focus its efforts on Riverside Park. Mr.Wiley asked why they didn't go to the library. Mr. Murdock said these were the two locations where the Police Department had had the most issues. Mr.Wiley asked if they were planning on extending that out. Mr. Murdock said not currently.The Board and staff continued to discuss the Jordan River Trail closure. Ms. Cannon asked what the expected trail closure timeline is. Mr. Murdock said on the public safety closure, they're anticipating three months, and the staff is communicating three to six months based on the construction timeline of projects. Mr. McGill said it's worth examining how the city got here so they can identify other areas and fix these issues before it gets to this point.The Board and staff continued to discuss the Jordan River Trail closure. Ms. Shelley said that Rocky Mountain Power(RMP) has begun their regrading project in the Foothills. Mr. Murdock shared his screen to share photos of the work. Mr. Murdock said staff is working with RMP, and ultimately, RMP is responsible for all the regrading, restoration, and trail reconstruction.They have brought on consultants to assist with this. Mr. Murdock said work still needs to be done. RMP has completed all the regrading and is now working on trail reconstruction. Mr. Murdock said he knows the Board has requested someone from RMP or Public Utilities to provide an update, and he thinks they're at a point where that could happen. Ms. Cannon asked if it's appropriate for the Board to push any complaints from constituents to the RMP page or particular RMP staff. Mr. Murdock said yes and that Public Utilities ultimately has the only enforcement component for this work.The Board and staff continued to discuss the RMP project in the Foothills. Ms. Shelley said the pickleball courts at Glendale are under construction and should be finished by the summer of 2025. Ms. Pehrson asked if that's the same timeline for the playground. Mr. Murdock said no,the pickleball courts will be done before Phase I. Mr. Murdock said they said late summer/early fall for Phase I opening, but everything is on track. Ms. Shelley introduced two new staff members: Kyle Andrew,the new Trails & Natural Lands Operations Manager, and Jana Cunningham,the new Communications Manager. - Introduce new Communications Manager- Kim Shelley 5 mins Ms. Larsen said they would introduce Ms. Cunningham tonight, but she couldn't. PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD of SALT LAKE CITY 5. Staff Presentations, Updates& Discussions 5:35 PM A. Donation Policy Discussion & Updates-Tyler Murdock &Ashlyn Larsen 30 mins Ms. Larsen shared her screen to display the draft donation policy. Ms. Larsen recapped where the staff is at with the donation policy. She said this version is a little different from the previous version they shared a few months ago.The biggest changes are to the Plaques and Memorials section and Tree Donations. After some feedback from the administration,the department decided to incorporate plaques onto benches. Mr. Murdock said they are also broadening their tree donation options.The staff is working on finding places to build two memorial tree groves, which would be dedicated to tree irrigation.Additionally, the staff would like to include a memorial website associated with those donations. The staff knows donors may not want to donate trees in those locations and choose a more specific area.The staff is working on assessing all parks for 2025 and identifying tree locations throughout the City that the staff knows have irrigation. Mr. Murdock said a key issue they face is that in many of their older parks, irrigation is not established to plant trees.The staff would like to add these maps and locations to the donation policy to broaden the locations where people can request and plant trees. Ms. Cannon said that according to the rough draft donation policy for large donations, the Board has a role in approving plaques and memorials. She is concerned that this is not listed under their Power& Duties per City Code for plaques and donations of over $50K. She said the Board might not have a consensus regarding these donation requests as a Board. Mr. Murdock said he thinks there'd have to be some ordinance changes to be implemented associated with this as there are tight restrictions on plaque donations and defining significance, per City Code, and who determines that. Mr. Murdock thinks that the Board's participation in donations needs to be updated in the City Code and its bylaws. Mr. Murdock said what he would like to discuss this evening is the role the Board would like to play in donations. The Board and staff continued to discuss the draft donation policy. Mr. Murdock said unless the Board wants to see plaques and memorial requests from staff for donations,the City Code wouldn't need to change, and it is done on the Department level to determine significance. Ms. Pehrson asked if donation updates could be included in the monthly packet.The Board and staff continued to discuss the draft donation policy. Mr. McGill asked if the Board's approval would be binding, like a Planning Commission. Ms. Cannon said the City Council could still vote against it, even if they provided a letter.A letter of support from the Board could give staff extra support when donating to the City Council. Mr. Bloch agreed with Ms. Cannon that the Board does not have approval authority over donations and liked the idea of a monthly list of donations. Ms. Cannon thinks it should be this way for small and large donations. Ms. Cannon thinks it's appropriate for the Board to review large donations, but staff might not necessarily get their approval in a letter format. Mr. Murdock said no to small donations, but the staff would like to explore the Board's role in larger donations. Mr. Murdock highlighted recent large donation requests that have come to staff over the last few months, such as the International Peace Gardens, Foothills Natural Area, and Curtis Park. He sees these numbers growing as staff looks to establish more private partnerships for public spaces for maintenance and care. Mr. Murdock said one of the challenges with these donation requests is for spaces that do not have existing master plans,which can make it challenging and subjective for staff to accept donations that perhaps don't align with the existing character and nature of public spaces. Staff needs to determine how to process these donations in places that don't have existing master plans. Mr. Murdock continued to summarize the draft policy for large donations. PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD of SALT LAKE CITY Ms. Binnebose asked who would be responsible for the evaluation and feasibility of a donation request if it is not aligned with the Reimagine Nature Plan. Mr. Murdock said that's another reason the staff wants to implement a new policy: to determine responsibility.The staff recommends that the donor is primarily responsible. Staff can provide the framework for what would be required and the deliverables they want to see at the end of that conclusion. Ms. Cannon asked if there's future flexibility in implementing a public parks foundation into this policy. Mr. Murdock said yes, as this is an internal policy. Mr. McGill asked if this was an internal document or for the donor; in his eyes, it's not very friendly. He also wondered if donors get the same tax benefits for their donations. He suggested making a donor-friendly donation policy and adding a section highlighting why people want to donate to parks. Mr. Murdock said it's meant to be internal and very process-focused. Mr. Murdock agrees that there needs to be an outside- facing process, especially for the large donations. Mr. Bloch shared he's aware of the pause staff have placed on some of the International Peace Garden donations, and other donations are moving forward. Mr. Murdock said they're trying to find an avenue to process some donations while the policy is still being created. Ms. Binnebose asked why the staff had paused some large donation requests but not others. Mr. Murdock said for the ASANA donation for Curtis Park at Foothill Village, the contractors are on the ground and ready to build improvements in the park, and if the Department doesn't move forward, it won't happen. Ultimately,the Mayor needs to approve the donation agreement. Ms. Cannon said she wants to return the discussion to Mr. Murdock's initial question on how the Board wants to be involved in this donation process. Mr. McGill said he thinks the Board needs to strengthen its oversight and advisory role, so he would motion that the Board do, as requested,the letter of support or approval and have that within its purview for large donations and something educational for smaller. Ms. Binnebose asked if approval would be unanimous or a majority vote as there may be some issues with consensus for certain donations. Ms. Pehrson said if it was unanimous, the Board could do a letter of support. Ms. Cannon said she's hearing a preference for a vote on a large donation, notjust discussion and review. Ms. Cannon said they can write a letter of support without taking a Board vote. Ms. Binnebose asked if they would want it to say approval or recommendation. Mr. Bloch said, in theory, the process could be the donor presents to the Board,the Board votes on whether to write a letter of support and if it's unanimous, the Board writes a letter of support. Ms. Cannon said,for clarity,that it's not within the Board's authority to approve the donation. Mr. Wiley asked if it was the lack of a master plan for the Peace Gardens that was holding up the donations. Mr. Murdock said the proposals for the Peace Gardens donation example are significant.They haven't had an expansion of the Peace Gardens for 30-40 years, and close to 90% of their parks don't have individual master plans, so that would apply to any other park. Mr. Wiley asked if there was a plan for putting master plans together. Mr. Murdock said the Reimagine Nature Master Plan addresses regional, large, and some community parks.Then, smaller planning efforts loop in neighborhoods or pocket parks with one guiding document.The staff requests funding to create master plans, but those aren't always funded. All the regional parks have their master plan.The Board and staff continued to discuss the draft donation policy. Ms. Cannon asked for more information regarding donated trees, but the only section did not address vandalism or funds for continued maintenance. Will the donor replace it or Public Lands? Mr. Murdock said that's something they can take back to Urban Forestry. Every year, Urban Forestry is looking for places to replace existing trees. Mr. Murdock thinks this is something that can be replaced internally. Mr. Bloch asked about master plans and the level of detail for each master plan. Mr. Murdock said they can get detailed on that for regional or PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD of SALT LAKE CITY neighborhood parks. He noted that the Foothills Master Plan will probably never have the level of detail compared to a park like the Peace Gardens. Mr. Murdock said the staff would want to bring requests that are not specific enough in the broad master plan to the Board. B. Staff Updates. -Ashlyn Larsen 5 mins Ms. Larsen reminded the board that today was the day to submit OPMA training certificates to her. She said she would send out another reminder in her meeting recap. Ms. Larsen said she would email people individually who still owe their OPMA training to her. Ms. Binnebose asked if there was a way to automate a completion email after completing the training. Ms. Larsen said it's a state website, but it's feedback they could pass up. Ms. Pehrson suggested that the board complete their OPMA training during the annual retreat, and those who do not attend the retreat can complete the training online. 6. Board Discussion 6:35 PM A. Committee Reporting 10 mins Foothills Committee Mr. Bloch said that at the retreat, the Board voted to approve a letter to the Department stating they should establish a working group for the Foothills. He has been working with staff, and a letter has been drafted. He invited Board members to look at this letter in the Drive. It does not need a second vote; the plan is to have Ms. Nakamura sign it at the next meeting. Mr. Murdock said they've had two meetings with larger stakeholder groups in the Foothills. One of the priorities this year is to develop a formal management agreement for all the Foothill natural areas that make up all the different landowners and jurisdictions (Forest Service, State Parks, Public Lands, Public Utilities, and the University of Utah). All the groups are excited about the agreement and are working on language right now. Mr. Bloch and Mr. Murdock continued to provide updates regarding the Foothills Committee and working group. Jordan River Committee Ms. Pehrson is working on connecting with staff to talk about some of the events happening on the Jordan River. Mr. Murdock said Ms. Maponga is not the point person for engagement events for the Jordan River. Mr. Murdock said there are some upcoming stewardship events. Ms. Pehrson said it was regarding the five locations with projects. Mr. Murdock said he would follow up with Ms. Maponga. Communications Committee Ms. Binnebose said they took the month off after all their work for the budget prioritization letter.They are excited to meet Ms. Cunningham to see how they can support communications. Bylaws Committee Ms. Cannon said there were no updates from the Bylaws Committee. Ms. Cannon shared with new Board members that per the Bylaws, each member must serve on one Committee. Mr. McGill asked about the possibility of creating a Golf update. SCAAM P Ms. Cannon said there were no updates, but she will have more information after the survey closes next month. Urban Trails Committee Ms. Binnebose said they did not meet in March. Ms. Cannon said in February 2024, she wanted to see more involvement with Golf since it's under Public Lands. She worked with the Golf Director, Mr. Matt Kammeyer,to identify an PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD of SALT LAKE CITY appropriate scope. She also worked with researchers to define a scope, but what was created wasn't possible. By code,there is supposed to be a Golf Advisory Committee, but the Mayor hasn't established that, as there's been a lot of history around the previous Golf Advisory Committee.There is a role PNUT could play in creating a committee to support Mr. Kammeyer and his team. She's unsure what the scope looks like, but Ms. Bailey provided some information in the packet. Mr. McGill shared that he sees and understands all the environmental benefits that golf courses provide. He's seen other cities find ways to repurpose golf courses. He would love to see ways for the golf courses to be used to increase diverse use and connectivity with potential trails.That way, citizens who don't golf can use those spaces. Mr. McGill also suggested an Urban Forestry Committee or some combo with Golf. The Board and staff continued to discuss a possible Golf Committee. B. Board comments and question period & Request for future agenda items 10 mins Ms. Larsen said the Board has requested a Special Events Permitting update. Mr. Murdock said Citywide Communications could come and present the new Civic Engagement/Public Engagement Software.This software would be public facing so you can see the status of any project happening in the City in one location. Ms. Pehrson asked if that is ready for May. Mr. Murdock said they have a contractor lined up with possibly a preliminary go-live in June. Ms. Cannon asked Mr. Murdock if Mr. Millar provides him updates to share with the Board. Mr. Murdock said there are specific requests; Mr. Millar can provide updates via presentation or written updates. Mr. Murdock said the Fairmont Park engagement and the Allen Park RFP are some big updates. The Board and staff discussed how the Department uses contractors.The Board suggested a high-level flowchart of a project from start to finish. Mr. Bloch suggested making the written updates more robust and having each Director provide a monthly written update. Mr. Murdock said they have a Division Director meeting a week after PNUT and share PNUT requests there. Ms. Cannon said it would be great if it could be a new practice for each Division to provide its own monthly paragraph update. The Board and staff continued to discuss written updates. Mr. Bloch asked how some Federal legislative decisions are going to impact the Department. Mr. Murdock and Ms. Shelley said no Federal legislative bills impact them, but there are some State legislative bills, such as transportation and street design. Mr. Murdock said someone from Transportation could possibly come and present on these impacts.The Board and staff continued to discuss legislative bills. Ms. Cannon asked if there needs to be any updates from the new City attorney. Ms. Larsen said they'd brought the attorney to the retreat as some Board members requested it to better understand the Board's powers and duties. Mr. Murdock said one thing the attorney brought up in that meeting was open space acquisition and disposal. He thinks this would be a good topic to bring as an agenda item.The Board discussed having a field trip and hosting their meetings at another location. Ms. Binnebose asked if the Department has an internal process for what's going on with the legislature and how they use that information to make decisions. Mr. McGill asked about Fleetblock. Ms. Cannon invited Mr.Alfandre and Mr. McGill to review prior agendas and meetings for some of these other topics. C. Board Engagement Opportunities/Requests 5 mins D. Next meeting: May 1, 2025 Ms. Binnebose motioned to adjourn the meeting, and Ms. Pontuti seconded.The Board unanimously voted to adjourn the meeting. PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD of SALT LAKE CITY 7. Adjourn