Mar 23, 2026 Parks and Recreation Commission

[I. CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:07]

LET'S SEE. SO VICE CHAIR LARSON HERE AND I HAVE MY COMMISSIONERS MANIACI HERE.

MCSWAIN LEHMANN YOUR PAVLO'S HERE. RIGHT. AND ABSENT TONIGHT IS CHAIR CUI AND COUNCIL MEMBER.

PAULINA. ALL RIGHT. AND THE NEXT ORDER OF BUSINESS IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM FEBRUARY.

[III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

SECOND. MOTION TO APPROVE. OPEN FORUM. DOESN'T SEEM.

OH, SORRY. THAT'S OKAY. JUST, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE HERE.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OKAY. NO ONE'S HERE FOR OPEN FORUM.

[2. Natural Resource Update-Andrew Coyne]

THANKS FOR HAVING ME. SO I JUST GAVE THIS SAME PRESENTATION AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING, AND CHAD WANTED ME TO DO IT HERE, TOO. SO I THINK IT WAS PROBABLY PERFECT. FOR WHAT? YOU KNOW WHAT HE PRESENTED AND GREAT TIMING FOR US.

SO, ANDREW. FULL SCREEN ON THIS. AM I ON? YOU CAN JUST SCROLL.

YOU CAN YOU HAVE TO HELP ME GO OVER TO THE THREE DOT THING HERE.

EITHER THAT OR THE EXPAND TO THE RIGHT. NOPE.

GO DOWN THERE. OH, THERE YOU GO. THERE WE GO.

NICE. COOL. SO I'M ANDREW, I'M THE NATURAL RESOURCE TECH IN STILLWATER.

I'VE BEEN HERE FOR THREE AND A HALF YEARS NOW.

IT'S PRETTY COOL. IT'S BEEN REALLY FUN WORKING HERE.

I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN A TON OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS AND PARTNERSHIPS.

ALL SORTS OF LITTLE, YOU KNOW, SMALL PROJECTS, BIG, HUGE RESTORATION PROJECTS.

SO I'M JUST GIVING A LITTLE BRIEF UPDATE ON WHAT I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS.

SO STARTING I'LL TALK ABOUT SOME DNR CONSERVATION PARTNERS, LEGACY GRANTS THAT WE'VE WORKED ON A FEW DIFFERENT PARTNERSHIPS WITH WASHINGTON CONSERVATION DISTRICT TO REALLY HUGE URBAN FORESTRY GRANTS WE GOT.

AND THEN I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT LUMBERJACK LANDING AND SOME SMALL PROJECTS AND THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN THE FUTURE.

ALRIGHT, SO I'M JUST SCROLLING HERE THEN. GOT TO BE CAREFUL.

IT GOES REALLY FAST. OKAY, SO FIRST THE FIRST CPL GRANT WE GOT WAS ACTUALLY ACQUIRED BY TAYLOR, WHO WAS MY PREDECESSOR. BUT I PICKED UP THE PROJECT RIGHT WHEN I STARTED HERE.

IT'S AT CAWOOD, OPEN SQUARE WOODS ON THE WEST SIDE OR EAST SIDE OF LONG LAKE.

IT'S A TEN ACRE OAK WOODLAND FOREST. IT WAS JUST COMPLETELY NEGLECTED, INVADED WITH BUCKTHORN, TO THE POINT WHERE THERE WAS LITTLE TO NO DIVERSITY IN THERE.

THERE WAS NOT MUCH WILDLIFE VALUE. AND THE FOREST IS ESSENTIALLY JUST DYING BECAUSE THERE'S NO NEW SPECIES GROWING.

AND THERE'S A LOT OF OLD TREES THAT ARE NOT COMING BACK.

SO OUR, OUR MAIN GOAL WITH THAT WAS JUST BUCKTHORN CONTROL, GET A HANDLE ON IT.

SO WE WE DID TWO ROUNDS OF ONE ROUND OF CUTTING, ONE ROUND OF GOAT GRAZING, AND THEN A FEW ROUNDS OF HERBICIDE, FOLLOWED BY SOME PRETTY AGGRESSIVE TREE PLANTING AND SHRUB PLANTING.

AND WHAT WE'VE SEEN SO FAR IS THAT BUCKTHORN IS IT'S REALLY, REALLY BEEN SUPPRESSED.

I'D SAY 95%. YOU KNOW, THERE'S STILL SEEDLINGS POPPING UP HERE AND THERE, BUT COMPARED TO WHAT IT WAS THREE YEARS AGO, IT'S REALLY AMAZING TO SEE. WE'RE FOCUSING ON RESILIENCE AND CLIMATE ADAPTATION FOR ALL OF OUR RESTORATION PROJECTS AS FAR AS SPECIES GO. SO, YOU KNOW, LOOKING TO THE, TO THE FUTURE, WHAT TREES ARE GOING TO STILL DO WELL HERE IN 50 TO 100 YEARS? MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S DIVERSITY IN THAT FOREST SO THAT WHEN SOME PEST INEVITABLY COMES AND KNOCKS OUT ALL THE ASHES, WE'RE NOT LOSING AN ENTIRE FOREST. SO HERE WE PLANTED OAK, BASSWOOD, HACKBERRY.

OH, YEAH. YEAH. NO WORRIES. WE GOT A PRESENTATION.

WE'LL FINISH THAT AND THAT'S FINE. AND WE'RE STILL DOING SOME WE'RE DOING FOLLOW UP.

JUST REALLY BASIC FOLLOW UP TREATMENTS IN THERE WHEN ENOUGH BUCKTHORN IS PRESENT.

BUT IT'S, IT'S REALLY IT'S BEEN A LEARNING EXPERIENCE BECAUSE THIS WAS MY FIRST BIG PROJECT THAT I GOT TO MANAGE.

SO THEN AFTER THAT COUNCIL KEPT GETTING REQUESTS TO MAKE THE VIEW OR BRING THE VIEW BACK AT

[00:05:10]

AND SO SHAUN ASKED ME TO GO OUT THERE AND LOOK AT THAT.

ENDED UP FINDING THAT THE ENTIRE SITE, 1.75 ACRES IS JUST ALL COMPLETELY JUST LIKE JUST INVADED BY JUST BUCKTHORN AND A LOT OF INVASIVE BLACK LOCUST TREES THAT WERE JUST SAME THING CREATING THIS REALLY, REALLY DENSE PATCH OF INVASIVE TREES THAT ARE JUST CHOKING OUT ALL THE NATIVE SPECIES.

WE GOT $47,000 FROM THE DNR WITH A 10% MATCH.

WE USED THAT TO REMOVE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF BUCKTHORN AND BLACK LOCUST TREES ALL THROUGHOUT THE SITE.

IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT HILLSIDE WERE NOT PLANTING TREES AGAIN.

WE'RE CONVERTING IT INTO A PRAIRIE SO THAT WE CAN RETAIN THAT VIEW, AND WE CAN MANAGE IT EASIER IN THE LONG TERM BY JUST DOING PERIODIC BURNS OR MOWING, INSTEAD OF HAVING TO GO IN THERE WITH ALL THIS TREE EQUIPMENT ONCE IN A WHILE TO JUST TO KNOCK THAT BACK DOWN.

SO THAT WAS THE GOAL. ONCE WE DID THAT, THE NEXT SUMMER, WE FOUND THIS INVASIVE PLANT CALLED JAPANESE HOPS HAD JUST EXPLODED ON THIS WHOLE HILLSIDE HERE. WE DON'T KNOW WHERE IT CAME FROM, BUT IT'S PRIORITIZED AS PROHIBITED ERADICATE BY THE MTA. SO IT'S SUPER HIGH PRIORITY.

IT'S THE FIRST ONE FIRST OCCURRENCE IN WASHINGTON COUNTY AND I BELIEVE IN THE ENTIRE TWIN CITIES METRO.

SO IT WAS REALLY, REALLY HIGH PRIORITY TO JUST MAKE SURE WE ARE NOT LETTING THAT SPREAD ANY FURTHER.

NOT, YOU KNOW, BEING THE SOURCE OF THE NEXT MAJOR INVASIVE PLANT IN THE TWIN CITIES.

WE WERE VERY AGGRESSIVE WITH HOMEOWNERS SURROUNDING THE PARK TO, WITH INSPECTING FOR JAPANESE HOPS ON THEIR PROPERTY TOO.

SO I THINK WE HAD 13 OVER 13 PROPERTIES AROUND THE PARK THAT ALSO HAD IT FOUND.

WE WORKED WITH ALL OF THEM TO CONTROL THAT LAST YEAR.

SO WE'RE GOING TO WORK WITH THEM AGAIN THIS YEAR, BUT JUST, YOU KNOW, WAS NOT EXPECTING TO FIND THAT WE DIDN'T EVEN NEVER SEEN IT, DIDN'T KNOW WHERE IT CAME FROM. AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT JUST THE ENTIRE FIELD WAS JUST JAPANESE HOPS.

SO THAT'S, THAT WAS KIND OF A SETBACK, BUT WE ARE WORKING THROUGH IT.

SO JUST AS A REMINDER, WE HAVE OUR NOXIOUS WEED LAWS IN MINNESOTA.

THE PLANTS ARE CATEGORIZED BY SEVERITY. SO PROHIBITIVE ERADICATE MEANS YOU SEE IT.

YOU HAVE TO. IT HAS TO GO. WE CAN'T ALLOW IT TO EVEN REMAIN ON YOUR PROPERTY.

CONTROL IS MORE SO JUST PREVENTING THE SPREAD OF IT.

SO THINGS LIKE KNOTWEEDS CANADA THISTLE NOW SPOTTED KNAPWEED, WILD PARSNIP, A LOT OF REALLY, REALLY AGGRESSIVE PLANTS THAT ARE JUST SO WIDESPREAD AT THIS POINT THAT WE IT'S, IT'S A MATTER OF JUST KEEPING UP WITH THEM AND WE'RE NOT, THERE'S REALLY NO CHANCE OF ERADICATING THEM AT THIS POINT.

THAT'S HOW I UNDERSTAND IT WITH THE NOXIOUS WEED LAWS.

AND THEN WE HAVE ALL OF OUR LOW PRIORITY STUFF.

WE HAVE THE BUCKTHORN, THE AMUR MAPLE, ALL THAT.

AND WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON CONTROLLING THOSE PLANTS IN JUST ABOUT EVERY RESTORATION PROJECT WE'RE DOING.

WE'RE SEEING SOME OF THOSE IN THERE OFTEN MANY OF THEM TOGETHER.

SO I'LL GO INTO OUR W, C, D PARTNERSHIPS AND PROJECTS.

NOW, THE FIRST ONE I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS THIS BROWNS CREEK TROUT STREAM RESTORATION PROJECT THAT WE WORKED ON WITH BROWNS CREEK WATERSHED MAINLY. KAREN KEHL, SHE'S, SHE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR GETTING THIS GRANT AND FOR WORKING WITH ALL OF THESE LANDOWNERS SURROUNDING THE AREA TO BRING THIS PROJECT TOGETHER. AND SO THE, THE GOAL IS TO RECONNECT THE FLOODPLAIN BROWNS CREEK.

IT WAS A VERY, VERY DEEP THE IT WAS, WHAT'S THE WORD? CHANNELIZED. IT WAS BECOMING LIKE SUPER, SUPER, JUST LIKE THIS DEEP, FAST, STRAIGHT CREEK THAT DID NOT ALLOW FOR THE FLOODPLAIN TO FILL UP DURING HEAVY RAIN EVENTS AND DID NOT ALLOW FOR TROUT SPAWNING.

SO THOSE WERE THE TWO BIG PRIORITIES WAS CREATING TROUT HABITAT AND RECONNECTING THE STREAM TO THE FLOODPLAIN SO THAT IT HAS MORE CAPACITY TO INFILTRATE RAIN, ESPECIALLY IN HIGH RAIN EVENTS.

[00:10:01]

YOU CAN'T EVEN RECOGNIZE THE SITE COMPARED TO WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE BEFORE THEY DID ALL THIS WORK.

AND THEN THEY HAD SOME EXTRA MONEY FOR US. SO WE THINK ABOUT 25,000.

SO WE USED THAT TO REMOVE ANOTHER FIVE ACRES OF BUCKTHORN IN A FOREST THAT'S ADJACENT TO THIS FLOODPLAIN.

IT KIND OF SERVES AS LIKE ONE OF THE THERE'S SOME TRIBUTARIES THAT GO THROUGH IT.

SO IT'S A WE'RE STILL EXPANDING. WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH IT.

BUT BROWN'S CREEK TROUT STREAM IS GOING TO BE FUNCTIONAL SOON.

AND I BELIEVE THE DNR IS EVEN GOING TO BE STOCKING NEW TROUT IN THERE SOON.

SO IT'S REALLY COOL TO SEE THAT COMING TOGETHER BECAUSE WE, I THINK IT'S THE ONE OF TWO TROUT STREAMS IN THE TWIN CITIES METRO.

WE HAVE THAT AND WE HAVE AFTON. OTHERWISE THERE'S, THERE'S REALLY NO TROUT FISHING AROUND THE TWIN CITIES.

WE ALSO WORKED WITH THEM TO SECURE A GRANT FROM BOWSER CALLED HELP GRANT.

IT'S HABITAT ENHANCEMENT LANDSCAPE PROGRAM. IT'S FOCUSED ON BUILDING OR CREATING HABITAT FOR POLLINATORS AND CREATING ESSENTIALLY LIKE CREATING CORRIDORS TO LINK THESE POLLINATOR HABITATS TOGETHER SO THAT THERE'S MORE CONTINUITY ON THE LANDSCAPE.

WE STARTED WITH NIGHTINGALE PARK RIGHT OUTSIDE OF AND MIKE PULLING HIS BACKYARD.

THAT'S WHERE HIS HOUSE IS, RIGHT ABOUT HERE SOMEWHERE INTERESTING.

YEAH. SO THIS IS A AS A NEIGHBOR TO DEAL WITH.

HE'S NICE. SO THIS WAS A JUST KIND OF ALMOST LIKE A FALLOW FIELD THAT JUST HADN'T BEEN MANAGED IN A LONG, LONG TIME. IT'S FULL OF WEEDS, INVASIVE GRASSES, AND THERE WERE A LOT OF WEEDY BOX ELDER AND MAPLE TREES JUST POPPING UP EVERYWHERE. WE WANTED TO CONVERT IT BACK INTO A PRAIRIE SAVANNA SYSTEM.

SO WE USED FUNDING TO REMOVE ALL OF THOSE LOW QUALITY MAPLES, BOX ELDERS ELMS WHILE RETAINING SOME OAK TREES OUT THERE.

AND THEN WE WE TOOK OUT ABOUT A HALF ACRE OF TURF GRASS THROUGH TILLING AND SPRAYING. AND THEN WE ALSO HAD TO HIT SOME PATCHES OF MISCANTHUS, WHICH IS A.

IT'S NOT A NOXIOUS WEED YET, BUT I BELIEVE IT'S IT'S PRETTY INVASIVE IN A LOT OF PLACES.

SO WE'VE JUST BEEN HAMMERING THAT SITE. WE TOLD IT LAST FALL SEATED IT.

SO WE'RE GOING TO SEE THE FIRST FLUSH OF GROWTH THIS SPRING.

HOPEFULLY WE'RE GOING TO SEE SOME SEEDLINGS START COMING UP AFTER THAT IS OVER.

WE'RE GOING TO BE AT THE END OF THE PROJECT. WE'RE GOING TO BE PLANTING SOME OAK TREES, SOME SCATTERED BUR OAK TREES TO JUST CONTINUE THE SAVANNAH HABITAT AND HOPEFULLY GET SOME OF THOSE TREES.

I MEAN, THEY COULD LIVE FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS IF THEY ARE TREATED WELL AND THEY ARE PLANTED WELL.

SO CREATING HABITAT THAT IS MEANT TO LAST LONGER AND NOT JUST TURN INTO THIS INVASIVE JUNK PATCH.

AND IS THERE TRAILS OVER THERE? THERE IS. THERE SHOULD BE A TRAIL THROUGH THERE.

IT'S JUST SO THERE'S A CAN WE PULL UP THERE? THERE WAS.

YEAH. THERE WAS, THERE WAS A TRAIL THAT WENT THROUGH THE WOODS. YEAH.

JUST A WALKING, YOU KNOW, JUST A GOAT TRAIL. YEAH.

WE WANT TO ACTUALLY GET TO THAT AT THE END OF THIS, BUT WE WANT TO, WE WANT TO CLEAN UP THAT WHOLE FOREST AT NIGHTINGALE PARK TOO.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE IN THERE STILL. THE OTHER HELP GRANT PROJECT THAT WE ARE WORKING ON IS AT BROWNS CREEK PARK.

THERE'S A FEW DIFFERENT PRAIRIE AREAS OUT THERE.

SO I REFER TO THIS ONE AS THE WEST PRAIRIE. AND WE'RE WORKING ON DIVERSIFYING THIS HUGE, BASICALLY JUST A GIANT PATCH OF CANADA GOLDENROD AND BIG BLUESTEM, WHICH ARE BOTH REALLY GREAT NATIVE PLANTS, BUT AT THE DENSITY THAT THEY'RE AT, THERE'S THERE'S NOT A LOT OF PLANT DIVERSITY AT THIS SITE.

AND THERE ARE A LOT OF WOODY INVASIVE PLANTS ALSO STARTING TO ENCROACH ON THE PRAIRIE.

SO WE USED MONEY TO TAKE OUT ALL THE THE BUCKTHORN, BLACK LOCUST, HONEYSUCKLE AND SELECTIVELY REMOVED SOME JUNIPER OR EASTERN RED CEDARS ON THE EDGE OF THE PRAIRIE TOO.

[00:15:06]

WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING IT THIS NEXT YEAR. WE'RE GOING TO BE SPOT SPRAYING SOME WEEDS OUT THERE.

BUT REALLY THE BIG FOCUS IS JUST ESTABLISHING NATIVE PLANTS.

AND I'M WORKING WITH TARA KELLY WITH WASHINGTON CONSERVATION DISTRICT ON THIS PROJECT.

AND SHE HAS THIS REALLY GREAT IDEA TO PUT IN THESE HEMIPARASITIC, PLANT LITTLE PLUG AREAS ALL OVER THIS PRAIRIE WITH THE. IDEA THAT IT HELPS.

I DON'T EXACTLY UNDERSTAND THE SCIENCE OF THE HEMIPARASITIC, SO I DON'T WANT TO BUTCHER IT, BUT BASICALLY IT IT DOES SOMETHING IN THE SOIL THAT KIND OF JUST PREVENTS THESE HUGE MONOCULTURES FROM GROWING. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE INSTALLING ALL THESE LITTLE PLOTS OF IT'S CALLED WOOD BETONY ALL OVER THE PRAIRIE JUST TO GET SOME OF THAT TO START. IT'S A SPREADING PLANT, SO IT'S IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY INTERESTING.

I DON'T WANT TO BUTCHER THE SCIENCE OF IT, BUT HEMIPARASITIC PLANTS CAN HELP WITH REDUCING THOSE MONOCROPS.

OR AT LEAST THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE GOAL. HAVE YOU DONE THIS BEFORE? IS THIS SOMETHING SHE'S SEEN? IT'S SOMETHING THAT SHE'S LOOKED AT OTHER RESEARCH FOR SURE.

YEAH. SO IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE KIND OF TRYING. I DON'T I DON'T BELIEVE THAT SHE'S TRIED IT ANYWHERE.

SO IT'S KIND OF A YEAH, WE BOTH GET TO TRY OUT THIS METHOD HERE AND HOPEFULLY IT'S, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY IT'S SUCCESSFUL. WE WILL SEE. THAT'S THE FUN WITH THIS STUFF.

MOVING ON FROM THAT, WE ALSO GOT SOME PRETTY BIG GRANTS TO REMOVE ASH TREES AROUND THE CITY.

IN 2023, WE GOT A $47,000 GRANT THAT COVERED 52 TREES THAT WE REMOVED AND REPLACED FOR THE HOMEOWNERS.

THAT WAS MOSTLY IN BOULEVARDS. AND THEN THE NEXT YEAR, WE GOT ANOTHER GRANT FROM THE DNR FOR 389,000 THAT COVERED ANOTHER 466 TREES THAT WE REMOVED AND REPLACED.

SO TOTAL 528 OR 518 TREES THAT WE REMOVED AND REPLACED ALL AROUND THE CITY WITHIN THAT TWO YEAR PERIOD.

AND WE REPLACED THEM WITH ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT SPECIES, WHICH I THINK IS REALLY, REALLY COOL TO SEE.

THE BIG CRITERIA FOR REPLACEMENT PLANTING WITH THE DNR AND ALL OF THEIR PROJECTS IS DIVERSITY AND NOT PLANTING ANYTHING THAT'S OVERREPRESENTED IN YOUR COMMUNITY. SO ANYTHING THAT'S MAKES IT MAKES UP 10% OF YOUR CANOPY ALREADY.

LIKE ASHES, MAPLES BIRCHES, APPLES. THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO PLANT THAT STUFF.

SO WE, WE REALLY KIND OF WENT CRAZY WITH THE, THE REPLACEMENT SPECIES HERE.

THESE ARE THE GENUSES, THE GENERA, I WANT TO SAY.

IN TOTAL, WE PLANTED 21 DIFFERENT UNIQUE SPECIES AND CULTIVARS ALL AROUND THE CITY.

THE BIGGEST SLICE OF THAT PIE IS THE OAKS, AS YOU CAN SEE.

BUT WE PLANTED FOUR DIFFERENT OAK SPECIES, TWO OF THREE OF WHICH ARE WHITE.

SO THEY'RE OAK WILT RESISTANT, AND THEN A WHOLE BUNCH OF HACKBERRY, A WHOLE BUNCH OF BASSWOOD.

AND THEN WE DID SOME, SOME INTERESTING, YOU KNOW, LESS, LESS COMMON PLANTS.

WE THREW IN SOME LONDON PLANE TREES, WHICH IS A SYCAMORE HYBRID.

WE ALSO TRIED OUT SOME DAWN REDWOODS, WHICH IS A IT'S A CHINESE COUSIN OF THE REDWOOD OF THE CALIFORNIA REDWOOD. BUT THEY'RE REALLY, REALLY DROUGHT RESISTANT AND THEY'RE JUST SUPPOSED TO BE GREAT FOR OUR CLIMATE.

SO YEAH, IN SHORT, WE, WE PLANTED A LOT OF TREES.

WE PLANTED A LOT OF SPECIES. AND IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY COOL TO SEE THOSE START TO FILL OUT THE CANOPY OF THE CITY AND CREATE SOMETHING A BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE HUGE ASH MAPLE CANOPY THAT WE'RE USED TO THE LUMBERJACK LANDING.

THAT'S A BIG. IT'S JUST BEEN A BIG PROJECT SINCE I STARTED.

THERE'S BEEN MANY, MANY PHASES. THE SOUTH HALF OF THE SOUTH HALF OF THE PARK.

WE HAD A GRANT WITH GREAT RIVER GREENING. WHEN I STARTED, THEY HAD ABOUT $100,000 TO WORK WITH TO DO BUCKTHORN AND OTHER INVASIVE SPECIES CONTROL, AND THEN ALSO PLANTING AND. PLANTING AND SEEDING.

SO THAT WAS THE FIRST THING WE DID. THEY REMOVED SIX ACRES OF BUCKTHORN.

[00:20:06]

WE DID A VOLUNTEER TREE PLANTING EVENT LAST SPRING WHERE WE PLANTED 200 TREES OUT THERE AND TREE TUBES.

AND THEN THIS SPRING WE'RE GOING TO BE SEEDING THAT SOIL WITH THIS SHADE TOLERANT SEED MIX THAT RIVER GREENING HAD CUSTOM MADE FOR US. SO THE SOUTH HALF IS ALMOST DONE. THE NORTH HALF.

WE WERE WAITING ON FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO DO THE WORK THERE.

ONCE WE PASSED THAT TAX REFERENDUM. SHAUN GAVE US THE GO AHEAD TO START PLANNING AND DOING THAT WORK DOWN THERE.

SO WE ESSENTIALLY DID THE SAME THING NORTH OF THE HOUSE.

WE JUST REMOVED INVASIVE TREES, CONTROLLED INVASIVE PLANTS, AND WERE REALLY, REALLY TRYING TO GET THINGS GROWING ON THE SLOPES AS SOON AS WE CAN BECAUSE THOSE ARE SOME REALLY, REALLY STEEP BARE SLOPES.

SO WE'VE SEEDED THAT SIDE TWICE ALREADY WITH A SHADE TOLERANT GRASS MIX.

AND WE ARE GOING TO BE WORKING IN SOME OF THOSE OTHER SPECIES FROM THAT SEED MIX AT A LATER POINT.

BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GET COVERAGE THAT'S PRIORITY.

NOT QUITE MY PROJECT. IT'S MORE JESSE'S PROJECT, BUT THE RIVERBANK STABILIZATION PROJECT HAS STARTED.

THE FIRST PHASE OF THAT WAS TREE REMOVAL SO THAT THEY CAN GET THEIR EQUIPMENT IN THERE.

SO WE JUST HAD THEM DOWN ON THE RIVER IN FEBRUARY.

WE HAD A COMPANY OUT THERE WITH SOME EXCAVATORS AND A LOT OF REALLY COOL EQUIPMENT.

THEY WERE ACTUALLY DRIVING AROUND ON THE ICE AND DRAGGING THOSE TREES AROUND.

WE, I THINK WE REMOVED 300 BLACK LOCUST TREES FROM THE EITHER SIDE OF THAT BERM.

AND THEN EVERYTHING THAT YOU SEE IN HERE, THAT'S ALL BUCKTHORN.

SO THIS IS THE SAME PICTURE. YOU CAN SEE THE MY REFERENCE TREE THERE.

IT'S IT'S MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. SO WE'VE, WE'VE OPENED IT UP SO THAT THE CONTRACTORS CAN COME IN AND START REBUILDING THAT SLOPE SO THAT AT THE END WE CAN REVEGETATE IT AND GET THIS SITE LOOKING NICE AGAIN.

AND IT LOOKS PRETTY ALARMING WITH ALL THE, THE BARE TREES, THE BARE SLOPE THERE, BUT IT'S I SEE IT AS A GOOD THING BECAUSE THAT WAS ALMOST ENTIRELY JUST INVASIVE PLANTS. WHAT ARE THOSE TREES THAT WERE LEFT? SILVER MAPLE. COTTONWOOD. BASSWOOD. BOX ELDER.

BLACK WILLOW. I THINK THAT'S ABOUT IT. I THINK YOU CAN SEE IT THERE.

GO BACK TO THAT. BUT THAT'LL BE ONCE IT'S STABILIZED.

THAT'LL BE THAT. YOU CAN SEE THE ALL THE WAY TO THE FAR END WILL BE A, A LOOP WALKING TRAIL TO GO AROUND THE PARK THERE.

SO THERE'S A, THERE IS A TRAIL AROUND THERE RIGHT NOW, BUT IT'S KIND OF PRECARIOUS RIGHT THERE IS THAT THAT TRAIL IS TOO NARROW, RIGHT? YEAH. THEY'RE GOING TO WIDEN IT. YEAH.

YEAH. SO THEY'RE THEY GOT TO CUT IT DOWN AND FILL.

I THINK THEY'RE CUTTING IT DOWN RIGHT THERE. AND THEY'RE BRINGING IN PHIL AND THEY'RE KIND OF MAKING A MORE GRADUAL SLOPE, PUTTING THESE TOSTONES IN. AND THEN AT THE END, WE'RE GOING TO BE REVALIDATING WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF NATIVE PLANTS.

ARE YOU WORKING ON THE POND SIDE TOO? WE'VE ALREADY DONE ALL OF THAT.

OKAY. THAT WAS THE SECOND HALF. OKAY. SO ON THAT SIDE, IT'S JUST REALLY WE JUST WANT COVERAGE.

WE JUST NEED TO COVER THAT SOIL. AND WE STARTED GETTING SOME SOME OF THAT GRASS GROWING LAST YEAR, BUT AFTER THEIR SECOND, THEY SEED IT AGAIN IN THE FALL.

SO HOPING TO REALLY SEE MORE COME UP THIS YEAR.

AND THEN AT SOME POINT, I KNOW THAT FRIENDS OF OR BIRD CITY GARDENS, NOT FRIENDS OF BIRD CITY GARDENS WANTS TO DO A TREE PLANTING VOLUNTEER TREE PLANTING DOWN THERE. SO I'M WORKING ON THAT WITH THEM STILL.

AS FAR AS SMALL PROJECTS, THERE'S BEEN A WHOLE BUNCH, BUT SOME COOL ONES THAT I THINK BROWN'S CREEK PRAIRIE, THE IT'S THE EAST PRAIRIE. SO IF YOU'RE AT THE PARK, YOU WALK DOWN THE MAIN TRAIL, YOU HIT A PRAIRIE THAT HAS LIKE FIVE DIFFERENT ENTRANCES TO IT. THAT'S THIS ONE. THAT WAS ANOTHER PROJECT THAT WAS STARTED BY TAYLOR AND I JUST ADOPTED IT.

IT'S JUST BEEN A, BEEN A LEARNING CURVE, BUT I THINK IT'S GOING REALLY WELL.

WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BURNED IT TWO TIMES. WE'VE SEEDED THREE TIMES.

WE'VE HAD TO MOW BUCKTHORN, AMUR MAPLE, OTHER WOODY SPECIES A COUPLE TIMES.

[00:25:02]

AND I THINK OUR, OUR LAST BURN WAS LAST FALL.

SO THIS SUMMER IT SHOULD BE LOOKING REALLY, REALLY GREAT OUT THERE.

ASIDE FROM SOME OF THE SPOT SPRAYING WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING. BUT IT'S IT'S A HUGE IMPROVEMENT FROM WHAT IT WAS.

IT WAS A LOT OF WEEDY, WEEDY STUFF. THERE WAS LIKE A ACRE PATCH OF JUST SMOOTH BROME, WHICH IS A SUPER INVASIVE GRASS. SO THAT'S ALMOST ALL GONE, WHICH I THINK IS A WIN.

AND WE'RE JUST GOING TO KEEP WORKING ON IT. ALSO, THEY PUT THAT BENCH OUT THERE WHICH LOOKS REALLY COOL.

IT'S IN A GREAT SPOT. IT'S RIGHT OUT THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT PRAIRIE. SO IF ANYONE'S OUT THERE NEEDS TO NEEDS A SPOT TO SIT.

THAT BENCH IS A GOOD IT'S A GOOD BENCH. IT'S WELL PLACED.

I THINK IT'S RIGHT THERE IN THE MIDDLE. IT WAS MEMORIAL BENCH.

SOMEONE WANTED OUT THERE. SO THE GUY WHO GROOMED THE TRAILS ALL THE YEARS, THEY PUT IT OUT THERE FOR HIM.

SO HE ACTUALLY HAS TWO BENCHES. OKAY. WE PEACE PARK, WHICH IS THE THE LITTLE PARK BEHIND THE PARKING RAMP DOWN THERE. WE WORKED WITH PARKS AND REC TO OF REALLY CLEAN THAT UP BACK THERE AND REDUCE SOME OF THE SOME OF THE CONSTANT POLICE CALLS FOR ALL THE ALL THE ARGUMENTS THAT WERE GOING ON BETWEEN THE RESIDENTS OF THOSE BUILDINGS, THERE WERE SOME ISSUES THERE. SO WE ENDED UP, WE CLEARED OUT A BUNCH OF THE BRUSH ON THE HILLSIDE.

WE FIXED ALL OF THIS ERODING SOIL. WE PUT IN SOME REALLY BIG LANDSCAPING ROCKS JUST TO KIND OF MAKE IT SEEM MORE LIKE A PARK AND NOT JUST A PLACE WHERE THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE SMOKE THEIR CIGARETTES.

SO. I THINK IT LOOKS REALLY NICE BACK THERE NOW.

NORTHLAND PARK BUFFER STRIP. THAT WAS JUST A FUN LITTLE THING THAT THAT WAS KIND OF MY OWN PERSONAL PROJECT.

OUTSIDE OF THE PICKLEBALL PICKLEBALL COURT, WE REMOVED ALL THOSE PINE TREES TWO YEARS AGO AS A TRAINING EXERCISE FOR THE PARK'S GUYS AND BECAUSE THEY JUST NEEDED TO GO. BUT THEN FOR REPLACEMENT, WE ACTUALLY WE JUST TILLED UP THAT SOIL BUNCH.

AND I HAD THIS HUGE AMOUNT OF SEED THAT I HAD COLLECTED FROM A LOT ACTUALLY FROM THIS PRAIRIE AND THEN SOME OTHER SPOTS IN STILLWATER.

SO I JUST PUT THAT DOWN AND I SEEDED THAT STRIP VERY HEAVILY WITH JUST HAND HARVESTED SEED.

AND LAST YEAR IT WAS ALREADY GETTING PRETTY BIG, PRETTY DIVERSE.

SO THIS YEAR IT'S GOING TO BE A REALLY, REALLY COOL LITTLE BUFFER STRIP FOR THAT PICKLEBALL COURT.

I THINK IT'S GOING TO SUPPORT A TON OF WILDLIFE INSECTS, BIRDS, AND IT JUST LOOKS NICE.

AND THEN WE'VE DONE A TON OF VOLUNTEER PROJECTS OVER THE YEARS WITH ALL THESE DIFFERENT PARTNERS.

SUSTAINABLE STILLWATER HAS BEEN A BIG ONE. FRIENDS OF LILY LAKE, GREAT RIVER GREENING.

WE DID A PUBLIC LANDS. STAY WITH MASTER NATURALISTS LAST YEAR.

AND THEN I MENTIONED THOSE BIRD CITY GARDENS FOLKS.

THEY'RE STARTING TO STARTING TO MAKE A LOT MORE TRACTION, I GUESS, WITH THEIR NON-PROFITS.

SO THEY'RE DOING MORE PROJECTS. AND IT'S WE DID A GARLIC MUSTARD AND BUCKTHORN POLL WITH THEM LAST YEAR OUTSIDE OF THEIR GARDEN AREA.

THERE'S A TON OF OTHER SMALL ONES I CAN'T THINK OF.

BUT THEN IN THE FUTURE, TWO BIG THINGS ARE THE THREE FAST PRIORITY TO GRANT.

SO THAT WAS ANNOUNCED LAST YEAR. WE WERE INVITED TO APPLY FOR IT.

SO WE DID SUBMIT AN APPLICATION FOR, I BELIEVE IT WAS $950,000 FOR FUNDS TO RESTORE 38, 37 ACRES OF SLOPES AND SHORELINES AT BRIDGEVIEW PARK, LILY LAKE PARK, THE LAUREL RAVINE, LAKE ME SICK, AND THEN A FEW OTHER SMALL LITTLE PARCELS OVER THERE IN THAT SOUTH PART OF THE CITY.

SO WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO HEAR BACK ABOUT THAT SOMETIME IN THE SPRING.

THEY JUST SAID SPRING. SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF DID WASHINGTON COUNTY APPLY FOR ANY OF THOSE? YEAH. HAVE YOU HEARD ANYTHING? NO. OKAY. I'LL TRY TO KEEP THAT OPEN.

YEAH. YEAH. WE DON'T WE DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO.

THEY JUST SAID SPRING. SO ANY DAY THAT'S I'M CONSTANTLY CHECKING BECAUSE I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY WAS EXCITED ABOUT THAT PROJECT. AND IT WOULD BE HUGE.

IT WOULD, IT WOULD FUND EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED TO DO OUT THERE.

AND THEN I'M GOING TO BE APPLYING FOR MORE CPA GRANTS.

NIGHTINGALE PARK AND STONEBRIDGE SCHOOL FOREST ARE THE NEXT TWO ON THE LIST.

[00:30:01]

THEY WANT TO TRY TO GET SOME MORE, LIKE A BIGGER, MORE ROBUST MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE ENTIRE PIECE OF LAND INSTEAD OF DOING THIS LIKE PATCHWORK PROJECT, WHICH IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.

AND WITH THAT, THAT'S ALL WE HAVE AS FAR AS AN UPDATE.

HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THEY WERE LUCKY TO HAVE ANDREW.

WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. IS THIS ALL GRANT MONEY IS PART OF THIS FROM CITY MONEY THAT GOES TO ALL THIS.

MOST OF THIS WAS LET'S SEE. SO ALMOST EVERYTHING IN THIS PRESENTATION WAS FROM GRANT FUNDING.

OKAY. YEAH. ASIDE FROM THE TAX REFERENDUM THAT FUNDED SOME OF LUMBERJACK LANDING, BUT YEAH, OTHERWISE ALL THE BIG STUFF, THESE WERE ALL GRANTS.

THOSE SMALL THINGS ARE THINGS THAT WERE EITHER VOLUNTEERS OR THROUGH OUR BUDGET.

HOW MANY? OKAY. IT'S A TWO PART QUESTION, BUT FIRST.

SO WHEN YOU HAD ALL THE REPLACEMENT TREES, HOW MANY OF THE TREES GOT CUT DOWN AND PEOPLE DIDN'T ASK FOR TREES BACK? THAT WAS ONE OF THEM. MORE THAN YOU THINK. YEAH.

OH. SO THE, THE DEAL WAS THAT YOU HAVE TO GET A REPLACEMENT TREE IF WE'RE GOING TO CUT THE TREE.

THE THERE WERE, THERE WAS AN OPTION TO IF YOU REALLY, REALLY HAVE A REASON YOU DON'T WANT A TREE, YOU ABSOLUTELY DON'T. WE WORKED IT OUT SO THAT WE PLANTED SOME IN PARKS, BUT THE DNR WAS PRETTY STRICT ABOUT WHERE YOU'RE REMOVING THAT TREE.

THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE REPLACING IT. YEAH. SO I THINK ON THAT FIRST GRANT, WE HAD SOME MORE FLEXIBILITY WITH THAT ON THAT.

THE BIGGER ONE WAS PRETTY STRICT. YEAH. IS THERE RESOURCES THEN FOR SO AS YOU'RE TRYING TO DO ALL THESE PIECES, RIGHT, AND YOU MADE SOME MENTION TO LIKE CONNECTING CORRIDORS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, IS THERE A RESOURCE FOR PRIVATE LANDOWNERS IN THE CITY TO UNDERSTAND HOW THEIR PARCEL MIGHT FIT WITH THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING, AND HOW THEY COULD HELP MANAGE THEIR PART TO CONNECT WITH WHAT YOU'RE DOING. LIKE I'M THINKING LIKE BIG IDEAL PLAN.

LIKE IF YOU HAD YOUR DREAM TO LIKE, I THINK THAT'S A COOL IDEA.

ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THAT EXISTS. BUT I THINK THAT'S A REALLY COOL IDEA.

LIKE THINKING ABOUT LIKE WHAT THE MASTER PLAN WOULD BE FOR LIKE, YEAH, THE WHOLE CITY, NOT THAT THEY HAVE TO DO IT BECAUSE IT'S THEIR OWN LAND, BUT IF YOU WERE TO MANAGE IT AS LIKE AN ENTIRE URBAN ECOSYSTEM, I THINK THAT'S A REALLY COOL IDEA.

I'M ALL FOR HE'S ALL EXCITED NOW, LIKE PUTTING NATIVE PLANTS AS MUCH AS I CAN WHEN PEOPLE HAVE.

SO ANYTIME PEOPLE ASK ME FOR PLANT SUGGESTIONS, I'M ALWAYS PRETTY MUCH ONLY NATIVES, UNLESS THERE'S A REASON THEY NEED SOMETHING ELSE.

SO I GUESS I'M LOOSELY DOING THAT. BUT I LIKE YOUR IDEA OF HAVING LIKE A, YOU KNOW, SOME KIND OF MAP.

LIKE THIS IS WHAT THE FOREST IS IN YOUR AREA.

THESE ARE THE SPECIES IN YOUR ADJACENT PARCELS.

SO THAT'S A COOL IDEA. I JUST FEEL LIKE YOU'RE SPENDING ALL THIS MONEY, YOU'RE PUTTING ALL THIS EFFORT AND STUFF LIKE THAT, RIGHT? IF YOU HAVE A PATCH OF BUCKTHORN THAT'S RIGHT NEXT TO THE PARK, YOU'RE JUST GOING TO CONSTANTLY BE FIGHTING THAT PASSION. BUCKTHORN. OH, YEAH. FOREVER INTO FOREVER. YES. SO IF WE CAN GET SOME KIND OF LIKE MORE AWARENESS, I MEAN, THERE'S MORE AWARENESS, BUT LIKE SOME ACTIONABLE, LIKE PARTS OF. YEAH, I WOULD SAY THERE'S, THERE'S A GROWING MOVEMENT, THINGS LIKE HOMEGROWN NATIONAL PARK AND OTHER SMALL, LIKE SMALL ORGANIZATIONS THAT SUPPORT LIKE REWILDING YOUR PROPERTY.

SO MAYBE IT COULD BE SOMETHING YOU WORK WITH ONE OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS WITH OR SOMETHING, I DON'T KNOW. SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT. YEAH.

WE LIVE ON MAPLE STREET AND OUR ROAD JUST GOT REDONE LAST SUMMER.

AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN HAVE LIKE SIX MORE FEET OF BOULEVARD AND MOST OF OUR NEIGHBORS.

SO IT'D BE AWESOME IF, LIKE, WE HAD SOME SORT OF CONCERTED, LIKE, YOU GUYS SHOULD DO THIS AND HARMONIOUS AND I, I'M ALL FOR BOULEVARD TREE PLANTING. THE ENGINEERS MIGHT DISAGREE.

THEY MIGHT TELL YOU THEIR SIDEWALKS WHEN THEY GET HERE.

YEAH. AND I DO HAVE A WE DO HAVE A LIST OF SUGGESTED TREES FOR BOULEVARDS.

GREAT. ANYBODY ELSE? YEAH, I HAD ONE. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IS LIKE, HOW CAN WE INTEGRATE NATURE PLAY OR NATURE PLAYGROUNDS? AND I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED ABOUT LIKE, IS THERE OR CAN THERE BE A NEXUS IN SOME OF THESE LIKE NATURAL AREAS WHERE THEY'RE NOT LIKE, THERE'S NOT AS MUCH MANAGEMENT. AND THIS IS, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S DIRECTED TOWARDS YOU AS MUCH AS FOR CHAD.

[00:35:05]

YEAH. BUT LIKE KIND OF A LIKE NOT MANAGED MANAGE LIKE, LIKE JUST SPACE TO DO THAT, I GUESS.

DO YOU HAVE THOUGHTS ON THAT TYPE OF. I KNOW IN OUR MASTER PLAN, SHE HAD SOME OF THAT IN THERE, RIGHT? LIKE, AND IT WAS ON SUNRISE PARK WAS ONE OF THEM WHERE SUNRISE AND I THINK IT WAS MILLBROOK.

MILLBROOK HAD MORE OF A FORM. IT WAS NATURAL, BUT IT WAS MORE OF A FORMAL DESIGN PLAN.

RIGHT. YOU'RE TALKING MORE JUST WIDE OPEN ROCKS AND AREAS AND.

YEAH, LIKE UNDER A PINE TREE. YEAH, LIKE JUST DIFFERENT.

THEY HAVE AN AREA LIKE THAT AT TAMARACK NATURE CENTER IN WHITE BEAR.

OH, COOL. IT'S JUST LIKE LOGS AND IT'S OFF THE TRAIL AND IT'S JUST LIKE BIG LOGS THAT KIDS CAN GO CLIMB ON.

AND THEN THEY HAVE A WHOLE NATURAL LIKE STREAM IN A DIFFERENT PART.

SO THEY HAVE SOME COOL NATURAL PLAYGROUNDS THERE. OKAY, GET BACK ON YOUR PARK MASTER PLAN.

OKAY. $0.02 IN THERE. WELL, THEY SUGGESTED THAT EVERYONE ON BOARD.

WHAT I REMEMBER IS SUNRISE. SHE SUGGESTED DOING LIKE A THERE.

AND I BELIEVE, LIKE LONG LAKE OR LONG LAKE. ROY WOOD.

YEAH, YEAH. BECAUSE THERE'S ALREADY A BIG FORT SOMEONE BUILT OUT THERE. YEAH.

OH, I HAVE ONE OTHER RANDOM QUESTION. NOT RANDOM.

SO WAS IT IN HERE? NO, IT WAS MAYBE IN THE MASTER PLAN.

THERE'S TWO ISLANDS IN LONG LAKE. YEAH. WHAT? AND THEY'RE LIKE, ARE THEY STILL PRISTINE? IS THAT WHAT I READ? PRETTY NICE AS FAR AS WHAT'S OUT THERE.

LIKE IT'S THERE'S SO ONE OF THEM, THE REALLY BIG ONE.

THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY OLD NICE OAK TREES. AND THEN THE OTHER STORIES MOSTLY IRONWOOD, WHICH IS KIND OF COOL.

THE ONLY INVASIVE PLANT THAT I'VE SEEN OUT THERE IS BUCKTHORN.

BUT WE HAD PARKS GO OUT THERE LAST WINTER. WE KNOCKED EVERYTHING DOWN.

BUT YEAH, THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING REALLY GOING ON IN EITHER OF THOSE ISLANDS.

THEY'RE JUST NICE LITTLE, FEW LITTLE CAMPFIRES THERE.

A GOOD CAMPING SPOT, SOME CAMPFIRES OUT THERE.

OH FOR SURE. BUT I THINK THEY'RE REALLY COOL.

I THINK IT IT'S NOT QUITE PRISTINE BECAUSE THERE'S THE BUCKTHORN, BUT OTHERWISE, LIKE, THERE'S SO MANY NICE NATIVE PLANTS OUT THERE.

ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD? THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE REALLY APPRECIATE THIS.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO JUMP BACK TO OPEN FORUM.

WE HAVE A GUEST IF YOU WANT TO JOIN US AND SAY YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS AND.

ALL RIGHT. I'M SORRY I'M LATE. THERE WAS A DINNER.

SO I SEE A LOT OF QUESTIONS. PAUL JOHNSON, I LIVE AT 26, 25 HIDDEN VALLEY LANE.

I WAS SORRY. I'VE BEEN MEANING TO COME FOR A WHILE.

JUST HAS NEVER WORKED OUT. I HAVE A COUPLE SMALL KIDS.

OH, THREE. ONE'S NOT SO SMALL ANYMORE, BUT I WAS JUST WONDERING.

SOME OF THE PARKS THAT DO HAVE BATHROOMS. LAST YEAR, ONE OF MY KIDS HAD A FAIRLY SPECTACULAR BLOWOUT AND HAD TO DO THE DIAPER CHANGE KIND OF ON THE PARK BENCH ON THE OUTSIDE. AND IT WAS JUST WONDERING IF THERE WAS A WAY TO GET THE FUNDING SET ASIDE FOR CHANGING TABLES IN THE MEN'S AND WOMEN'S BATHROOMS. LIKE PIONEER PARK. AND I ADMIT, I HAVEN'T BEEN TO EACH AND EVERY BATHROOM AROUND THE CITY TO CHECK THE CURRENT STATUS, SO APOLOGIES IF THEY'RE ALREADY THERE. AND SOME OF THEM, BUT THAT WOULD BE HUGE.

JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE KOALA CARE THINGS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

AND SO YEAH THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT. IT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT.

IT'S FUNNY THAT YOU BRING THAT UP BECAUSE WE JUST HAD THAT AS A MEETING ITEM A YEAR AGO.

YEAH, A YEAR AGO, WE DEFINITELY WENT TO PUT THEM BACK AT PIONEER PARK.

PIONEER WAS MISSED. THE REST OF OUR PERMIT SHOULD HAVE THEM.

SO IF THEY'RE MISSING ONE, LET ME KNOW AND WE'LL DEFINITELY GET ONE IN THERE.

OKAY. THE PERMANENT STRUCTURES FOR SURE. WE WE WANT THEM IN THERE.

YEAH. THAT WAS YEAH. BUT I KNOW PIONEER WE. WHAT WAS THE ONE THAT YOU LIKE? I THINK IT WAS PIONEER PIONEER, WHICH WAS PROBABLY AROUND THAT TIME BECAUSE LIKE WE.

YEAH, IT GOT BUILT AND IT GOT OVERLOOKED APPARENTLY, BUT I I'VE SINCE THEN, I'M PRETTY SURE THAT WE HAVE PUT THOSE IN.

SO YEAH, THAT'S NOT A VERY, YOU KNOW, RESPECTFUL REQUEST TO SAY THE

[00:40:06]

SOUNDS SOUNDS GOOD. YEAH. YEAH. SORRY ABOUT THAT.

I THINK THE ONE AT PIONEER PARK HAS BEEN UPDATED NOW, BUT I HAD THE SAME ISSUE HAPPEN TO ME TWO YEARS AGO.

YEAH, I KNOW YOUR FEELING. SOUNDS GOOD. I THINK THE PLANNED DOWNTOWN ANY THE UPDATED BUILDINGS LIKE THE EIFFEL HOUSE AND STUFF LIKE THAT WILL ALL BE WITH THAT. COOL. IT'LL BE IN BOTH THE MEN'S AND WOMEN'S TOO.

YEAH. COOL. NO, THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SPECIFICALLY SAID IS THAT IT NEEDS TO BE IN THE MEN'S ROOM. YEAH. YEAH, JUST TAKE IT. JUST PUT IT IN THERE. WELL, DOES IT WORK? YEAH, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL I HAD. THAT WAS DEFINITELY AN OVERSIGHT ON PIONEER WHEN IT GOT REMODELED.

SO I DO APOLOGIZE. YOU HAD TO DEAL WITH THAT.

IT'S NOT THE WORST, RIGHT. BUT IT'S IT WAS, IT WAS IT WAS YEAH, THAT SOUNDS GOOD.

NOT EASY TO CHANGE YOUR KID ON A PARK BENCH. YEAH, THEY'RE A LITTLE SQUIRMY, SO BUT YEAH, OTHERWISE THE PARK'S REALLY NICE, BUT YEAH, THAT WAS KIND OF JUST A THING.

IT WAS A LITTLE, LITTLE FRUSTRATING, TO BE HONEST. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

WE APPRECIATE THAT. YEAH. THANKS FOR COMING. YEAH.

YOU'RE WELCOME TO WAIT THERE. THAT'S OKAY. IT WAS IT WAS INTERESTING.

THANK YOU. HAVE A GREAT NIGHT. YEAH, DUDE. SO WE HAVE TO GO TO THE ADA BATHROOMS. THE THE PORTA POTTY. DO ANY OF THOSE HAVE A CHANGING STATION IN THEM? SO I REACHED OUT BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE MORE FOR OUTDOOR BATHROOMS THAT ARE CHANGING TABLES.

HE'S LOOKING FOR LIKE AT, YOU KNOW, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS.

YEAH. SO I DID LOOK INTO IT. PORTA POTTY COMPANIES DO HAVE THEM.

NOT MANY REALLY OFFER THEM LIKE THE ONE WE'RE WORKING WITH.

DOESN'T REALLY OFFER IT AT THIS POINT, BUT THEY SAID THEY'D LOOK INTO IT FOR ME.

BUT WHAT I DID SEE IS THEY'LL HAVE JUST A STANDARD UNIT AND THEN NOTHING IN IT BUT ONE CHANGING TABLE.

OR THEY'LL HAVE LARGER ADA ONES LIKE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT HAS A LIKE A NORMAL ONE YOU'D HAVE IN THE, YOU KNOW, AT PIONEER PARK. AND THEN IT HAS A HAND WASH STATION AND THEN THE TOILET OVER THERE AND IT'S A HUGE UNIT.

JUST SOMETHING WE'D HAVE TO LOOK MORE INTO, LIKE ARE THEY? I'M NOT SURE IF OUR COMPANY THAT WE'RE USING HAS IT.

I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER SEEN ONE. NO, I FOUND SOME ON ONLINE BECAUSE I WANTED TO RESEARCH.

THEY DO EXIST. THEY DO EXIST. JUST DON'T KNOW COST, YOU KNOW? PLUS, YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE TOO, RIGHT? AND THAT IS A BIG THING WE'RE DOING ON THE PARKS PLAN IS WE'RE REALIZING WE NEED TO MAKE THEM ALL ACCESSIBLE. SO I THINK EVENTUALLY THEY'LL ALL BE ZBA AND AND BE ACCESSIBLE.

DOES THAT MEAN THE CHANGING TABLE NEEDS TO BE AT ADA HEIGHT? I WOULD, I WOULD IMAGINE ARE THOSE ALL ADA HEIGHT AND THE PRONET BATHROOMS THERE.

I GUESS I'D HAVE TO GO LOOK. I DOUBT IT. YEAH, THERE IS A STANDARD HEIGHT THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO MOUNT THEM AT, BUT. I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S THE ADA. I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT IT IS BECAUSE MEDIA HEIGHT WOULD BE DESK LEVEL, WHICH WOULD BE LIKE THREE FEET. YEAH. YOU KNOW, IT'S PROBABLY ALMOST NEED A SEPARATE ONE.

YEAH. BECAUSE ADA HEIGHT FOR YOU WOULD BE DIFFICULT, RIGHT? YEAH. IT'S IT WOULDN'T BE AT STANDING HEIGHT FOR JESSICA WOULD BE FINE.

I'M GOOD. YEAH. OKAY.

ANYTHING MORE WITH THAT? YEAH. HERE WE GO. ALL RIGHT, LET ME MOVE ON TO UNFINISHED BUSINESS.

HAVE NONE. NO, NOTHING. SO NEW BUSINESS. ALL RIGHT, SO WE WE JUST PUT IN AN ORDER FOR NEW MEMORIAL BENCHES

[3. Memorial Bench Cost]

I THINK IN THE MEMO HERE IT WAS, WHAT, 2000, MAYBE 16.

THAT WAS THE LAST TIME WE KIND OF LOOKED AT THIS.

WAS IT LATER OR NOT? IT'S OF MY OWN WORDS OVER THERE.

ANYWAY, 22 GOT THE INVOICE FOR THIS LAST ONE AND THE PRICES HAVE INCREASED QUITE A BIT SINCE THE LAST TIME WE'VE KIND OF ADDRESSED THIS THIS BATCH WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW EVEN IS THIS, THIS IS THE PRICING FOR IT.

AND YOU CAN SEE HERE BETWEEN THE PLAQUE, THE BENCH AND THEN YOU KNOW, CONCRETE IS WHAT IT IS.

YOU KNOW, OUR GUYS DO THE CONCRETE WORK, BUT WE'RE ABOUT $2,100 PER SECTION, YOU KNOW, CURRENTLY WE'RE CHARGING $1,800.

AND I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A DONATION AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, BENEFIT TO THE PARKS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

BUT I JUST WASN'T SURE IF, AS YOU KNOW, YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A LOOK.

IS THIS SOMETHING WE NEED TO LOOK AT? DO WE NEED TO RAISE THE PRICE? DO WE WANT TO COVER THE COST OR ARE WE FINE OFFERING IT WHERE WE'RE AT?

[00:45:05]

WE DO HAVE A LOT OF BENCHES IN TOWN, LIKE MAKES ME THINK MAYBE WE'RE WAY TOO CHEAP BECAUSE OF HOW MANY ARE OUT THERE AND WE'RE STILL GETTING CALLS DAILY.

DOWN FOR DOWN AND LOW PARK AND PIONEER PARK. AND WE JUST, YOU KNOW, ARE STILL SAYING NO.

PEOPLE ARE GETTING CREATIVE IN AREAS WHERE WE CAN PLACE THEM.

AND THERE MIGHT BE A COUPLE MORE AROUND IN THE AREAS ALONG THE PATH, THINGS LIKE THAT, WHERE IT IS OUR PROPERTY.

BUT BENCHES ARE THERE, THEY'RE FILLING IN. IT WAS A GREAT IDEA.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT YEAR IT STARTED. BUT THEY'RE THEY'RE POPULAR FOR SURE.

ARE YOU GETTING ANY PUSHBACK ON THE CURRENT PRICE? NO, NOT AT ALL. MOST OF THE TIME WHEN PEOPLE HEAR THE PRICE, THEY'LL SEND THEIR CHECK INSTANTLY.

LIKE I HAVE ONE RIGHT NOW WHERE I TOLD THEM WE WERE GOING TO DISCUSS THIS TODAY, AND HE CALLED ON THURSDAY OF LAST WEEK AND HIS CHECK ALREADY MADE IT IN FOR $18, YOU KNOW. SO I THINK THEY'RE VERY HAPPY WITH THE PRICE RIGHT NOW.

OKAY. THEY ARE REALLY HIGH QUALITY, NICE BENCHES.

I'M SURE YOU'VE SEEN THEM ALL LIKE YEAH. IN A REALLY NICE PLAQUE AND THEY REALLY CUSTOMIZE THEM NOW.

THE PLAQUE, WHAT IT SAYS AND GOT SOME, SOME WITH BOATS ON THEM AND BASEBALL GLOVES AND THEY'RE PRETTY NEAT.

SO NICELY DONE. JUST LOOKING FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATION.

WHAT YOU THINK WE SHOULD DO WITH THE PRICE? IT SEEMS LIKE IT MAKES SENSE FOR THE PRICE TO COVER THE COST.

IF PEOPLE ARE DOING ANYTHING, A BENCH, THEN WE'LL MAKE THE BENCH.

YEAH. DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THE CITY SHOULD BE PICKING UP PART OF IT.

AND HOW OFTEN DO YOU SEE GOING, LIKE REVISITING THIS PRICE.

SO WE'LL ORDER SIX AT A TIME. IT KIND OF IT'S KIND OF THE SWEET SPOT BETWEEN SHIPPING AND THE PRICING THAT THEY GIVE US.

SO SIX AT A TIME, WE USUALLY GO THROUGH SIX IN THE SUMMER.

SO PRETTY MUCH SOMETIMES WE'LL GO THROUGH DOUBLE THAT, BUT USUALLY AROUND SIX A SEASON.

WE HAVE TWO LEFT FROM A DOUBLE BATCH LAST YEAR, SO WE'LL PROBABLY NEED TO BE ORDERING AND IT DOES TAKE A WHILE TO GET THEM THERE 8 TO 12 WEEKS OUT WHEN THEY WE ORDER THEM. SO YOU KIND OF WANT TO DO IT AHEAD OF TIME.

WHAT'S THE COMPANY? WE ORDER THROUGH SAINT CROIX REC.

I'M NOT SURE THE COMPANY THAT THEY ORDER THEM THROUGH SOMEWHERE IN WISCONSIN PROBABLY.

SO THEY ALL SEEM TO COME FROM. EVERYTHING COMES FROM THERE. WE'VE HAD IT BACK A WHILE AGO.

WE USED TO HAVE A PRIVATE LITTLE COMPANY THAT USED TO DO THEM, BUT THEY JUST COULDN'T KEEP UP WITH THE DEMAND WE HAD.

SO WENT TO MORE OF A LARGER SCALE COMPANY, BUT THE PRICE IS UP THERE, OBVIOUSLY.

BUT WHAT'S THE EXPECTED LIFESPAN OF A BENCH THAT I DON'T KNOW? I MEAN, I WOULD SAY 20, 25 YEARS. I MEAN, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT SOME OF THEM ARE.

I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHEN THEY WERE PUT IN AND THEY LOOK GREAT STILL. SO I THINK A LOT OF IT DEPENDS ON WHERE THEY ARE AND WHO SITS ON THEM, WHO TREATS THEM. HOW DO THEY GET SKATEBOARDS ON THEM? YOU KNOW, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. BUT WHO DOES TREAT THEM? IS THAT THE CITY? SAY THAT AGAIN. WHO DOES TREAT THEM? WE DO. YEAH. YEAH. OKAY. YEAH. YEAH. SO THAT'S WHY WE'VE HAD SOME UNIQUE PLACES WHERE PEOPLE WANT THEM.

IT'S LIKE, WELL, THAT'S NOT CITY PROPERTY. SO LIKE, YEAH, OKAY, I GET IT.

YOU WANT IT IN YOUR FRONT YARD OR IN THEIR FRONT YARD? BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. IT WAS JUST ON LIKE OVER AT BROWN'S CREEK.

SOME OF THE PROPERTY WASN'T OURS. SO LIKE TO PUT IT NEXT TO THE STREAM, I GET IT, BUT IT WASN'T CITY PROPERTY.

SO THAT IN THE LONG RUN, THAT'S WHAT IT'S FOR IS ADD BENCHES AND THEN HAVE A NICE MEMORIAL, TOO. DOES IT HAVE. DO WE HAVE TO HAVE A COST ASSOCIATED WITH THIS? JUST KNOWING IT COULD CHANGE IN THE FUTURE. LIKE COULD IT BE RECOMMEND COST OF SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS FOR INSTALL AND JUST KEEP IT AT THAT TO YOUR POINT. HAVE IT FLOAT LIKE LOBSTER. THE MARKET PRICE.

YEAH. I MEAN, WE COULD BECAUSE THEN IT'S SIMPLE TO SEE HOW MUCH IT IS.

YEAH. IT'S SIMPLE OR YEAH. OR DO YOU NOT WANT THAT AND YOU JUST WANT TO HAVE A FLAT PRICE.

I GUESS WHAT'S EASIER FOR YOU? BECAUSE THEY COME BACK TO US EVERY FEW YEARS.

WELL, JUST HAVE IT LAST AND THAT'S THIS PRICE RIGHT NOW, RIGHT? IT COULD CHANGE BY THE END OF THE SUMMER, YOU KNOW? BUT YEAH, I MEAN, IT ISN'T LIKE IT JUST REALLY SPIKED SUPER FAST BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IT'S BEEN FOUR YEARS HERE, BUT IT WENT UP QUITE A BIT IN FOUR YEARS. YEAH.

MAYBE SOMETHING'S GONE UP A BIT IN FOUR YEARS.

THAT'S THE HARD PART, RIGHT? LIKE IT COULD STABILIZE AND THEN WE'D BE FINE.

YEAH. MAYBE THERE'S A BASE PRICE, THEN LIKE ADDITIONAL PRIZES, WHATEVER THE YEAR.

THE INFLATION FOR THAT YEAR OR SOMETHING. YEAH.

IT'S ADJUSTED. I'M OPEN TO ANYTHING. LIKE I SAID, IT'S A BENEFIT TO THE CITY HOW MUCH THEY ARE PAYING.

I JUST THINK OBVIOUSLY THE COST SHOULD BE COVERED AT LEAST.

YEAH. WE DON'T DO WAGES OUR WAGES. RIGHT. WE DON'T DO THAT STUFF.

[00:50:02]

YEAH. WHATEVER THAT COST MIGHT BE. YEAH. I THINK IT'S REASONABLE.

THE SUPPLIES OF MATERIALS OR LABOR TO WHAT OBVIOUSLY WHAT IT COSTS, BUT THEN ALSO ADJUST OR CONSIDER WHAT INFLATION IS GOING TO BE SO THAT WE DON'T DO THIS EVERY SINGLE YEAR. SO. YEAH, I KNOW THAT'S I MEAN, YEAH, FOR, YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY IF YOU'RE NOT GETTING ANY PUSHBACK ON WHAT THE COST OF IT NOW, IF YOU WOULD INCREASE IT TO THE 2500, AND THEN WE DON'T HAVE TO REVISIT IT FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, BECAUSE MY GUESS IS THAT INFLATION ISN'T GOING TO GO AWAY.

AND THAT'S THAT'S KIND OF WHY WE KIND OF PUT THE RANGE THE WAY WE DID.

YOU KNOW, I KIND OF FELT THE SAME WAY YOU'RE THINKING. SO.

DOES ANYONE WANT TO MAKE A MOTION OR HAVE ANY OTHER THINGS TO DISCUSS? THE BENCHES THAT ARE IN BROWNS CREEK, ARE THEY JUST THE METAL ONES, LIKE THE ONE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PRAIRIE. THAT'S A MEMORIAL BENCH. SOMEONE DONATED THAT ONE, RIGHT? IT'S LIKE A METAL BENCH IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PRAIRIE. YEP. SO YOU THINK ABOUT WOODEN? YEAH. LIKE A LEOPOLD BENCH OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

SO SOMETHING THAT I MEAN, YEAH, IT DOESN'T HAVE THE SAME LIFESPAN, BUT IT'S ALSO NOT A METAL CONCRETE THING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE.

HAVE YOU SEEN IT? NO. YOU HAVE TO GO OUT THERE.

IT'S IT'S PRETTY NICE ACTUALLY, BUT IT'S A METAL BENCH WITH CONCRETE IN THE MIDDLE OF IT.

SO IT'S I MEAN, THAT'S THAT YOU'RE STILL NOT GOING TO CONVINCE ME THAT I WOULD MUCH RATHER SEE SOMETHING THAT'S LIKE ESTHETICALLY THE SAME.

I CAN SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. YEAH. I'M JUST LIKE, JUST GOING FORWARD.

LIKE, I JUST THINK SOME OF THOSE LIKE FIT THE FIT, THE ESTHETIC THAT IS THE PARK AND MAYBE WE JUST DON'T OFFER IT THERE.

YEAH. TO HAVE ALL THESE OPTIONS. NO, I DON'T WANT TO GO THERE.

YEP. TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH. YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT THEY GET WITH THEIR PRICE.

I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I GUESS I'M.

ARE YOU THINKING THAT THE PRICE NEEDS TO ALSO BE WOODEN OR YOU JUST.

CAN YOU CLARIFY WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A LITTLE MORE? YOU TWO ARE ON THE SAME. HE WANTS IT TO FIT LIKE THIS IN THE WOODS.

IN THE WOODS. HE WANTS IT TO BE MORE NATURAL.

OH, OKAY. OKAY. LIKE FIT WHAT THAT IS, INSTEAD OF JUST LIKE A CITY BENCH IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WOODS.

OH, OKAY. YEAH, THAT MAKES SENSE. OKAY, GREAT.

THAT'S OKAY. YEAH. AND I DON'T DISAGREE. THIS IS JUST WHAT WE OFFER.

ANYONE WILLING TO MAKE A MOTION. AND WE CAN. WE CAN WAIT.

WE CAN BRING THIS BACK. I MEAN, IF YOU'RE NOT READY OR YOU DON'T, YOU WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT MORE, THAT'S FINE. WE JUST OBVIOUSLY FROM HERE, WE TAKE IT TO COUNCIL.

IF THERE IS A, YOU KNOW, A MOTION TO INCREASE IT.

SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION. WE INCREASE IT TO 2300.

SO IT'S A COUPLE HUNDRED MORE THAN WE'RE. SO YOU'RE BASICALLY 2100 NOW.

SO THAT'LL GIVE US A LITTLE TIME ON THIS END.

AND THEN IT'LL PASS IN A LITTLE TIME ON THE OTHER END.

SO MAYBE ANOTHER ANOTHER FOUR YEARS OUT OF IT.

I'LL SECOND THAT. ALL IN FAVOR? OKAY. DISCUSSION.

DISCUSSION. SO WHEN WAS IT INCREASED AGAIN FROM 1500 TO.

I MEAN, WHEN WAS IT WE WENT 1500. WHEN DID THAT START? IN 2022. IT WENT TO 1800 IN 2022. YEAH. WHEN WAS IT 1500? WHEN WAS THAT CHANGED? OR HOW LONG WAS THAT IN PLACE? I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK. I WANTED TO SAY IT WAS LIKE FROM 2016.

SO IT WAS A LITTLE WHILE, BUT WE WERE, BUT WE WERE LOSING FOR A WHILE.

IT WAS FINALLY, WHEN JASON HAD TAKEN OVER THE PARK'S ROLE, HE REALIZED THAT WE WERE IN THE HOLE ON IT, AND HE HAD BEEN IN A HOLE IN A WHILE, SO THAT'S WHEN HE ADDRESSED IT.

SO THIS WAS ONE OF THOSE THINGS. IT WAS ALWAYS JUST $1,500 THROUGH LOTS OF YEARS.

MAKES SENSE TO GO AHEAD WITH THE HIGHER PRICE NOW COMMENT ON IT.

I STILL SUPPORT IT. BUT IF WE HAVE TO REVISIT THIS IN LESS THAN FOUR YEARS, MAYBE WE MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE GENERIC TO COVER COSTS.

I AGREE. OKAY. PERFECT. SO I CAN'T BRING IT BACK WITHIN FOUR YEARS, RIGHT? IT WAS A COMET. SO ARE YOU MAKING IT? NO. I STILL.

NO, THERE IS NO. IT WAS A COMET ONLY. I GOTCHA.

SO IF WE HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AGAIN BEFORE 2030.

FOR SURE. YES. YES. MANY OF US ARE STILL HERE.

EXACTLY. IS THAT FAIR? I MEAN, $500 INCREASES.

I MEAN, IT MAKES SENSE. THAT'S REASONABLE. YEAH.

ANYTHING ELSE? ALL IN FAVOR? I. THANK YOU. I RECOMMEND THAT TO COUNCIL.

[4. Staff Updates (no packet materials)]

[00:55:10]

PEOPLE WANTING TO GET IN BECAUSE WE HAD THE ONE NICE DAY THERE.

AFTER A FOOT OF SNOWFALL, STAFF DIDN'T HAVE IT READY TO BE OPENED FOR THIS PAST WEEKEND.

I THINK I TOLD YOU, SOME OF YOU. BUT THEY CUT THE LOCKS TO GET IN THERE AND HEARD THEY'RE CLIMBING FENCES.

AND SO WE DID OPEN THEM UP TODAY. WE PUT ALL THE NETS IN.

I'M PRETTY SURE THEY GOT TO ALL OF THEM TODAY.

AND THEN WE ARE GOING TO WAIT TILL JUST LOOKING AT THE NIGHT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN, THE TEMPS GETTING INTO THE 30S AGAIN, WE DON'T WANT TO JUST TURN THE LIGHTS ON TO TURN THE LIGHTS ON AND NO ONE'S THERE.

SO WE ARE GOING TO WAIT TILL THE 15TH OF THE MONTH.

THAT'S USUALLY WHEN EVERYTHING GETS GOING. SO WE'RE GOING TO WAIT, YOU KNOW, TILL THEN TO ACTUALLY DO THE LIGHTS AT NIGHT.

SO IF ANYONE ASKS, THEN THEY, THEY, THEY HAVE THAT INFORMATION.

THE REGULAR BATHROOMS AND PORTABLE BATHROOM, PORTABLE BATHROOMS ARE COMING TO 13TH.

WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE REGULAR BATHROOMS OPENED UP BY THAT TIME AS WELL.

SO FULL SWING SHOULD BE HOPEFULLY GOING THE WAY EVERYTHING'S LOOKING HERE.

TO BE EVERYTHING OPEN THEN. TEDDY BEAR PARK, WE WILL OPEN THE FIRST WEEKEND IN APRIL.

SO WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT A LITTLE EARLIER. WE HAVE THE WAY IT'S LOOKING, WE CAN.

THAT BATHROOM'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. IT'S KIND OF READY TO GO.

SO ONCE THAT WE. THE SNOW IS PRETTY MUCH OUT OF THERE AND WE CAN START.

AND WE'RE TAKING RESERVATIONS. STARTING THEN.

SO TEDDY BEAR WILL BE OPEN THEN WE WILL GET THE BALL FIELDS GOING.

AS SOON AS WE CAN. THERE IS STILL A LITTLE BIT OF FROST, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S SOFT OUT THERE WITH THAT SNOW.

SO WE'RE GOING TO GET THOSE GOING HOPEFULLY READY BY THE FIRST OF THE MONTH.

THE BASEBALL TEAM'S RESERVED IT THEN SO WE'LL GET THOSE GOING.

I DID GET A CALL ABOUT THE MULCH AT THE DOG PARK THAT IS AVAILABLE FOR RESIDENTS TO COME AND TAKE AND USE.

I GUESS A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT. SO JUST REMINDING EVERYONE HERE AND IF THEY'RE LISTENING, THEY, THEY, THEY'LL KNOW THAT I'LL CALL THOSE PEOPLE BACK.

BUT AND THEN WE ARE FIRST IN LINE FOR GETTING OUR PLAYGROUNDS REPLACED.

AND WE'LL START, WE'RE, HOPEFULLY WE'RE, WE START TEARING THEM OUT TODAY.

AND THEN WE'LL REGRADE NEXT WEEK. HOPEFULLY IT'S A LITTLE DRIER.

AND THEN APRIL 6TH WE'RE IN LINE TO START IF THAT ALL HAPPENS.

SO I WOULD GUESS PRETTY EARLY WE SHOULD HAVE OUR PLAYGROUNDS DONE THIS YEAR.

SO THAT'LL BE KIND OF NICE. THE ONLY OTHER THING I HAD IS WE TALKED ABOUT DOING A TOUR OF THE LUMBERJACK LANDING.

I DON'T KNOW WHEN WE WANT TO FIT IT IN. IT IS A MESS DOWN THERE RIGHT NOW.

LIKE, DID YOU EVEN YOU NEED A TRUCK WITH FOUR WHEEL DRIVE BECAUSE THE ROAD GOT TAKEN OUT AND IT'S JUST MUD.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE, WE PROBABLY JUST WANT TO WAIT A LITTLE LONGER UNTIL WE CAN GET IN THERE. AND MAYBE WE'LL DISCUSS IT NEXT MONTH AND GET DOWN THERE AND SEE IT.

I HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN IT. SO NOT THE I HAVEN'T BEEN IN IT.

I'VE BEEN DOWN THERE, BUT I'M KIND OF EXCITED FOR THAT.

BUT WE'LL WE'LL SET SOMETHING UP. ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME OR.

PARK MASTER PLAN IS SUPPOSED TO COME AT THE END.

OPEN ECOMMENTS ENDS BEGINNING OF APRIL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. YEP. APRIL.

SO WE WENT TO SEE THE NEWSLETTERS OUT WITH THE RIGHT AWAY.

I THINK THE FIRST THAT THE FIRST. SO THEN THEY'RE GIVEN LIKE TEN DAYS.

SO I THINK IT'S LIKE APRIL 10TH OR SO OR WHAT THE TIMING OF THAT.

THOSE WERE. SO IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE APRIL 1ST.

BUT THEN WHEN SHE FOUND OUT THE NEWSLETTER WAS COMING OUT, WE WANTED TO PUT IT IN THERE SO THEY COULD EXTEND IT TEN DAYS. WE EXTENDED IT TO THE 10TH OR WHATEVER, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WHATEVER THAT MONDAY WOULD BE. YEAH.

OKAY. AND THEN, THEN SHE'D PUT THAT TOGETHER AND COME BACK TO US.

AND THEN ONCE WE SEE IT, THEN IT'LL GO JUNE, I THINK IT'S JUNE 7TH TO COUNCIL FOR THE APPROVAL.

I HAVE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO PUT IN THEIR YOU KNOW, RECOMMENDATIONS, THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND OBVIOUSLY IT'S A RECOMMENDATION FROM THEM, THIS PLAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST BECAUSE THEY WANTED A CERTAIN THING DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. SO A LOT OF PEOPLE ASSUME THAT WE'RE JUST INSTANTLY GOING TO START PUTTING THESE DIFFERENT THINGS IN PARKS.

AND IT'S LIKE KIND OF HAVE TO. SET THE EXPECTATIONS SO EVERYONE KNOWS THAT THIS IS A PLAN AND WE'RE GOING TO WORK TOWARDS IT, BUT IT DOESN'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. I THINK WE'RE THE MAIN THINGS WE'RE GOING TO START GOING FOR IS LIKE ADA THINGS.

WHERE'S MY SPLASH PAD? I KNOW, I KNOW. LET'S GO THIS SUMMER.

YOUR KIDS WILL BE TEENAGERS. I KNOW, YEAH. I MEAN, THERE IS SO MUCH STUFF ON.

I MEAN, YOU'VE WENT THROUGH IT LIKE. I MEAN, I WAS JUST I LOOKED AT IT A LOT, OBVIOUSLY, AND VERY OVERWHELMED BY IT.

[01:00:01]

I'M LIKE, OH, I DIDN'T NOTICE THIS. THAT WAS IN THERE THE FIRST TIME I WENT THROUGH IT.

WE'LL SIT AND DISCUSS AND IT'D BE LIKE IN THE WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MORE IDEAS AND YOU'RE JUST LIKE, ENOUGH IDEAS. NO, WE NEED THEM. ALL RIGHT? WE DO.

SO YOU WANT TO TRY TO BUILD? THE BEST WE CAN.

SO WHAT'S THE PROCESS? HOW DOES THAT THEN GOING TO FEED INTO THE CIP THEN THAT WE HAVE.

THERE'S A. SO WE'RE WE'RE KIND OF WORKING WITH THEM ON HOW WE DO THAT.

AND THEY HELP US GET NUMBERS AND JUST, YOU KNOW, HELP US ESTIMATE, ESTIMATE.

AND THEN WE PUT PRIORITY LEVELS ON IT. AND WE KIND OF HAVE LIKE SHORT TERM, MID-TERM AND LONG TERM AND THEN KIND OF BALANCE IT THROUGH THAT, THAT WAY. KIND OF INTERESTING BECAUSE WORKING WITH SHAUN ON IT, LIKE HE'S, HE'S KIND OF SHORT TERM, RIGHT? AND THEN I KIND OF FEEL LIKE I'M MIDTERM AND THEN THE LONG TERM, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS I PROBABLY WON'T EVER SEE, BUT THAT'LL BE A PLAN FOR IT. SO IT'S INTERESTING.

THEY DO HELP WITH PRICING AND, AND KIND OF SET YOU UP, YOU KNOW, THE PART THEY'RE DOING NOW IS, IS OBVIOUSLY PUBLIC AND EVERYONE ELSE. AND THEN IT'S THE IMPLEMENTING THAT WILL BE INTERESTING TO.

TO FINALIZE, I THINK. BUT HOW CAN WE HELP YOU SET PRIORITIES? I THINK WHEN THE PLAN GETS DONE, THE SMALL GROUP SHOULD PROBABLY TAKE A LOOK AT THAT SIDE OF IT TOO.

YEAH, I THINK THAT'LL HELP A LOT. YEAH. BECAUSE LIKE SHAUN AND I SAT DOWN AND DID JUST LIKE OUR INITIAL THOUGHTS ON THAT TYPE, BUT IT WAS JUST LIKE THE TERMS OF IT, BUT NOT NECESSARILY PRIORITIZING WHAT SHOULD BE FIRST.

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THAT WOULD HELP A LOT BECAUSE I HAVE MY OPINION AND HE HAS HIS.

BUT I'LL PROBABLY GET LOTS OF OPINIONS FROM THE PUBLIC INPUT TOO.

PEOPLE SAYING, I LIKE THIS IDEA. I LIKE THIS IDEA.

YEAH, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE MORE COMMENTS. WHICH IS GOOD.

I CAN'T WAIT TILL THE NEWSLETTER COMES OUT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN THOSE LAST TWO WEEKS, WHICH MEANS THEY'RE REALLY GOING TO WORK HARD, YOU KNOW, RIGHT AT THE END. BUT SHE DID TALK ABOUT WHERE STILL HAVE SOME BUDGET LEFT.

SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SIGNAGE AND MAYBE HER WORKING ON SOME WAYFINDING AND STUFF.

SO THAT WOULD BE KIND OF COOL WHERE I DIDN'T THINK WE COULD, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS PART OF IT. SO IT MAYBE WE'RE DISCUSSING WITH HER WHAT THAT COULD LOOK LIKE, BUT DOING THE ASSESSMENT LIKE ASSESSMENT OF WAYFINDING.

YEAH. AND HELPING WITH A LITTLE PLAN. YEAH. OKAY.

WHICH THEY GOT LEFT OUT WAS THE TRAIL TRAILS.

YEAH, YEAH, YEAH I KNOW. YEAH. IT'S THERE'S A LOT IN THERE AND I SEE WHY THAT WAS THE PLAN ALL ALONG. WHAT SHE WAS PLANNING. YEAH. WE'RE FINDING OUT NOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO CONNECT SOME OF THOSE DOTS.

SO IT MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, ADDED ON AND LATER ON AFTER THAT SECTION OF IT.

SO IT'S EXCITING. I HAD A QUESTION RELATED TO THAT.

I WAS KIND OF WONDERING ABOUT LIKE ONGOING SUPPORT. LIKE, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT LIKE, YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE? I MEAN, I KNOW YOU JUST MENTIONED YOU NEED A LITTLE BIT OF FEEDBACK FROM THE GROUP TO HELP YOU, BUT LIKE, DO YOU SEE, IS IT GOING TO BE ON YOU TO HELP LIKE MOVE THAT FORWARD SOLELY? OR IS THAT LIKE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WITH PLANNING? OR IS THERE A WAY TO LET YOU COULD LIKE GET THEM ON BOARD TO HELP YOU WITH LIKE PLANNING AND MAKING THINGS? THEY'VE BEEN PART OF IT THE WHOLE TIME AS WELL.

SO THEY ARE, THEY WILL BE HELPING AND ASSISTING AND, AND, BUT IT'S NEVER JUST SOLELY ME.

GOD. I MEAN, YEAH, I MEAN, I'D BE IN MY OWN BUBBLE, RIGHT? LIKE, SO I TRY TO, THAT'S WHY I TRY TO HAVE AS LITTLE OPINION AT TIMES AS I CAN, WHICH IS NOT EASY.

IT'S NOT, IT'S LIKE BEING THE UNION STEWARD, LIKE YOU'RE NEUTRAL, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S, IT'S VERY HARD TO SIT THERE AND LISTEN, BUT I TRY. WE'LL SEE. YOU'VE BEEN GREAT.

ANYTHING ELSE FOR UPDATES OR QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.

MOVING ON TO COMMISSION MEMBER UPDATES. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING?

[5. Commission Member Updates (no packet materials)]

YOU'RE ALL COMING BACK FROM SPRING BREAK AND.

[6. Annual Board and Commission Training Reminder]

DID SHE HAVE A FLIER IN THERE? YEAH. YEAH. OH, OKAY.

WE CAN JUST PULL IT UP REAL QUICK, BUT YEAH. WAS IT MAY 7TH AND I THINK IT'S EVERY OTHER YEAR YOU'RE ASKED TO ATTEND.

[01:05:03]

IT'S INTERESTING THOUGH, YOU DON'T OFFER THAT.

I WILL BRING THAT UP TO THEM. YEAH, I MISSED IT LAST YEAR BECAUSE I WAS.

I CAN'T REMEMBER WHERE THEY RESCHEDULED IT. THEY HAD IT.

THAT'S RIGHT. AND THEN THEY CANCELED AND THEN THEY RESCHEDULED.

I REMEMBER WHY WE DID. I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THE REASON WAS, BUT I REMEMBER WE HAD CHILDCARE ALL LINED UP FOR THE FIRST ONE AND THEN THE SECOND ONE JUST THE STARS WOULD NOT ALIGN. WE'LL MAKE SURE THEY DO NOT CHANGE THIS.

AND I'LL MENTION ZOOM. I MEAN MAKES SENSE. YOU'RE RECORDING IT.

YEAH. WELL I THINK THEY DO RECORD IT. I THOUGHT THEY DID.

OH WAIT. THERE MIGHT BE LATER. THEY DID THEY SEND SOMETHING OUT? YEAH. AT LEAST YOU COULD WATCH IT. YEAH. OKAY.

I'LL CHECK ON THAT FOR SURE. THAT'S A GREAT SUGGESTION.

ALL RIGHT. IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE. DOES ANYONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.