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Parks, Trails & Recreation Committee Meeting Minutes April 18, 2023 Page 2 <br /> <br /> <br />Recreation Supervisor Johnson added they had 150 participants, Shoreview did theirs the same <br />day. He appreciated Committee Member Poelzer finding the extra volunteers. <br /> <br />Committee Member Poelzer said she will share the list of Egg Hunt volunteers at the next <br />meeting. <br /> <br />Committee Member Poelzer said she was asked by Assistant Public Works Director Miller for <br />volunteers to help spread wood chips at Crepeau Park between May 15-June 15, if anyone wants to <br />help. <br /> <br />Committee Member Poelzer said they are waiting to hear from Twin City Hardware regarding an <br />estimate for automatic lock timers for Perry Park restrooms. <br /> <br />Recreation Supervisor Johnson noted the timers won’t work at Cummings Park as there is not <br />outside access to the restrooms. <br /> <br />Committee Member Kelliher said they have a working group of himself and Committee <br />Members Poelzer and Seemann that has been exploring solutions to the buckthorn issue throughout <br />the parks. They wanted to explore using goats and found seven vendors. They had conversations <br />with six vendors, five said they were interested in working with them as part of a pilot project of <br />one to two acres. They began identifying external funding sources. Great River Greening has <br />professional grant writers and have naturalists on staff that can eradicate the buckthorn and bring <br />the land back to the original landscape type. He and Committee Member Seemann brought two of <br />their naturalists to see four parks that have buckthorn. The next step would be to ask the Council to <br />approve them to write grant proposals for the Minnesota Legacy Fund. May 26 is the deadline to <br />apply for grants. There is no expense to have Great River Greening engaged but they could <br />potentially receive tens of thousands of dollars that could be used at a number of parks. They fold <br />projects from several cities and apply for all of them as one master grant. They are also able to <br />apply for grants from other organizations. He’d like to see PTRC recommend to the City Council <br />that they authorize an engagement letter so they can participate with Great River Greening in the <br />grant proposals. <br /> <br />A motion was made by Committee Member Kelliher and seconded by Committee Member <br />Poelzer to recommend to the City Council that they authorize an engagement letter to <br />participate with Great River Greening in buckthorn removal grant proposals. <br /> <br />Committee Member Rogers asked if they knew which park they would start in, and are they <br />obligated to replant afterward or is that part of the grant. <br /> <br />Committee Member Kelliher said the money won’t be available until the fall of 2024, but there is <br />no obligation to move forward. Great River Greening suggests a phased approach to work on one <br />park at a time. Floral Park, Hazelnut and Chatham are most navigable for goats. Native species <br />would need to be planted after the buckthorn is removed. <br /> <br />Committee Member Jacobson asked if the grant would include all phases; plans, goats or <br />chainsaws, and plantings. <br /> <br />Committee Member Kelliher said the idea would be to bring in a native species that could thrive <br />in the area on their own. All phases would be included in the grant; funds to Great River Greening