12-12-2023 - PTRC Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Parks, Trails & Recreation Committee - December 12, 2023 Page 4 C. Perry Park Roof Update Recreation Supervisor Johnson said there was a three-way tie on the vote for the roof color. An executive decision was made to temporarily pick Brown. He took a poll on the top three colors. Evergreen received four votes, Blue received three votes, and Brown received one vote. D. Chatham Restoration Committee Member Seemann stated the initial goat browsing in Chatham Trails had a noticeable impact on the young buckthorn in the sections of the park where the goats were used. She believed they can be successful in managing the buckthorn in that area if they continue the goat grazing, and also take an aggressive multi-prong approach that removes the mature trees and fights the seedlings. She noted that while wandering in the woods she discovered that the park is infested with purple loosestrife that needs to be managed. Committee Member Seemann stated the attachment was modified from what was presented at the last meeting; she included maps showing the areas that were grazed and areas that buckthorn was removed. She explained that she and the Chatham volunteers seeded some grasses, sedges and forbs in some of the areas that were cleared. Council Liaison Rousseau made a note to talk with Director Swearingen about what is planned for next spring. Committee Member Jacobson thought seeding in the fall/winter was a good plan. Committee Member Olson wondered if the goats were coming back. Committee Member Seemann was under the impression the goats were coming back in the spring. She said the current system of cutting brush along the trail and piling it for the Public Works crew to chip has been valuable but there are still challenges. It is difficult to move the cut brush to the sides of the trail when cutting deeper in the woods or when steep slopes or marshes get in the way, and it’s hard to haul more mature trees. Heavy physical labor is easier to do during the colder months. One solution is to have a winter work day where a team removes buckthorn and one person is designated to manage burning the brush. She felt that would be an effective way to remove the buckthorn and could be done safely from January to March while there is snow on the ground. She would be willing to take responsibility for getting a burn permit and managing the fires, or she recommended the City consider hiring a contractor to do the burning. Committee Member Seemann continued saying in addition to the seeding that was already done she saved some seeds to grow at home and the plants can be transplanted next year. Committee Member Edgar asked if Committee Member Seemann had experience or training in burning brush piles because if not it might be smart to hire a contractor for safety. Committee Member Seemann replied that she will be taking an eight-hour classroom portion of burn crew training with The Prairie Enthusiasts. The outdoor portion will happen in the spring. Committee Member Dietz said he was worried about the liability of a fire, but he agreed winter was the time to do it with snow on the ground.