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ARDEN HILLS SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—JUNE 10, 2024 4 Councilmember Fabel asked if the school had an affiliation with Bethel or Northwestern. Ms. Rogers stated the school did not, but noted the graduates could consider attending either school after graduation. Mayor Grant indicated he could support the house of worship use, but explained he was concerned with how the school would fit. In addition, he was concerned about losing this large industrial parcel and the jobs it created. Ms. Rogers stated she would bring the Council's feedback to her board and explained she appreciated the Council's thoughtful consideration. B. Highway hwa 96/TH10 Corridor Landscaping and Irrigation ation Maintenance Assistant Public Works Director Miller stated Public Works staff has been aware of the viability issues of the landscaping around the Lakeshore Place retaining wall (near the intersection of Highways 96 and 10 southwest quadrant) for the last couple years and adjusted to try to include it as part of the City's maintenance cycle per the cooperative agreement with Ramsey County approved by City Council on March 10, 2023. This effort of maintenance is solely dependent on daily workload and staff availability. Based on concerns stated by residents in the area, staff is trying to come up with A) a more realistic and consistent maintenance option for the longevity of the plantings and trees in the area and B) direction to replace the shrubs that are in heavy decline in the area. Arden Hills is required to maintain the area per the cooperative agreement with Ramsey County. Assistant Public Works Director Miller explained similarly, the Highway 96 corridor landscaping maintenance is the responsibility of Arden Hills. The City has invested nearly $80,000 into tree replacements annually since 2022. In order to ensure the viability and success of the trees, large amounts of watering is required. These trees require Public Works staff to fill watering bags in order for the trees to thrive throughout the spring, summer and fall months in a very tough environment for growth along a highway boulevard. This effort of maintenance is solely dependent on daily workload and staff availability. Safety is also a concern with this effort, as well. The amount of time staff works along live traffic out of their vehicles should be minimized as much as possible along the corridor of Highway 96, one of the busiest roadways in Arden Hills and posted speed limit of 55 mph. This work is often performed by seasonal staff with little field experience. Staff is interested in gauging the Council's interest in permanently installing an irrigation system to limit the amount of exposure staff has along live traffic, as well as consistently helping the longevity and viability of the trees that we have invested in and replaced in the corridor recently and give them the best chance to survive. Assistant Public Works Director Miller reported recently, Public Works staff inspected the existing condition of the remaining trees along TH-96. Approximately 30 more trees are in major decline. A good portion of the trees have been identified with Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) disease and have been treated over the years, but treatment is no longer a viable option and the trees need to be removed and possibly replaced. Staff would propose replacing these trees in the same fashion, consistent with the annual projects since 2022 using the Tree Replacement Fund, which has an approximate balance of$34,000 that could be utilized for this work.