09-16-25 - PTRC Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Parks, Trails & Recreation Committee – September 16, 2025 Page 10 Committee Member Jacobson asked the location of Mullin Gardens. Chair Dietz said it is near the playground, near the front entrance. There are three big garden mounds. We plan to plant some flowers, that he helped develop, into this garden. Committee Member Rogers said that is an example of having a plan. Something like that could work at Lindy’s Park. We aren’t asking for City funding for those flowers. E. Trails Work Group Update Committee Member Hilding said this subcommittee has a meeting next week to discuss trails. There was a walk around, in August. Committee Member Johnson said Rich Straumann walked her around in Rice Creek Common and shared the vision for that area. She was introduced to the AARP Sidewalks, Streets and Crossings audit. It looks at a City’s streets and trails. It is a great way to gather data. She believes the more data we have, the more powerful we can become. If we know all the conditions of all of the trails, that can be reported back to help understand what improvement costs will be. She would love to discuss the best way to gather this information during the subcommittee meeting and brainstorm how to share it with the Parks Master Plan, the cities around us and Council. Committee Member Olson said she had a comment that was on a different topic. She said there is a process with development that they either have to donate money or they have to plant trees. If you plant a tree, she asked if survival was a requirement. She learned that someone needs to ensure that tree survives for 2 or 3 years. She emailed Public Works Director/City Engineer Swearingen because she has walked by the senior living development and a lot of the newer trees are dying. She is trying to get an answer. Committee Member Jacobson said typically when they plant trees, there is a guarantee. Whoever installed the landscaping should be able to replace it. Committee Member Olson said she asked Staff who is monitoring that to make sure the required amount of trees are not only planted, but that they survive. Parks and Recreation Manager Skalicky said City Code states that if a tree replacement on a lot is not practical, the developer must pay the landscaping fee. In that same section there may be some language about how long it has to survive. She agreed there should be a guarantee on the tree’s survival. It would be up to the entity who approved planting the trees to request replacements. Discussion ensued regarding how many trees were removed for that development and that the developer elected to do a combination of planting and paying rather than meet minimum tree guidelines. Committee Member Olson will take some pictures and forward them to Parks and Recreation Manager Skalicky, along with the email she sent to Public Works Director/City Engineer Swearingen.