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Regular City Council Meeting <br />Monday, May 9, 2016 <br />Page 16 <br />Specific to fee monies, staff provided some discussion points for how to best use <br />replacement tree funds. <br />• Utilize within a two-year timeframe <br />• Keep expenditures within the general development area <br />• Tie tree replacement outside the development project site to a public im- <br />provement project <br />• Review and approval of expenditures of tree replacement fund dollars by the <br />City Council <br />Councilmember Etten questioned if funds should be allotted to the city's Emerald <br />Ash Borer (EAB) replacement program, either for replacement and/or treatment. <br />As an example, Councilmember Etten noted the treatment options being used for <br />trees on the golf course to prevent them becoming infested, thankfully resulting in <br />them remaining healthy to-date. Councilmeinber Etten wondered if some amount <br />of the fees could be used for such treatments in other areas. <br />Councilmember McGehee stated her lack of excitement to utilize fees as part of <br />the EAB prevention injection program. However, Councilmember McGehee <br />agreed that the fund could and should be used for replacement of trees that had <br />become diseased and removed, that could result in replacing trees with larger <br />sized trees than normal budget funds inay allow, and as staff defined areas of <br />need. <br />Mayor Roe suggested in staff's bullet point: "Tie tree replacement outside the de- <br />velopment project site to a public improvement project;" language be included to <br />tie it to a public improvement project "or diseased tree replacement." However, <br />Mayor Roe cautioned care in not having an "either/or" option, but establishing a <br />priority process. <br />Councilmember Etten suggested the points be considered ad "guiding principles." <br />Mayor Roe agreed on the need to word the language to make sense accordingly. <br />Councilmember McGehee spoke in support of the great ideas, but noted some en- <br />hancement was needed that staff would provide when bringing the document back <br />before the City Council. Councilmember McGehee thanked staff for providing <br />the basis of the work for this new policy. <br />Mayor Roe asked if the City Council had a preference for one or more of its advi- <br />sory commissions to review this proposed policy and their recommendations to <br />the City Council (e.g. Public Works, Environment and Transportation and/or <br />Parks Commission — in their role as the Tree Board). <br />