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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-08-10 MINUTES CITY OF COTTAGE GROVE PUBLIC WORKS COMMISSION August 10, 2009 Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, a meeting of the Public Works Commission of Cottage Grove was duly held at Cottage Grove Public Works, 8635 West Point Douglas Road, Cottage Grove, Minnesota on Monday, August 10, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. 1. CALL TO ORDER Ken Boyden called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL Members Present: Ken Boyden, Gary Kjellberg, Christopher Lethgo, William Royce Staff Present: Les Burshten, Public Works Director Jennifer Levitt, City Engineer Steve Bowe, City Forester Also Present: Mark Grossklaus, City Council Member 3. APPROVE MINUTES Upon a motion by Chris Lethgo, seconded by Bill Royce, the April 13, 2009, minutes were unanimously approved. 4. ADDITIONAL AGENDA ITEMS None 5. NEW BUSINESS A. Emerald Ash Borer Presentation Steve Bowe distributed informational materials to Commission members summarizing the life cycle and sequence of activity regarding the Emerald Ash Borer: The EAB originated in Asia and was first discovered in 2002 in Michigan Larvae feed in the tissues under the bark which kills the main movement of fluids up and down the tree. Adult beetles are active from late May until September The beetles have been detected mostly in the Midwest and the eastern United States. Over 20 million ash trees have been lost to this pest which usually kills affected trees within three years of infestation. Public Works Commission August 10, 2009 – Page 2 The EABs have been detected in Wisconsin and as close as St. Paul. Bowe indicated the City of Cottage Grove is just outside a 15-mile radius of where the beetles have been detected. Commission Member Gary Kjellberg inquired if traps have already been set to which Bowe responded that this will be done next spring. Symptoms of EAB District D-shaped exit holes in bark S-shaped tunnels on surface under bark Sprout growth at the tree base Unusual activity by woodpeckers Die-back on top third of tree Vertical splits in the bark Trapping Techniques 1. Girdle the tree at chest height 2. Once wounded, the tree gives off an attractant that increases the EAB willingness to use the tree for breeding 3. Good for up to two years but should be evaluated after the first year 4. Wrap above and below the wounding with a sticky wrap to capture the beetle if it becomes present Purple Traps How does the trap work? The trap uses Manuka oil as an attractant to lure the beetles if EAB is already in the area. The surface of the trap is coated with a sticky substance which will cause the EAB to adhere to it. How long will the trap be used? The traps would be installed before the flight season (late May through September) and then removed and examined. The traps do not bring the EAB into areas not affected, but will help in detection if already present. Bowe went on to explain the ash tree population in the City of Cottage Grove was broken down into five zones. Trees range from 1” to 30” in diameter. His recommendation is to treat trees that are 10-20 inches in diameter. Once the tree is a larger size, the less life is expected from that tree before it begins the decline. Zone/AreaTotalAsh Trees 3-YearRemoval Number of to be TreatmentCost Ash Trees TreatedCost 586292$11,390$586,000 One – Grove Side 975604$24,615$975,000 Two – E. Pt. Douglas/Hillside Trail 891439$19,103$891,000 Three – Hillside Trail – th South of 80 Street Public Works Commission August 10, 2009 – Page 3 Zone/AreaTotalAsh Trees 3-YearRemoval Cost Number of to be Treatment Ash Trees TreatedCost th 750481$19,140$750,000 Four – N. 80 Street – th Pine Tree Valley E /70 and Keats th 739591$24,760$739,000 Five – N. 80 Street – th Pine Tree Valley W – 70 St. and Highlands Area $99,008$3,941,000 Total Bowe went on to explain that once the hole in the tree is plugged, the plastic plug stays in the tree and the tree grows around it making it impossible for insects to penetrate. Commission Chair Ken Boyden asked if there was a reason to start with the 10-inch diameter trees and not worry about the 9-inch trees, etc. Bowe stated the 10” – 20” diameter tree is a good size for the trunk injection treatment. If trees are already wounded, they will not be treated. Boyden asked if this treatment is less expensive than that used on smaller trees. Steve responded that the chemical itself is a bit more expensive, but the chemical used on smaller trees is less effective and will not obtain the better result of a direct injection. Park Trees The trees in City parks were tallied and out of those, 200 are Green Ash. Council Member Bill Royce questioned whether the EAB affects all ash trees, such as a Mountain Ash? Bowe responded that the Mountain Ash is not a true ash tree so that variety is unaffected with the Green Ash being the most visible. City Options for EAB Management Bowe commented that it’s evident tree removal is much more expensive than treatment so it’s hoped the EAB treatment can begin next year. Hopefully if we are ahead of the game, there will be good results. It’s been found the treatment is 99% effective. Commission Member Bill Royce asked if the City would hire a company for treatment of the trees. Bowe replied that he has a certified pesticide applicator license and he would be completing the work. If the work is contracted out, the cost is over $8.00 per diameter inch. If done in-house, the cost is $4-$5 per diameter inch. Kjellberg asked if there are any natural predators for the EAB. Bowe responded some research is being done about some wasps that are keying into this bug, but it’s difficult to be on biological patrol right away with research and knowledge. It was noted the wasps are not harmful to humans. The State of Minnesota is also researching ash trees that are resistant to the ash borer. Public Works Commission August 10, 2009 – Page 4 The State of Minnesota is also researching ash trees that are resistant to the ash borer. “Has the City Council discussed creating an ordinance in reference to how the emerald ash borer will be handled?” asked Gary Kjellberg. Council Member Grossklaus responded that this issue was discussed at a recent budget meeting and it’s been proposed to set aside $162,000.00 in the budget to deal with the oncoming EAB issues. Bill Royce asked if cold weather affects the EAB to which Steve Bowe responded 20-30 days of 30 degrees or below temperatures are needed in order to have any effect, but noted this type of weather hasn’t been experienced for quite some time In summary, here are the proposed options for management of the EAB by the City of Cottage Grove: 1. Monitor City trees 2. Place purple traps 3. Remove declining ash trees 4. Re-plant open sites 5. Treat a selected amount of ash trees. Public Works Director Les Burshten stated it is hoped eventually someone will discover a long lasting cure so the ash trees won’t need to be treated every three years Chair Ken Boyden thanked Steve Bowe for attending tonight’s meeting and also for sharing his time and knowledge with the group. 6. OLD BUSINESS None. 7. PUBLIC WORKS UPDATE Les Burshten reported: Seal coating is complete Street striping is taking place right now. th The Public Works Open House will be September 17 from 3:00-7:00 pm. The Commission members were invited to attend or stop by earlier for lunch that will be served about 11:30 am. The Parks Department is working 10-hour shifts for the summer. The schedule seems to be working well. Prairie Grasses Les encouraged Commission members to look over the prairie grass areas throughout the City when out and about. The grasses were planted in a couple of different areas a few years ago and the process usually takes approximately 3 years before the plants th flourish. It’s evident the plants are doing well on Hardwood Avenue between 70 and th 80 Streets. Public Works Commission August 10, 2009 – Page 5 The other prairie grass area involves the Xcel corridor behind Indian Boulevard. A noticeable improvement has taken place over the last few months and residents of the area are pleased. LED Pilot Program Near Menards on East Point Douglas Road, twelve LED streetlights were recently installed as part of a one-year pilot program. It is anticipated there will be good payback on energy usage. In addition, there should be less maintenance than traditional streetlights. 8. ENGINEER’S REPORT Jennifer Levitt reported: The 2009 Final Street Project was completed in mid-July for Silverwood, Timber thnd Ridge 6 and Mississippi Dunes 2. The contractor is currently completing items on the punch list. Punch list items are still being worked on from the 2008 Pavement Management Project and it is hoped to have issues resolved this week. Three intersections are getting valley gutters along with three other intersections. Some cul-de-sacs that have drainage issues are being milled on Friday, August 14, and then repaved. th The Lehigh Road Project was bid July 30, approximately 3 ½ percent under the engineer’s estimate of that project. Work on the pond known as EDP 6 (located east of Jamaica and north of Hillside) is almost complete. For erosion, 100 feet of pipe was added along with another sedimentation basin. A skimmer structure was also added to regulate the water elevation. Environmental Task Force th Levitt reported the task force had their first meeting on August 5. PW Commission Member Chris Lethgo also serves on that committee. The group toured the 3M incinerator, which will be the first project reviewed. At the next meeting, the EPA and 3M will both present permit information (what’s been done, what other permits they have on site) and give a history and overview. Task Force members will likely generate a number of questions. A consultant has been hired to review the data from the PCA and 3M, along with giving technical assistance to the task force members. 9. CITY COUNCIL UPDATE City Council Member Mark Grossklaus reported another budget discussion meeting is th scheduled for August 19 at which time Council will discuss the tax rate which is projected at 35.21%, an increase from 34.6%. Public Works Commission August 10, 2009 – Page 6 Grossklaus commented that City Forester Steve Bowe made a great presentation regarding the Emerald Ash Borer. 10. COMMISSION COMMENTS AND REQUESTS Meeting Frequency There was a brief discussion as to how often the Public Works Commission should meet. As of now, it was decided to meet every other month and this may change as more items come up for discussion and review. City Irrigation System Commission Member Royce inquired whether or not the sprinkler system at Highlands Park has sensors. Les Burshten will check to see if it is operating properly. Lehigh Project: Bill Royce asked when the Lehigh Road project will start. Jennifer Levitt responded that th once Council awards the project to a contractor on August 12, a pre-con meeting will st take place the following week. The earliest starting date would likely be August 31. Community Center Task Force th Gary Kjellberg announced the group will next meet on August 18 when they will tour other metro area community centers. 11. ADJOURNMENT Motion for adjournment was made by Bill Royce, seconded by Gary Kjellberg. Meeting adjourned at 8:00 pm. Respectfully submitted, íÜÉËÔÚÔÜêÉÎËÛÄ