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Home My WebLink About2013-04-03 PACKET 02.C.REQUEST OF CITY COUNCIL ACTION COUNCIL AGENDA MEETING ITEM # DATE 4/3/13 � � C s __ _ PREPARED BY Parks and Recreation Zac Dockter ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT HEAD ************************************************ COUNCIL ACTION REQUEST Consider placing on file the Public Open Space Management Program. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Place on file the Public Open Space Management Program. BUDGET IMPLICATION: $0 BUDGETED AMOUNT ADVISORY COMMISSION ACTION �� REVIEWED ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ PLANNING ❑ PUBLIC SAFETY ❑ PUBLIC WORKS ❑ PARKS AND RECREATION ❑ HUMAN SERVICES/RIGHTS ❑ ECONOMIC DEV. AUTHORITY ❑ SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS � MEMO/LETTER: ❑ RESOLUTION: ❑ ORDINANCE: ❑ ENGINEERING RECOMMENDATION: ❑ LEGAL RECOMMENDATION: � OTHER: Presentation _ � u n1F��:L�ri]��Ki7►�ili�il= ��r+�i $0 ACTUAL AMOUNT APPROVED ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ DENIED ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ � �� ` � , �� /.'' ._ � , � . , ;� - � . .. - ************************************************ H:1Public Open Space Mgmt Program�Action Form-Public Open Space Mgmt Program 4313.doc Cat�age / Grove � Pride �n� �s°�4�r�ty Mee# To: Honorable Mayor and City Council From: Zac Dockter, Parks and Recreation Director Date: March 21, 2013 Subject: Public Open Space Management Program Introduction The City has long struggled with managing maintenance, aesthetic and ecological expectations of its public open spaces. In an effort to better communicate and quantify the City's management practices, staff has drafted the Public Open Space Management Program for Council's Review. Background Attached with this report is the Public Open Space Management Program draft. Should the Council adopt this program, all current and future open spaces would be classified into this system and receive the appropriate management practices. Further, the City will begin preemptively classifying dedicated open spaces for future developments to assure the City's intentions are made clear prior to construction. It is important that the City is able to utilize this program as framework for improving communication of it's expectations to the community. However, it is also important that the City remains flexible in allocating classifications and providing maneuverability within those classifications as needs and desires are justified. For residents/neighborhoods wishing to improve classifications with no extraordinary benefit to the remainder of the community, the entire project cost or cost sharing would most likely be expected. Recommendation Consider placing on file the Public Open Space Management Program Public Saace Mana�ement Pro�ram The purpose of the Public Space Management Program is to detail design intent and maintenance procedures for all municipally-owned land in order to provide consistency in operations and _ communication. The City believes it is important that public property has balance between manicured and natural areas in order to provide a variety of landscapes within the community that offer places of beauty and refuge to residents as well as animals, birds, fish, insects and plants. The program classifies all public land into one of five categories. The classifications below provide a general description of the property design elements as well as reco � ded maintenance procedures. This classification system is to be used as a guideline. Each site s s considered unique and may require minor variances. As an example, a site may be a comb' esign and maintenance guidelines resulting in the site to be titled an "A/B Classification". Fur . • e property may have multiple classification zones. One such instance may be a park sit �:� as �_= anicured Class A areas as well as Class C or p open space areas with more natural el e k All ponds require periodic MS4 inspections to may result in structure maintenance/reconst� shaping and storm pipe cleaning. All disturbe program. Class A Class A areas are designed to be r= common ground cover and irrigati trimmed and monitored for health. presentable for Seed Type: Mowing: Irrigation: Weed Coni Class B Class B areas ar t �ypically irrigated a = �monitored for he� ined areas with the ' maintained active ,, ;isible. �m. Inspections removal, pond tents of this blic. Turf grass is the h. Trees are regularly is always maintained as Regularly �"urf — mowed regularly Maintain 15' natural buffer to NWL No �.ularly manicured and accessible to the public. Turf grass areas are not ont �� urs less frequently than in Class A. Trees are regularly trimmed under f- :, may consist of a combination of regularly and intermittently of keepin all grasses and weeds down. Debris is regularly removed and �entable to the public at all times. These areas are moderately to highly Seed Type: ur Forest Management: Regularly Mowing: Forest Undergrowth: Turf— mowed as needed Irrigation: Pond Management: Maintain 15' natural buffer to NWL Weed Control: Once/yr Prescribed Burns: No Fertilization: Once/yr Class C Class C Areas are designed with intent to be moderately manicured with a focus on native planting and design elements. Dry areas should be planted with a native prairie mix while natural water lines should be planted with a native wetland mix. All land should be regularly monitored and put onto a routine maintenance schedule to assure the health of native plants and uniformity of the landscape. Mowing will only be used as necessary to the benefit of the native plants. Forested areas should be regularly . monitored but only maintained as needed to assure the health of the trees._ Native vegetation should _ _ help improve pond quality by reducing erosion and high-impact maintenance procedures. Debris should be removed during maintenance procedures. Seed Type: Native prairie/wetland Mowing: Once/yr or as needed Irrigation: No Weed Control: Twice/yr (handspray) Fertilization: No Forest Management: Forest Undergrowth: Pond Management: Prescribed Burns: Regularly Native prairie/woodland ! ' tration via native plantings ce every 3-5 years Class D Class D areas are designed using native planting ai native prairie mix while natural water lines sho mowed one to two times per year as a mean = typically not monitored or maintained unless maintained with the exception of the periodic m: maintenance procedures or as volunteer groups b Seed Type: Native prairie' Mowing: Once/yr or as Irrigation: No Weed Control: Via mowing Fertilization: No Class E Class E area - , es pond areas rec : utilit /stormwate t g�; �e t proce e - � maii Seed Type: owing: , • ation: No e Control: No Fer °��ion: No � n elements. D ., s should be planted using a � anted with a wetlan Property will be ge weed and woody gro orested areas are disease concerns exist. Pon � s are minimally �prescribed =, ve. Debris is o � oved during Forest Mana - Only as needed rest Undergro Native prairie/woodland anagement. Mowing once/yr Pr =_ d�Burns ti o �d to ;= ature deter e landscape. All areas including upland, forested and to no :. intenance exc = the case of public safety concerns and/or �rn �� a constru =��= native seed mixes should be used and s=. . e ne e a uring st two to five growing seasons. Debris is only r== procedure -=;!��Iun . s become available. prair t and ForesfManagement: Forest Undergrowth: Pond Management: Prescribed Burns: Only for safety or disease Native prairie/woodland Only to assure proper flow No