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Home My WebLink About2014-03-05 MINUTES (SPECIAL MEETING)� Cottage � Grove � Pride andP�oSPerity Meet COTTAGE GROVE CITY COUNCIL City of Cottage Grove, Minnesota Special Meeting March 5, 2014 CALL TO ORDER The City Council of the City of Cottage Grove, Washington County, Minnesota, held a Special meeting on March 5, 2014 at the Cottage Grove City Hall, 12800 Ravine Parkway. Mayor Bailey called the meeting to order at 6:25 p.m. ROLL CALL The following were present: Council Member Justin Olsen, Council Member Dave Thiede, Council Member Jen Peterson, and Mayor Myron Bailey. The following were absent: Council Member Derrick Lehrke. Also present were: Ryan Schroeder, City Administrator, Caron Stransky, City Clerk, Les Burshten, Public Works Director, Steve Bowe, City Forester, and Robin Roland, Finance Director. Mayor Bailey announced that the purpose of the special meeting was to discuss the Emerald Ash Borer Program. Steve Bowes, City Forester reviewed a power point presentation on Emerald Ash Borer Management Plan Update. He reviewed the i-Trees software suite designed by the USDA Forest Service to provide urban and community forestry analysis and benefit assessments. He highlighted: . Annual benefits to Cottage Grove for a Green Ash $196.97; Norway maple $103.74; Silver maple $196.71; Honey Locust $141.82; Linden $130.47; and Hackberry $142.82. . The total annual benefit of our urban forest is $1,775,566 per year. . How various types of trees can affect storm water? . Management Plan progress - Removed about 20% of the Ash population and treated 65% of existing Ash population . Forecast - Treating EAB Budget and Untreated EAB Budget . Removal and Replacement Costs . Regional Impacts of EAB . Where EAB was Recently Found in MN . Is the cold killing EAB City Forester Bowes distributed to the Council articles entitled i-Tree Design, Cottage Grove Annual Energy Benefits of Public Trees, Cold Hardiness of EAB, and Photographs of Ash Trees Infected by EAB. Mayor Bailey asked whether the value of the trees will continue to increase. He asked ❑TV OF COTTA6E 6ROVE • 12800 Ravine Parkway • Cottage 6rove, Minnesota 55016 www.mttage-gmve.org • 651�5�2800 • Fax 651A58-2897 • Equal Opportunity Employer Cottage Grove City Council � March 5, 2013 Special Meeting whether it would be beneficial for the City to start our own tree farm where we could plant some trees in the parks because at some point we have to replace the trees and if they are too expensive, is it would be better to do something on our own and have something to plant should that day come. City Forester Bowe stated that is one thing that he has been wrestling with because he likes to be ahead of the game and he does not like contractors to dictate prices. One thing he has already done this year is he has already obtained quotes for 100 trees to lock in the price. Another thing they have been looking at are gravel beds where you put in a whip, something from Bailey's Nursery that is a bare root, stick it in a gravel bed, let it grow a couple of years, you water it and then you plant them. You can plant small gravel beds around town in the park system or at public works. Lastly, he has talked to a few nurseries about contract growing where we would enter into a contract and say these are the species that we want for the next five years from now, you grow them, and we will buy them at said price. These are all things that he is looking into. Mayor Bailey asked if we are treating the ash trees in the parks and Bowe stated that we are treating about 200 of them. Council Member Olsen stated that when you look at what we have done to try to be proactive with respect to full fee removal and treatment, we are in our fifth or sixth year now dealing with this. Where would you put us in comparison to other communities that are dealing with this issue. Are we ahead of the curve, behind the curve or right where we should be? What is your sense of things? City Forester Bowe stated that we are miles ahead. We are an example City. The Department of Agriculture has been given our report and they are sending them out as an example. He has given webinars to Colorado, Illinois, multiple cities, and contractors. He has done two different webinars explaining our management plan. We are well known. We are miles ahead of 95 percent of the communities in the metro area. In the last year, he has talked to five different cities wondering about out management plan asking us to email it to them. They can't believe we are that far ahead already. We are an example, a good example. There were no further questions of the Council. ADJOURNMENT The Council adjourned at 6:53 P.M. Prepared by, Caron M. Stransky City Clerk