1 Spring 2023 Community Update Newsletter

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L Residents continually cite the City of Louisville parks system as one of the most cherished assets of the city. The City is excited to implement standards that will provide consistent levels of service and expectations throughout the park system. Louisville Receives Official Bee City USA® Designation Did you hear the latest buzz? In January, Louisville was officially designated as a Bee City USA® affiliate, a pollinator -friendly designation intended to improve local conditions for necessary beneficial insects. Louisville is the third city in Colorado to receive this designation. The Bee City USA° certification is both an honor and a responsibility. The program endorses a set of commitments for creating sustainable habitats for pollinators by increasing the abundance of native plants, providing nest sites, and reducing the use of pesticides. City staff and community members work together to carry out these commitments and make the city a better place for all pollinators, including bees, butterflies, moths, and other insects. The City of Louisville has demonstrated its commitment to protecting pollinators and their natural habitats with initiatives such as reducing herbicides by following a comprehensive Integrated Weed Management Plan, planting pocket prairies with pollinator -friendly plantings, partnering with Resource Central for programs such as Garden In A Box, and increasing the abundance of native plants on public lands. As an official Bee City USA® affiliate, the City will continue creating sustainable habitats for pollinators and educating residents about bees' critical role in our ecosystem. For more information about Bee City USA®, visit beecityusa.org. Open Space Staff Successfully Relocates Prairie Dogs In the fall of 2022, the Open Space Division collaborated with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to successfully relocate some prairie dogs to a receiving site in Pueblo, CO. Prairie dog relocation is the most humane method to reduce prairie dog over -population and expansion onto adjacent lands. This relocation helped support the U.S. Army and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's efforts to reintroduce the endangered Black -Footed Ferret population in prairie ecosystems. This was the first year the City of Louisville could participate in prairie dog relocation due to the very limited availability of suitable receiving locations. Staff is excited to continue this partnership, and City Council has approved funding for additional relocation efforts in 2023. Median Landscape Renovation Project The City of Louisville has begun the process of renovating the medians in the city. The project is focused on turfgrass reduction, sustainable plant materials, removal of Ash trees, and an overall improved aesthetic. The project is broken into phases and phase one includes medians that were impacted by the fire (McCaslin north to Alder, Via Appia east to Tyler, and Dillon -St Andrews and Dillon and 88th). The consultant, Design Concepts, is finalizing the designs with the target to push the plans out for bid late first quarter of 2023. COAL CREEK GOLF COURSE Golf season is here! Coal Creek Golf Course is excited for another great year out on the course and welcomes all levels of golfers to join us. If you are a new golfer, we invite you to sign up for Operation36 Learn to Play Golf Academy, the beginner golf league, or a private golf lesson. For our junior golfers we offer weekly PGA Jr. summer camps, Operation36 Learn to Play Golf Academy, Drive, Chip, and Putt classes, and PGA Jr. League. We also offer many different golf leagues for men, women, seniors, and couples. And don't forget, we offer season passes so you can play more golf for less money. To book a tee time, purchase a pass, or sign up for a program, visit CoalCreekGolf.com. Sustainability at Coal Creek Golf Course Coal Creek Golf Course is excited to announce that it is using more environmentally friendly mowing equipment. Golf Course Superintendent David Dean is replacing four gas -powered greensmowers and two diesel -powered fairway mowers with new TORO hybrid mowers. The hybrid mowers are quieter, will reduce fuel consumption by 20-60%, improve operating costs, and eliminate chances for hydraulic leaks on the turf. Additionally, the mower dedicated to mowing collars around the greens is being replaced with a 100% electric e1021 walk mower. This mower will use no gas or oil and is extremely quiet and efficient. In 2022, the golf course began experimenting with electric maintenance equipment by installing an automated robotic mower on the driving range. These new pieces of equipment are game changers for both environmental impact and staffing challenges. David Dean is known for his innovation and was recently awarded the "Turfgrass Professional of the Year" award by the Rocky Mountain Regional Turfgrass Association (RMRTA). Spring 2023 • Page 7