Open Space Advisory Board Agenda and Packet 2014 08 13

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Open Space Advisory Board th July 9, 2014 7) Ember has a draft of the open space memorial bench plan. OSAB will add it as a discussion item in the August meeting. 8) The Warembourg stock pond is being refilled.Algae needs to be removed. 9) The neighborhoods around the Bullhead Gulch Open Space parcel are concerned about weed management which is currently under the control of the development group. Staff members are working on a punch list of management issues to make sure the development group stays on top of things. 10) This is the last week that open space staff will be working with Youth Corps. They built a floating wetland for the Warembourg fishing pond, and they are working on prairie dog fencing and trenching at Warembourg. Next week Youth Corps will begin working with Parks. 11) Meredyth passed out a memo of the city councils draft goals that were set at the recent council retreat. They are intended to be guiding principles for spending priorities. Jeff says council had a discussion of parks maintenance funds coming out of the Conservation Trust-Land Acquisition Fund. The council wants to find the right balance between parks and open space allocations, though it was unanimously agreed that parks spending from the fund is legally justified. Improved transparency/accounting for the fund was discussed. Maintaining a minimum fund balance was also discussed. Jeff was of the opinion that if an open space property came available and the trust funds balance was inadequate, the general fund would step in to make up the difference with a grant or a loan to the fund. Council also discussed the new services building and where the funding should have come from. The council decided that based on square footage use, office space and other factors and decided that while open space and parks user about 33%, they would continue with the original plan to have all four fund sources pay equal 25% shares - the Conservation Trust-Land Acquisition Fund the utilities fund, the public works fund, and the general fund. Jeff reports that the city revenue projections for next year are looking good (especially sales tax revenues). Jeff reports that the council values open space and parks, and considers them both a very high priority. 12) Catherine reports that she helped the Youth Corps make a floating wetland for Warembourg and planted aquatic plants in the pond to cut down on the algae problem. 13) June 18th Catherine taught an owl program at Rec. Center20 people attended. 14) June 26thKeep it Clean Partnership presented a wetlands program at Lake Park11 people attended. 15) July 9thCatherine taught a wildlife tracks casting program for kids at the Library 40 people attended. 16) July 31stStaff will do a presentation to the kids of the summer day camp at the rec. center. 17) July 19thThere will be a Weed Whackers event at CTC. 18) Aug 2ndThere will be a Keep it Clean stream clean up event, location TBA. 19) Jeff asked if mowing would happen at the North Open space. Ember responded that it is planned. 20) Ember reported that there is a city-wide webpage redesign underway. She suggested that OSAB may want to review what content wedlike to see on the city open space pages. Helen will propose a subcommittee later this summer after the redesign. VI. Board Updates- Missy had comments on Helens second draft document for the council session study session. They emailed them to Ember.Ember will forward the information to Helen for final revisions and then have the document ready for the entire OSAB for the next meeting.