Parks and Public Landscaping Advisory Board Agenda and Packet 2019 06 06

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A. Cynthia Corne, 438 Jefferson Ave, citizen: Thank you for Park Naming; please consider Fred Tessone, a successful football coach and part of Louisville History, as a Park Sign name. Please consider sustainability in the parks strategic plan. Herbicide/Pesticide/glyphosate: Strongly against glyphosate. Suggests a sub- committee to put forward a research budget for a statistically valid survey of the citizens to gauge public sentiment around xeriscape landscaping, pesticides, risk management. Please consider impact of pesticides on drinking water, review active lawsuits around glyphosate use, and please consider an immediate reduction in glyphosate use. Community weed pulling can be a good way to engage the community in non -herbicide use. B. Tom Walker, 854 Trail Ridge Drive, citizen, chemist: Please consider risk management and on -going law suits against companies using glyphosate and dicamba, which aerosolizes very easily and is water soluble. Journal of Toxicology published study: dicamba is found all over the world and contamination is very prevalent. Please form a subcommittee to do a deep dive into this issue. Dean: Parks department has gone away from using dicamba. 2,4 D is used on turf. C. Hadden Mierzejewski 147 West Elm, citizen: What can the Board do help/encourage the public with the problems that herbicides are causing in our Parks? D. Ashley Stolzmann, City Council Member: Has received many comments from constituents who are concerned about herbicides. This is not a quick -fix issue; please consider thoughtful debate into the Parks look and feel along with non -toxic weed control. E. Sara Avery, 1329 Agape Way, Lafayette, non -citizen: User of Community Park Dog Park. Concerned about herbicide spraying in the dog park. Foxtail (weed) is toxic to dogs; goat heads (weed) can make a dog park unusable. A citizen effort may not be sufficient (pulling weeds, pruning, etc). We need a non -toxic solution. 7. Noxious Weed Pilot Project Discussion A. PPLAB to consider an "adopt a park" resident program for non -toxic weed control and general beautification of select parks. B. Citizen groups to adopt parks will be selected via an application process. C. Elephant Park and other park locations were discussed and considered as a place to start. Parks Dept. would stop spraying herbicides at the Elephant Park and the citizen groups would take on the non -toxic weed control efforts. Before and after photos would document the process. D. Board Discussion ensued, PPLAB to discuss parameters and rules for engagement. Community outreach and education will be a key component to advertise the program and prepare citizens for how the parks will look under the pilot program. E. PPLAB decided unanimously to support the pilot program for Elephant Park. Decision was made to stop spraying herbicides at Elephant Park immediately. 3