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L <br />City <br />Louisville <br />COLORADO - SINCE 1878 <br />CITY COUNCIL COMMUNICATION <br />AGENDA ITEM 1 <br />SUBJECT: <br />DISCUSSION/DIRECTION — INTEGRATED WEED <br />MANAGEMENT PLAN/HERBICIDE USE <br />DATE: FEBRUARY 25, 2020 <br />PRESENTED BY: NATHAN MOSLEY, PARKS, RECREATION & OPEN SPACE <br />DIRECTOR <br />EMBER BRIGNULL, OPEN SPACE SUPERINTENDENT <br />DEAN JOHNSON, PARKS SUPERINTENDENT <br />SUMMARY: <br />Primary Objective <br />Staff requests direction from City Council regarding proposed updates to the Integrated <br />Weed Management Plan (IWMP). Additionally staff requests direction from City Council <br />on operational alternatives highlighted in this memo. Council direction will allow staff to <br />further explore preferred approaches and bring additional information for Council <br />consideration and final policy direction in the near future. This approach will ensure that <br />there is alignment between future operations and City Council policy direction. <br />History <br />The use of herbicide within communities has come under additional scrutiny based on a <br />growing number of lawsuits related to herbicide exposure, recent lawsuit verdicts, and <br />large amounts of data that are informing resident concerns about the use of herbicides <br />in their community. <br />In the spring, staff often receives communications from concerned residents about the <br />use of herbicides in the City. Staff works to address those concerns by implementing <br />best management practices around vegetation management activities, such as posting <br />signage and offering e-notifications which exceeds the notification requirements of the <br />Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA). In addition, staff follows specific application <br />guidelines for each individual herbicide applied. Staff also receives resident contacts <br />asking to increase the amount of weed control within the City. <br />Balancing conflicting requests from the community is challenging. Thus staff requests <br />City Council review current operations and potential options for herbicide use to ensure <br />staff and City Council are in alignment related to the use of herbicides on public <br />properties. <br />Staff and City citizen advisory boards, Parks and Public Landscaping Advisory Board <br />(PPLAB) and the Open Space Advisory Board (OSAB), have reviewed City operations <br />generally on an annual basis to provide feedback to staff on day to day operations <br />related to herbicide use. Here are some highlights regarding herbicide use in Louisville: <br />CITY COUNCIL COMMUNICATION <br />