Title
Accepting the Staff Report on Alternatives to Improve Stump Grubbing, Street Tree Pruning Cycles and Preparation for the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB).
Body
Preamble
A staff team of the Parks Division, including the Forestry Section, the Streets Division and other personnel were charged with exploring alternatives to improve stump grubbing, district pruning cycles and preparedness for the Emerald Ash Borer. The team met over a number of months and developed the attached report. The report includes a plan for action if and when the Emerald Ash Borer infestation reaches the City of Madison.
Forestry has responsibilities for the health of Madison's urban forest and provides planning, pruning, and planting services for over 105,000 trees. Forestry also deals with health issues of trees, the most pressing of which will be the Emerald Ash Borer, which has the potential to destroy the 20,000-30,000 ash trees currently along our streets (this estimate does not include ash trees that might be found in city parks, golf courses and on private property).
The Streets Division provides the stump grubbing (stump removal) services for the City and in 2007 removed 1,687 stumps. Because of their need to focus on additional services like refuse pick up and snow removal, stump grubbing is done when crews become available. There is currently a backlog of several hundred stumps that need removal.
Now Therefore Be It Resolved, that the Report to the Mayor and Common Council As Directed by the 2008 City of Madison Budget, Alternatives to Improve Stump Grubbing, Street Tree Pruning Cycles and Preparation for the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is hereby accepted; and,
Be It Further Resolved, that the following benchmarks and goals for the stump grubbing service and the tree pruning service are established:
1. That stumps will be removed within 180-days of tree removal. With prompt notification of tree removals and the priority of replacement, this goal could be achieved with current staff and the contracting out the work as necessary.
2. That in the event that additional resources become available for the maintenance of street trees, that an Arborist 2 and an appropriate tower truck unit be purchased to add one pruning crew to the Forestry Section.
3. That the Forestry Section and the Streets Division implement the Access Data Base for a work order system to track pruning, the removal of trees, grubbing of the stumps and replacement of the trees and that the database be included on the City's Web Page in order to provide property owners with information on the status of a particular stump.
4. That the City meet and confer with Local 60 about having Supervisors and Forestry Specialists determine the replacement tree site and species.
5. Forestry and Streets meet monthly to discuss efficiencies.
Be It Further Resolved, that City staff continue to monitor the advance of the Emerald Ash Borer infestation in accordance with the plan and develop recommendations for future budgets; and,
Be It Further Resolved that the Park Superintendent and the Street Superintendent are authorized to apply and accept available grant funding regarding the Emerald Ash Borer infestation.
Fiscal Note
Acceptance of this report would have no fiscal impact. Implementation of some of the recommendations in the report, however, would involve significant fiscal impact upon both the Capital and Operating Budgets. Enhancement of the pruning cycle, for example, could be expected to require an additional $545,000 for the Parks Division Operating Budget (mostly aborist staff) and $331,000 for the Streets Division (mostly stump grubbing staff). These costs have not been included in the 2009 Capital or Operating Budgets, and would have to be considered as part of the budget processes in future years.