Fiscal Note
No appropriation required. Staffing of the task force will be addressed with existing resources.
Title
SUBSTITUTE - Creating a Task Force to review, analyze and provide recommendations regarding the City’s Integrated Pest Management Policy.
Body
WHEREAS, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an ecosystem- based strategy that focuses on long-term prevention or suppression of pest populations using a combination of appropriate tactics that minimize the impact of control activities on human health and the health of other, non-target organisms; and,
WHEREAS, the City of Madison first adopted an IPM policy in 1995 and revised it most recently in 2004 (See Attachment of current policy); and,
WHEREAS, the city’s Pest Management Advisory Subcommittee assisted Public Health staff with the evaluation of plans and pesticide use reports from 2004 until 2013 when it was disbanded (See Attachment - letter provided by John Hausbeck); and,
WHEREAS, the policy has been implemented by various City departments that have been required to submit annual plans and use reports to the Department of Public Health for review but such reports have not always been filed regularly); and,
WHEREAS, within the memo disbanding the Pest Management Advisory Subcommittee there was frustration expressed from members of that group related to implementation authority on developed recommendations:
“If [an agency’s oversight] body does not support change in the agencies practice based on recommendations of the subcommittee, neither PHMDC nor the subcommittee have authority to pursue further action to ensure compliance.”; and,
WHEREAS, in 2014 the City of Madison created a Pollinator Protection Task Force with goals of reviewing current department practices that affect pollinator habitat and health ; developing recommendations for departments to improve the habitat for pollinators on City-owned land; and providing guidance for a long-term strategy to departments to promote pollinator health; and,
WHEREAS, the Pollinator Protection Task Force provided a Report to the Common Council containing recommendations to reach those goals that was adopted by the Common Council in 2015; and,
WHEREAS, the first Recommendation in the report is to adopt and implement policies that promote pollinator health and habitat; and,
WHEREAS, the first action suggested to achieve this recommendation is to “adopt a City ordinance banning the use of neonicotinoid pesticides (“neonicotinoids”) on all City-owned land and property”; and,
WHEREAS, the Madison Food Policy Council has been overseeing the implementation of the report’s recommendations through its Pollinator Protection Work Group since 2016, and has recognized the need to address the issue of the City’s use of pesticides more broadly, and the need to establish clear lines of responsibility and accountability for oversight and reporting; and,
WHEREAS, the Madison Food Policy Council has also become aware of resident concerns for public health and the environment potentially caused by the use of pesticides, e.g. glyphosate and neonicotinoids on public property,
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Mayor and Common Council shall convene a Task Force that will be comprised of the following department/division heads or their representatives and other members as specified. The Task Force will be staffed by the Food Policy Coordinator Director and Sustainable Madison Committee Staff and chaired by members of the Madison Food Policy Council and/or Board of Public Health and:
• Madison Food Policy Council (2 representatives)
• Public Health Madison & Dane County and/or Board of Health (2 representatives)
• City of Madison Water Utility (1 representative)
• Parks Division (1 representative)
• Engineering Department (1 representative)
• Committee on the Environment (1 representative)
• Sustainable Madison Committee (1 representative)
• Integrated Pest Management and/or Ecology expert(s) (2); and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Task Force shall conduct and complete the following actions/duties:
• Review available research on current IPM best practices
• Solicit input from regional IPM experts
• Review current city department pesticide usage
• Develop recommendations for revisions to the current IPM policy, and recommendations for City pesticide usage
• Solicit input on City policy recommendations from the community
• Develop best practices on pesticide use for city residents; and,
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the Task Force complete its review within 6 months of its initial meeting, and make final recommendations to the Mayor and Common Council on or before December 31, 2018.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the following representatives will participate on the Task Force and shall include agency heads or their designees, committee chairs or their designees and experts chosen by Public Health Madison & Dane County:
• Madison Food Policy Council (2 representatives)
• Board of Health Madison & Dane County (1 representative)
• Public Health Madison & Dane County (1 representative)
• City of Madison Water Utility (1 representative)
• Parks Division (1 representative)
• Engineering Department (1 representative)
• Committee on the Environment (1 representative)
• Sustainable Madison Committee (1 representative)
• Integrated Pest Management and/or Ecology expert(s) (2); and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that at least two representative to the Task Force or staff will have completed the City of Madison’s Racial Equity and Social Justice Training; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Task Force shall conduct and complete the following actions/duties:
o Review available research on current IPM best practices
o Solicit input from IPM experts
o Review current city department pesticide usage
o Develop recommendations for revisions to the current IPM policy, and recommendations for City pesticide usage
o Solicit input on City policy recommendations from the community
o Develop best practices on pesticide use for city residents,
o Develop recommendations for administrative support structure(s) for policy implementation and reporting; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the Task Force complete its review and make final recommendations to the Mayor and Common Council on or before February 28, 2019.