Agenda - Council - 08/24/2010 - Laserfiche WebLink

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POLICY BOARD BUSINESS Case #1: EAB Management Plan Environmental Coordinator Anderson began by presenting a power point presentation regarding Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) and then presented the staff report. Discussion ensued about Emerald Ash Borer and how communities in general are approaching this concern. Board Member Enstrom stated that he reviewed the draft EAB Management Plan and stated that he was very concerned about the fact that the plan addressed private property and required removal of trees on private property. Environmental Coordinator Anderson stated that he was looking for any and all thoughts and comments regarding the proposed plan and he hoped the Board would look closely at the Applicability section of the plan. Board Member Freeburg asked what the consequence of doing nothing would be. Environmental Coordinator Anderson stated that doing nothing may save some money in the short term but in the long run, it would be more costly to the city because ash trees inevitably will die once EAB is in Ramsey. The purpose behind preparing for the inevitable and having a plan in place would be to spread the cost of dealing with EAB over multiple budget cycles. Chairperson Max stated that he thought maybe this should just be applicable to public lands to being with and that it may be good to send the draft plan to adjacent communities to get the feedback on it. Board Member Enstrom left the meeting at about 8:30pm. Board Member Bentz stated that he liked the plan and he didn't see how it required private property owners to do anything. When he reads the plan, he sees it encouraging property owners to monitor for EAB and replace lost trees but nowhere does he see it state that property owners must remove trees. Environmental Coordinator Anderson asked the Board to review the plan again prior to the August meeting and it will be revisited at that time. BOARD/STAFF INPUT Environmental Coordinator Anderson stated that the Board had requested a joint meeting with the Parks and Recreation Commission at their August 12 meeting. Without a specific topic to discuss, it didn't seem prudent to hold a joint meeting. The Board inquired about discussing the EAB Management Plan with the Commission. Environmental Policy Board / July 12, 2010 Page 2of3