Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 06/09/2005 - Joint with CC

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Seasonal Maintenance Continued * Litter/Trash Pickup Litter pick up is a wee 'kly, and sometimes a bi-weekly occurrence at all of the park and trail system trash containers. During this process, the vicinity is examined for any loose garbage and other items needing attention. Trails are sometimes driven in maintenance vehicles to access different sites however; each foot of trail is not necessarily covered every week. Rather, department management monitors public use, special circumstances and other factors to determine the frequency of non-point litter patrols. Due to all activity relating to public space management, seldom is any trail secfiou not viexved in any given week betxveen May and October. Spring and Summer Maintenance: As the season turns xvarmer, days lengthen, and schools recess for the year, the public use of trails increase. This period corresponds with the shift from winter clean up mentioned above to the summer mode which includes mowing and increased litter pick up. · Litter/%:ash Pickup · Planting and Landscaping Thc city usually has a number of park phnting projects during April and May, often with volunteers. These can and do occur in trail corridors. The projects and the short term maintenance is highly variable, but is mentioned here to acknowledge it as a common activity. · Vegetation Management ~[~ e ca tegory of vegetation management includes a number of similar activities,'the most common of which is trailside mowing of turf, which will be discussed first. There are essentially three categories of turf mowing. The most corm-non is an approximate 4 to 6 times per year interval, mowing up one side of the trail, then back, at a two, to six foot wide swath to keep the tall grass from encroaching on the trail. This is to provide for the full xvidth of pavement use, minimize standing water (through sunlight and air movement), and for aesthetic purposes. The above is generally done with a 72" inch deck mower. The only exception is in the case of the boardwalks, wherein a push mower or string trimmer is used. The next category is trailside turf that is m~wed £egularly as part the adjoining park space. Irrigated park turf may be moxved as often as 20 to 25 times per year. Other park turf as infrequent as 10 intervals.