Stevenson, Garrett
Subject:
Attachments:
FW: Council Municipal Services Committee Meeting 5/24/2022; Agenda Item 1. Public Works FY 2023 Operating Budget
Project Request FINAL Council City Manager LVAA PBF.pdf From: Nina Chomsky < >
Sent: Monday, May 23, 2022 12:56 PM
To: Stevenson, Garrett <[email protected]>
Subject: Council Municipal Services Committee Meeting 5/24/2022; Agenda Item 1. Public Works FY 2023 Operating Budget
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Please distribute to the Committee members and post - Thank you.
Linda Vista-Annandale Association
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena Council Municipal Services Committee
Re: Committee Meeting 5/24/2022; Agenda Item 1., Public Works FY 2023 Operating Budget Chair Wilson and Committee Members,
Previously, the Linda Vista Annandale Association (LVAA) and Pasadena Beautiful Foundation submitted a joint proposal to the Council regarding public watering of public street trees. A copy of our joint letter is attached.
In connection with the Council meeting of May 2, 2022, our joint proposal was referred to the May 24, 2022, meeting of the Municipal Services Committee. Both of our organizations respectfully request that you include our project proposal, as a Budget Enhancement or otherwise, in the Public Works Department FY 2023 Operating Budget. 1 Such a major new Public Works Urban Forestry program probably should begin with detailed design and implementation planning. A good first step might be for the City to hire a qualified consultant to provide such planning. For example, different Street Tree species will require different watering approaches and schedules, and, it will be necessary to connect this new program with the role of the Urban Forestry Advisory Committee (UFAC) in determining approved species through the Master Street Tree Plan in order to transition over time to the best species that provide shade and other amenities while using appropriate amounts of water in this period of climate change and drought. Also, a review of "best practices" followed by other local jurisdictions seems very appropriate.
I and probably others will speak at the meeting during public comment, and be available to answer questions.
Thank you for considering our proposal.
Linda Vista-Annandale Association
By: Nina Chomsky, LVAA President
2 Pasadena Beautiful Foundation
Linda Vista-Annandale Association
7A4? SO, 2022
Re: Council Meeting 5/2/2022; Agenda Item 6; Public Hearing Re FY 2023 Operating Budget - Public Works Department FY 2023 Operating Budget Request Mayor Gordo, Councilmembers, and Interim City Manager Kurtz, Pasadena Beautiful Foundation *PBF) and the Linda Vista-Annandale Association (LVAA) are joining together at this crucial point in the City's Budget considerations to call your attention to and seek your assistance with an important Urban Forestry issue - the long-term health and survival of the Pasadena's street trees.
Pasadena is widely known and admired for many unique and distinctive characteristics, including one in particular: our Urban Forest composed of thousands of public and private trees. Our City's streets and neighborhoods are filled with thousands of street trees which provide beauty and shade, and also advance our City's environmental goals and values. Pasadena's public Urban Forest is essential to the character of the City and our quality of life.
However, the health and survival of Pasadena's street trees, often threatened by pests or encroaching development, are now bigger issues than ever.
How? New "baby" street trees in Pasadena are watered regularly by the City for only three years after planting- Then, the City "transfers" the obligation to water the City's street trees to adjacent residential and commercial property owners. Are property owners aware of this obligation? Typically, no. After three years, Pasadena's street trees usually are on their own. And, then there are corner property owners who bear responsibility for street trees on two public streets.
As water becomes scarce, and water rates significantly increase, the impacts of property owners (and tenants) continuing to ignore their responsibility to water adjacent mature street trees is becoming more significant and observable. Perhaps, this transfer of responsibility was not that important before the current long-term drought and the impacts of climate change when the "rainy season" actually provided significant rain and enabled our street trees to survive hot periods. This situation is not true anymore, and Pasadena's mature street trees are in notable decline, particularly along certain valued
corridors such as Green Street. Lack of adequate watering leads over time to poor street tree growth and development and leads to significant tree health and sun/ival issues. For example, from 2018-2020, more than half of all street tree removals were identified as due to drought or "multiple causes" including drought.
What is the answer?
PBF, LVAA and others in the community think that the best answer is for the City to assume responsibility for watering the City's street trees. The City should design, with the help of consultants as needed, and implement, a City-wide permanent program to water Pasadena's street trees Program design probably should include careful consideration of required amounts and timing of watering considering Pasadena's numerous street tree species, and review of "best practices." Implementation probably should include acquiring necessary additional equipment and assigning necessary Public Works or other staff to this very important public responsibility. An advisory mechanism already exists for this new program: the Urban Forestry Advisory Committee (UFAC).
We urge the City to include consideration of this needed new program in the current Operating (and/or CIP) Budget and start phase one; program planning and design.
Thank you for considering our concerns and comments, and our project proposal.
Sincerely,
^UvCCLt
Nina Chomsky, LVAA Presider
ec: LVAA Board of Directors
irad Hanson, PBF President
ec: PBF Board of Directors
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