08-20-2012 CCM - Laserfiche WebLink

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City Council Minutes August 20, 2012 Page 4 8.2 Orono Median Plan Mr. Barnhart presented the staff report. He stated staff is recommending Option 2 as • outlined in the staff report, as it would best address the goal of beautification as well as cover the concerns of visibility, cost, and maintenance. Mr. Motin asked if they chose Option 2, would they be limiting themselves should the city choose to add additional landscaping in the future. Mr. Barnhart stated they could always add additional landscaping items, such as trees, mulch, and rock, at a future time. Councilmember Westgaard questioned if the beautification goal would indeed be achieved with choosing Option 2, noting the city only has very few areas in which to increase beautification. He felt by leaving the prairie grass and adding very little to the parkway was a very minimal step towards achieving this goal. Mr. Barnhart stated he was trying to balance the challenge of a minimal budget while working towards the goal of beautification and was limited with the use prairie grasses. Councilmember Gumphrey felt at this time that Option 2 was the best for now but would like to see future budgeting for additional landscaping to the Orono Parkway medians. Mayor Dietz felt the original goal was to entirely remove the prairie grass from Orono Parkway. He stated he is not in favor of any kind of irrigation. He felt community volunteers could water the trees until they become established, and send out a parks employee once a • month to spray the area for weeds. He asked what the cost would be for trees and rock mulch, and entirely eliminating the prairie grass. Mr. Barnhart stated he would provide Council at a future meeting the costs of removing the prairie grass, and installing trees and rock mulch. He was concerned, however, with the prairie grasses continuing to grow underneath the rock mulch. Mayor Dietz asked why they couldn't use a landscape fabric underneath the rock mulch to prevent the prairie grasses from growing. Mr. Barnhart had concerns with using landscape fabric, noting that some landscaping companies don't often use the fabric as dirt accumulates on top of the fabric, allowing weeds to grow. He stated a good maintenance program would have to be put in place to allow for regular weed spraying. Mayor Dietz directed staff to come back with cost estimates for rock mulch and trees from curb to curb. Mr. Simon stated the funding could come from either Council Contingency or the Street Improvement Reserve fund. MOVED BY COUNCILMEMBER MOTIN AND SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER GUMPHREY TO AUTHORIZE STAFF TO REQUEST QUOTES TO IMPROVE ORONO PARKWAY CONSISTENT WITH OPTION 2 AS OUTLINED IN THE STAFF REPORT. MOTION CARRIED 5 -0. •