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<br /> Memorandum <br />To: City Council <br /> <br />From: Justin Femrite & Tim Sevcik <br /> <br />Date: May 27, 2022 <br /> <br />Subject: Update on Youth Athletic Field Conditions <br /> <br />YAC fields 4-6 are currently closed due to severe turf dieback. Staff is still looking into determining <br />the cause the turf damage which is likely the result of one of three scenarios: 1) Improper mixing of <br />herbicides used in treatment of crabgrass, dandelions and clover; 2) a combination of turf related <br />disease and stress from herbicide treatment; or 3) a batch of chemical that was improperly <br />manufactured. <br />Public works has been conducting herbicide treatments on athletic fields for 12-years. All herbicide <br />applications are conducted by Minnesota Department of Agriculture licensed pesticide applicators of <br />which we have 3 on staff. The chemicals used in this treatment have been utilized for at least 6- <br />years and are standard commercial grade herbicides utilized for treatment of athletic fields. Staff has <br />never previously had an issue utilizing these, or any other herbicide treatments thus making us feel <br />like scenario 1 is unlikely (but not off our list of possibilities). <br />Staff has had the fields inspected by a turf specialist from Reinders who found signs of an <br />unspecified turf disease present however based on the patterns of dieback it is not believed scenario <br />2 is the likely culprit. Samples of the turf, soil and herbicide from the containers used in treating the <br />fields were collected by Nutrien Ag Solutions this week and sent off for laboratory analysis to see if <br />a chemical related cause can be determined. <br />Additionally, staff reviewed GPS data from the tractor that conducted the herbicide applications on <br />the fields and inspected containers of chemical to determine if a mixing error had occurred. Based <br />on GPS data, we are able to determine the sequence of spraying of fields at OKAC and <br />YAC. OKAC fields 1-2 and the infield of YAC 5 along with 3 passes along the warning track of <br />field 5 were treated with the first tank of herbicide spray. The remainder of field 5, all of fields 6 <br />and 4, and one pass along the warning track of fields 2-3 were applied with the second tank