6.4. SR 05-05-2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

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REQUEST FOR ACTION To Item Number City Council 6.4. Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by Public Works Ma 5, 2008 Terry Maurer, Public Works Director Item Description Reviewed by City Tree Planting Program Loriohnson, City Administrator Reviewed by Phil Hals, Street Su erintendent Action Requested The City Council is requested to give comment and/or direction as to how staff should proceed with re -instituting a city tree planning program. Background/Discussion As requested by the City Council, City staff has met several times to discuss te-instituting a City- wide tree planting program. There ate two parts to this program that we have been discussing. The first part is a City -sponsored citizen tree planting program, and the second part is a City tree planting program within public rights-of-way. A. City -sponsored Citizen Tree Program Starting in the 1980's the City has had a tree replacement/planting program. It started as the Dutch Elm Disease Control Program and in 1992 was renamed the Shade Tree Program. This program encompassed both the citizen -purchased trees and the City -planted trees. Attached are budget sheets from 1993 — 2002 that will show the scale of the program. This program was eliminated in 2003, due to budget cuts. In past programs, the City has always utilized bare toot trees to keep the cost down. Also, the City always had a small subsidy in the cost of the trees. Generally, it was from $5-$10 per tree, but in some years the City actually offered a buy one -get one free program, with some restrictions on where the trees could be planted to get the maximum aesthetic visual affect from the public rights-of-way. To run a successful bare root citizen tree program, there is a limited window in the spring when the trees must be planted. Therefore, tree ordering needs to begin in the late winter/early spring months. The City newsletter and web site would be used to announce the program. Orders are taken during the winter and early spring months, and the City staff coordinates the purchase of the total number of trees. They are delivered to the City Street facility, and pickup is coordinated with the public over a relatively short period of time. For these reasons, a successful citizen program could not be instituted until spring 2009. Attached for the Council's review are tree order forms from 1997 and 1998. In both of these years, the price of the tree was subsidized by the City. Also attached is the tree sale announcement from 1996 where a selected neighborhood was allowed to