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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-03-12 07-117 ORDERI? Item Na_ ' Date: March 12, 2007 07 117.. Rem/Subject Order, Authorizing the City Manager to Apply for and Accept a Project Canopy Tree Planting, Maintenance, and Manning Grant from the Maine Forest Service. Responsible Department: Public Works This Grant request will be for Tree Planting and Maintenance for $5,000 with a City match of $5,000 to hire an outside contractor W assist in pmnirg and trimming trees to improve the public safety and health of maturetrees. Inner City Improvement and Planning for up W $7,600 with a match of City Staff time plus In- kind volunteer time and labor of $10,590 for the purpose of raising awareness dour urban forestry resources and increase participation by Staff and community In forestry management activitles. Sustalnabllily and Educational Upgrades request of up to $7,000 with a City match in kind of labor and materials equal to $11,600 for the purpose of expanding and enhancing the City Nursery, the addition of new and diverse nursery stack, and opportunities far public benefit. More detailed descriptions of the Proposed project elements are attached. [s/ Dana Wandwal Department Head Manager's Comments: Transportation and Infrastructure unanimously recommends your approval. toO&J / City Manager Associatetl Infomaation: Order, Project Canopy Outline d Finance Director Passage _ First Reloading Page _ of Rfe Rerral 03/12/2007 0-7 Assigned to Councilor Cvatvick CITY OF BANGOR 07 117 (TITLE.( Order, Authorizing the City Manager to Apply for and Accept a Project Canopy Tree Marring, Maintenance, and Manning Grant from the Maine Forest Service. By ole Qty Clouml of Me Ory OfEangor., ORDERED, THAT, the qty Manager be authorized to apply to the Maine Forest Service for a Project Canopy Tree Planting and Maintenance Grant, and BE R FURTHER ORDERED, that the qty Manager be authorized to receive and disburse such funds in accordance with to grant guidelines If the City is successful in its application. IP CITY wmcm March 12 , 2006 Notiion a a0Z Seconded far ge # 0]-I1) P ed none 4Q6 T4 ©'� Sn6ds the-Cit t - f VM I& P�jme7v Yo-APQly fora ntemaE a P—rolelanningpy Tree Planting Neiv[eoavice and Planning Gimt fr® [Le ores Aeigaedro CPoueeolle�r a'.l�P�+ M07 Project Campy Narrative Planting a Maintenance Aerial Pruning and Maintenance The City of Bangor, with over 31,000 residents, is the third most populous city in Maine. Bangor is the nudeus of a metropolitan statistical area with a population of 127,124 and serves as a regional center for 46 surrounding communities. The City maintains numerous parks and public spaces for residents and visitors to our community to enjoy. The costs associated with maintaining and replacing trees has risen, as have the other costs the City bears as a service center with a significantly higher daytime than resident population. The City Forestry Department currently operates without an aerial truck capable of allowing in-house staff to prune the tops of tall, mature trees. Maintenance of our mature trees is necessary both for their health and to insure public safety since many or these specimens are located in heavily populated and traveled areas. We propose hiring an outside contractor to perform aerial pruning and trimming of mature trees. We anticipate that $5,000.00 plus our match of $5,000.00 will pay for just over three weeks of work using a third party certified contractor at $75.00/hour. Inner City areas where trees are the largest and oldest will be targeted as priorities for this work. Some example photos are included here. Proposed Budget Total Proied Costs city Grant Outside Contractor 106 hrs @ 75/hr $5000.00 $5000.00 07 117 07 t /);.r 2007 Project Canopy Narrative Inner City Improvement Proposal Inner City Improvement and Strategic Planning The City of Bangor would like to increase community awareness and involvement and perform assessment, inventory, and long term strategic planning in order to improve and sustain our urban forestry resources and management capabilities. We propose four separate tasks designed to achieve this goal. First, the Tree Board, together with the City Forester and Environmental Coordinator, will host a public strategic planning meeting to survey interested citizens, community leaders, and related non-pro0t organizations about what they would like to see Included in the strategic long-term plan. Second, the results of the public strategic planning meeting will be used to update the Urban Forest Master Plan. The plan will also be integrated with other City plans and policies and to address recent current issues. Third, we will Improve our current tree inventory in support of the Urban forest Master Plan in order to better Prioritize the areas of greatest need for forestry maintenance and planting. The inventory improvement will Involve hiring a part time forestry or arborist student for approximately 12 weeks to survey the trees in the City and document their species, condition, and Immediate needs. This additional information will be compiled in an organized and accessible fashion to be used by the Tree Board and City Forester for planning purposes. Fourth, we will involve the downtown assoclation In planting 10 new trees in an area that connects a low income residential neighborhood with the amenities and activities of nearby downtown. The City of Bangor Community Development Department has worked closely with Bangor Center Corporation to revitalize the downtown business district and to organize activities and events that draw people downtown for free outdoor concerts, arts and craft fairs, carnivals, and Parades. The Union Street area just West and North of our downtown core includes the Bangor Area Homeless Shelter, the Shaw House juvenile shelter, and a variety of other social service agencies. The 2000 U.S. Census found that 24.4% to 29% of the residents this neighborhood are below poverty level Income. (See maps attached). The Union Street arterial between Hammond and Main Streets is a highly traveled and very visible area that is barren of tree canopy. This sidewalk and street area connects a low Income residential area to downtown amenities and activities. Adding well established trees to this streetscape will benefit the quality of life both for the residents traveling those sidewalks and streets and for V.Q7. 117 b1.%, the multitude of visitors to the @y during events such as the American Folk Festival, Winter Carnival, and others held in the downtown area throughout the year. We would work with the Bangor Center Corporation to assist in planting efforts and raising awareness of the benefits of trees in the urban landscape. We are requesting $7,600 with a $12,050 City match in City staff and volunteer time. Proposed Budget: Costs City In -Kind Grant Temp Inventory Staff @ 10/hrx480 hr 00 4800 Fuel reimbursement for Inventory 250 00 Public Meeting Facilitator (outsourced) 00 300 Public Mtg Coord -City+Nonprofit 500 250 Public Meeting materials 500 Tree Board Planning Hrs (4x24hm$35) 3360 City Staff Plan Updates (2x40hrsx$75) 6000 New Partially Mature Trees 00 2000 Labor to Plant Trees City+ Nonprofit 1000 180 00 Totals 6750 3790 7600 07 0117�17 2007 Project Canopy Grant Proposal Namatae Planning and Education Sustainability & Educational Upgrades for the Grandview Nursery One of the most valuable assets sustaining Bangor's community forestry efforts is our City nurseries. Our 1 acre Grandview nursery and our ye acre public works yard nursery provide our forestry crew with well established, healthy, and cost effective trees far use in our public spaces Including parks and rights-of-way. Our nurseries were created through the foresight of our long-time City Forester and have been in existence since _? These facilities allow our forestry crew to grow hundreds of nursery stock from seedlings. Growing nursery stock and having an area available to temporarily hold surplus stack is one of the most cost effective and efficient means to provide planting materials to meet the needs of the CiWs capital projects as well as for our annual program of replacingdamaged or diseased trees as required throughout the City. The City's Grandview Nursery needs to be expanded and improved, Including its aging irrigation system, security, and planting beds. Additionally, new approaches to stormwater management rely heavily on using trees and shrubs for natural treatment and pollution prevention. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection recommends using trees and shrubs to create aesthetically pleasing buffer areas, pollution prevention filtration systems, and to increase rainwater absorption to decrease the amount of contaminated stormwater that is diverted to streams and rivers. These approaches and regulations and the planned stormwater projear designed to address Bangor's five urban Impaired watersheds will increase our need to provide planting stock substantially above what has been traditionally required in the past. The proposed Grandview Nursery improvements will ensure that the nursery is sustained in perpetuity and will expand its usefulness both by providing and supporting a larger volume of stock and by including educational opportunities that will benefit the public. New signs and walkways will enable the City Forester to increase awareness of the benefits of trees and forests by making the nursery available and accessible to school groups, trail groups, garden clubs, master gardeners, and others. It will be used as a demonstration plot for trees in various stages of growth, for various types and varieties best used in pollution prevention and filtration systems, and to demonstrate those hardy varieties available for use In urban landscapes. p7 117 t)v � yvA We are requesting $7,000.00 for materials to expand the planting bed area. This would be matched with $11,700 in City labor and materials to improve the irrigation system, expand the planting beds, and add signage for the demonstration areas. Proposed budget: Planning bed for 1 acre expanded nursery area: Course Sand (400 cu yds) 4000 00 Hauling of sand (40 trk Ids) 1600 00 Pea Stone(400 cu yds) 00 4000.00 Hauling of pea stone (40 trks)1600 00 Peat Moss (100 cu yds) 00 2000.00 Delivery of Peat Moss 400 00 Wood Chips (400 cu yds) 2000 00 Irrigation Materials 00 1000.00 Irrigation labor Soo 00 Fencing Materials Soo 00 Fencing Labor Soo 00 Signs for demonstrations Soo 00 Total Project Cost 11,600 7,000.00 x Pic ofGmivim Nursery Hae