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<br /> <br /> STAFF REPORT <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />TO: Mayor Fischer and Members of City Council <br /> <br />FROM: Laura Linehan, Community Relations Manager <br />Bill Dircks, Public Works Director <br /> <br />DATE: March 13, 2024 <br /> <br />RE: Adoption solutions program (Adopt-a-Facility) <br />ACTION TO BE CONSIDERED: <br />This is an update and discussion item only; no action is required. <br /> <br />BACKGROUND: <br />Several years ago, Parks and Recreation and Public Works Department staff partnered with <br />Bolton & Menk, the city’s engineering firm, to build an “adoption solution” program to <br />encourage public volunteerism. When discussing which facilities would benefit from volunteer <br />maintenance, parks, hydrants, and catch basins were selected specifically for several reasons: <br /> <br />Parks <br />With 27 parks and trail segments, the staff time spent cleaning these areas every month is <br />significant without additional resources. The anticipated time commitment for those who <br />volunteer to adopt a park or trail segment is approximately one hour per month. Volunteers are <br />also asked to report vandalism, graffiti, or damaged equipment to city staff. <br /> <br />Hydrants <br />Clearing snow from hydrants in the winter and keeping them free of long grass, tree limbs, and <br />plants in the summer can save critical minutes in an emergency. Currently, the city has over 525 <br />hydrants. Soliciting volunteers to assist in maintaining access to area hydrants benefits entire <br />neighborhoods. <br /> <br />Catch basins <br />Catch basins flow directly to local lakes, rivers, and wetlands, acting as conduits for trash and <br />organic pollutants. With over 1,078 catch basins in Little Canada (24 already adopted through <br />the Adopt-a-drain program), engaging individuals to clear catch basins of leaves, trash, and other <br />debris twice a month could prevent larger-area stormwater issues such as localized flooding and <br />washouts. Public Works staff clears catch basins following rain events and it is not unusual for it <br />to result in over two truckloads of material cleared. <br /> <br />Once the facilities were selected, staff worked extensively with Bolton & Menk geographic <br />information system (GIS) team members to develop a platform housed in ArcGIS, the city’s GIS <br />system. Other departmental and city priorities shifted the focus from the program's public