HomeMy WebLinkAbout#21 Staff Report-Rain Garden MaintenanceSTAFF REPORT
DATE: July 19, 2016
REGULAR
ITEM #: 21
MOTION
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Kristina Handt, City Administrator
REVIEWED BY: Rob Weldon, Public Works Director
Cathy Bendel, Finance Director
AGENDA ITEM: Rain Garden Maintenance
BACKGROUND:
Since the City began a Rain Garden Program in 2008, there have been a total of 34 rain gardens to be
maintained privately and 6 rain gardens to be maintained by the City as follows:
• Tablyn Park.
• Demontreville Park.
• Demontreville Trail DNR Boat Launch area.
• Jane Rd.
• Legion Avenue.
• Reid Park (30th Street).
The 6 city maintained rain gardens are shown in red on the attached map
ISSUE BEFORE COUNCIL:
Should the seasonal parks workers be retained to maintain the city owned rain gardens?
PROPOSAL DETAILS/ANALYSIS:
The water work group of the Environmental Committee discussed rain gardens at their July 8, 2016
meeting. The work group discussed the concern of a resident expressed at recent Council meetings
regarding the upkeep of the rain gardens. The discussion included the possibility of organizing a group of
volunteers to weed the gardens, hiring the work out or expanding the use of the City’s seasonal parks staff
to complete this work.
The work group reported back to the committee that they would recommend the Council have the task
completed by seasonal employees. Furthermore, a member of the work group, Wendy Griffin,
volunteered to provide a brief training to staff on what to pull from the gardens.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Our seasonal employees make $10-11/hour. It is estimated to take about a week to make it through all of
the city rain gardens. This would be an additional cost of $473.66. The budget for PT employees in
Parks was $32,500 for 2016. Staff is projecting the actual to be $46,135.50 given the fact that the City
was successful in filling the rink attendant position in 2016 as well as successfully recruiting and hiring
summer help earlier in 2016 which did not occur in previous years.
OPTIONS:
1) Approve keeping seasonal parks staff on to complete rain garden maintenance
2) Approve hiring out maintenance of rain gardens
3) Approve establishing a volunteer group to maintain rain gardens
4) Do not take any action with regarding to maintaining rain gardens.
RECOMMENDATION:
Environmental Committee recommendation:
Motion to approve keeping seasonal parks staff on to complete rain garden maintenance.