Council reviews $500,000 trail grant plan; 538 trees budgeted, maintenance concerns raised

City staff reviewed the spending plan for a $500,000 trail grant and described a plan to use grant funds on segments along Baby Creek Road and Second Bridal Road after the originally proposed Leisure Creek property failed to qualify.

Staff told council the grant package includes $124,000 earmarked for trail base material, an estimate of 4,000 tons of sand at $13.50 per ton and related site-preparation costs. The staff presentation said stockpiling and an exchange agreement with a landowner would reduce the city’s cash outlay; staff described a “gravel-sand exchange” that would effectively pay the landowner about $4.20 per ton while commercial silica sand costs were cited at $27.50 per ton.

The council packet shows a tree-planting line item: 538 trees at an assumed $600 each, leaving roughly $323,000 in the grant for that purpose under the current budget scenario. Council members asked for clarification on the maintenance burden and long-term watering costs. One council member said, “I do have concern about the long term maintenance and cost of trees that might die, how much time it's gonna take our city employees to to, replace trees,” and staff replied that first-year watering and some labor would be required and that adjustments to the budget could be made if bids came in higher.

Why this matters: the grant will fund multi-year trail construction and significant landscaping; tree-planting commitments create ongoing maintenance obligations the city must budget for if it accepts the proposal.

Decisions and next steps Staff reported that pit prep had begun and equipment was moving material to city stockpiles. Staff said work would pause for winter and resume in spring. Council did not vote to change the grant allocation at the meeting; staff said they plan to meet with departments and refine capital-plan presentation to the council in coming weeks.

Unresolved issues and council concerns Council members asked how many trees will be planted on each road and who would maintain them; staff said trees planted along Bailey Creek and Second Bridal Road would be the city’s responsibility to maintain. Council members asked staff to return with clarified numbers, irrigation plans and likely staff hours or contracted maintenance costs before final commitments are made.

Provenance: detailed discussion of the trail grant, sand/gravel exchange and tree budget took place during the “Project updates” section of the meeting.