Carbondale environmental board approves up to $1,500 for Bee Friendly signage, plants and online resources

The Carbondale Environmental Board voted to approve up to $1,500 from its remaining 2025 environmental-board budget to support Bee Friendly’s signage, online resources and pre‑ordered plants.

The request, presented by Bee Friendly coordinator Hannah Hunt Wander during the board’s Oct. 20 meeting, asked for roughly $1,200–$1,500 to cover sign design and installation for pollinator gardens, renewal of online resources, and about $200 for preordered plants for Sopris Park. The board discussed that Bee Friendly already has an allocated $2,000 line item for 2025 and that $1,700 appeared to be left in the e‑board account. The motion approved the additional allocation and included a direction to staff to confirm current available funds before final disbursement.

Hannah Hunt Wander said Bee Friendly received multiple turf‑replacement applications this year but only two full completions, and that the group is shifting resources toward signage, plant‑matrix templates and online outreach. She described recent work at the Thompson House garden and a planting matrix recently installed at the Carbondale Library. Hunt Wander said the requested funds would support design and production of interpretive signs (estimated $800–$1,000), renewal of online materials (about $300) and preordering plants (about $200).

Board members asked staff and the presenter for clarifications on existing allocations. A board member noted the e‑board’s 2025 expense tracker showing a $2,000 allocation for Bee Friendly with only $15.33 expended and flagged a separate $3,000 donation that may have been recorded elsewhere. Board members agreed to approve the request but make final payment contingent on finance confirming available balances and donation accounting.

The motion was moved by Fred Malo and seconded; the vote was recorded as in the affirmative and the board agreed to confirm accounting before issuing funds.

What it means: The approved funding is intended to sustain small community‑scale pollinator and native‑plant projects next spring, including signage that Bee Friendly said could be re‑used for other public gardens. The board also discussed future grant paths and countywide turf‑replacement programs and signaled that the group may reduce the current turf‑replacement program in 2026 because of low participation.

Next steps: Staff will confirm the available e‑board balance and the accounting for the $3,000 donation, then notify Bee Friendly and release up to $1,500 if the funds are available. Board members said they will follow up at the next meeting if any questions about ledger entries remain.