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Beautification committee readies median plantings, seeks volunteers for Arbor Day
Summary
The Sweet Home Beautification Committee outlined planting and volunteer plans for April and May and asked the Park and Tree Committee for city help with outreach and traffic control at median work sites.
Candace Snyder, chair of the Beautification Committee, told the Sweet Home Park and Tree Committee on March 19 that the committee has ordered flowers for the median strip and plans to “weed and add soil to the median strip on April 22” and to plant the flowers on May 13.
The work matters because the committee relies on volunteers to do median planting and maintenance; Snyder said recruiting volunteers remains “probably our biggest issue” and discussed outreach plans including a booth at the city’s Arbor Day event and additional postings to the city Facebook page.
Committee members and staff discussed logistics and safety. Public Works staff indicated they will provide additional hours for median closures and traffic control during planting to ensure safety, and said medians must be worked in permitted time windows. A staff member explained the city’s permit with the Oregon Department of Transportation requires work outside peak travel times, which is why median work has been scheduled on weekday mornings after the 8:00 a.m. rush.
Snyder said Pacific Power outreach will likely attend the Arbor Day event to present electrical safety information; she also said the committee plans to distribute free seedlings and provide free hot dogs and drinks while supplies last.
Committee members discussed youth participation. Candace Snyder said medians are probably off-limits for children due to safety and permit constraints, but suggested park locations such as Clover Park as alternatives for youth volunteer activities.
Snyder also reported committee plans to plant in Clover Park, Shea Point and on Highway 228, and to reduce the number of petunias from last year’s order because of larger bloom size and shrub overlap. The committee will coordinate with city staff and the chamber of commerce to publicize volunteer needs and event details.
The committee agreed to meet at 11:00 a.m. on Arbor Day to remove ivy from a hillside before setting up for the 2–4 p.m. event.
Votes at the meeting did not affect the planting plan; the committee asked staff for help with outreach and traffic control rather than adopting new policy.
