City responds to Green Space work plan; Green Our City program status, stormwater commission and EV charging open house noted

City staff sent a written response to the Green Space Advisory Commission that thanked the group for its work, affirmed support for several ongoing programs and asked commissioners to be mindful of staff capacity when planning new initiatives.

The city's letter noted it supports continuing the Green Our City initiative under Green Space leadership and confirmed a 2026 work plan but cautioned that staff and council agendas limit how much can be taken on immediately. "We support all of your ongoing programs and pledge to assist in moving forward with a greener city for 2026," the letter reads in part, as summarized at the meeting.

Commissioners were told the city reduced the commission's requested budget for now to $49.50 (as stated in the response) but that there is a process to request additional funds later in the fiscal year if needed. The commission discussed staff capacity constraints: some projects (grants, volunteer-managed programs) require staff oversight and cannot be carried by volunteers alone.

Other updates that commissioners recorded: the formation of a stormwater commission to manage stormwater projects and scoring, and a sustainability announcement that an EV-charging open house will be held Sept. 27 from 10 a.m. to noon in the parking lot between Sonic Lodge and City Hall.

Commissioners were asked to keep staff informed about project timing; the meeting produced several follow-up items but no final votes on funding changes.