Jay Tophoven, a Woodbury resident, told the City Council on July 16 that a stretch of city-owned land near Afton Road and Busy Valley Creek is “infested with a plant called burdock.” He said the plants have burr-covered seed pods that cling to animals and clothing and that some individual plants are “as tall as I am.”

Tophoven said the strip of land he described lies between Steeple View and Afton Road near a pond and drainage way and that the parcel contains a well pumping station. He said city staff told him the plants along the northern edge of the pond are cut down every four years but otherwise receive little attention.

The resident asked the council “to consider adapting a burdock eradication policy when it is found on city land” and to “consider ways of clearing the burdock infestation on this particular parcel of city land as soon as possible, such as cutting down more often or other measures that the environmental department may deem effective.”

Mayor Bert and Assistant City Administrator Ashley invited Tophoven to email the photos he brought so staff and public works could review them. Ashley said staff monitors virtual comments and that photos could be shared with public works for follow-up; no formal motion or budget commitment was made during the meeting.

Why it matters: Tophoven said the parcel drains into the Valley Creek watershed and that an established burdock infestation could spread into the creek corridor, creating nuisance and habitat problems. He also noted ongoing litter in the corridor and that he personally spends two weekends each spring cleaning trash from the area.

What the council and staff said: Council members asked the resident to provide photos and contact information so staff could evaluate management options. The transcript records a conversation in which Tophoven said he had spoken to “Ben in the environmental department” about current practice; staff described the parcel maintenance schedule but did not commit to a timeline or specific eradication method at the meeting.

Next steps: No formal direction, motion, or fiscal commitment was recorded. The meeting record shows staff invited the resident to email the photos for staff review; any follow-up action would depend on a future staff assessment and potential resource allocation.