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Board discusses creating native-plant list and stakeholder workshop to guide parks plantings
Summary
Advisory board members and staff discussed creating a standardized native-plant list and convening a small stakeholder workshop so the list can be recommended to city council and guide future donations and maintenance.
Board members on March 12 discussed starting a native-plant list and a small workshop or working group to compile a recommended list for Alpine parks.
A staff member showed examples from other cities that categorize plants by size and function — large trees (50-foot plus), medium (30–49 feet), small trees, shrubs, accent plants, ornamental and turf grasses, and ground covers — and recommended assembling a spreadsheet database detailing height, width, trimming schedules and maintenance notes. “This is basically just a spreadsheet database of possible issues with them, maybe when they should be trimmed,” the staff member said.
Why it matters: A single approved list would help maintenance planning, make donation requests consistent, and reduce planting of species that are unsuitable for park maintenance or that create nuisance issues.
Board members suggested involving stakeholders who have already worked with the city on plant projects: Will Jewett and Adelina (Adelina Madill) from the city’s beautification work, members of the Poets Grove volunteer group, a representative from the library’s plant garden, and parks maintenance staff (David). Suggestions included setting a target number of species (one board member suggested limiting the initial list to about 25 plants) and establishing minimum planting size and maintenance standards to reduce the number of donated, undersized plants that fail to establish. One board member proposed that an initial spreadsheet be assembled by staff and interested volunteers by email and presented for board approval at a subsequent meeting.
Board members asked staff to work with interested volunteers by email, assemble an initial list, and then place the proposed list on the parks board agenda for a formal recommendation to city council. The board discussed ensuring the list does not conflict with ongoing projects, such as the Grove project led by Adelina, and suggested inviting at least one board member to participate in the stakeholder work.
Next steps: Staff and volunteers will prepare an initial spreadsheet of candidate species, circulate it by email to stakeholders for feedback, and return to the parks board with a recommended list to forward to council for approval.
