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Monroe parks staff start mulch pilot, say aquatic herbicide needed for knotweed; students propose skate park
Summary
Parks staff described a trial using layered mulch instead of herbicide, said Bohemian knotweed requires an aquatic herbicide, reported three dead waterfowl at Lake Tai (Department of Fish and Wildlife consulted) and relayed student recommendations for a skate park at a city-owned stormwater detention site.
Monroe City parks staff reported on a mulch pilot project, invasive-plant control limits and a small waterfowl mortality discovery, and the mayor relayed a student-led proposal for a new skate park during the Feb. 11 council meeting.
Ben Swanson, speaking for the Parks Department, said staff is testing a three-layer mulch approach in park beds as an alternative to herbicide. The pilot will measure staff time and total cost over the year so officials can compare labor and aesthetic outcomes against traditional methods.
Swanson told the council, "what we're doing is on that 1 trying to use mulch as opposed to weed killer in those areas," and said the pilot will document hours and material quantities so the city can assess whether the approach is feasible. He added that the mulch method can look "a little scrubbier" than traditional bed maintenance and that some invasive species will still require chemical treatment.
On invasive plants, Swanson said the parks division cannot completely eliminate herbicide use because "Bohemian knotweed ... can only be killed with an aquatic based, plant killer." He stated the city’s practice is to consult appropriate resource agencies in these instances.
Parks staff reported finding three dead waterfowl at Lake Tai. Swanson said city crews found the birds, some of which appeared to have been deceased for about a month, and that staff consulted the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. "They don't believe that it's bird flu," Swanson said, adding that staff had not observed behavior consistent with avian influenza in the lake's remaining waterfowl.
During the mayor’s report, Mayor Thomas described a visit from fourth- and fifth-graders in Room 22 at Frieland Elementary School who presented designs and a budget for a second skate park. The students recommended placing a skate facility on a city-owned stormwater detention area on the south side of Tourney, near Lowe's. They proposed using concrete as the primary surface and estimated costs between $25,000 and $75,000, with some children suggesting budgets as high as $100,000 if additional features were included. Students identified nearby parking and restrooms at Lowe's as part of their plan.
Mayor Thomas said the class kept presentations to three minutes each and that staff will circulate the students' materials. She and Swanson said the students might return to present to the council in a future meeting.
Swanson said staff will continue the mulch pilot for the year, compile time-and-cost data and report back with lessons learned. The parks division will remain in contact with Department of Fish and Wildlife if additional waterfowl deaths are discovered.
