Board discusses Trades District green roof access, tours and maintenance; MOU allows educational visits

Board members used the standard-invoices discussion to ask about the Trades District green roof project approved in 2023. A board member asked whether the $237,750 invoice represented a final bill and whether the project was finished; staff confirmed the project is complete and the current invoice is less than the originally approved $310,000 contribution.

Board members asked about public access, tours and maintenance. One board member proposed a green infrastructure tour that would showcase the Trades District green roof alongside other green infrastructure examples (rain gardens, swales, curb cut projects) as a way to introduce developers and the public to the city’s options.

Staff said access to the green roof is governed by the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the building’s tenants and that the MOU allows educational workshop–type visits provided the utility gives advance notice because tenants use the space. Staff also said the green roof has an operations and maintenance (O&M) manual and that vegetation and infrastructure maintenance follow the O&M guidance.

A board member suggested requiring grant applicants to submit before-and-after photos for green infrastructure projects to aid promotion and evaluation. Members discussed the difficulty of visiting privately funded residential installations and noted the utility has supported green infrastructure in rights of way and through MOUs tied to public projects.

No formal action was proposed or taken; the discussion was informational and tied to invoice questions earlier in the meeting.