Committee hears liaison updates, public comment on Parkwood Plaza and schedules joint Ped/Bike/Transit meeting

Committee members received liaison briefings and collected potential agenda items for upcoming joint meetings.

Mary reported Conservancy Lands Committee actions including a motion to release a permanent pathway easement for the Hines Woodland Trail (a connector behind Middleton Shores) because the North Mendota Path provides an alternate pedestrian route; the committee also discussed vegetation management at Confluence Pond, public meetings for the Grey River Pond draft plan, and an upcoming Bak units master plan review. The liaison said motions to release the easement passed at that committee.

A committee member and a public commenter raised pedestrian safety concerns at Parkwood Plaza (Parkview/University), noting that entrances and exits are shared with cars and that stroller and wheelchair users may face conflicts; members asked that maps and gap analyses be included at the joint Ped/Bike/Transit meeting so participants can mark missing links and propose interventions.

Staff said they will send a Doodle poll to reschedule the previously planned Sept. 22 joint meeting (canceled due to religious‑holiday conflicts) and suggested Sept. 29 as one option. Other future items flagged for follow‑up were simplified utility rate case notifications (staff said customer notices are planned for Sept. 30) and discussion of potential additional public works staffing tied to the citywide staffing study.

Next steps: staff will circulate scheduling options and prepare maps and draft implementation items for the joint meeting; the committee will track simplified rate case notification and staffing proposals in future agendas.