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<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Council Worksession <br />December 13, 2022 <br />5:00 pm <br /> <br /> <br />Present: Mayor Kari Niedfeldt-Thomas <br /> Councilmember Abdullahi Abdulle <br />Councilmember Graeme Allen <br /> Councilmember Pam Axberg <br /> <br />Absent: Councilmember Emily Dunsworth <br /> <br />Staff in Attendance: Devin Massopust, Gina Foschi, Jennifer Fink, Jim Veiman, Chris Wallig, Jason Hicks <br /> <br />Guests in Attendance: <br /> <br />Forestry and Emerald Ash Borer Update <br /> <br />Massopust stated staff would be speaking to the Council regarding the importance of the City’s forest and how <br />the City was addressing EAB. He explained staff was looking for direction or comments from the Council on <br />how to approach the financial implications with respect to EAB. <br /> <br />Fink explained EAB has become a historical issue that has had lots of moving parts. She discussed the benefits <br />of the City’s forestry program and noted New Brighton has been a Tree City USA for the past 40 years. She <br />commented on the benefits of having a Missouri Gravel bed for bare root trees and noted the bed also assisted <br />with keeping costs down for the City. She reported the City continues to diversify its trees. She discussed the <br />City’s buckthorn removal and tree trimming efforts. She commented further on how EAB was impacting the <br />City’s tree canopy, noting over 20% of the City’s urban forest were ash trees. The diseased tree survey from <br />New Brighton was reviewed with the Council. Staff reviewed the number of ash trees removed in the past five <br />years. She discussed how trees increase the value of homes, but also come with a large maintenance cost. She <br />noted the City would continue to community with residents about the treatment and removal of EAB infected <br />trees. <br /> <br />Councilmember Axberg asked what the City spent on forestry efforts each year. Fink reported the City spent <br />$227,000 on forestry efforts in 2022. <br /> <br />Councilmember Axberg questioned why the City was planting more trees in recent years. Veiman stated EAB <br />has led to the removal and replacement of more trees in the community. In addition, he noted residents were <br />requesting boulevard trees. <br /> <br />Mayor Niedfeldt-Thomas stated the goats were a hit this past summer. Veiman commented on how a <br />controlled burn would be a more effective manner to manage buckthorn removal because it would also <br />eliminate the seeds. <br /> <br />Councilmember Abdulle asked if tree trimming was based on a plan or if this was complaint driven. Veiman <br />reported for the most part tree trimming was complaint based.