Reduced use of weed whackers said to reduce injuries, property damage; Lithia Park plan revision tabled
By Morgan Rothborne, Ashland.news
An increase in the use of herbicides in specified areas of downtown Ashland was approved by Ashland Parks & Recreation Commission commissioners while the Lithia Park Master Plan was tabled for further review in a business meeting Wednesday.
Interim Director Leslie Eldridge made the case for amending APRC’s Integrated Pest Management Policy to allow herbicide use in the median strips in downtown Ashland as a safety measure for APRC workers.
“It can get pretty hairy. You can imagine playing traffic while you’re trying to weed whack at the same time,” she said.
Staff have reported eight incidents in six months with either safety risks or property damage. The Oregon Department of Transportation records an average of 540 people injured and five people dying every year working in such areas, Eldridge said.
Because APRC staff maintain the areas through a memorandum of understanding with Ashland Public Works and that department has experience with such work areas, Eldridge said she consulted with Public Works Director Scott Fleury. Eldridge proposed an exemption of the “boulevard” areas from APRC’s no-herbicide policy and to rely on the city’s policy. “Boulevard” is used internally to describe the downtown areas maintained by parks, but the Plaza and other areas frequented by people would not see herbicide use, she said.
Commissioner Rick Landt criticized the policy amendment as too vague, a “word and a handshake.” Eldridge invited Fleury to take her place at the microphone.
“How would you handle it if your people were working in these kinds of areas?” Commissioner Jim Bachman said.
Ashland allows herbicide use where terrain, safety or other conditions prompt its use and the less time workers spend in such areas the better, for them and the public attempting to drive through, Fleury said. The amount of herbicide used is judicially determined by a certified applicator.
Landt stated he would support the move as a temporary measure and expected to see the need for maintenance reduced through changes in landscaping practices. Commissioners Jim Lewis, Bachman and Justin Adams echoed tepid support and hope for a better solution. The motion passed unanimously.
Park master plan needs retooling. Still.
The Lithia Park Master Plan was intended to be a living document guiding the park through the next 100 years, Landt said. Before approval, it was determined the plan needed small revisions and had typos. The pandemic and projects like the Japanese Garden delayed the plan’s completion.
Adams apologized that he missed the discussion at the study session the previous week due to his daughter’s birthday. Holding up the plan he showed written notes of potential changes on “nearly every page,” and made a motion to table it.
Lewis stated the plan had already been in the works for five years and in his time in government he had come to understand it moves at a “glacial, sometimes geological pace.”
Landt described himself as frustrated and reminded Adams he had access to the plan over a week prior.
“You could have not waited to bring this up at the meeting, I feel blindsided. … I would have welcomed your input earlier but frankly it’s not as welcome now,” he said.
The motion to table the plan passed with commissioners Bachman, Lewis and Adams voting in favor and Landt voting against. Commissioner Stefani Seffinger was absent from the meeting.
Outgoing director lists goals
Eldridge gave a presentation on APRC “biennium goals and deliverables for fiscal year 24.”
For the goal to improve management of parks, Eldridge highlighted efforts to improve staff morale and safety included leadership field visits to every APRC park, facility, and office. Recently hired Parks Superintendent Kevin Caldwell reinstated “long neglected” comprehensive safety training, Eldridge said. Eight vacant positions, including Caldwell’s, were filled while three staff were promoted.
The goal to create East Main Park has seen progress in the form of a lot line adjustment with Jackson County, the purchase of an acre of additional property for the park, and an ongoing process for annexation with the city of Ashland’s Planning Commission expected to conclude in September, Eldridge said. APRC should hear around September if it will be awarded a $1 million grant for the park.
Increasing programs and events in parks was answered with the alteration of city ordinance to allow limited alcohol consumption. Rogue World Music Festival was the first “wet run,” of the change and saw its largest crowd yet at 7,000 attendees and earned around $3,000 from alcohol sales. More events are planned, including two “Summer Sounds” concerts with three similar shows planned next summer.
The promotion of Sulaiman Shelton to Volunteer and Special Event Manager with additional responsibility for the Ashland Japanese Garden has put energy into event creation and realizing the garden’s full potential with its own suite of new events, Eldridge said.
In other business Wednesday, APRC commissioners also reviewed a third quarter financial update.
From July 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024 — a time Eldridge described as dormant for APRC — spending was at 63% of the total budget, lower than the 75% anticipated, largely due to vacancy savings. Filled positions will eliminate those savings and moving into the busy season commissioners should expect to see increased spending and revenue. Overall, recreation programs including the golf course and the nature center are lacking and need to be built up, she said.
Email Ashland.news reporter Morgan Rothborne at [email protected].
Related stories:
New director hired, Ashland Parks & Recreation Commission announces (June 13, 2024)
Parks commissioners to vote Wednesday on changes in herbicide use, Lithia Park master plan (June 10, 2024)