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07.12.23 OSBT MinutesApproved 8/9/23 OPEN SPACE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Action Minutes Meeting Date July 12, 2023 2520 55th St, Boulder, CO 80301 Record of this meeting can be found here: https://bouldercolorado.gov/government/watch-board-meetings (video start times are listed below next to each agenda item). BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT Dave Kuntz, Board Chair Michelle Estrella, Board Vice-Chair Jon Carroll Brady Robinson STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT Dan Burke Jeff Haley Lauren Kilcoyne Heather Swanson Brian Anacker Kacey French Juliet Bonnell Cole Moffatt Sam McQueen Megan Grunewald Tory Poulton Eric Fairlee Bethany Collins Sara Kramer Dan Hammond Kristofer Johnson CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. AGENDA ITEM 1 – Approval of the Minutes (0:55) Michelle Estrella moved the Open Space Board of Trustees (OSBT) to adopt the minutes from May 31, 2023. Brady Robinson seconded. This motion passed unanimously. Brady Robinson moved the OSBT to adopt the minutes from June 14, 2023. Michelle Estrella seconded. This motion passed unanimously. AGENDA ITEM 2 – Public Participation for Items not Identified for Public Hearing (2:12) Wendy Sweet, Executive Director of the Boulder Mountainbike Alliance spoke about the changes to e- bike regulations. Patricia Billig spoke on behalf of the Boulder County Audubon Society and as a previous Board member about adaptive management guidelines. Lynn Segal spoke about the removal of Caroline Miller as a Trustee. After public comment closed, Director Dan Burke recognized the life and legacy of the first paid Mountain Parks Ranger Dick Lyman who recently passed. AGENDA ITEM 3 – Matters from the Board (22:50) The Board had no questions or comments on the Written Information Items. At the request of the Board, Dan Burke provided a verbal update on the process and timeline of the appointment for the vacant position within OSBT. AGENDA ITEM 4 – Public hearing and consideration of a motion recommending approval of the proposed Open Space related land use changes to the Boulder Valley Comprehensive land use map within the Boulder Junction Phase 2 area to the Planning Board and City Council (29:38) Planning and Design Senior Manager Kacey French and Environmental Planner Juliet Bonnell presented this item. The Board asked clarifying questions about the history of the scenic easement. Public Comment: Lynn Segal spoke. Motion: Jon Carroll moved the Open Space Board of Trustees to recommend to Planning Board and City Council approval of the proposed Open Space land use designation changes within the Boulder Junction Phase 2 area to the BVCP Land Use Map, including: • Removal of the OS-O land use designation over and adjacent to the Boulder Left Hand and North Boulder Farmer’s Ditches between the railroad tracks and Foothills Parkway north of Pearl Parkway, and • Correcting the land use designation of the New Pearl Street Industrial Park Scenic Easement from Light Industrial (LI) to Open Space, Development Rights (or Restrictions) (OS-DR). Michelle Estrella seconded. This motion passed unanimously. AGENDA ITEM 5 – Review of and recommendation regarding the 2024 Open Space and Mountain Parks Department Capital Improvement Program Budget, a portion of the 2024 Lottery Fund Capital Improvement Program Budget, and 2024 Open Space and Mountain Parks Department Operating Budget (54:16) Senior Accountant Cole Moffatt and Business Services Senior Manager Sam McQueen presented this item. The Board asked clarifying questions about the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) carryover line item, the increases to and adjustment process for Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staff costs, resource cost conversions and trends from temporary and seasonal to FTE staff, cost allocation, and the context for the “environmentally sustainable” program designation. Public Comment: Lynn Segal spoke. Return to the Board: At the request of the Board, Sam McQueen confirmed that Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) has not had a budget deficit for several years and how any future budget deficit would be managed. Motion: Michelle Estrella moved the Open Space Board of Trustees to recommend that Planning Board and City Council approve an appropriation of $6,225,209 in 2024 from the Open Space Fund CIP as outlined in this memorandum; and recommend that $428,000 be appropriated from the city’s Lottery Fund CIP in 2024. Dave Kuntz seconded. This motion passed unanimously. Michelle Estrella moved the Open Space Board of Trustees to recommend that City Council approve an appropriation of $32,924,715 in 2024 for the Open Space and Mountain Parks Operating Budget from the Open Space Fund as outlined in this memorandum and related attachments. Dave Kuntz seconded. This motion passed unanimously. AGENDA ITEM 6 – Request for a recommendation to staff to implement modifications to the management program reducing prairie dog conflict on irrigated agricultural lands and a recommendation to City Council to amend the geographical scope of the program to include the northern project area with the addition of all irrigated agricultural lands designated as transition or removal areas across the entire OSMP land system (1:37:16) Interim Deputy Director of Resource and Stewardship and Ecological Stewardship Senior Manager Heather Swanson and Prairie Dog Conservation and Management Ecologist Tory Poulton presented this item. The Board asked clarifying questions about the 2018 Prairie Dog Working Group recommendation, the neighbor cost share program, the logistics of managing lethal control in house, the policy for keyline plowing depths, and budgeting for the agricultural and water resources needs of the project. Public Comment: Elizabeth Black spoke about the staff proposal, designation and classification of properties, irrigation, barrier cost sharing with neighbors, and the history of prairie dog management on OSMP. Lynn Segal spoke about lethal management of prairie dogs and underground barriers. Andy Breiter spoke as an OSMP lessee about managing agricultural lands in a rural urban interface, lethal management of prairie dogs, farming on properties with prairie dogs, and keyline plowing. Paula Shuler spoke as a neighbor to OSMP land about staff recommendations, categorization and designation of properties, prairie dog removal, lethal control, and barriers. Suzanne Webel spoke as a neighbor to the Bennett property about mowing and irrigating at the Bennett and Steele properties and the construction of a shared barrier with their property. Kevin Markey spoke as a neighbor to the Bennett and Steele properties about shared management of prairie dogs and weeds between neighbors and OSMP, and descriptions of properties in lieu of categories. Jonathan Moore spoke as a neighbor to the Bennett and Steele properties about land stewardship and neighbor relations. Will Palmer spoke as a neighbor to the Steele property about the history of large wildlife interactions with prairie dogs and the land, irrigation, and the history of the OSMP landscape. Andie Young spoke as an OSMP lessee about lethal control of prairie dogs, designation of properties, and young farmers having access to agricultural land and utilizing them as resources for restoration. Return to Board: The Board deliberated on the motion language and asked questions about designation of properties, the comment period for management decisions recommended by the Board to council, and plans for communication with OSMP neighbors and tenants. Motion: Brady Robinson moved the Open Space Board of Trustees to: 1) Recommend that staff implement modifications to the management approach of reducing prairie dog conflict on irrigated agricultural properties beginning in 2024 including: a. Describe properties based on individual characteristics including challenges and opportunities for use in support of the prioritization criteria applied in selecting management sites each year. b. Expand implementation of the project beyond the previously determined northern project area to encompass irrigable agricultural properties system-wide that are designated as transition and removal areas and replace the existing burrow disturbance rule to allow burrow disturbance to a depth of six inches system-wide, or 12 inches with prior notification on OSMP irrigated agricultural land. c. Implement lethal control, barrier maintenance, and other related tasks in-house by purchasing equipment and adding staffing to complete this work rather than by hiring contractors. d. Cease relocation to the Southern Grasslands as directed by the Grassland Plan unless occupation drops below 10% in the future. Evaluate alternate receiving sites including Prairie Dog Conservation Areas and receiving sites off OSMP and pursue if found to be feasible. If receiving sites are not available and thus relocation is not feasible, explore alternative removal options such as trapping and donating to programs for raptor rehabilitation or black-footed ferret recovery. e. Identify funding and capacity to address irrigation infrastructure needs ahead of prairie dog removal on properties where irrigated agriculture is limited by irrigation infrastructure. 2) Recommend that City Council approve modifications to the geographic scope of the program, to expand implementation of the project, including the use of lethal control, beyond the previously defined northern project area to encompass irrigable agricultural properties system-wide that are designated as transition and removal areas. This approval should include replacement of the existing burrow disturbance rule to allow burrow disturbance to a depth of 6 inches or 12 inches with prior notification, system-wide on irrigated agricultural properties. 3) Request that staff report out on current neighbor relations, guidance, and strategies specific to the program of reducing prairie dog conflict on OSMP’s irrigated agricultural lands. Dave Kuntz seconded. This motion passed unanimously. AGENDA ITEM 7 – Matters from the Department (4:02:06) Director Dan Burke provided verbal updates on e-bike implementation and adaptive management. The Board asked questions about comments made by Pat Billig and Wendy Sweet about adaptive management. Director Dan Burke provided additional verbal updates on the tall oatgrass grazing project and a short- term closure of Bluebell Road for repairs. Heather Swanson provided a verbal update on noxious weed species management on the system related to record rainfall. ADJOURNMENT – The meeting adjourned at 10:24 p.m. These minutes were prepared by Acting Board Secretary Megan Grunewald.