City of Lawrence, Kansas

Parks and Recreation Department

2004 Horticulture, Park Districts and Forestry Work Plan

 

 

Trees planted for city projects: 432

Street Trees: Replacements planted by staff: 75

Street Trees: planted by contract in new residential subdivisions:  570.

            Total trees planted 1002.

Total tree removals: 370

Total trees pruned:  3520

 

 

     1.  Completed the following 2004 tree planting and municipal landscape projects.

            Parks and special projects……… 194 trees and 323 shrubs.

            City Facilities……………………151 trees and  252shrubs

            Downtown shopping …………... 12 trees and  83 shrubs.

            Street Trees and Right of Way green spaces.. 75 trees and 227 shrubs

Master Street Tree Project…….. 570   trees

                  Total:   1002 trees   890 shrubs.

 

  1. Held an Arbor Day planting ceremony at New York Elementary School with student volunteers to plant 2 trees on April 30, 2004.   50 students and teachers in attendance.  

 

  1. Master Plan Parks:
    1.  South Park landscape improvements:  Finish landscape improvements by planting perennials, roses, new fencing and seeding –sodding as needed.  Plant trees and shrubs to enhance signage.  Set up schedule for additional landscape maintenance for the new areas and programming new irrigation.
    2. Master Plan Rotary Arboretum:  Installation of new trees, new trail, new flow lines and waterfall project.  Began a summer maintenance program to water trees and mow around the trees and pond areas.   Look for a walking and interpretive trail system enhancements for the long range.  Design arboretum pond system with waterfall, fill system and pond maintenance. Over-seed outlying areas to native grass or wildflowers.  Received a donation from Lawrence Rotary Clubs. Held a spring work day to plant trees and shrubs.  
    3. Held a Sesquicentennial Celebration at the Plaza at Clinton Lake Property.  Finalized plans and specifications for commemorative landscaped plaza.     This also includes additional green space and wildlife areas.

 

  1.  Progress on Downtown Mass Street Beautification Plan. 

Begin in 2004 to plant additional perennial and annuals in landscape planters.                        Set priorities and costs for parking lot shrub renovations and add drip irrigation.   Remove insect infested groundcover and replace with flowers.  

Planted trees for replacements and worked a (30 trees) pruning project in parking lot areas.

 

 

  1. Training and Community/Professional Outreach Projects:
    1. Sent 3 employees to the Western Nurseryman’s Association Trade Show in K.C. Mo  January Sent 9 employees to the Kansas Shade Tree Conference and Tree Care Workshop

KRPA Equipment Rodeo and Tours of Parks:  20 staff.

    1. Hosted Defective Tree I.D. and Management Training On February 27 in cooperation with the Kansas Forest Service: sent 20 employees and additional 180 persons in attendance.    
    2. Sent 8 tree care workers to the Kansas Arborists Association Summer Field Day at Clinton Lake near Lawrence.
    3. Sent 3 tree care works to CPR Classes January 8, 2004
    4. Recertified and earned continuing education points for several employees towards state pesticide licenses and ISA certification.
    5. Community outreach:

                                                               i.      Provide information on a Park International Web site for Japanese Garden and Buford Watson Park sister city parks.

                                                             ii.      Build a history display for the Lawrence 150 celebration of trees and gave away 450 seedlings. Lawrence Flower, Garden, and Home Show.  Feb. 2004.

 

  1. Parks and Recreation staff provided extensive arboriculture maintenance (mulching, pruning, watering and weed control) for all landscape areas and street trees.  In addition we contracted with a local arborists to remove dead elms and prune street trees.  Assisted with additional changes in the Forestry Division to assure services were provided.  Provided tree stump removal, small tree removal and other duties.    

 

  1.  Forestry staff coordinated a Saturday morning brush drop off site.  This is a cost effective way for residents to drop off brush and woody materials for the recycling into mulch.  Recycled into tub grinding mulch, producing in 2004: 2235 cubic yards.  Held 3 mulch sales and collected $4300.00.

 

  1. Re-evaluate Parks and Recreation pesticide use and reduced usage in landscape areas by 20%.   Evaluate pesticide materials storage and safety training and standards.  Make improvements were needed.

 

  1. Planted trees and shrubs at the following parks and public property locations: 
    1. Oak Hill Cemetery, Hobbs Park, Dad Perry Park,  Downtown Parking Lots [8], City Hall, Clinton Lake Softball Complex, East Lawrence Center, Union Pacific Depot Garden, Eagle Bend Golf Course, Holcom Sports Complex, Indoor Aquatic Center, Clinton Water Plant, Centennial Park,  Firefighters Park, Prairie Park, Rotary Arboretum, South Park, Buford Watson Park,  Stonegate Park,  North Second Street, Seventh Street, McDonald Drive, Princeton Blvd., New York Elementary School, Waste Water Treatment Plant, 4 Roundabout.  and various street trees. 
    2. Purchase trees for other city department tree projects at Waste Water Treatment Plant and adjacent Public Works Recycling Yard,  Fire Dept. Maintenance Build on Haskell.

 

  1. Additional city beautification projects were installed with 17,000 annual flowers, 1300 perennials flowers and 14,000 fall bulbs.

 

  1. Continued with the Park District Program to tree and landscape maintenance in Park Areas. The re-allocation of responsibilities for employees. Such as transfer of employee to assist with downtown tree care and other staff to assist with pruning trees in the parks.  The park districts worked to prune trees in the parks by having staff cross trained on equipment and training such as the Tree I.D. and care workshops.

 

  1.  Participated in a planning review committee for the City/County Planning to review 68 plats and 32 site plans [28 Preliminary Plats & 40 Final Plats] [14 preliminary development plans & 18 final development plans].   Assisted with reforest efforts on improvement projects (water and sewer) for the Utility Department to provide technical support and compliance information for city landscape ordinances and right of way tree protection.

 

 

  1. Continued a third year with Summer Horticulture Intern Program to implement a Master Street Tree Planting project. Put together and implemented planting of 570 trees on contract in new subdivisions.  Re-evaluated the Master Street Tree ordinance with other city departments (Parks, Legal Services, Planning, Neighborhood Resources) and Lawrence Homebuilders Association and made adjustments.   

 

  1. Work with the Master Gardeners to develop and host a tree tour and open a heritage garden at the Bromelsick/Hobb’s Park Historic House for the Lawrence 150 celebration. 

 

  1. Completed 12th and Mississippi CDBG Stairs soil/slope stabilization and landscaping in cooperation with the Oread Neighborhood Assoc. and Neighborhood Resources Department.  

 

  1. Work with local veterans and artists to landscape a Memorial Sculpture at the Depot Gardens.  Dedicated July 2004.

 

  1. Deal with budget cuts and find alternative sources to fund summer landscape programs and tree maintenance services for city facilities.

 

  1. Forestry division implemented a system of contractual service for all labor to make more efficient use of down time.  Contracts were scheduled and then let for tree pruning, take downs and storm cleanup as needed.  The forestry division also utilized a system of on call for contractors to facilitate right of pruning in off hours.

 

  1. Our staff also worked with the Public Works Traffic Engineers to design / landscape  for 4 local roundabout traffic islands.

 

  1. Complete a park department irrigation water audit.