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HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes.OSTB.20220120 MINUTES City of Aspen, Open Space and Trails Board Meeting Held on January 20, 2021 5:00pm City OST Board Members Present: Julie Hardman, Ted Mahon, Howie Mallory, Adam McCurdy, Ann Mullins, Dan Perl City Staff Members Present: John Spiess, Matt Kuhn, Jake Moe, Brian Long Adoption of the Agenda: Ann made a motion to approve the agenda; Ted seconded and the vote was unanimous. Public Comments, for topics not on the agenda: None. Approval of the Minutes: Adam corrected the name of the contractor for Maroon Creek Multi- Use Trail: Otak. Adam corrected his input during the Douglas-fir Beetle Project discussion to convey that the values listed in the Powerpoint slide were not in any specific order and that these values would be weighted appropriately according to project goals. Ann made a motion to approve the minutes as amended; Howie seconded and the vote was unanimous. Staff Comments: John: The time of the February 24th Pitkin County joint meeting (virtual) was changed to 4:30pm; he will send the link to the Board. Labor has been secured for the Douglas-fir Beetle Project. Matt: Regarding Mike Maple’s comment about the status of street trees on Cemetery Lane: per the City’s tree management plan, the trees along Cemetery Lane will be up for pruning and review in two years; however, in response to this public comment and Board input, Parks will consider tree pruning and planting in this zone during early season assessment work this year to address damage from vehicles, bears, construction, etc. Difficult growing conditions along Cemetery Lane limit the types and sizes of trees; Parks is adapting tree management plans accordingly. Howie asked about requirements for construction projects toward protecting/replacing trees they damage. Matt explained requirements and that street trees, being in the right of way rather than on private properties, are a unique situation; Parks has had to correct these particular impacts. * John mentioned that the RFOV Yearly Report agenda item is deleted as Jacob Baker is unable to attend. New Business: Board Elections: John briefed the Board on the proposed amendment last May to shorten Chair and Vice Chair terms to one year. John read the duties of these two positions and prompted the Board to conduct their election. A discussion followed in which Howie suggested an automatic shift from Vice Chair to Chair after one year for continuity. Dan suggested a two-year Chair position for gaining experience in the role over a greater period. The Board decided that Vice Chair succeeding to Chair would be an informal Board option. The Chair position may be held longer than one year if re-elected. Howie made a motion for Adam to serve as Chair for one year; Dan seconded and the vote was unanimous. Julie made a motion for Dan to serve as Vice Chair; Ann seconded and the vote was unanimous. Farm Collaborative Annual Report: Eden Vardy highlighted the Farm Park, kids and community programs, and farmer support programs. Farm Collaborative hosted 6,224 visitors, harvested 12,000 lbs of produce, donated 3,000 lbs to local food pantries, and sold produce to 46 CSA members and various local outlets. Eden provided data on participation, scholarships, program leadership, teen apprenticeship, internship, farmer incubator program, livestock production, merger with TwoForks Club, staff housing, and Edible Aspen magazine. Approvals have been received from BOCC for the Farm Center and they are awaiting building permits. Howie asked for a report on the tool library; Eden explained that the library with its $180,000 of equipment has been successful. The scheduling process is being reworked to address demand for certain equipment along with other improvements. Howie asked how many families were fed; Eden mentioned the 46 CSA families and the 3,000 lbs of donated produce. Eden suggested a ground-breaking celebration when Farm Center construction begins. Old Business: Trail Code Process Update: Brian reported that staff is drafting code language with the help of the City Attorney. Brian will provide this material to the Board prior to outreach and before it goes to City Council. Pitkin County has a committee addressing e-bike issues on Maroon Creek Road; Matt will coordinate with that committee. Brian reviewed a list of issues identified to be potentially addressed by code changes: • City trails outside City limits – yes • E-bike classes on paved – all three classes • E-bikes on single-track – leaning yes (toward prohibiting) • Other powered devices – mass & speed limits • Announcing required – yes • Speed limit – yes (location-specific speed limits on certain trail sections) • Rental requirements – yes • Careless operating – yes • Lights at night – yes • Nordic rules – yes • Dogs/user capacity – not at this time Adam asked Brian where soft-surface multi-use trails fall in the list. Brian explained that code language would allow e-bikes on trails 5-ft or wider and not on narrower trails. Howie asked about the connector trail between Burlingame and the AABC across Deer Hill. Brian said this trail falls into the single-track category. Dan asked if the County is considering code changes that Parks should coordinate with. Brian explained he doesn’t know of any such changes and that communication between the entities is ongoing. Dan asked for clarification on County e- bike trail regulations; Brian explained that the County allows class 1 e-bikes only on wide multi- use trails and prohibits all e-bikes on single-track trails. Ann asked about regulating commercial dog walking businesses. Brian agreed that a license program would be beneficial. Matt will bring up this topic with the City Attorney and suggested it as a joint meeting topic for the 24th. Board Comments: Ann: None. Dan: Expressed that it is important to align with the Maroon Creek Road bike management effort to create a package that includes renter education and coordinated management. He asked whether it would be appropriate for this Board to advocate toward certain solutions the Maroon Creek Road bike management effort is considering. Matt commented that staff will provide an update on this at the next Board meeting. Dan also suggested working on how to get more people to Cozy Point Ranch. Julie: Expressed concern for the volume of snow-melt used on trails and around the City. Brian and Matt explained that there are no regulations on snow-melt; Parks uses salt and gravel judiciously. Ann suggested contacting the City’s stormwater staff for more information. Julie asked about the fish in the pond near ACRA; Brian explained that the fish are there primarily to maintain the water right at that location which specifies piscatorial purposes. Ted: None. Howie: Agreed with Dan on the issue of e-bikes on Maroon Creek Road. He added that the County’s program addresses e-bikes from T-Lazy 7 Ranch to the Bells, but bikers must first ride through City areas to get there. He emphasized this as a top priority and safety issue, and that attention to the platform is needed along with renter education, etc. Howie asked about status of the drainage work at Cozy Point Ranch. John explained that the work reached a stopping point for winter as planned; next steps this summer include paddock drainage and other infrastructure work. Adam: Asked which County department is leading the bike solutions effort on Maroon Creek Road. Howie explained that the Road and Bridge department is leading it; Matt added that Parks recently joined this effort; other stakeholders include Ski Co, RFTA ACRA, and USFS. Adam commented that limiting e-bikes on Maroon Creek Road is concerning because the bikes will go elsewhere and that needs to be anticipated and planned for. Matt added that the agenda is being formed for the joint meeting and invited the Board to share topic suggestions with him to take to that process. Next Meeting Date(s): Regular meeting February 17, 2022. Executive Session: N/A Adjourned: Howie made a motion to adjourn; Dan seconded and the vote was unanimous.