2018-09-17 Committee on the Environment Minutes
City of Denton
City Hall
MINUTES
215 E. McKinney Street
COMMITTEE ON THE ENVIRONMENT
Denton, Texas
www.cityofdenton.com
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Monday, September 17, 2018 9:00am City Council Work Session Room
After determining that a quorum of the Committee on the Environment of the Denton City Council was
present, the Committee on the Environment thereafter convened into an Open Meeting on Monday,
September 17, 2018 at 9:00 a.m. in the Council Work Session Room at City Hall, 215 E. McKinney Street,
Denton, Texas
Council Members: Chair Council Member Keely Briggs, Council Member Paul Meltzer,
Council Member John Ryan
Also Attending: Katherine Barnett, Sustainability and Customer Initiatives Manager; Richard Cannone,
Deputy Director of Devt Services; Haywood Morgan, Urban Forester; JT Douglas, Conservation
Coordinator; Sarah Luxton, Sustainability Coordinator; Hayley Zagurski, Senior Planner; Vanessa
Ellison, Recycling Education Coordinator; Kim Mankin, Administrative Manager
REGULAR MEETING
A. COE18-031 - Consider approval of the Committee on the Environment of the Denton City Council
Meeting minutes of August 6, 2018.
Approved as circulated.
B. COE18-032 - Receive a report, hold a discussion, and give staff direction regarding
Monarch City USA designation.
Sarah Luxton gave the presentation.
Background: The City of Denton recently became the first member of Monarch City USA in the State
of Texas.
Objective: To maintain this membership by continuing to support pollinators in the City of Denton.
Key Points: To provide this Committee with the requirements of this program as well as our plan to
meet those requirements.
Requirements are as follows:
1. Publicly proclaim that your city is committed to helping the monarch butterflies survive by your
immediate and future actions.
2. Encourage citizens to plant private milkweed and nectar gardens throughout your city.
3. Work with gardening, landscaping, and/or arboretum clubs in your city.
4. Support the national movement to support monarch butterfly habitat development by purchasing
and placing Monarch City USA signs at appropriate sites.
5. Convert abandoned lands to monarch butterfly habitat.
6. Re-establish native milkweed and nectar plants where possible.
Briggs asked is there a way to add the milkweed into the code. Luxton answered staff will look into
it.
7. Host an annual monarch butterfly festival. (Free advice is available from us, Monarch City USA.)
8. Integrate monarch butterfly conservation into the city's future land use planning efforts.
9. Work with the local K-12 school system and educators to promote a better understanding of land
use conservation.
Briggs added that several schools have gardens.
10. Investigate possible Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary sites.
great spot. Luxton answered they have not but will. Briggs stated that would be a great place to add
signs in those areas.
C. COE18-033 - Receive a report and hold a discussion and give staff direction regarding City of
.
Sarah Luxton also gave this presentation.
Background: During the 2018 fiscal year the Sustainability Department arranged or participated in
178 events through their Recycling, Sustainability and Learn 2 Conserve programs.
Meltzer stated that is a great number of events.
Objective: objective is to increase sustainability education,
awareness, and personal responsibility.
Key Points: Provide the Committee on the Environment with data regarding how the public is
responding to the classes offered by our department. t on how to increase
attendance and participation in the upcoming fiscal year.
Events: Included 50 community events, 28 Volunteer Events, 65 Outreach Events and 35 Tours to
total 178 events.
The Community Events were listed.
Briggs asked if there is any data to compare the previous years. Luxton answered the data is limited
from previous years, but they have a lot of information going forward.
Meltzer answered if we live stream the workshops. Luxton answered we do not. There are handouts
on-line that is available. Staff will look into live streaming. If it is live streamed, we would need to
capture those numbers of participation. Upload the handouts under the events as well would be
helpful.
There was discussion regarding the new ideas classes and venues.
Community Events were listed.
Volunteer events totaled 28.
Outreach events totaled 62 with an estimate of over 5,000 people reached during these events. This
includes speaking engagements for Vanessa Ellison, Education Coordinator.
Tours totaled 35.
Briggs asked if this includes the school tours, Ellison agreed it does.
Future plans
-Increase opportunities with community partners, including the Agrilife Extension Office.
-Develop New Classes
-Identify additional opportunities for community interaction
-Improve tracking and communication
Briggs asked do we have give aways to encourage people to attend. Luxton answered sometimes
there are sustainable bags, or water bottles, ect.
D. COE18-035 - Receive a report and hold a discussion and give staff direction regarding Denton
Development Code Subchapter 13, Tree Preservation and Landscape Standards.
Ricard Cannone gave this presentation.
Discussion items for Tree Preservation include:
-Applicability
-Canopy Goal
-Tree Classifications
-Revisions to Draft
Current Tree Code positives and negatives were listed and discussed.
Highlighted Negatives were:
-Inconsistent/conflicting
-Confusing
-DBH or Canopy
Highlighted Positives were:
-Well Intentioned
-Bond required for replacement trees
-Tree Trust
Applicability:
These requirements shall be applicable for the preservation, removal, or transplanting of all trees
within the city, except:
-Agricultural operations
-City Airport
-Denton Municipal Electric Facilities
-Single-family and Duplex lots with trees under ten inches at DBH.
Meltzer asked how we explain the tree mitigation that is exempted because we are the city. Cannone
stated it is really a policy decision. Briggs believes the city should have to mitigate as well as others.
She would like to know how we would respond if CoServe removed trees for a project. Ryan stated
there is a difference in exemptions and requirements. This will have to go on to the rate payers, so
this may need to be explored further.
Discussion Canopy Goal
The intent is to achieve a 30 percent tree canopy coverage citywide to promote a multi-aged urban
forest. There was a map as well as a table to show the canopy and acreage from 2014 to 2018.
Maps were shown of ETJ and annexation areas with the tree canopy as well as platted vs unplatted
and undeveloped City owned properties.
Briggs stated she would like to see different percentages for each zone instead of the 30 percent
citywide.
US Forest Service recommends the following as attainable
natural environment:
-40-60 percent for forested areas
-20 percent for grasslands
-15 percent for deserts
Meltzer asked if there was an environmental impact if we end up shifting our canopy from Cross
Timbers area into prairie. Cannone stated he met and was introduced to preservation of a prairie area.
Staff will look at that aspect. Meltzer suggested looking at open space preservation as well.
Pictures of the different trees was shown from the Cross Timers Urban Forestry Council.
Protected trees Include:
-Landmark
-Heritage
-Quality
There was a list of trees that are not protected which is about 41 percent of the existing canopy. Some
on-native trees are
not protected neither are dead or unhealthy trees.
There was much discussion on the non-protected trees.
Meltzer asked the Urban Forester to talk about the tree list. Haywood Morgan talked about larger
trees that would take longer to
Current tree code includes:
-Protected - 18 inches plus not in stand or secondary
-Historic No size limitations
-Quality six inch to 18 inch not in stand
-Large Secondary 18 inch plus
-Tree Stand three or more overlapping canopy
Restoration
-Mitigation: the action of reducing the severity, seriousness, or painfulness of something.
-Restoration: the action of returning something to a former owner, place, or condition
There are policy questions as to how restoration or mitigation funds should be spent.
Proposed code example was shown with maps and tables.
Meltzer asked if the holistic analysis has been looked at on this ordinance to see if it achieves the
objective.
Credits & Restoration
-Provide credits towards mitigation for all preserved Heritage, Quality, and Landmark trees
-Restoration Requirements
Incentives
-Energy Conservation Credit
-Landmark Tree Credit
-Conservation Easement Credit
-Tree Cluster Credit
-Parking Space Recution
Another proposed code example was shown and discussed.
Possible future considerations on incentives might be certification in lieu of mitigation.
Mitigation Alternatives could include tree fund payment in lieu
The Tree Fund may also be used to support programs for the public purpose of increasing the tree
canopy within the City of Denton as approved by City Council.
Off-site Tree Replacement. In order to plant the replacement Trees on another property in the City, the
responsible property must obtain the written approval of the following:
-The property owner where the replacement Trees will be planted and the responsible party, to transfer
responsibility for the replacement Tree under this article to the receiving party.
-A site plan indicating the address of the property where the replacement Tree will be planted, and a
site plan indicating the location of the replacement Tree.
-The agreement may be structured to allow a non-profit association dedicated to Tree advocacy or
conservation of land to plant, manage, and monitor replacement Tree.
Hayley Zagurski talked about the landscape code
Landscaping: A planted area containing trees, shrubs, and groundcovers providing a transition
between structures on a site and the property line, adjacent structures, or street right-of-way.
Staff recommends revisions to both the existing landscape code and the landscape code proposed by
Clarion.
There was a table shown with the different developing use with landscaping.
Buffer element options to allow greater flexibility in site design was discussed.
Staff recommends a point system be applied to all other required site landscaping as well.
Open Space was then talked about.
-Staff recommends minimum open space requirements for cluster development.
-Staff recommends maintaining the current minimum of 8% of the lot area be dedicated as open space
for multi-family development.
-Open space can increase site landscaping, provide for recreational areas, and contribute to ESA
preservation.
Richard Cannone talked about the next steps tentative:
Planning and Zoning Commission Work Session: 9/26/18
Committee on the Environment: 10/1/18
City Council Work Session: November 2018
Stakeholder Meetings: October 2018
Briggs asked to consider the bond to be longer than three years and consider root zone information.
E. COE18-028 - ACM Update:
1. Update Eco Trash Bag Options
2. Update EV Charging Stations
3. Update Fleet Recognition Award
4. Update Green Building
5. Update Sustainability Advisory Board
6. Matrix
2. Briggs would like the RFP to include solar parking structures.
5. Briggs would like staff to look at models to help establish this board.
CONCLUDING ITEMS
Under Section 551.042 of the Texas Open Meetings Act, respond to inquiries from the Public
Utilities Board or the public with specific factual information or recitation of policy, or accept a
proposal to place the matter on the agenda for an upcoming meeting AND Under Section 551.0415 of the
Texas Open Meetings Act, provide reports about items of community interest regarding which no action
will be taken, to include: expressions of thanks, congratulations, or condolence; information regarding
holiday schedules; an honorary or salutary recognition of a public official, public employee, or other
citizen; a reminder about an upcoming event organized or sponsored by the governing body; information
regarding a social, ceremonial, or community event organized or sponsored by an entity other than the
governing body that was attended or is scheduled to be attended by a member of the governing body or an
official or employee of the municipality; or an announcement involving an imminent threat to the public
health and safety of people in the municipality that has arisen after the posting of the agenda.
Meltzer - What is the wash rule for recycling and how is that communicated.
- Would it be beneficial to have more air quality monitors in Denton.
- Are there some Solid Waste recommendations to go through this committee?
- Interested in seeing if it is beneficial to do open space for density swaps
- Clustering to be added to code gas well set backs
Briggs Update on the requirements for Tree City USA
Ryan - Residential street tree requirements
Adjournment: 11:17 am
Approved 11/13/18