Tree giveaway sells out and toilet‑rebate program shows uptake; committee presses for bilingual outreach

Staff told the Sustainability Committee that the city’s recent tree giveaway filled in four to five hours and that volunteers and logistics are being refined for future events.

City staff reported the toilet rebate program processed 50 applications and replaced 61 toilets through the program so far and that about half of the allocated budget has been used. Staff said they will continue promoting rebates and plan to pilot an irrigation audit component.

Committee members discussed event logistics: volunteers are asked to arrive at 8 a.m. for the tree giveaway and registrants must collect trees by 11 a.m. to retain their claim; leftover trees are posted later on the branch bulletin or social media. Staff noted a six‑month follow‑up survey showed roughly 95% of respondents reported their distributed trees survived the initial months.

Several members raised concerns about outreach accessibility. One member said it was “very concerning” that in‑facility video signage and some event postings were only in English while nearly half of the population is Spanish‑speaking, and urged bilingual materials and translated social posts to improve participation among Latino residents.

Next steps: staff will continue to coordinate volunteer roles for giveaways, consider posting leftover trees for pickup, reallocate small unused funds if appropriate, expand bilingual outreach and return with program metrics at the next meeting.