Committee approves minutes; prioritizes boardwalk, Cary Lane and dog-park tree work

The Parks, Trails and Trees Committee approved minutes for its prior meetings by voice vote and moved into updates on the town's master trail plan and capital priorities.

Committee members identified three projects prioritized for next year: replacing a deteriorating boardwalk on North Center Street, repairing/replacing a boardwalk on Cary Lane and repaving the trail in front of Blaze near the roundabout. "We were talking about it this year, and we decided to wait till next year. We're gonna do all 3 sections at once," a committee member said during the discussion.

Members raised cost and usage questions about a short offshoot described as a "trail to nowhere," with some saying the expense may not be justifiable and asking colleagues to visit the location before any decision to remove it.

The committee also discussed the Kemp Gardner parcel (about 45 acres near the railroad tracks) as a sensitive site where soft-surface trails, rather than asphalt, may be preferable because of wetlands and mitigation needs. Staff noted roughly 4 acres of wetland mitigation are connected to earlier Heber Valley Railroad impacts, which influenced the preference for natural, packed-surface trails.

On tree plantings, a committee member reported a reduced federal tree grant that can now provide $2,500 (requiring a local match) and suggested using the money for larger-caliber shade trees at the dog park. Committee members asked staff to solicit updated cost estimates from Supertrees and other vendors and to prepare a recommendation for city council next month. Approximate per-tree costs discussed ranged from $150 to $200 for larger trees plus installation and irrigation costs.

No formal council referrals or expenditures were approved at the meeting; the committee asked staff to gather quotes and return with a recommendation.