Sustainability advisory board reviews budget and prioritizes cleanup, pesticides research, and food‑waste work for rest of 2026

Staff presented the board’s 2026 advisory budget (total $118,390) and a line‑by‑line breakdown of spending to date. Members noted that much of the board’s activity is concentrated in the second half of the year and that some line items (training/conferences and program outreach) still contain available funds that could cover surveys or outreach.

The board heard updates on pocket prairie planting and invasive‑species management (Taylor Farm, James River Park, Planters Grove). Staff said plant material and seed have been purchased, spot treatments are planned for summer and that the city is developing a parks and trails signage plan that could host QR codes and educational information.

Board members then participated in a star‑voting prioritization exercise to decide where to focus staff time for the rest of 2026. The resulting top priorities (a tie) were: organizing a community cleanup day, researching pesticide/herbicide alternatives and documentation of commercial food‑waste compost success stories; staff said these topics will be the focus for the remainder of the year and would inform next year’s initiative plan.