Committee presses staff for watering estimates after $26,000 line appears in budget

Committee members pressed staff for operational numbers after a member said the communications or parks budget included $26,000 for watering new plantings. "I know that Amanda budgeted 26,000 for watering," a member said during the discussion, and the group requested a breakdown of how many person‑hours and how many weeks of watering that figure would cover.

Members suggested several approaches to reduce cost, including using lifeguards or a volunteer auxiliary to drive a water trailer, hiring seasonal laborers with pickup trucks, or issuing an RFP to contract watering. Staff said they had gathered rough estimates and were working to identify specific planting locations; members asked for the hard staffing and schedule numbers so the committee could evaluate whether insourcing or contracting was more cost‑effective.

The committee also discussed practical logistics such as locating utilities (locates), determining appropriate tree sizes and the number of watering visits required for establishment. Several members asked that staff return with a quantified watering plan and estimated costs at the next meeting so the committee could finalize budgeting recommendations.