[00:00:14]
          SEATED BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING HAVE BEEN APPOINTED BY CITY COUNCIL, AND WE SERVE AT THE PLEASURE OF CITY COUNCIL. SOME ITEMS BEING PRESENTED TONIGHT WILL BE HEARD ONLY BY THE TREE BOARD, AND OTHERS WILL BE FORWARDED TO CITY COUNCIL. TONIGHT. I WILL ADVISE THE AUDIENCE IF THE CASE WILL GO ON TO CITY COUNCIL, OR IF IT WILL BE HEARD ONLY BY THE TREE BOARD. 
          IF YOU'RE HERE TONIGHT AND YOU WISH TO SPEAK ON AN AGENDA ITEM, PLEASE COMPLETE A SPEAKER CARD THAT SAYS REQUEST TO SPEAK BEFORE THE TREE BOARD. AND PLEASE TURN THAT INTO A CITY STAFF MEMBER PRIOR TO THE AGENDA ITEM BEING CALLED. WHEN IT'S YOUR TURN TO SPEAK, PLEASE STATE YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD. WE KINDLY ASK THAT YOU LIMIT YOUR REMARKS TO THREE MINUTES, AND YOU MAY ONLY SPEAK ONE TIME ON EACH AGENDA ITEM. THE COMMISSIONERS ALSO ASK THAT EVERYONE TREAT EACH OTHER WITH RESPECT, THAT YOU FOCUS ON THE ISSUE AND THAT YOU'RE CONCISE IN YOUR COMMENTS. I WANT TO STRESS TO EACH OF YOU THAT YOUR OPINION IS IMPORTANT TO US, AND IT DOES BECOME PART OF THE CITY'S PUBLIC RECORD. WE ALL WANT TO ACT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITIZENS OF MCKINNEY. SO AT THIS TIME, I'LL MOVE TO THE PUBLIC. COMMENTS. DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THE NON PUBLIC HEARING AGENDA ITEMS? OKAY. WE WILL NOW MOVE TO THE REGULAR ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. ITEM 26-0004M CONSIDER DISCUSS ACT ON A RESOLUTION TO AMEND THE CITY OF MCKINNEY'S REFORESTATION PLAN. PER ARTICLE FOUR, TREE PRESERVATION OF THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE IN THE CITY OF MCKINNEY. CODE OF ORDINANCES. MR. WORTHY. GOOD AFTERNOON. COMMISSION, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME. WE ARE HERE TONIGHT TO DISCUSS THE REFORESTATION PLAN UPDATE THAT WE'VE WORKED ON FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS, AND WE'RE HOPING TO GET EVERYTHING, ALL THE DETAILS IRONED OUT FOR Y'ALL. SO GOING BACK TO THE ORIGINS OF OUR REFORESTATION PLAN, IT CAME ABOUT IN A 2008 REGULATORY MANDATE, WHICH ESTABLISHED A GOVERNANCE DEVELOPER, TREE MITIGATION PAYMENTS, AS NEW DEVELOPMENT WAS OCCURRING AT A RAPID RATE. IT ALSO TARGETED CANOPY PRESERVATION SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO ACTIVELY PROTECT, SUSTAIN AND EXPAND MCKINNEY'S URBAN FOREST AS RAPID, RAPID DEVELOPMENT AND MUNICIPAL GROWTH OCCURRED. AND THEN IT WAS ALSO TO BALANCE DEVELOPMENT PROVIDES A CRITICAL FINANCIAL AND ECOLOGICAL MECHANISM TO OFFSET NECESSARY TREE REMOVAL BY FUNDING STRATEGIC REPLANTING WHEN ON SITE REPLACEMENT IS PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE. SO ONE BIG THING THAT WE HAD HERE WAS MODERNIZING THE, YOU KNOW, FUND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE. SO IN ITS EXISTING FORM, IT'S KIND OF VAGUE. AND THE ADMINISTRATION AND TIMELINES, THERE'S NOT A TON OF DETAIL OR INITIATIVE BEHIND THOSE. AND IT HASN'T BEEN UPDATED SINCE 2008. I WAS ABOUT EIGHT YEARS OLD AT THAT POINT. 
          SO WE DECIDED THAT WE SHOULD JUST TAKE A LOOK AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE NEED TO ADD INTO IT AND MODERNIZE. AND IT'S ONLY NOTED THAT THE REFORESTATION FUNDS WILL BE USED TO REPLANT TREES, BUT NOT ANY SORT OF INITIATIVES BEHIND THAT. SO OUR 2026 UPDATE, WE WERE TRYING TO GET ENHANCED TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTROLS. WE WANTED TO MODERNIZE THE PLAN SO IT SOUGHT AFTER INITIATIVES FROM CITIZENS AND COUNCIL. INSTEAD OF JUST BEING SO VAGUE. SO GETTING INTO THE ACTUAL SPECIFICS OF THOSE REFORESTATION PLAN UPDATES, THE PROPOSED UPDATE WAS TO MODERNIZE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSES, ESTABLISH CLEAR PROGRAM DEFINITIONS, CODIFY RIGOROUS OVERSIGHT GUIDELINES TO ENSURE THE TRANSPARENT STEWARDSHIP OF THE REFORESTATION FUND. TO ACHIEVE THESE ECOLOGICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE GOALS, THE PLAN ESTABLISHES THREE PRIMARY INITIATIVES. FIRST IS OUR PUBLIC PROPERTY TREE PLANTING PROGRAM. SECOND IS THE CIP REPLACEMENT PROGRAM. AND THEN LASTLY, OUR URBAN CANOPY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM. STARTING FIRST WITH THE PUBLIC PROPERTY PLANTING. THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN THE PLAN SLIGHTLY. WHAT WE WERE AIMING TO DO WITH THIS IS TO KIND OF ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, DIAL IT IN WITH THE INITIATIVES ACTUALLY HAVE SOME PURPOSE BEHIND IT. SO THIS TARGETS PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY PARKWAYS AND PARKS INTRODUCES, YOU KNOW, ACTIVE INTER-DEPARTMENTAL SYNERGY BETWEEN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. AND IT ALLOWS, YOU KNOW, FLEXIBLE WATERING TECHNIQUES LIKE HAND WATERING, SLOW WATERING, AND IT HELPS US KIND OF, YOU KNOW, BRING IN TO SOME OF THE PARKS INTO A MORE MODERNIZED STYLE. CURRENTLY, THE WAY IT IS, IS WE HAVE TO INSTALL AN IRRIGATION SYSTEM BASICALLY AT EVERY SINGLE PARK. SOME OF THAT IS NOT DOABLE IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS. SO WE ARE 
          [00:05:01]
TRYING TO ALLOW FOR MORE FLEXIBLE TECHNIQUES IN THAT MANNER. AND THAT IS BASICALLY IT ON THE PUBLIC PROPERTY THING SINCE IT WAS ALREADY IN THE PLAN. NOW MOVING INTO THE CIP TREE REPLACEMENT PROGRAM, THIS AIMS TO PRESERVE AND RESTORE MATURE CANOPIES IMPACTED BY CITY INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, AND AUTHORIZES PLANTING VOUCHERS FOR FRONT YARD RESIDENTIAL PLACEMENTS COVERED BY STRICT SIZING GRIDS AND ANNUAL BUDGET LIMITS. IF YOU LOOK OVER TO THE RIGHT OF YOUR SCREEN, YOU'LL KIND OF SEE WHAT WE HAVE FOR OUR MATRIX SO FAR. 
          FOR A CRITICALLY ALTERED QUALITY TREE THAT IS 6 TO 16 INCH, YOU WILL GET A FOUR INCH REPLACEMENT TREE FOR ANYTHING THAT'S GREATER THAN 16IN. YOU WILL GET A SIX INCH REPLACEMENT TREE. GETTING MORE SPECIFIC WITH THE PARAMETERS. SO WITH OUR ANNUAL BUDGET CAP, WE'RE SETTING IT AT 5000 FOR 50 OR FOR FISCAL YEAR. AND IT CANNOT EXCEED THE UNENCUMBERED REFORESTATION FUND BALANCE FOR PRIVATE PROPERTY REIMBURSEMENT. WE'RE GOING UP TO $1,400 PER PROPERTY, AND IT'S DELIVERED VIA PLANTING VOUCHER OR DIRECT CASH IN LIEU PAYMENT, PRIVATE PLACEMENT RESTRICTION. WE ARE RESTRICTING THIS ONLY TO THE FRONT YARD. IF YOU WERE TO TRY TO GET INTO THIS PROGRAM, THEN THAT IS OUR MAIN STIPULATION. SINCE WE ARE REPLACING THE TREE THAT WE REMOVED IN THE FRONT, IT MUST BE LOCATED BETWEEN THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY AND THE FRONT FACADE OF THE PRIMARY STRUCTURE. MORE SPECIFICALLY, AN ALTERNATIVE PLANTING OPTION IS AN ORNAMENTAL TREE. IT'S AUTHORIZED IF A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL DETERMINES A LARGE CANOPY TREE CANNOT FIT. WE'VE RAN INTO CERTAIN SITUATIONS, EVEN ON PUBLIC PROPERTY, WHERE WE'VE HAD TO PIVOT TO AN ORNAMENTAL TREE SINCE THEY HAVE A SMALLER ROOT SIZE. WHENEVER YOU'RE PLANTING THEM IN THE GROUND. SO THIS IS JUST A KIND OF A RELIEF VALVE IN THOSE SITUATIONS. THEN MOVING ON TO OUR THIRD INITIATIVE, THE URBAN CANOPY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM. 
          IT'S UPDATED PROGRAM PARAMETERS WOULD ALLOW FOR URBAN FORESTRY STUDIES, HEAT ISLAND MAPPING, AND CITYWIDE OUTREACH. CURRENTLY, WE CAN ONLY PURCHASE THE TREES, PLANT THEM, AND IRRIGATE THEM WITH THE FUND. SO THIS WOULD ALLOW US TO DO SOME MORE RESEARCH TO ACTUALLY TELL WHAT WE HAVE OUT THERE. IT SUPPORTS PUBLIC PRIVATE INITIATIVES TO ACTIVELY GROW TREE COVERAGE ACROSS PRIVATELY OWNED RESIDENTIAL PARCELS TO IMPROVE URBAN CANOPY ACROSS THE CITY. I WILL STAND FOR ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, MR. WORTHY. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE PRESENTATION OR FOR MR. WORTHY? I SUPPOSE I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE PRIVATE PLACEMENT OF TREES. SO HOW WOULD THAT WORK JUST WITH A HOMEOWNER, A HOMEOWNER OR APPLY OR A PROPERTY OWNER APPLY? YES. YEAH. IT'S IT'S BASICALLY IF THEY'RE WITHIN THE PROJECT SCOPE OF A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, THEY WOULD APPLY THROUGH THE PROGRAM AND RECEIVE A VOUCHER FOR THE TREE. THEN, YOU KNOW, IRRIGATION, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING ON THE BACKSIDE OF THAT IS ON THE RESIDENT. OKAY. AND THIS CIP TREE REPLACEMENT IS IF THE CITY IS LIKE WORKING ON THE UTILITIES OR WIDENING THE RIGHT OF WAYS AND TREES REMOVED, THEN THIS IS THE THE PROCESS. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. AND THE VOUCHERS, HOW WOULD THEY GO ABOUT, GUESS, CASHING THOSE IN IF IT'S A VOUCHER? SO WE WOULD VENDOR ESSENTIALLY TO HAVE BASICALLY WE'LL HAVE OUR SET AMOUNT OF VOUCHERS PER YEAR. AND ONCE WE THIS PERSON APPLIES AND THEY GET APPROVED FOR THEIR PROGRAM, THEY WOULD TAKE WE WOULD GIVE THEM THAT VOUCHER AND THEY WOULD TAKE IT TO OUR VENDOR AND TURN IT IN. OKAY. AND THAT'S HOW THEY WOULD RECEIVE THE TREE. OKAY. AND THERE'S NOTHING IN THE CURRENT 2008 PLAN THAT SPEAKS TO THESE REQUIREMENTS. IT'S JUST VAGUE. 
          CORRECT. SO THIS IS MORE JUST TO CLARIFY AND HAVE SOME DIRECTION AS YOU GO FORWARD ON CIP PROJECTS, AS OPPOSED TO OPEN ENDEDNESS. THE OLD PLAN WAS ABOUT A PAGE LONG. IT DIDN'T GO INTO MUCH DETAIL ABOUT ANYTHING. SO THIS WILL TARGET FOCUS A LITTLE BIT MORE. 
          THE FUNDS FROM THE REFORESTATION FUND ROLL OVER FROM YEAR TO YEAR. YES THEY DO. 
          OKAY. AND THEN HEAVEN FORBID, THERE WAS SOME TYPE OF MAJOR INCIDENT TORNADO THAT CAME THROUGH AND DESTROYED A LOT OF THE TREES IN MCKINNEY. WE'VE BEEN VERY BLESSED THAT THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED. BUT WHAT TYPE OF PLAN IS IN PLACE TO REPLACE TREES SO THAT WERE TO OCCUR, THAT WOULD BE OUR PUBLIC PLANTING PROGRAM. AT FIRST WE WOULD TRY TO ATTACK, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING THAT'S ON PUBLIC SPACES WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE TORNADO HYPOTHETICALLY CAME THROUGH. WE WOULD DEFINITELY TRY TO ADDRESS THAT FIRST, AND THEN WE WOULD PROBABLY USE OUR RESEARCH PURPOSES AND EVERYTHING IN THE. LET ME GO BACK A SLIDE HERE, URBAN CANOPY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM. THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD TRY TO LOOK AT THE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP SIDE OF THINGS AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO. THIS WOULD GIVE US THE ABILITY TO KIND OF START RESEARCHING AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE WE MIGHT WANT TO DO WITH IT AT SOME POINT IN TIME. AND IS THIS A FUND THAT SOMEBODY COULD DONATE TO IF SOMEONE WAS AN ENVIRONMENTALIST OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? I HAVEN'T HAD THAT HAPPEN, AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S IN OUR MECHANISMS TO DO THAT. OKAY. AS OF RIGHT NOW, THE REFORESTATION FUND IS ONLY DONATED WHENEVER 
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TREES NEED TO BE MITIGATED FOR IF PEOPLE WANTED TO DONATE. I BELIEVE THAT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT HAS DIFFERENT FUNDS, BUT THIS IS ONLY FOR DEVELOPERS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO DO MITIGATION FUNDING. YES. SO THIS IS NOT A CITY BUDGET LINE ITEM. IT COMES FROM THE DEVELOPER DEVELOPERS THAT HAVE TO PAY IN. YEAH, OKAY. WE GET TEN YEARS TYPICALLY TO SPEND THE FUND CONTEXT. WHERE DOES THE CURRENT FUND SIT TODAY? ABOUT 1.8 MILLION APPROXIMATELY. 
          WE'VE BEEN VERY BUSY DEVELOPMENT WISE THE PAST FEW YEARS. AND SO THE EXPANSION OF THIS PROGRAM, ONE WILL HELP US WITH SOME OF OUR CIP PROJECTS TO BE ABLE TO ASSIST WITH RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNERS, AS WELL AS ACTUALLY DO DEEPER RESEARCH INTO OUR URBAN CANOPY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT LOSING SO MUCH OF IT AND THAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT WAYS TO IMPROVE IT. SO ONE OF THE BIG PUSHES FOR US TO BE ABLE TO UPDATE THIS REFORESTATION PLAN, AND CURRENTLY ON THE CIP ITEM, THERE IS NO MECHANISM TO DO THAT TODAY. CORRECT. C CIP WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THE REFORESTATION FUND AT THIS POINT. IT IS ONLY FOR PUBLIC PLANTINGS CURRENTLY, SO IT'S ADDING THAT IT IS ADDING THE CIP COMPONENT AND THE OUTREACH AND EDUCATION COMPONENT, AS WELL AS THE ABILITY TO DO STUDIES AND THINGS. ADDITIONAL. 
          YES, MA'AM. SO WAS THERE A CURRENT BANK OF TREES TO BE PLACED, OR IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE POINT FORWARD? SO WE ARE WE HAVE A FUND BASICALLY WHERE WE CAN PLANT OR BUY FROM OUR VENDOR THAT WE HAVE, WHICH WE WE DO IT PRETTY REGULARLY. WE SPEND, YOU KNOW, ANYWHERE IN THE BALLPARK OF 100 TO 300 TREES, USUALLY PER PLANTING SEASON. BUT THIS WOULD ALLOW US TO EXPAND THOSE EFFORTS. OKAY. APPROXIMATELY, WE SPEND ANYWHERE FROM 50,000 TO 200,000 A YEAR ON PUBLIC PLANTINGS. TO GIVE SOME ADDITIONAL CONTEXT. OKAY. ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. OKAY. THIS ITEM DOES HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ATTACHED TO IT. SO IF YOU'RE HERE THIS EVENING AND YOU WISH TO SPEAK REGARDING THIS ITEM, KINDLY APPROACH. MADAM CHAIR, I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND APPROVE THE ITEM. OKAY. WE HAVE THERE'S ACTUALLY NOT. IT'S JUST A CONSIDER DISCUSSING. JUST CONSIDER. YOU GUYS HAVE TO JUST CONSIDER, DISCUSS AND ACT ON YOUR RECOMMENDATION FOR THE RESOLUTION. OKAY. I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ITEM. SO MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION. YES. RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO CITY COUNCIL. OKAY. SO COMMISSIONER LEBO HAS MADE THE MOTION. SECOND. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER HAMMOCK. KINDLY CAST YOUR VOTES. OKAY. IN THIS MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY 7 TO 0. AND THE RECOMMENDATION? THE TREE BOARD WILL BE FORWARDED TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL ACTION AT THE AUGUST 4TH, 2026 MEETING. AT THIS TIME, ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS REGARDING MATTERS NOT ON THE AGENDA? TO THE BOARD OR STAFF? HAVE ANY COMMENTS? THANK YOU GUYS FOR COMING EARLY FOR THE TREE BOARD. I KNOW WE HAVEN'T MET SINCE TECHNICALLY 2016 AND THEN 2008. SO APPRECIATE Y'ALL. EVERY TEN YEARS OR EVERY TEN YEARS OR SO. OKAY. SO DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN. SECOND. OKAY. FIRST BY COMMISSIONER SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CONRAD, KINDLY CAST YOUR VOTES. AND THAT VOTE PASSES UNANIMOUSLY, 7 TO 0. WE
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.