Sep 22, 2025 Public Works and Sustainability Commission

[00:00:07]

HERE. COMMISSIONER BAJAJ. HERE. COMMISSIONER ANDERSON.

[A. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]

COMMISSIONER NAFISSI THANKS. PUT YOUR RIGHT HAND OVER YOUR HEART.

READY? BEGIN. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

APPROVE ORDER OF AGENDA. I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE ORDER AGENDA.

[D. APPROVE ORDER OF AGENDA]

[E. BLUE FOLDER ITEMS - ADDITIONAL BACK UP MATERIALS]

WE DID HAVE AN EMAIL THAT CAME IN ASKING FOR THE REDONDO PARK TO BE NAMED AFTER THE LATE MAYOR BILL BRAND.

THAT COULD BE ENTERED INTO THE RECORD. AS A RECEIVE AND FILE WILL INCLUDE THAT WITH THE WITH THE WITH THE RECORD.

SURE I'LL MAKE THE ORDER TO RECEIVE AND FILE. SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. CONSENT CALENDAR. BUSINESS ITEMS, EXCEPT THOSE FORMERLY NOTICED FOR PUBLIC HEARING OR DISCUSSIONS,

[F. CONSENT CALENDAR]

THOSE ITEMS REMAINING ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR WILL BE APPROVED IN ONE MOTION FOLLOWING ORAL COMMUNICATIONS.

MOVING ON TO F.1. APPROVE AFFIDAVIT OF POSTING FOR THE PUBLIC WORKS AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MEETING.

F.2 APPROVE THE PUBLIC WORKS AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES FOR THE AUGUST 25TH AND 2025 REGULAR MEETING.

DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE SO BEFORE WE WE DO THAT, JUST FOR THE RECORD, THERE IS NO HANDS RAISED ON ZOOM AND THERE IS NO ECOMMENTS FOR THIS.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR.

I'LL SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. EXCLUDED CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS? THERE'S NONE. OKAY. MOVING ON TO PUBLIC PARTICIPATION OF NON-AGENDA ITEMS.

[H. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS]

THIS SECTION IS LIMITED TO 30 MINUTES. EACH SPEAKER WILL BE AFFORDED THREE MINUTES TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION.

EACH SPEAKER WILL BE PERMITTED TO SPEAK ONLY ONCE.

WRITTEN REQUESTS, IF ANY, WILL BE CONSIDERED FIRST UNDER THIS SECTION.

THERE ARE TWO CARDS. JIM MUELLER.

EVENING COMMISSION. GOOD EVENING. MY FIRST TIME TO APPEAR BEFORE YOU.

AND THANK YOU. HOW CAN YOU TELL IF AN AREA IS A THRIVING COMMUNITY CENTER? YOU SEE PEOPLE. PEOPLE ARE GOING IN AND OUT OF BUSINESSES.

SOME ARE SITTING AND RELAXING IN AN OUTDOOR CAFE OR PUBLIC SPACE.

PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE TAKING THEIR TIME THERE WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND CHILDREN.

SO WHY DON'T YOU SEE PEOPLE SPENDING TIME ON OUR.

ON THE ARTESIA CORRIDOR? AND WHY AREN'T THERE MORE THRIVING BUSINESSES THAT THOSE CROWDS WOULD ATTRACT? BECAUSE THE PUBLIC AND PEDESTRIAN SPACE ALONG THE BOULEVARD FEELS TO MANY PEOPLE CRAMPED, NOISY AND TO SOME, DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS. ON ARTESIA, YOU ARE A FEW FEET AWAY FROM A CONSTANT STREAM OF FAST MOVING VEHICLES.

SPEED LIMIT 35 OFTEN EXCEEDED A RUSH OF DISORDERLY NOISE AND POTENTIAL DANGER POUNDS YOUR HEAD.

YOU'RE NERVOUS AND ALERT, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE KIDS WITH YOU.

AS MUCH AS I LOVE TREES, THE TREES IN THE CENTER GREEN BELT OF A LOT OF THE ARTESIA CORRIDOR HAVE GROWN AND THEIR BRANCHES OVERHANG THE ROADWAY,

[00:05:04]

IF YOU MUST SET FOOT ON ARTESIA, YOU FEEL THE NEED TO GET IN AND GET OUT.

OR, AS MANY DO, AVOID THE AREA ENTIRELY. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO MAKE THE ARTESIA CORRIDOR MORE PEOPLE FRIENDLY? FIRST, DISCOURAGE THROUGH TRAFFIC. MANY MOTORISTS WHO ENTER AT HAWTHORNE, REDONDO BOULEVARD OR INGLEWOOD OR AVIATION ARE ON THEIR WAY OUT OF TOWN.

THEY HAVE THE MOST INCENTIVE TO EXCEED 35 JUMP TRAFFIC SIGNALS AND USE OTHER TACTICS TO SPEED THROUGH REDONDO THROUGH TRAFFIC ADDS A LOT TO THE NOISE, AND PEDESTRIAN SENSE OF DANGER THROUGH TRAFFIC DOES NOT BENEFIT REDONDO BEACH.

MY SUGGESTION MAKE PEDESTRIANS A PRIORITY. REDUCE THE SPEED LIMIT.

GET TOUGH WITH VIOLATORS. ADJUST THE TIMING OF THE STOPLIGHTS TO MAKE MORE STOPS.

MAKE MID-BLOCK CROSSWALKS. RAISE THE ROADWAY AT INTERSECTIONS, CREATING SO-CALLED SPEED TABLES.

ENCOURAGE THROUGH TRAFFIC TO DIVERT TO MANHATTAN BEACH BOULEVARD OR 190TH STREET, EVEN GRANT AVENUE.

THIS COMMISSION COULD ALSO RECOMMEND TO THE COUNCIL THAT DEVELOPERS NEW BUILD PLANS SPECIFY GREATER SETBACKS ALONG ARTESIA TO CREATE MORE DISTANCE FROM TRAFFIC. HOW TO HELP PAY FOR THESE CHANGES? THE STATE HAS GRANT PROGRAMS FOR TRAFFIC CALMING AND IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.

ALSO, THE BUSINESS DISTRICTS WOULD BE MORE THRIVING IF THE IF THE BOULEVARD WAS MORE ATTRACTIVE TO PEOPLE.

I SUGGEST THE COMMISSION ASKED STAFF TO STUDY THESE ISSUES AND RECOMMEND CHANGES THAT WILL RESULT IN AN ARTESIA CORRIDOR, WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO SPEND TIME AND MONEY TO MAKE A BETTER REDONDO BEACH THANK YOU.

THANK YOU EVENING COMMISSIONERS. LARA DUKE. ON SEPTEMBER 30TH AT 3:00 P.M.

THE GROUNDBREAKING OF A NEW PARK WILL TAKE PLACE.

THIS WILL BE A NATURE PARK. THE FIRST ONE OF ITS SIZE IN REDONDO IN DECADES.

RIGHT OFF REDONDO AND PCH. WE SHOULD CALL IT BILL BRAND PARK.

MAYOR LIGHT AND THE LATE MAYOR BRAND, ALONG WITH THE SOUTH BAY PARKLAND CONSERVANCY, WORKED HARD TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

AND FINALLY, WE HAVE THE NECESSARY SOCAL EDISON APPROVAL ON TWO AND A HALF ACRES OF WHAT WILL BE A BEAUTIFUL PARKLAND SPACE.

THE PARK WILL BE HAVE A HAVE MEANDERING PEDESTRIAN PATHS WITH LOCATIONS TO SIT.

THIS IS GREAT NEWS IN OUR PARK POOR CITY. AND IT WOULD BE FANTASTIC TO EVENTUALLY EXPAND A GREENBELT TO THE SEA ALL ALONG 190TH.

MY PERSONAL HOPE AND I'M SURE THE WISH OF MANY OTHERS AND THE GROUP CITIZENS FOR REDONDO TREES, LED BY LAURA MACMORRAN AND MARA LANG, IS TO HAVE LOTS OF TREES THERE TO PROVIDE MUCH NEEDED SHADE, WHICH ALSO ACT AS NATURE'S AIR CONDITIONERS AND PURIFIERS.

WE NEED TREES AND PARKS NEED TREES. THIS IS ALL ESPECIALLY EXCITING GIVEN IT'S RIGHT NEAR THE ENTRANCE ON THE NORTH SIDE TO REDONDO BEACH, WHERE THE REDONDO BEACH KING HARBOR SIGN IS. SO IT WILL BE A WELCOME STATEMENT TO ALL THE RESIDENTS RETURNING HOME AND THE FIRST THING THAT GREETS VISITORS TO OUR CITY.

I RECALL MAYOR BRAND ALSO TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO ULTIMATELY GET THE HABITAT OF THE LOWER PART OF THIS AREA BACK TO WHAT IT ONCE WAS, WITH MARSHLAND DRAWING BACK THE NATIVE FAUNA.

HE TALKED ABOUT REWILDING BEFORE REWILDING BECAME THE HOT TOPIC IT IS TODAY.

THE SHUTTING DOWN OF THE AES POWER PLANT AND RETURN OF THIS AREA TO ITS NATIVE STATE, WAS CHAMPIONED FOR YEARS BY BILL BRAND AND THE PARKLAND CONSERVANCY HE CO-FOUNDED.

LET'S HONOR AND PAY TRIBUTE TO MAYOR BRAND, WHO WORKED TIRELESSLY FOR MORE OPEN SPACE, PUBLIC SPACES FOR THE RESIDENTS OF REDONDO BEACH AND ALL WHO VISIT.

BILL BRAND WOULD BE BILL BRAND PARK WOULD BE THE MOST FITTING NAME THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU OKAY THERE IS ONE ECOMMENTS ALSO SUPPORTING NAMING THE PARK AFTER THE LATE MAYOR.

THANK YOU. MOVING ON TO I. ITEMS CONTINUE FROM PREVIOUS AGENDAS.

THERE'S NONE. OKAY. JAY ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION PRIOR TO ACTION?

[J. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION PRIOR TO ACTION]

ANDY WINJE, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR. AND WITH ME TONIGHT, I HAVE MARK GARLOCK, THE CITY'S ARBORIST, URBAN FORESTER/PARKS MANAGER SITTING IN TO HELP A DISCUSSION ON INCREASING THE TREE CANOPY IN THE CITY OF REDONDO

[00:10:05]

BUT ON YOUR SUSTAINABILITY HAT, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT HELPING THE CITY'S TREE CANOPY.

JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON THIS THE CITY COUNCIL, AS PART OF THEIR CURRENT STRATEGIC PLAN ASKED FOR AN ITEM, ASKED FOR STAFF TO BRING BACK AN ITEM BY THE END OF THE YEAR DISCUSSING STRATEGIES AND OPTIONS TO INCREASE THE CITY'S TREE CANOPY.

SO COUNCIL HAS EXPRESSED A LOT OF INTEREST IN THIS.

AS MANY OF YOU RECALL, WE PASSED A CITY TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE.

A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, AFTER VISITING THIS COMMISSION AND OTHER COMMISSIONS, AS WELL AS THE COUNCIL OVER A COUPLE OF YEAR PERIOD THAT TREE ORDINANCE IS IN PLACE. IT ONLY ADDRESSED OUR PUBLIC TREES, CITY OWNED TREES.

SO THERE'S PERHAPS MORE WORK TO DO. AND CERTAINLY THINGS WERE DEBATED DURING THAT TIME THAT DIDN'T GET CARRIED FORWARD. BUT MAYBE PART OF OUR DISCUSSION TONIGHT, LATER ON THE BENEFIT OF TREES IS VERY BROADLY KNOWN, I THINK, TO, TO MOST LOTS OF GOOD INFORMATION COMING OUT THESE DAYS ABOUT TREE CANOPY IS NOT JUST A NICE TO HAVE, BUT A NECESSITY AS PART OF THE CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL REASONS, FOR SOCIAL REASONS, PROPERTY VALUE, ECONOMIC REASONS ESTHETIC BEAUTY.

THERE'S JUST A LOT OF GOOD REASONS TO FAVOR TREE CANOPY IN URBAN PLACES.

IT'S A NEWER FIELD IN PUBLIC WORKS. DESPITE THE FACT THAT THERE'S SO MUCH GOOD HERE, THAT COUNTY OF LA JUST ADOPTED THEIR COMMUNITY URBAN FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN LAST YEAR, THE VERY FIRST ONE.

SO IT IS A RELATIVELY NEW FIELD THAT IS BEING EXPLORED BY MUNICIPAL AGENCIES, PUBLIC WORKS AGENCIES IN THE STATE.

AS I MENTIONED, WE DO HAVE SOME HISTORY WITH TREE CANOPY IN THE FORM OF OUR TREE ORDINANCE ADOPTION.

AND I ALSO HAVE WITH US TONIGHT ROB OSBORNE, THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT SENIOR MANAGEMENT ANALYST.

HE KIND OF CARRIED THE BALL FOR THE PREVIOUS ORDINANCE.

ROB WILL BE LEAVING THE CITY, RETIRING IN A FEW MONTHS.

SO IF YOU WANT TO ASK ANY KIND OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE HISTORY, YOU GOT TO GET HIM TONIGHT [LAUGHTER]. SO I ASKED HIM TO COME ALONG TO PROVIDE WHATEVER HISTORY DURING THAT CONVERSATION WE HAD A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.

THERE'S LOTS OF WAYS THAT CITIES APPROACH CAPTURING THE BENEFITS OF TREE CANOPY.

WE'LL LOOK AT A FEW OF THOSE THINGS TONIGHT. THEY'RE VERY MUCH LOCATION SPECIFIC.

CERTAIN CLIMATES ADAPT THESE KIND OF IDEAS DIFFERENTLY.

BUT IN GENERAL VIEWED VERY POSITIVELY AS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY COULD PURSUE AND SHOULD PROMOTE THE CITY SPECIFIC URBAN FOREST IS KIND OF DOCUMENTED HERE WITH SOME STATS. WE HAVE OVER 11,300 CITY OWNED TREES IN OUR INVENTORY.

THE CITY'S AREA IS ABOUT A THOUSAND ACRES, SO THAT'S A LITTLE OVER 100 TREES PER ACRE.

DID I DO THE MATH RIGHT ON THAT? TEN TREES PER ACRE SORRY.

AND SO WE HAVE TREES IN OUR STREETS. WE HAVE TREES IN OUR PARKWAYS, AND THEN OUR CITY OWNED FACILITIES AS WELL.

WE HAVE BROAD SPECIES DIVERSITY HERE. THERE'S A TABLE THERE WITH THE TOP TEN SPECIES COMMON NAMES THAT ARE IN THE MIDDLE COLUMN AND PERCENTAGES.

AND THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER CATEGORY WHICH IS THE PREDOMINANT PIE PIECE THERE IN THE GRAPH.

216 SPECIES REPRESENTED IN THAT 41.62% OF OUR INVENTORY.

DESPITE THE THE BROAD SPECIES DIVERSITY IS GOOD.

IT'S NOT NECESSARILY IDEAL. MARK CAN TALK MORE ABOUT KIND OF THE MIX OF THOSE TREES AND HOW THEY FIT BEST IN OUR COMMUNITY AND WITH EACH OTHER.

I ALSO HAVE A TABLE HERE SHOWING THE AGE DISTRIBUTION OF OUR TREES WITH A TRUNK DIAMETER AS A PROXY MEASUREMENT FOR AGE.

AND YOU SEE THAT MOST OF OUR TREES ARE, YOU KNOW, 20 TO 25 YEAR BANDWIDTH.

WE'RE WE'RE BIASED TOWARDS AGING TREES. WE PROBABLY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH YOUNGER TREES BASED ON THIS THIS TABLE.

SO THAT OUGHT TO BE SOMETHING WE CONSIDER AS WELL AS WE APPROACH IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR TREE CANOPY.

FOR FOR THE YEARS MOVING FORWARD. MARK TOLD ME TODAY THAT THE AVERAGE LIFE OF A STREET TREE IS ONLY SEVEN YEARS.

AND SO IT'S KIND OF A NUMBERS GAME WHERE YOU WANT A LOT OF YOUNG TREES AND CARE FOR A LOT OF YOUNG TREES IN THE HOPES THAT YOU INCREASE THE QUANTITY THAT MAKE IT THROUGH TO THE MORE MATURE CANOPY CANOPY PRODUCING AGES. THERE IS DATA AVAILABLE ON THE CITY'S

[00:15:10]

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE'S AND U.S. FOREST SERVICE, CALLED THE CALIFORNIA URBAN TREE CANOPY VIEWER.

I THINK THE LINK TO THAT WAS IN THE THE PACKAGE THAT YOU RECEIVED IN THE AGENDA.

THAT PHOTO THERE, IT SHOWS CENSUS TRACT AREAS, COLOR CODED WITH QUALITATIVE STATEMENTS ABOUT TREE COVERAGE, SO VERY HIGH AS THE DARKEST GREEN, THEN HIGH, THEN DOWN TO VERY LOW IN THE PALEST COLORS.

YOU CAN SEE REDONDO BEACH KIND OF FITS IN WITH THE OTHER CITIES IN OUR AREA.

WE HAVE AREAS THAT ARE JUST BELOW THE STATEWIDE LEVEL AND AREAS THAT ARE CONSIDERED LOW.

SOME OF THE CITIES ON THE HILL HAVE A LOT MORE COVERAGE THAN WE DO, BUT WE'RE PRETTY CONSISTENT WITH THE OTHER BEACH CITIES AND SOUTH BAY BASIN CITIES. THAT SAID THE STATISTICS FROM THIS DATABASE SHOW THAT WE HAVE AN 8.3% CANOPY COVER BASED ON 2022 DATA. IDEAL RANGES FROM 15% TO 25% FOR MUNICIPALITY.

FOR AN URBAN AREA. AND SO WE'RE CERTAINLY BELOW THAT.

THERE IS A COMPARISON TO DATA FROM 2018, AND I MENTIONED THIS IN THE STAFF REPORT THAT IT'S A CONSIDERABLE DROP 14% IN JUST FOUR YEARS, WHICH SEEMS VERY UNLIKELY TO ME IN AN APPLES TO APPLES COMPARISON, JUST BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HAD, YOU KNOW, TREE ROT OR BIG DISEASES OR FIRES OR THINGS THAT MIGHT HAVE DIMINISHED US THAT MUCH IN A FOUR YEAR TIME PERIOD.

OUR GIS ANALYSTS TOOK A CLOSER LOOK AT SOME OF THE MATH AND POLYGONS THAT THEY USE TO DETERMINE AREA, AND IT LOOKED TO HIM LIKE THEY WERE USING SOME DIFFERENT STANDARDS AND TECHNIQUES FOR YEARS AGO TILL TILL NOW.

SO IT JUST STRESSES. AND THIS IS A GREAT CHART.

I DON'T WANT TO BELITTLE THE THE QUALITY OF INFORMATION HERE, BUT I THINK THE POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE WITH THIS IS THAT THERE IS GREAT ADVANTAGE TO DOING A SPECIFIC STUDY TO OUR CITY. GETTING SOMEBODY TO A PROFESSIONAL TO LOOK AT THE DATA FOR OUR CITY, FINDING WHERE THE GAPS ARE, NOT JUST WHERE OUR TREES ARE, BUT WHERE OUR POSSIBILITIES ARE.

WHAT IS THE CAPACITY FOR THE CITY TO INCREASE ITS CANOPY GIVEN OUR TERRAIN AND OUR VARIOUS LAND USES.

SO THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OR THE I'M SORRY, THE LEFT HAND SIDE SHOWS IN PINK AREAS THAT ARE CONSIDERED HEAT ISLAND SEVERITY AND RANGES FROM MILD AND LIGHT PINK TO SEVERE AND THE DARKEST PINK THERE.

I WAS REALLY SURPRISED BY THE DISPARITY BETWEEN NORTH AND SOUTH REDONDO IN THIS PHOTO.

AND I EXPECT IT HAS TO DO WITH A LITTLE BIT BETTER TREE COVER IN THE SOUTH PART OF THE CITY.

BUT MAYBE THE DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE COAST AND THE COASTAL BREEZES AS WELL.

FOR THE FOR THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE CITY. I'M SPECULATING THAT I DON'T REALLY KNOW THE REASON.

THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE MIGHT WANT TO LOOK INTO AS WELL. BUT HEAT LIGHT HEAT ISLAND EFFECT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ADDRESS THROUGH TREE CANOPY THROUGH OTHER MEASURES. NOT JUST TREE CANOPY, BUT LANDSCAPING VERSUS PAVING AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WHERE WE CAN DO THAT TO REDUCE HEAT ISLAND EFFECTS IN ANY URBAN AREA.

BACK UP ONE STEP THERE. JUST I MENTIONED THE REFINEMENT OF OUR INVENTORY, NOT JUST OUR INVENTORY, BUT OUR CANOPY. AND THAT'S THAT'S REALLY A KEY MEASURE TO UNDERSTAND BEFORE WE BEGIN TO TRY AND SET GOALS AND TIMELINES.

WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S ACHIEVABLE. WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE REALISTIC GOALS ABOUT THE ABILITY TO GROW OUR CANOPY.

SO JUST AS WE THINK ABOUT WHAT OUR NEXT STEPS, WHAT OUR STRATEGIES, WE WANT TO REALLY EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD DATA HERE AT THE BEGINNING, TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE WITH OUR CANOPY AND WHAT OUR WHAT OUR POTENTIAL IS.

AS WE BEGIN TO LOOK INTO THIS. THANKS, MARK WE THINK ABOUT IN PUBLIC WORKS. ANYWAY, WE THINK ABOUT TREES IN TWO CATEGORIES, THE ONES WE TAKE CARE OF AND THE ONES WE DON'T TAKE CARE [LAUGHTER] OF.

THE ONES WE TAKE CARE OF ARE THE CITY OWNED TREES.

AND THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE ARE VERY MUCH IN CONTROL OF WITH OUR CITY OWNED TREES, AS MENTIONED IN OUR TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE.

THERE ARE REGULATIONS IN THERE ABOUT WHICH TREES CAN BE REMOVED DURING DEVELOPMENT, HOW TREES SHOULD BE PROTECTED DURING CONSTRUCTION MAINTENANCE TECHNIQUES THAT SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT BE USED CERTAIN STANDARDS OF CARE MENTIONED THERE.

[00:20:03]

THAT'S NOT THE LOW HANGING FRUIT. THAT'S [LAUGHTER] THAT'S WHERE WE'VE DONE A LOT OF GOOD WORK ALREADY.

THERE WE DO HAVE AN APPROVED SPECIES LIST, WHICH IS A PART OF GOOD ORDINANCE.

WE DON'T. IT NEEDS TO BE UPDATED. IT'S A LITTLE BIT DATED RIGHT NOW.

WE ARE. WE NEED TO WORK ON THAT AS WELL. THAT WOULD BE A GOOD THING TO DO.

AFTER WE DO A FURTHER INVENTORY OF SPECIES AND BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE'D LIKE OUR DISTRIBUTION OF SPECIES TO LOOK.

CERTAINLY WITHIN AN APPROVED SPECIES LIST, THERE ARE UNAPPROVED TREES THAT WE SHOULD ALSO LIST, PERHAPS THAT WE WOULD NOT WANT IN THE PUBLIC SPACES.

CERTAINLY, THE RIGHT OF WAY HAS A LOT OF CONSIDERATIONS WITH UTILITIES, BURIED UTILITIES, SIDEWALKS, PAVEMENT, OTHER THINGS THAT TREE ROOTS CAN, CAN WORK NEGATIVELY ON.

WE CAN IMPROVE OR DEVELOP A FULLER POLICY MANUAL ABOUT HOW WE MANAGE OUR CITY OWNED TREES STANDARDS OF CARE POLICIES ABOUT INVESTMENT THAT THE CITY MAKES IN EITHER REPLACING TREES OR ADDING TO OUR TREE COVER TYPES OF USE, TYPES OF TREES, A NUMBER OF WAYS. THAT'S A THAT'S AN AREA OF GROWTH IN OUR, IN OUR POLICY IN THIS AREA OF POLICY MANUAL.

AND THEN THERE ARE PLANTING PROGRAMS. CERTAINLY THE COUNCIL FUNDS EVERY YEAR WE MAKE A GOAL TO PLANT 100 TREES EVERY YEAR.

NOT ALL OF THOSE ARE NEW TREES. SOME OF THOSE ARE REPLACEMENT TREES.

AND THERE ARE BUT THERE ARE PROGRAMS WHERE MUNICIPALITIES OR OTHER AGENCIES, LIKE, I THINK PG&E DOES THIS GIVES AWAY TREES TO RESIDENTS FOR PLANTING ON THEIR PRIVATE PARCELS AS WELL. SO LOOKING INTO PLANTING PROGRAMS, ENCOURAGING PRIVATE CITIZENS TO PLANT TREES IN THEIR OWN SPACES OR CORPORATIONS TO PLANT TREES IN THEIR SPACES WOULD BE A GOOD PART OF WHAT WE CAN DO AS A CITY, POLICY WISE, TO INCREASE YOU'LL SEE OUR TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE TITLES THERE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PAGE.

AND THOSE ALL HAVE TO DO WITH PUBLIC TREES. SO WE DON'T ADDRESS PRIVATE TREES IN OUR IN OUR MUNICIPAL CODE RIGHT NOW, IF YOU GIVE ME THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS IS AN AREA WHERE WE CAN GROW IN TERMS OF THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO IMPROVE OUR CANOPY OVER THE YEARS. LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES WITH REDEVELOPMENT AND DEVELOPMENT.

WHAT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARE, WHAT THEY SHOULD LOOK LIKE.

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH? HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH? THOSE ARE ALL QUESTIONS THAT REMAIN TO BE ANSWERED.

THE AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION HAS SOME SAMPLE IDEAS HERE THAT I'VE THROWN UP ON THE SCREEN.

IN TERMS OF PRESERVATION OR PLANTING OR REACHING CANOPY GOALS THROUGH FEE AND LIEU PROGRAMS THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WE COULD CONSIDER PRESERVATION REQUIREMENTS IN OTHER WORDS, PROHIBITION AGAINST TAKING OUT TREES INDISCRIMINATELY.

WE LOOKED AT THAT A LITTLE BIT LAST TIME WITH HERITAGE TREES.

IT DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH HORSEPOWER TO GET THROUGH THE PROCESS TO BECOME PART OF OUR ORDINANCE AT THE TIME.

THERE'S REASONS FOR THAT. IT'S INFRINGES UPON, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE'S PERSONAL PROPERTY RIGHTS.

SO THAT'S A CHALLENGE. SO THOSE HAVE TO BE WELL CRAFTED, WELL THOUGHT OUT TO BE INCLUDED AND TO BE EFFECTIVE.

CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT THAT WE MIGHT RECOMMEND TO THE COUNCIL TO LOOK AT AGAIN AS PART OF INCREASING OUR ORDINANCE.

YOU KNOW, OUR PRIVATE PROPERTY IS ABOUT 75% OF THE LAND AREA IN THE CITY.

SO IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE HOW TO DO A LOT OF IMPROVEMENT, MOVE THE NEEDLE A LOT ON TREE CANOPY WITHOUT ADDRESSING PRIVATE PROPERTY.

BUT THERE ARE SOME CHALLENGES THERE, SO THEY ARE A VERY NECESSARY PARTNERSHIP WITH US IN THIS PROCESS.

HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF DATA THERE ABOUT THE 1400 PARCELS IN THE CITY AND JUST THE 27% THAT CITY CONTROLLED LAND.

OKAY WELL, A MONTH OR SO. THERE ARE BIG PICTURE PLANS THAT, FOR INSTANCE, THE COUNTY HAS DONE.

I GAVE YOU A COUPLE OTHER EXAMPLES IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT FROM VARIOUS CITIES THAT HAVE DONE A REALLY NICE JOB.

GARDEN GROVE WAS ONE WHAT WAS THE OTHER CLAREMONT THANK YOU. BIG URBAN FOREST MANAGEMENT PLANS.

THESE ARE BIG STUDIES, YOU KNOW, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS KIND OF STUDIES.

THEY LOOK AT A LONG TERM, 20 YEAR, 30 YEAR, 40 YEAR WINDOW TO BUILD CANOPY IN THEIR FORESTS.

THEY'RE DATA DRIVEN. THEY DO A LOT OF ASSESSMENT OF CAPACITY FOR NEW TREE GROWTH, NEW CANOPY IMPROVEMENTS FOR EXISTING TREES.

THEY DO A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PUBLIC QUESTIONS ABOUT JUST SOCIAL VALUES.

[00:25:02]

THE SOCIAL CONTEXT IS STUDIED. CERTAIN COMMUNITIES TREES MAY BE IMPORTANT IN A DIFFERENT WAY THAN THEY ARE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

SO ALL THAT IS STUDIED. SOCIAL EQUITY IS AN IMPORTANT USE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS LIKE HEAT LIGHT, HEAT ISLAND EFFECTS AND HEALTH EFFECTS AND BENEFITS OF SHADE AND WHERE THOSE ARE YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GOOD, GOOD SHADE COVERAGE IN AREAS WHERE THERE'S NOT GOOD SHADE COVERAGE.

SO THAT IS OFTEN STUDIED IN THESE KIND OF STUDIES.

BIODIVERSITY OF THE, THE PLANT SPECIES AND THE OTHER SPECIES THAT ARE SUPPORTED BY TREE LIFE AND HOW THOSE FIT INTO THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT IN THE SETTINGS THAT WE'RE IN WITH HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS ABOUT TREE LIMBS FALLING OR FIRE DANGER OR THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO THESE ARE TYPICALLY BIG STUDIES, YOU KNOW, VERY DEEP, VERY WELL THOUGHT OUT.

IT'S KIND OF THE GOLD STANDARD FOR HOW YOU MIGHT APPROACH A PLAN TO INCREASE, INCREASE YOUR TREE CANOPY.

TOPICS ON HOW THE AGENCY MANAGES THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, AND THEN OTHER ECONOMIC DRIVERS THAT L.A.

COUNTY AS A WHOLE CHAPTER ON THE ECONOMIC DRIVERS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR TREE GROWTH, EVERYTHING FROM CAREERS IN TREE MANAGEMENT TO THE PRODUCTS THAT TREES MIGHT PROVIDE OR THE OPPORTUNITIES THEY MIGHT PROVIDE FROM SHADE AND OTHER THINGS.

SO VERY COMPREHENSIVE STUDIES. THAT'S KIND OF THE LONG TERM APPROACH.

KIND OF A MIDDLE APPROACH WAS ADOPTED BY THE GATEWAY CITIES A FEW YEARS AGO.

THEY KIND OF DEVELOPED A PRIORITY, WHAT THEY CALL A PRIORITY PLAN, WHICH LOOKED TO ME LIKE A SHORTER TERM PLAN, MAYBE 5 TO 10 YEAR WINDOW IDENTIFYING AGAIN, AN ASSESSMENT OF THE LOCAL CANOPY FOR EACH CITY WAS DONE AND THE POTENTIAL IN THOSE CITIES FOR ADDITIONAL TREES THEY IDENTIFIED PRIORITY AREAS BASED ON SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS, BOTH SPATIAL LIKE WHERE DO THE TREES GO AND ADMINISTRATIVE. WHAT CAN WE DO QUICKLY, EFFICIENTLY AS A MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT TO ENCOURAGE TREE CANOPY GROWTH.

THEY DID SOME RATHER THAN DEEP, YOU KNOW, LONG LASTING PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.

THESE WERE MORE SURVEY MONKEY KIND OF SURVEYS.

QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT DO PEOPLE PREFER? WHAT DO PEOPLE WANT TO SEE? WHAT'S WHAT'S FAR ENOUGH? WHAT'S TOO FAR? ON SOME OF THE REQUIREMENTS THAT MIGHT BE INCLUDED IN PLANNING CODE, FOR INSTANCE. AND THEN LOOKING AT SHORTER TERM FUNDING COMMITMENTS AND SOURCES THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE FOR THOSE CITIES TO PLANT MORE TREES TO INCLUDE MORE TREES, TO MAYBE INCREASE STAFF, TO MANAGE TREES A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO, THINGS LIKE THAT. SO SHORTER TERM 5 TO 10 YEAR LOOK, MAYBE FROM THAT GATEWAY CITY STUDY THAT WAS DONE.

AND THEN THERE'S KIND OF QUICK ACTION STUFF. WHAT CAN WE DO NOW? WHAT CAN WE CHANGE RIGHT AWAY? COULD WE, IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET INCREASE OUR COMMITMENT TO PLANTING MORE TREES? COULD WE DEVELOP A PROGRAM BY, YOU KNOW, NEXT ARBOR DAY, FOR INSTANCE, TO GIVE AWAY A CERTAIN NUMBER OF TREES TO PEOPLE WHO WANTED THEM FOR THEIR YARDS, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. MAYBE MORE QUICK ACTION.

ALL OF THESE THINGS HELP. AND KIND OF THE QUESTION THAT WE WANT TO PUT TO YOU TONIGHT IS, WHAT KIND OF SCOPE SHOULD WE TAKE TO THE COUNCIL IN TERMS OF STRATEGIES TO ACCOMPLISH THE GOAL TO INCREASE TREE CANOPY? DO WE WANT TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY AND MAYBE A COUPLE OF YEARS DOING A FULL URBAN FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN? DO WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT QUICKER? COULD WE DO ALL OF THESE AT ONCE? PROBABLY NOT.

COULD WE START AT QUICK ACTION AND THEN BUILD? THAT MAY NOT BE THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO DO IT.

WE MIGHT WANT TO REALLY THINK ABOUT HOW WE DO THAT.

SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO TEE UP A CONVERSATION TONIGHT FOR YOU ALL TO HAVE, CERTAINLY WITH THE PUBLIC'S INPUT ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT PRESENT STRATEGIES TO THE CITY COUNCIL WHEN WE GO NEXT MONTH TO MAKE THAT MAKE THAT PRESENTATION.

SO HERE ARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS IS JUST TO PROVIDE ANY INPUT REGARDING PRIORITIES, SCOPE, VALUES, USE STRATEGIES FOR THE STAFF TO PRESENT OR ANY OTHER IDEAS AS YOU HAVE THEM, THAT WE MIGHT INCLUDE IN OUR NARRATIVE TO THE CITY COUNCIL.

SO THAT CONCLUDES OUR PREPARED REMARKS HERE TONIGHT.

BUT CERTAINLY WE HAVE SOME EXPERTISE HERE IN THE ROOM ABOUT THE CITY'S PROGRAMS AND WHAT WE DO.

AND I KNOW WE HAVE A COUPLE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME GOOD INPUT ABOUT WHAT OTHER OTHER CITIES ARE DOING IN OTHER PLACES.

SO WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT BACK TO YOU.

ARE WE GOING TO HAVE AN. IS HE GOING TO COME UP AND?

[00:30:01]

AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION IT'S SAYING PRESERVATION PLANNING.

THERE'S LIKE 200% CREDIT BASED ON THE EXISTING CANOPY.

WHAT'S THE CREDIT? UNDER 125% CREDIT. WHAT IS THAT REFERRING TO? I'M NOT VERY GOOD AT THINKING LIKE A PLANNER BECAUSE I'M AN ENGINEER AND WE'RE AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE SPECTRUM.

BUT MY UNDERSTANDING WOULD BE THAT THERE WOULD BE A PROGRAM SET UP THAT WHEN YOU REDEVELOP A PROPERTY YOU WOULD NEED TO ACHIEVE CERTAIN CREDITS WITH CONTRIBUTING TO TREE CANOPY. SO YOU MIGHT GET MORE CREDIT FOR PRESERVING A TREE, A FULLY MATURE TREE, THAN ADDING NEW TREES. I THINK THAT'S WHAT THAT'S ABOUT.

I'M JUST WONDERING IF IT'S TIED TO SOME SORT OF INCENTIVES FOR PRIVATELY OWNED PROPERTIES.

YEAH, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT IS AWARE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE COMING BACK TO THE COUNCIL AND THEY HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE, SOME IDEAS. OUR STAFF THERE. SO I DIDN'T BRING THEM INTO THIS TONIGHT'S CONVERSATION BECAUSE IT DEALS LESS WITH PUBLIC WORKS THINGS, BUT CERTAINLY THEY'LL HAVE SOME CONTRIBUTIONS TO MAKE ABOUT BOTH CARROT AND STICK APPROACHES TO REDEVELOPMENT.

OKAY THANKS, ANDY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. A AND I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS HAVEN'T UPDATED YOUR LIST IN QUITE SOME TIME, BUT TO CONSIDER LESS FLOWERING TREES AND LESS FRUIT TREES, THEY DO TAKE UP MORE WATER. AND THEY'RE VERY MESSY.

AND IN THIS DAY AND AGE WHERE WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO USE ELECTRIC LEAF BLOWERS, IT'S ALSO PROBLEMATIC TO CLEAN UP.

I KNOW THE CITY RECOMMENDED A TREE IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE, AND IT IS LIKE A MESS EVERY SINGLE DAY.

SO SOMETHING TO CONSIDER. AS YOU THINK ABOUT THE TREES THAT YOU GUYS REDO YOUR LIST.

THE OTHER THING IS, HAVE YOU GUYS EVER THOUGHT ABOUT WHEN PEOPLE REDEVELOP THEIR HOMES EARLY IN THE STAGE, WHEN PEOPLE SUBMIT THEIR PERMITS EARLY ON, IF THEY HAVE A TREE THERE TO TELL THEM EARLY ON.

I WAS INFORMED AFTER ALL MY PERMITS WERE APPROVED.

SO I WAS LIKE, WELL, WE CAN'T BACK OUT RIGHT NOW. AND THAT COST US FIVE GRAND.

LIKE, HAD WE KNOWN BEFORE AND JUST SWAPPED THE DRIVEWAY, WE COULD HAVE SAVED A TREE.

SO I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO TO BE A LITTLE MORE CREATIVE.

IF YOU CAN ASK YOUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT, HEY, IF WE CAN SAVE A TREE, CAN WE, YOU KNOW, EARLIER IN THE PROCESS.

BUT IF YOU TELL ME AT THE END OF THE PROCESS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALREADY WAITED A YEAR.

WE'RE JUST AT THIS POINT, WE'RE JUST GOING FOR IT. SO THAT'S SOMETHING I JUST CAME TO MIND.

THE HARBOR GIVEAWAY SUCH AN AWESOME OPPORTUNITY TO GET PEOPLE TO PLANT TREES.

I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN TO THREE, PICKED UP THREE TREES, BROUGHT IT HOME.

I WAS LIKE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THIS. TOTALLY PLANTED IT. WE HAVE THREE TREES IN OUR BACKYARD. THAT TOWER OVER 12FT. SO DO THAT.

A LOT OF I KNOW THE CITY OF L.A. DOES IT EVERY YEAR.

I DON'T KNOW WHO THEY PARTNER WITH TO GET THE TREES, BUT AWESOME WAY TO GET TREES FREE TREES IN IN THE CITY.

OH PRIORITY AREAS. I'M SURE THE ENTIRE CITY IS GOING TO BE LOOKED AT.

BUT, YOU KNOW, IF THE GALLERIA GOES THROUGH AND AS WE NEGOTIATE DIFFERENT UPGRADES AS MAYBE THAT'S PART OF THE UPGRADES, THAT THEY CAN MAYBE INVEST IN THAT AREA AND ADD MORE TREES IN THAT AREA IS JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT. THAT'S ALL I GOT DO YOU THE FIRST CARD I HAVE IS MARA LANG. I HAVE SOMETHING TO SHARE WITH THE COMMISSIONERS SURE. MOTION, MOTION TO ACCEPT. OH SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL RIGHT DON'T SEE A TIMER, BUT. SO MY NAME IS MARA LANG [LAUGHTER].

I WITH LAURA. YEAH MARA LANG. I PRESENTED TO THIS COMMISSION A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN THE CITY WAS EXPLORING A TREE ORDINANCE.

SO THAT WAS PROBABLY LIKE, FOUR YEARS AGO. SO I'M BACK, AND LAURA AND I HAVE PUT TOGETHER A NEW GROUP CALLED THE REDONDO BEACH CITIZENS FOR TREES. SO I'M ALSO ON THE PUBLIC AMENITIES COMMISSION, AND I SIT ON THE SOUTH BAY PARKLAND CONSERVANCY BOARD.

AND QUITE A FEW YEARS AGO, I TOOK ON THE TREE ISSUE AND STARTED ASKING A LOT OF QUESTIONS AT THE CITY LEVEL.

[00:35:01]

WHO YOUR NEW FORESTRY MANAGER IS REALLY FAMILIAR WITH THEIR ORDINANCE, AND THEY THAT CITY HAS BEEN A CHAMPION FOR THEIR URBAN FOREST, AND THE WAY THEY'VE IMPLEMENTED THEIR PLAN IS REALLY IMPRESSIVE.

AND YOU CAN JUST GO TO THEIR, THEIR CITY WEBSITE.

SO I DON'T HAVE A TON OF TIME UP HERE, BUT I HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION.

I'VE BEEN AN ACTIVIST ON THIS ISSUE FOR PROBABLY NINE YEARS OR MORE.

AND SO I ANOTHER SO SO I'M LEARNING A LOT ABOUT WHAT THE CITY IS DOING WITH THE COUNCIL TRYING TO COME UP WITH A RECOMMENDATION.

AND SO I THINK THAT THE TIME I WAS GOING TO ASK TO BE THE PUBLIC AMENITIES TO HAVE LIKE A CO-COMMITTEE BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE BEEN ON THE SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE, BUT IT OBVIOUSLY IS NOT GOING TO WORK OUT.

BUT I REALLY I KNOW YOU HAVE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION RIGHT NOW, BUT IF THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT YOU ARE REALLY INTERESTED IN, I REALLY RECOMMEND START DOING A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH AND LOOK AT WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT REINVENTING THE WHEEL HERE.

WE'RE JUST TRYING TO ADOPT WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE ALREADY DOING.

AND THERE'S A BIG NEED ESPECIALLY IN NORTH REDONDO.

I LIVE HERE IN SOUTH REDONDO, BUT I FEEL I CARE JUST ABOUT JUST AS MUCH ABOUT THEIR TREE COVERAGE UP THERE AS I DO ABOUT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY ONE MORE THING. SO WE HAVE A LOT OF PALMS IN, IN THE CITY, AND THAT WAS THE WE IT WAS LIKE 1989.

BUT REALLY, THOSE PALMS DON'T CAPTURE CARBON THE WAY THAT LIKE A WOODY TREE DOES.

AND SO IF WE, IF WE EVEN REMOVE THOSE FROM THAT LIST.

WE REALLY ONLY HAVE ABOUT NINE TREES PER ACRE.

AND THAT'S I'M ACTUALLY PRETTY SHOCKED ABOUT THAT.

SO I JUST THINK WE SHOULD REALLY HIT HIT THIS THIS GOAL HARD AND REALLY GO WITH THE LONG TERM PLAN.

I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT FOR A WHILE, SO MY TIME IS UP.

BUT I'M ALSO ON THAT PIECE OF PAPER THAT I GAVE YOU MY INFORMATION IS ON THERE, AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR COME BACK AND SPEAK OR DO A PRESENTATION OR WHATEVER THIS COUNCIL MIGHT BE OR COMMISSION MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN FROM US.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. JIM MUELLER.

GOOD EVENING AGAIN. I LIVE ON A STREET IN DISTRICT 5 WITH NO PARKWAY.

IT'S OUR MULTIPLE ZONING. LIKE MUCH OF NORTH REDONDO, ALL OF R TREES ARE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.

THE CURRENT TREE ORDINANCE WOULD ALLOW ALL OF THOSE TREES TO BE REMOVED AT THE WHIM OF THE LOT OWNERS, WHETHER THEY ARE HOMEOWNERS OR DEVELOPERS. THIS YEAR ON OUR BLOCK, A DEVELOPER REMOVED TWO PERFECTLY HEALTHY TREES FROM THE FRONT YARD TO STUFF THE LOT WITH A CONDO BOX. AND HE DID THAT IN VIOLATION OF AN AGREEMENT WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.

IF THAT PATTERN WERE REPEATED TOO MANY TIMES, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD SIMPLY BECOME A ROW OF BOXES SWELTERING IN THE SUN.

TO PREVENT THAT KIND OF DISASTER FROM HAPPENING, THE COMMISSION MUST RECOMMEND TO THE COUNCIL THAT THE CITY IS BOUND TO PROTECT TREES LIVING ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. A PERSON MAY CHOOSE TO LIVE IN THE COUNTRY ON HIS OWN 5 OR 10 WOODED ACRES.

CHOPPED DOWN A TREE OR TWO HARDLY AFFECTS HIS NEIGHBORS.

BUT IF A PERSON CHOOSES TO LIVE IN A DENSELY POPULATED CITY LIKE REDONDO BEACH, CHOPPING DOWN TWO PERFECTLY HEALTHY TREES DOES AFFECT THE NEIGHBORS.

AND IF ALLOWED TO BE REPEATED, THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.

DEVELOPERS AND THEIR MONEY HAVE INFLUENCED MANY CITY COUNCILS TO LET THE DEVELOPER SCRAPE LOTS, CAUSING THE ENVIRONMENTAL SITUATION WE ARE NOW IN WITH REGARD TO TREES.

FOR DEVELOPERS, MATURE TREES AND A LOT ARE A COST BURDEN.

IT'S MUCH CHEAPER TO SCRAPE A LOT THAN TO WORK AROUND EXISTING TREES.

IT'S CHEAPER TO ARCHITECT FROM BARE DIRT THAN TO DESIGN AROUND EXISTING TREES, ESPECIALLY MATURE TREES.

MANY CITIES HAVE GIVEN IN TO DEVELOPERS AND ALLOWED THEM TO SCRAPE LOTS WITH PROMISE OF LANDSCAPING ON THE FINISHED PROJECT, BUT WHEN THE PROJECT IS COMPLETED, YOU CAN EASILY SEE THAT THE LANDSCAPING WAS THE LOWEST PRIORITY.

A CHEAP ADD ON WITH MAYBE A SAPLING OR TWO. A SAPLING IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR A MATURE TREE.

I URGE THE COMMISSION, LIKE A COUNCIL PERSON OR COMMISSION PERSON NAFISSI, TO RECOMMEND THAT THE CITY CHANGE ITS PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCES AND RULES, SO REVIEW OF EXISTING VEGETATION TAKES PLACE AT THE EARLIEST STAGE OF DESIGN AND PRIORITY IS GIVEN TO PRESERVING EXISTING MATURE

[00:40:05]

MY BACKGROUND IS I HAVE A MASTER'S IN URBAN PLANNING AND CONCENTRATION IN ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.

SO THIS IS IS A SPECIALTY OF MINE. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I NOTICED ALONG AVIATION AND ALSO IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, BECAUSE MOST OF THERE'S A LARGE PORTION THAT ARE TALL AND SKINNY, IS THAT WE HAVE WHOLE BLOCKS THAT ARE A DRIVEWAY APRON.

SO ONE OF THE POLICIES THAT I WOULD RECOMMEND, AND EVEN ON AVIATION, THERE'S 50 FOOT CURB CUTS, MULTIPLES IN FRONT OF PROPERTIES, WHICH IT ELIMINATES THE ABILITY FOR PARKWAY TREES ALONG ALONG AVIATION AND PROBABLY ARTESIA AS WELL.

AND THEN THE SAME THING WITH WIDER, YOU KNOW, WIDER CURB CUTS, WIDER DRIVEWAYS MEANS LESS LANDSCAPING IN THE FRONT YARDS AND THE PRIVATE. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS WITHIN PUBLIC WORKS CONTROL TO JUST MAXIMIZE SINGLE SINGLE DRIVEWAYS.

AND THEN ALSO ADDING PERMEABLE SURFACES TO THE, TO THE SIDEWALKS BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST HAVING A CONCRETE WITH A SMALL LITTLE BOX FOR TREES. AND MAYBE THE TREE PERSON DOESN'T IT DOESN'T REALLY INFILTRATE THE WATER.

WE LOSE A LOT OF WATER IN THAT AREA. AND SO YEAH, I'M HOPING THAT THE AACAP IS ONE OF THE PRIORITIES BECAUSE WE DO HAVE WE DO HAVE KIND OF A GLUT OF TREES AND OPEN SPACE IN THAT AREA. TWO CITIES THAT HAVE SOME REALLY INTERESTING PROGRAMS IS THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO HAS A LANDSCAPE POINT SYSTEM.

SO IF YOU WHEN YOU'RE DEVELOPING, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF POINTS AND DIFFERENT SIZE TREES AND DIFFERENT AGES OF TREES AND PLANTING AND OPEN SPACE HAS TO BE MET. AND THEN THE OTHER IS SACRAMENTO HAS A BASICALLY A TREE CZAR WHERE THEY HAVE TAGGED ALL OF THE INVENTORY AND BEFORE TREE IS REMOVED, THEY HAVE TO HAVE THEY HAVE SOMEBODY COME OUT AND INSPECT IT. SO THE MATURE TREES ON PRIVATE PROPERTY IS PROTECTED.

BUT THEY'RE TWO REALLY REALLY COMPREHENSIVE PLANS THAT MIGHT BE INFORMATIVE FOR, FOR REDONDO BEACH.

SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THERE'S NO OTHER CARDS.

THERE IS NO HANDS RAISED ON ZOOM. THERE IS.

YOU CAN COME UP. SO AGAIN, COMMISSIONERS LAURA DUKE.

I'M SO HAPPY THAT THIS TOPIC IS ON THE AGENDA, AND I HOPE THE LACK OF PROPER TREE CANOPY IN REDONDO BEACH WILL GET ADDRESSED.

DON'T FORGET THERE IS THE NEW. THESE ARE MY PREPARED COMMENTS.

SO I DIDN'T SEE MARA HERE WHEN I CAME IN, BUT THERE THERE IS THIS NEW GROUP, CITIZENS FOR REDONDO TREES, AND I HOPE YOU WILL WORK WITH THEM. THEY'VE GOT A TON OF INFORMATION THAT COULD BE HELPFUL.

THEY RECENTLY WERE FORMED BY LAURA MACMORRAN AND MARA LANG.

AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, IF EACH OF US STOPS TO THINK ABOUT WHAT MAKES A NEIGHBORHOOD LOVELY TO WALK THROUGH, IT'S A ROUTE THAT IS SHADED BY TREES. IT PROVIDES YOU COOLNESS, MAKES THE LIGHT LESS HARSH, AND WHAT YOU'RE NOT EVEN SEEING IS IT MAKES YOUR THE AIR YOU'RE BREATHING CLEANER.

THE PRESENCE OF TREES PUTS PEOPLE AT EASE, WHICH YOU DEMONSTRATED PERFECTLY WITH WITH THE SLIDES EARLIER.

I'VE HAD EXPERIENCES WHERE SUDDENLY MATURE TREES HAVE BEEN REMOVED, AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT HAPPENS WITHOUT PROPER NOTIFICATION TO THE RESIDENTS.

THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME MORE THAN ONCE AND I KNOW I'M NOT ALONE.

I RECALL A GROUP OF CITIZENS A FEW YEARS AGO RALLYING AROUND AN ESTABLISHED TREE AT PCH AND PV BOULEVARD, TO NO AVAIL. I HOPE YOUR ATTENTION TO THE OVERALL MATTER OF TREES AND REDONDO, BOTH ESTABLISHED AND ONES TO BE PLANTED, WILL INCLUDE A SOLID PLAN FOR INCLUDING REDONDO RESIDENTS.

THE TREES CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, EXCEPT FOR THE NICE NOISE THEY MAKE WHEN THE WIND RUSTLES THROUGH THEIR LEAVES, SO IT'S UP TO US ALL TO SPEAK FOR THEM. I HOPE THAT THE CITY WILL BE RECEPTIVE TO LEARNING THE MANY BENEFITS OF TREES.

TREES ARE IMPORTANT TO EVERYTHING FROM CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION, UPPING HOME VALUES AND HABITATS FOR ANIMALS.

A CITY NEEDS AN OFFICIAL AND ENFORCEABLE TREE PLAN, BECAUSE WE ONLY NEED TO LOOK AROUND TO SEE THAT WITHOUT ONE, THE RESULTS CAN BE DIRE. THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THIS ON THE AGENDA AND FINALLY GIVING IT THE ATTENTION IT DESERVES.

THIS NEWS MAKES ME HOPEFUL FOR THE PLIGHT OF TREES IN OUR CITY, AND I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT AS FAR AS WITH COMMISSIONER NAFISSI WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT WHEN PEOPLE INITIALLY SUBMIT THEIR PLANS, THAT WOULD BE A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT TO SAY,

[00:45:05]

AND IF PEOPLE BECAUSE THERE'S A TENDENCY RIGHT NOW TO MAXIMIZE SPACE WITH BUILDING PERHAPS INCENTIVIZING COULD BE AN OPTION. AND REALLY SOMETHING IS GOING TO BE NECESSARY IN THAT WAY IF PEOPLE DON'T ABIDE BY IT.

BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THE 75% OF THE AREA OF REDONDO IS PRIVATE.

SO UNLESS PEOPLE HAVE IT ON THEIR RADAR, IT'S THESE ARE JUST GETTING MOWED DOWN THESE AREAS AND JUST BUILD, BUILD, BUILD WITHOUT ANY PERMEABLE SPACE AND WITHOUT THE TREES AND OTHER VEGETATION THAT A COMFORTABLE ENVIRONMENT.

A BEAUTIFUL NEIGHBORHOOD SHOULD HAVE THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. AGAIN THERE'S NO HANDS RAISED ON ZOOM.

THERE IS THREE ECOMMENTS. TWO ARE SUPPORTIVE OF MOVING FORWARD WITH MORE TREES.

AND ONE IS NEUTRAL. JUST MENTIONS NOT ALLOWING FLOWERING OR FRUITING TREES.

OKAY. COULD WE BRING? COMMISSIONER ANDERSON. YEAH.

COULD WE BRING OUR SOON TO BE RETIRED PROFESSIONAL UP HERE? SO HE FEELS LIKE HE DIDN'T JUST SIT HERE ALL NIGHT AND [LAUGHTER]. YOU KNOW, GET SOME PERSPECTIVE BEFORE YOU [LAUGHTER]. PERSPECTIVE WITH REGARD TO OUR TREE ORDINANCE.

THAT'S SORT OF MY AREA OF EXPERTISE HERE. THIS STARTED IN BACK IN 2021.

THE CITY COUNCIL HAD BEEN APPROACHED WITH VARIOUS CONCERNS THAT WE WERE LOSING SOME OF OUR URBAN FOREST, BOTH ON PUBLIC PROPERTY AND PRIVATE PROPERTY.

WE WERE ASKED TO GO OUT AND START TO DEVELOP AN ORDINANCE TO NOT ONLY TO IMPLEMENT, SORT OF FORMALIZE SOME OF THE PROCEDURES THAT WERE ALREADY IN PLACE TO PROTECT TREES, BUT ALSO TO LOOK AT PROTECTING TREES ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, WHICH HAD NEVER BEEN DONE IN THE CITY.

ONCE WE STARTED GOING DOWN THAT ROAD, AT SOME POINT, THE CITY COUNCIL CHANGED THEIR MIND WITH REGARD TO PRIVATE PROPERTY AND SAID THEY THEY DECIDED IN A VERY CLOSE VOTE, AS I RECALL, DECIDED THEY AT THAT TIME DID NOT WANT TO GET INTO REGULATING TREES ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.

SO IN THAT CASE, THE ORDINANCE WHICH YOU MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE SEEN STRICTLY ADDRESSES TREES ON ON PUBLIC PROPERTY IN PARKS AND PARKWAYS AND OTHER GREEN SPACES, PERIMETERS OF CITY BUILDINGS. SO WE, AS ANDY MENTIONED, WE YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY.

WE IN REDONDO BEACH, UNLIKE OTHER NEIGHBORING CITIES LIKE WHERE I LIVE, YOU'RE IN A NEIGHBORING CITY.

YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN PARKWAY TREE.

YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR TRIMMING IT. YOU CAN'T CUT IT DOWN WITHOUT THE CITY'S APPROVAL.

BUT IN REDONDO BEACH, THE CITY TAKES CARE OF EVERYTHING. IT'S ACTUALLY AGAINST THE MUNICIPAL CODE TO DO ANYTHING TO YOUR PARKWAY TREE IF RESIDENTS WATER IT.

OF COURSE, WE WOULDN'T COMPLAIN. SO WE FORMALIZED ALL THOSE PROCEDURES FOR PROTECTING TREES.

THERE'S THERE'S PROCEDURES IN PLACE FOR IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO REQUEST TO REMOVE A PARKWAY TREE, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT IT. WE WILL ONLY ALLOW IT.

MARC WILL GO OUT AND LOOK AT THESE THINGS FOR A VERY GOOD REASON.

YOU KNOW, IF A TREE IS OUTGROWING ITS ENVIRONMENT, IF IT'S IN A PARKWAY AND IT'S SO BIG THAT IT'S PUSHING UP SIDEWALKS IN THE STREET, IF IT'S SO OVERGROWN THAT YOU KNOW IT'S A DANGER TO DROP LIMBS THAT COULD HURT, YOU KNOW, CARS, PEOPLE, PROPERTY. THEN THOSE ARE THE OR IF IT'S A SEVERELY DISEASED AND IT'S SORT OF OUTGROWN ITS USEFUL LIFE.

THOSE ARE THE ONLY REASONS WE WOULD EVER CONSIDER ALLOWING REMOVAL OF A TREE ON PUBLIC PROPERTY.

WHAT'S YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON? BECAUSE YOU'RE REALLY KIND OF TALKING THE PUBLIC LINE RIGHT NOW.

HOW DO YOU THINK THAT ORDINANCE WOULD WORK ON THE ON THE PRIVATE SIDE? WELL, I'M A CAREER PUBLIC WORKS GUY, SO [LAUGHTER] PUBLIC PROPERTY IS REALLY MY THING.

RIGHT. AS SOMEBODY WHO'S LIVED AROUND THE SOUTH BAY, ACTUALLY, MY WIFE AND I LIVED IN REDONDO, OUR FIRST HOUSE. ANDY AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS.

MY OPINION IS THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO MOVE THE NEEDLE ON INCREASING THE TREE CANOPY, WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT PRIVATE PROPERTY.

I THINK WE DO AN AWFUL LOT AS MUCH AS WE CAN, REALLY TO PRESERVE AND INCREASE THE CANOPY ON PARKWAYS, PARKS. I THINK THE NUMBER WAS 75% OF THE AREA IN THE CITY IS NOT UNDER THE CITY'S CONTROL.

SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO LOOK TO, TO REALLY MOVE THE NEEDLE ON SHADE.

COMMISSIONER BAJAJ APOLOGIES FOR HAVING SUCH A, YOU KNOW, NOT HAVING A LOT OF FAMILIARITY IN THIS IN THIS WORLD.

SO RIGHT NOW PRIVATE PROPERTY IS NOT REGULATED.

SO IF YOU KNOW THERE'S AN OLDER HOUSE THAT HAS, YOU KNOW, TWO MATURE TREES, I THINK THERE WAS AN EXAMPLE OF THIS SOMEWHERE EARLIER.

AND A DEVELOPER COMES IN AND PUTS IN, YOU KNOW, THREE ON A LOT RIGHT NOW.

THEY CAN REMOVE THOSE TREES WITH ZERO CONSEQUENCE OR ZERO.

[00:50:05]

NOW, THEY CAN LIKE OFFSET THAT LOSS BY PLANTING A NEW TREE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

IF IT WOULD NOT. IF IT DOES NOT FALL UNDER ONE OF THOSE CATEGORIES, THEN IS A BUILDING PERMIT JUST DENIED BECAUSE OF THE TREE? IS THAT LIKE WHERE THE CONTROVERSY LIES? SO YOU'RE SAYING IN A SCENARIO WHERE SOMEBODY? YEAH, LIKE IF IF A BUILDER WANTS TO BUILD ON A PROPERTY THAT HAS TWO HEALTHY, MATURE TREES AND AT THAT POINT IS THERE ZERO OPTION FOR THAT DEVELOPER OR EVEN A HOMEOWNER THAT MIGHT WANT TO. IF THE TREES ARE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY MATURE TREES, WE WON'T MOVE THE TREE TO ACCOMMODATE THE BUILD.

WE JUST WENT THROUGH THIS NOT LONG AGO. LIKE IN THIS IN THIS HYPOTHETICAL SCENARIO OF THERE BEING SOME CONTROL OVER THE PRIVATE.

THE PRIVATE APPROACH. SOMEBODY MENTIONED THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO'S LANDSCAPING POINTS PROGRAM.

THE APA GRAPHIC UP THERE HAD SOMETHING ABOUT POINTS OR KIND OF BONUS POINTS FOR, FOR HAVING COVERAGE. I HAVEN'T REALLY EXPLORED HOW ALL THOSE WORK YET.

WE'RE GOING TO PULL IN OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TEAM.

WHO'S GOT MORE EXPERIENCE WITH THAT.

I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR MORE WHO JUST ISN'T FAMILIAR COUNCIL AND WE HAD DRAFTED AN ORDINANCE AND THE PROCESS BY WHICH WE ENDED UP SITTING WITH THE CITY, IT DIDN'T HAVE, LIKE, A LINEAR PATH. AND SO WHAT ENDED UP HAPPENING IS SOME OF THE THINGS WE REALLY WANTED TO DO DIDN'T GET TRANSLATED TO THE CITY COUNCIL.

SO LONG STORY SHORT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID WANT TO DISCUSS WAS PROTECTIONS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, BUT WE DIDN'T WANT TO PROTECT HIM IN THE REAR.

SO WE JUST WANTED TO EXPLORE PROTECTING TREES IN THE FRONT SETBACK.

AND THAT'S AN AREA WHERE BUILDERS AND HOMEOWNERS CAN'T BUILD ANYWAY.

AND SO WHAT ENDED UP HAPPENING IS WHAT WAS PRESENTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL WAS LET'S PROTECT TREES IN THE REAR.

AND THAT WAS NEVER A GOAL OF OURS. I THINK THAT'S A REALLY DIVISIVE KIND OF STEP AND NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WERE CHAMPIONING AT ALL.

AND A LOT OF CITIES DON'T PROTECT TREES IN THE BACK.

SO THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A DRAMATIC STEP. SO ANYWAY, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THE CITY ALREADY DOES, AND I THINK THEY MAY HAVE CHANGED IT RECENTLY, BUT SO IF YOU'RE ESPECIALLY IN NORTH REDONDO, SO IF YOU'RE BUILDING A BRAND NEW HOUSE, THE CITY REQUIRES YOU AS PART OF YOUR DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS TO PUT A TREE IN THE FRONT YARD, BUT THEY DON'T PROTECT IT. SO WHAT HAPPENS IS IN ORDER TO GET THEIR CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY, THEY HAVE TO PLANT THE TREE. BUT THERE'S NO ONE COMING BY TO SAY, OH, YOU PLANTED THAT TREE, WHERE DID IT GO? AND SO THAT WOULD BE THAT WAS LIKE OUR SUPER EASY FIRST STEP.

OKAY, YOU'RE REQUIRING THE TREE IN THE FRONT YARD ANYWAY.

JUST PROTECT IT. LET'S NOT EVEN PROTECT ANYONE ELSE'S TREES.

JUST THE NEW TREES THAT WE'RE PLANTING MOVING FORWARD.

AND SO THE CITY CAN DETERMINE IN THE CITY COUNCIL, AND THE COMMISSIONERS WILL GIVE INPUT ON HOW FAR THEY WANT TO TAKE THIS.

AND SO THERE'S JUST REALLY LIKE BABY STEPS WE CAN DO.

AND THEN EVENTUALLY YOU CAN ALWAYS AMEND THE ORDINANCE.

IF IT SEEMS LIKE THE CITY, THE COMMUNITY HAS A STOMACH FOR PROTECTING TREES ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT. YEAH NO THANK YOU. THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL. THANK YOU.

BEFORE YOU LEAVE, WHAT'S YOUR NAME? LAURA. OR IT'S MARA, MARA LANG.

HOW ARE YOU FUNDED? HOW ARE YOU FUNDING YOUR INITIATIVE RIGHT NOW? OH SO IT'S A BRAND NEW INITIATIVE SO ALL VOLUNTEERS CAME TOGETHER AND? SO IT'S ALL VOLUNTEERS.

I'M, I THINK I SAID BEFORE, I'M ON THE BOARD OF SOUTH BAY PARKLAND CONSERVANCY.

SO WE'RE REALLY HOPING THAT BOARD TAKES THIS INITIATIVE UNDER THEIR WING, AND WE KIND OF WORK UNDER THEIR THEIR NAME. AND WE'RE GOING TO APPLY FOR GRANTS AND YEAH, GET, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF SHAKE THE BRANCHES AND SEE, LIKE HOW, HOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS. I THINK WE REALLY WANT TO GET SOME TREES IN THE GROUND THAT MIGHT JUST BE LIKE FUNDRAISING FOR A FEW, PUTTING THEM IN THE GROUND. BUT WE REALLY NEED THE CITY'S BUY IN IF WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING ON PARKWAY.

[00:55:02]

IF YOU'VE APPROACHED THE CITY, HAVE SOME SORT OF PARTNERSHIP, I THINK A BIG THING THAT'S NEEDED IS EDUCATION.

IT'S JUST EDUCATING THE LOCAL RESIDENTS BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE GAP DURING 2018 AND 22, I CAN TELL YOU ONE OF THE PROBABLY PRIMARY REASONS YOU HAD A REDUCTION IN CANOPY IS DURING THE PANDEMIC.

SO MANY PEOPLE WERE DOING YARD WORK AND LANDSCAPING.

SO MANY OF MY NEIGHBORS WERE DOING THAT, AND THEY WERE CUTTING TREES DOWN.

AND THAT WAS PROBABLY A MAIN CAUSE, BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE JUST AT HOME AND THEY WERE DOING LANDSCAPING PROJECTS.

EDUCATION, I THINK, IS SO IMPORTANT. HAVING PEOPLE AND SO WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE DOING IN YOUR MISSION HERE AND YOUR ORGANIZATION IS, YOU KNOW, VOLUNTEER LED PLANNING, WALK AND TALKS.

CREATING SOME SORT OF, YOU KNOW, EDUCATION PROGRAM WITH MATERIALS THAT CAN BE DISTRIBUTED.

I THINK THAT'S REALLY AN AREA THAT WE CAN START TALKING ABOUT THAT'S LOW HANGING FRUIT IS EASY, PROBABLY NOT SUPER EXPENSIVE. JUST EDUCATE THE NEED OF OF EXPANDING TREE CANOPY AND THE BENEFITS TO LOCAL RESIDENTS.

YEAH, I REALLY AGREE. AND I THINK THAT CHANGING THE NARRATIVE A LITTLE BIT FROM LIKE NEGATIVITY AROUND TREES, LIKE WHEN YOU MAYBE GO AND THIS WAS YEARS AGO, YOU GO TO THE CITY WEBSITE AND YOU LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT TREES. AND THE FIRST THING IS, YOU KNOW, CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT TO REMOVE YOUR TREE OR CLICK HERE IF YOU'RE HAVING A PROBLEM WITH YOUR TREE. INSTEAD OF LIKE, CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT TO LEARN LIKE HOW TO PLANT A TREE OR HOW TO MAINTAIN YOUR TREE, OR, YOU KNOW, THIS LIST OF RESOURCES OR WHATEVER.

AND SO I THINK THERE'S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY TO SORT OF LIKE MOVE THE NEEDLE THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR CANOPY IS A POINT OF PRIDE.

YOU KNOW, IT'S YEAH, SOMETHING THAT WE WORK ON TOGETHER SO.

YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD POINT. THAT'S A GOOD POINT. I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE DO COMPLAIN ABOUT TREES. I HEAR ABOUT TREE TREE COMPLAINERS ALL THE TIME, YOU KNOW, AND WE DO HAVE A LOT OF INVASIVE SPECIES OF TREES LIKE THE FICUS TREE.

I MEAN, THOSE ARE THOSE THEY GROW RAMPANT. THEY HAVE ROOTS.

IT'S CRAZY. IT GOES UNDER HOMES. SO THOSE OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED.

AND A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE ISSUE WITH THAT. BUT I THINK TEACHING RESIDENTS IS THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING HEALTHY, SAFE TREES IN THE COMMUNITY. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT IT WILL DISINCENTIVIZE THEM FROM LOOKING AT A TREE IN A NEGATIVE WAY TO SAY, THIS IS A BOTHERSOME THING. I THINK IT STARTS WITH EDUCATION.

THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT I WOULD SAY WE WOULD PROPOSE AS A FIRST STEP.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER, BEFORE WE WERE DIRECTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL TO TAKE PRIVATE PROPERTY OFF THE TABLE, THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION OF CREATING A PROTECTED OR HERITAGE TREE DESIGNATION.

TREES THAT MET CERTAIN CHARACTERISTICS, LIKE EITHER IN SIZE OR LIKE UNIQUE SPECIES OR SOME TYPE OF HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, WOULD HAVE SOME TYPE OF PROTECTION. WE NEVER GOT FAR ENOUGH TO ACTUALLY FLESH OUT WHAT THAT PROTECTION WOULD BE, BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF INTEREST IN CREATING SORT OF A SPECIAL PROTECTED TREE CLASSIFICATION.

OKAY SO WE CAN REALLY DO A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH AND MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS? SO THE STRATEGIC PLAN ASKS THE STAFF TO RETURN TO THE COUNCIL BY THE 1ST OF NOVEMBER.

SO WE ARE PLANNING TO GO BACK TO THAT SAID, I DON'T THINK IT WILL BE THE ONLY TIME THE COUNCIL HEARS US AND IN FACT THEY MAY REDIRECT IT BACK TO THIS COMMISSION FOR FURTHER CONVERSATION. SO NO, IN THE SHORT TERM, BUT PROBABLY IN THE LONG TERM, I GUESS, IS HOW I WOULD ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.

SURE. COUPLE QUESTIONS PROBABLY WOULD BE CONSIDERED A HERITAGE TREE.

I THINK IT'S BETTER AT GROWING MUSHROOMS OUT OF IT THAN ANYTHING ELSE [LAUGHTER].

SO AND I'M DOING MY BEST TO KEEP IT ALIVE [LAUGHTER], BUT IT'S KIND OF A, DO I SUPPORT A PROGRAM THAT COULD POSSIBLY CHARGE ME? WHAT DID I HAVE IN HERE OFF YOUR, VIOLATIONS RESULTING IN A FINE TO COVER THE COST OF PLANTING FIVE TREES PLUS $15,000.

THAT JUST FILLS ME WITH JOY [LAUGHTER]. I MEAN AT MY OWN HOUSE, MY OWN TREE.

I PROBABLY TAKEN DOWN. SEE, I'VE TAKEN DOWN A JACARANDA TREE IN MY BACKYARD AND PLANTED TEN OTHER TREES.

GRANTED, THEY'RE ALL FRUIT TREES, AND I GET A BIG KICK OUT OF IT, BUT THAT'S ANOTHER CONVERSATION.

I DO LOVE TREES. I LOVE BEING OUT IN THE FOREST.

I LOVE SEEING GOING DOWN DIFFERENT STREETS NEAR WHERE I LIVE.

AND, YOU KNOW, CANOPY TREES ON BOTH SIDES ALMOST COVERS THE COMPLETE STREET.

[01:00:04]

HOW DO WE GET THIS? SO WE PLANT TREES ON PRIVATE PROPERTY AND NOT CREATE.

YOU KNOW, IF THE IF THE TREE IS TOO YOUNG, I SEE IT CREATING A BUSH LIKE EFFECT, FACT WHICH WOULD ALSO BE ALMOST A WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? IT WOULD BE A HINDRANCE FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO DRIVE IN, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THERE SHOULD BE WHAT THE, THE 42 INCH ORDINANCE FOR REQUIRED FRONT YARDS TO NOT HAVE ANY BUSH OR TREE THERE FOR 42IN UP TO THE, THE HOUSE. BUT THERE'S YOU KNOW, PEOPLE GET I SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE GET AROUND THAT AS WELL.

BUT THAT'S JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT. ARE WE GOING TO PUT IN MATURE TREES OR SOMETHING? BECAUSE THAT'S A LOT MORE COST PROHIBITIVE FOR THE CITY.

SOMETHING TALL AND SKINNY WITH A NICE CANOPY.

I WOULD BE ALL FOR, BUT I, I WOULDN'T WANT TO HAVE A PALM TREE IN MY FRONT YARD EITHER, AS YOU CAN'T JUST CHEW THAT UP AND THROW IN THE GREEN TRASH CAN THAT HAS TO BE THROWN IN YOUR WASTE TRASH CAN, BECAUSE THAT STUFF DOES NOT COMPOSE VERY WELL.

SO THE CITY OF I MEAN, I'M VERY INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF.

AND THEN WITH THE, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT.

BECAUSE OF THE SHORT OF THE HOUSING, I CAN SEE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, LET PEOPLE TAKE OUT TREES BECAUSE OF THE HOUSING SHORTAGE.

YOU'RE ADDING A NEW ADU IN THE REAR YARD OR SOMETHING. THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU PREFERENCE OVER THAT OVER A TREE.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF THERE'S A LOT MORE STUFF HERE THAN MEETS THE EYE.

YEAH I THINK THAT'S A GREAT POINT. THERE ARE THE HOUSING CRISIS IN OUR STATE THAT'S BEEN DECLARED HAS TAKEN AWAY A LOT OF LOCAL CONTROL OF NOT JUST TREES, BUT MANY OTHER OF OUR SETBACK ORDINANCES DENSITY ORDINANCES, THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO THAT WOULD ALL CERTAINLY BE CONSIDERED IN A KIND OF A PLAN GOING FORWARD, AND CERTAINLY IN ANY ORDINANCE WOULD NOT WANT NOT SHOULD NOT BE IN CONFLICT WITH THOSE KINDS OF STATEWIDE REQUIREMENTS. I DO THINK THERE'S ROOM TO WORK IN THIS SPACE.

CERTAINLY. AND THE SUGGESTION ABOUT THE FRONT YARD SETBACK, I THINK IS A GOOD AREA MAYBE TO START.

THERE ARE PROGRAMS. I KNOW THERE'S I THINK SOMEBODY MENTIONED THEY LIVE IN A PLACE WHERE THERE WERE NO PARKWAYS, JUST THE WAY THE NEIGHBORHOOD WAS SET UP. NO DRIVEWAYS OR SIDEWALKS, PERHAPS NO PARKWAYS. BUT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY MIGHT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A TREE TO THOSE AREAS WHERE A STREET TREE WON'T FIT IN THE PARKWAY WHERE THERE IS NO PARKWAY OR IT JUST WON'T FIT.

PERHAPS TREES COULD BE PROVIDED TO THOSE, THOSE RESIDENTS RESIDENCES IF THEY WERE WILLING TO, TO PLANT THEM AND TAKE CARE OF THEM. SO THOSE ARE ALL GREAT PROGRAMS THAT WE CAN THINK ABOUT AND INCLUDE IN ANY KIND OF RECOMMENDATION THAT WE MAKE ONE MORE THING OF WITH. WHAT ABOUT THE SCHOOL PROPERTIES AND STUFF? THERE'S A LOT OF TIMES WHERE A WHOLE SWATH OF THE SCHOOL DOESN'T HAVE ANY KIND OF TREES.

BECAUSE NO, NO TREE SCHOOLS. THEY FUNCTION UNDER THE WHOLE DIFFERENT STATE DEPARTMENT OF THE ARCHITECT.

THEY HAVE A WHOLE DIFFERENT SET OF RULES. STORMWATER QUALITY, NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WE DEAL WITH.

PUBLIC WORKS. THEY'RE JUST LISTENING, YOU KNOW, MARCHING TO THE BEAT OF A DIFFERENT DRUMMER ON THAT.

SO HOW THEY HANDLE TREES, WE CAN CERTAINLY SPEAK WITH THEM.

THE CITY COUNCIL HAS A SUBCOMMITTEE THAT'S IN REGULAR CONTACT WITH OFFICIALS FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

MAYBE THAT'S A TOPIC TO ADDRESS WITH THEM AS WELL.

PART OF A SUGGESTION THERE. ALL RIGHT I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS. SO, THE DECLINE IN THE TREES, DO YOU THINK THAT HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE TYPE OF TREES THAT WERE IN THERE? AND BECAUSE, LIKE WE'RE HEATING UP THIS EARTH.

YOU KNOW, I HAVEN'T STUDIED ENOUGH TO KNOW BEYOND THE POLYGONS THAT [LAUGHTER] WE LOOKED AT WITH OUR GIS.

I JUST DON'T KNOW. OKAY. YEAH. AND YOU SAID THAT THERE'S NO THERE'S NO.

OR FORGIVE ME IF I MISUNDERSTOOD. THAT THERE'S REALLY AS FAR AS WHEN THEY'RE INSTALLING THE TREES, LIKE, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS THAT IT'S GOT TO BE LIKE HOW WOULD I SAY IT ROPED OFF OR BARRICADED OR BUILD SOMETHING THAT, LIKE, WHEN THEY'RE DOING CONSTRUCTION, THEY CAN'T CROSS THOSE LINES TO PROTECT WE NEED TO. THE TREE CONSTRUCTION PROTECTION ZONE AND MONITORS THAT AND WHEN WE HAVE ENCROACHMENT PERMITS IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY, AND BUILDERS ARE BUILDING AND MOVING EQUIPMENT IN AND OUT THAT WE

[01:05:04]

OKAY. DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT SPECIES? I DO THINK THAT THERE'S ROOM TO TO GROW AND LOOK AT OTHER SPECIES.

LOOK AT SPECIES THAT WOULD BE LARGER AT MATURITY, WHICH WOULD HELP TO INCREASE OUR, OUR DIVERSITY.

OKAY AND WE'RE AT 8% AND IDEALLY 15% OR HIGHER RIGHT? SO WOULD WOULD IT BE SAFE TO ASSUME THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY THAT GAP OF 18% TO THE 27% DO NATIVE AND REQUIRE NATIVE SPECIES? YEAH MY UNDERSTANDING AND MARK HELP ME WITH THIS.

BUT NATIVE TREES TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ARE GREAT IN THE SENSE THAT THEY'RE NATIVE, BUT THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY GREAT CANOPY TREES.

SO WE HAVE TO BE WILLING TO PROBABLY GO BEYOND OUR NATIVE SPECIES LIST TO REALLY HAVE THE MOST EFFECTIVE CANOPY PRODUCING TREE LIST. IS THAT ABOUT AND THERE'S ACTUALLY VERY FEW TRUE CALIFORNIA NATIVE SPECIES TREES WITH AS BEING A COASTAL DESERT.

OKAY. AND OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT YOU'VE WORKED IN, WHERE HAVE YOU SEEN THE MOST SUCCESS IN WHAT TYPE OF PLANTS THAT WERE INSTALLED ON FOR, YOU KNOW, MAXIMUM CANOPY? I'VE SEEN THE MOST SUCCESS WITH SPECIES THAT ARE NATIVE TO THE SOUTHWEST UNITED STATES AND AUSTRALIA. AND DO YOU LIKE JUST A FEW NAMES OF THOSE, BY ANY CHANCE? FOR EXAMPLE, THE METROSIDEROS, NEW ZEALAND CHRISTMAS TREE, TORREY PINES, COAST LIVE OAKS, WHICH IS A CALIFORNIA NATIVE, VALLEY OAKS. MAGNOLIAS TEND TO DO VERY WELL.

I LOVE MAGNOLIAS OKAY. AND THE REPORT WAS FANTASTIC, BY THE WAY IT'S SUPER INFORMATIVE. INFORMATIVE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME. AND THANKS FOR COMING OUT. I DID HAVE A COUPLE OTHER QUESTIONS.

I'LL THINK ABOUT ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS COMMISSIONER BEELI.

OH BAJAJ. I MEAN, I'M SORRY BAJAJ, I'M SO SORRY [LAUGHTER].

SOMEBODY HAD MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE TALL AND SKINNY NEIGHBORHOODS, WHICH WE HAVE QUITE A FEW OF IN NORTH REDONDO. AND YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST THE STREET OF JUST, YOU KNOW, DRIVEWAY APRONS.

WHAT? HOW? BECAUSE THESE ARE LIKE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S REALLY NO SIDEWALK ON THE STREETS.

THE DRIVEWAY APRON ALMOST FORMS THE SIDEWALK.

IS THERE ANY OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU SEE FOR AN ORDINANCE TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF IMPROVEMENT THERE TO, LIKE, HOW WOULD A TREE. WELL CONCEPTUALLY BE INSTALLED ON A STREET LIKE THAT.

IF SOMEONE'S DOING CONSTRUCTION NOW, THAT'S A REQUIREMENT FOR THEM. HOW WOULD HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN? THAT'S A TOUGH ONE. YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THOSE AERIALS, ONE OPTION MIGHT BE IF THE STREET IS WIDE ENOUGH THAT YOU INSTALL MEDIANS AND HAVE A RAISED MEDIANS WITH PLANTERS IN THEM TO IMPROVE CANOPY IN THOSE AREAS.

BUT YEAH, I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF IDEAS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD ABOUT HOW TO ADDRESS OUR TALL AND SKINNY NEIGHBORHOOD.

YEAH. IT'S A CHALLENGE FOR PARKING. IT'S A CHALLENGE FOR A LOT OF THINGS. DID YOU [LAUGHTER] DID YOU HAVE A SOLUTION FOR THAT? YEAH SO ARE YOU. CAN YOU THEY'LL HAVE THE PARKWAY UP AGAINST THE PROPERTY.

SO BASICALLY, INSTEAD OF HAVING IT KIND OF JUT OUT FROM THE CURB, IT'LL JUT OUT FROM THE FROM THE PROPERTY, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. GOT IT. SO IT'LL BE WALKING AND IT'LL KIND OF COME OUT A LITTLE BIT.

AND SO IT HAS THE SPACE TO GROW, YOU KNOW, LIKE UNDER THE, THE PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, THERE'LL BE GREEN SPACE ADJACENT.

SO THEY'VE DONE LAURA MY YOU KNOW CO GROUP LEADER.

SHE'S A PLANNER AND SHE'S IN LOMITA. THEY WERE DOING IT LIKE THAT TOO.

[01:10:03]

YEAH SIDE AND NOT NO PARKWAY. AND, YOU KNOW, IT DEFINITELY SEEMS TO BE A HUGE CHALLENGE WE'VE DONE A FEW CREATIVE PLACES WHERE, LIKE, RIPLEY MAKES THAT KIND OF DIAGONAL RUN THROUGH THOSE STREETS, AND WE HAVE SOME FUNNY LOOKING INTERSECTIONS THERE ALONG RIPLEY WHERE WE'RE CONSIDERING REDOING THOSE THOSE ISLANDS WITH PLANTING JUST TO TRY AND INCREASE THE CANOPY IN THE RIGHT OF WAY ITSELF.

I DON'T REMEMBER ON THE TALL AND SKINNY, WHERE THE PROPERTY LINE IS RELATIVE TO THE SIDEWALK, IF IT'S IMMEDIATELY ON THE SIDEWALK, I THINK THAT'S THE TROUBLE.

THE APRON IS THE SIDEWALK FOR INSTANCE, TO CREATE SPACE. I THINK WE'VE DONE SOME OF THAT ON ARTESIA BOULEVARD.

MAYBE WE WENT BACK THE OTHER WAY. TOWARDS TOWARDS THE PROPERTY.

I CAN'T REMEMBER, BUT YOU KNOW, TO HER POINT, THERE ARE WAYS, BUT THERE'S JUST THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO GIVE UP IF WE DO THAT.

RIGHT. AND THAT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE THE CHALLENGE IS THE DEMAND FOR THAT, THAT RIGHT OF WAY SPACE.

I WAS JUST GOING TO ADD SO IN SOUTH REDONDO, THERE'S ON LIKE OTHER AVENUES, THEY HAVE FULL SIZE PARKWAYS.

AND THEN WHEN YOU HIT THE TOP AND COME DOWN, THEY'RE SUPER NARROW.

AND THERE'S THIS ONE STREET, I THINK IT'S AVENUE D, AND THEY HAVE A BEAUTIFUL CANOPY ON THERE, AND THEY'RE ALL DEALING WITH PARKWAYS THAT ARE THIS WIDE.

AND THEY FOUND TREES THAT WORK IN THAT SPACE.

AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE, YOU KNOW, A GUIDE THAT CAN HELP HOMEOWNERS AND THE CITY DETERMINE WHAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE IN A REALLY NARROW ONE THAT COULD STILL GIVE US THAT COVERAGE. AND WOULD IT BE BECOME A NUISANCE.

SO THAT'S WHERE ALL THAT RESEARCH WOULD COME INTO PLAY.

THANK YOU I'M A FAN OF PLANS IN GENERAL. I THINK IT PROVIDES GUIDANCE IN THE LONG TERM AND IN THE MODERN MUNICIPAL WORLD, WHERE WE CAN SOMETIMES FIND GRANTS FOR THESE, THAT'D BE GREAT.

AND MAYBE THAT PLAN ULTIMATELY DEVELOPS GRANTS FOR OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR URBAN FORESTRY LATER ON, TOO, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT IS REALLY HOW THE GRANTS ARE GOING THESE DAYS, RIGHT? YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE PLAN BEFORE YOU CAN GO FOR THE NEXT PHASE. SO I THINK THAT'S GREAT.

AND WE'VE GOT A MASTER PLAN IN 4 OR 5 YEARS. THAT'D BE THAT'D BE GREAT.

I'M NOT A FAN OF TELLING PEOPLE WHAT TO DO ON THEIR PROPERTY SPECIFICALLY, BUT I AM A FAN OF INCENTIVIZING THEM WHAT TO DO ON THE PROPERTY. AND I DO THINK THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS YOU CAN DO. YOU CAN CREATE A LIST OF ACCEPTED TREES AND NOT ACCEPTED TREES, BASICALLY. AND THAT'S JUST REALLY MUCH MORE IN TERMS OF I'M THINKING FROM A MAINTENANCE STANDPOINT AS, AS IT RELATES TO IF THINGS FALL AND THEY START TO GET CAUGHT IN THE STORM DRAINS A LOT OR SOMETHING THAT'S VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART, GETTING A SETBACK OFF OF THE SIDEWALK. SO THAT WAY THEY DON'T HAVE ROOT INTRUSION AND BECOME ADA ISSUES.

ADA ISSUES, LARGELY IN MUNICIPALITIES ARE A RESULT OF URBAN FORESTRY ISSUES.

SO I THINK THOSE ARE SOME THINGS WE CAN DO. WE CAN MAYBE DO 2 TO 1 REPLACEMENT REQUIREMENTS ON TREES THAT ARE 3 OR 4IN IN DIAMETER OR MORE, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. CITY OF LOS ANGELES DOES THAT.

ORDINANCES WHERE WE IF WE REMOVE 2 OR 3 TREES, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET APPROVAL OR YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO TO THE COMMISSION OR THE COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL OF THAT. JUST MAKES IT A LITTLE MORE CHALLENGING FOR THEM. IF THEY WANT TO START RAISING THINGS DOWN, THEY JUST HAVE TO GO THROUGH MORE OF A PROCESS. I THINK THAT'S THE CASE FOR IF YOU START TO TEAR THESE DIFFERENT TYPES OF TREES MAKE, HEY, YOU WANT TO TAKE THIS TYPE OF TREE DOWN, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE COUNCIL TO GET THIS APPROVED ETC.

I DON'T, BUT LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, I'VE HAD TO DEAL ON PROJECTS AS A CIVIL ENGINEER WHERE WE'VE HAD TO TAKE OUT OAK TREES, [LAUGHTER] AND IT'S JUST A DISASTER WHEN YOU'RE WHEN IT'S LIKE, NOPE, THIS IS PROTECTED.

WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING. ALL IT DOES IS INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, JUST DO IT IN THE NIGHT [LAUGHTER].

YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THE FACT THAT, WELL, I THINK THE HERITAGE IDEA IS GREAT AND WE CAN PROVIDE THEM A CERTAIN STATUS AND MAKE IT MORE CHALLENGING FOR THEM TO GET REMOVED IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO REMOVE THAT TREE. I THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE THAT THAT RIGHT, BASED ON SOME MITIGATION MEASURES. AND THEN, YEAH, THE SPATIAL REQUIREMENTS AND A LITTLE THING THAT I THOUGHT WAS INTERESTING, I SAW KIND OF POP UP A FEW TIMES WAS YOU COULD TALK TO THIS 24INCH TREE DISCUSSION THAT KEEPS COMING UP.

IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE HAVE A MORE MATURE, MATURE TREE PALETTE.

AND IF WE WANT TO KIND OF MAKE IT YOUNGER, I DON'T I DON'T KNOW WHY WE ARE ALWAYS SO FOCUSED ON THIS 24INCH TREE TO GET IT THERE.

THIS IS THE PROBLEM WITH MATURE TREES TOO MATURE.

SO WE'RE GOING TO PUT MATURE TREES IN. I THINK WE SHOULD. OBVIOUSLY IT TAKES TIME, BUT IF WE PUT AND HAVE A FOCUS ON HAVING SEVERAL DIFFERENT TYPES OF TREES, YOUNGER TREES AND SOME OF THEM MAKE IT THROUGH, THAT WILL OVER TIME MAKE IT HAVE A MUCH MORE RECOMMENDED DISTRIBUTION.

YEAH. THOSE ARE SOME OF THE BIG, BIG WAYS. I THINK THAT WE CAN KIND OF WORK IN THE SHORT TERM.

[01:15:09]

IT SEEMS TO ME IT'S HAPPENED IN THAT TIME FRAME.

BUT WHETHER IT WAS A TRUE CAUSE AND EFFECT, I COULDN'T TELL YOU.

OKAY. SEEMS LIKE WE NEED TO DO SOME CHANGES IN THE POLICY OF THE VERBIAGE, ESPECIALLY IF WE CAN'T CONTROL THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS AND SPECIFIC LANGUAGE OF REQUIREMENTS OF WHAT THEY WOULD, CAN DO OR DO CANNOT DO.

I ALSO LIKED COMMISSIONER NAFISSI'S IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, INFORMATION EDUCATION REGARDING WHAT YOU'RE SIGNING UP FOR AND WHAT YOU'RE GETTING INTO. SO YOU KNOW, THE CREATING THE EDUCATION, ALSO CHANGING POLICIES SO THAT THERE'S SOME MANDATE FOR TREES. SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET THE CANOPIES THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.

COMMISSIONER. NAFISSI. JUST I JUST DID A QUICK SEARCH ONLINE, AND ALMOST EVERY SINGLE FREE GIVEAWAY IS CONNECTED TO A UTILITY.

WHAT IS THAT? WHY IS THAT? A LOT OF TIMES THEY'RE CONNECTED TO UTILITIES BECAUSE THE NEED TO REMOVE INCOMPATIBLES WITH OVERHEAD CONDUCTORS.

SO MY EXPERIENCE IN THE PAST, WORKING IN NORTH SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

ANY TREES THAT HAD TO BE REMOVED THAT WERE IN CONFLICT WITH OVERHEAD LINES, WE WOULD GET A 1 TO 1 REPLACEMENT.

OKAY. AND THE SAME WOULD APPLY TO THE ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER.

IF THE UTILITY WERE TO REMOVE A TREE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.

OKAY. AND IT LOOKS LIKE SCE HAS A VERY ROBUST TREE GIVING PROGRAM.

THEY HAVE AN AMAZING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.

I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH DIANE FORTE. THAT WOULD BE AN AMAZING CONVERSATION TO KIND OF SPARK THAT UP, TO SEE IF THAT'S SOMETHING THEY CAN MAYBE INSTITUTE HERE. THEY DO IT IN DIFFERENT CITIES. I'LL EMAIL YOU THE LINK THAT I JUST FOUND.

SO MAYBE SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT. SO WHAT IS OUR COMMISSION THINK ABOUT A SUBCOMMITTEE? WE ONLY HAVE ONE MONTH LEFT RIGHT? WE HAVE ONE MONTH, WHICH HE SAID NO, BUT THEN.

YES, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO [LAUGHTER] COME BACK IN NOVEMBER. SO NO YES.

WE'RE GOING TO GO TO THE COUNCIL BEFORE NOVEMBER 1ST HOPEFULLY.

AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT COUNCIL WILL DO, OF COURSE.

BUT IF PART OF YOUR SUGGESTION IS THAT YOU. THIS COMMISSION WOULD LIKE TO DEVELOP A SUBCOMMITTEE TO, YOU KNOW, HELP CRAFT WHATEVER WE DO MOVING FORWARD, I CERTAINLY WILL BE PART OF OUR RECOMMENDATION.

I WOULD LIKE TO. ANY COMMISSIONERS WOULD LIKE TO? I LIKE THE IDEA OF THAT OF HAVING THOSE WHO ARE MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE GUIDE THE PROCESS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I FEEL IT WOULD BE AN INJUSTICE FOR SOMEONE LIKE MYSELF WHO'S VERY UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS TOPIC TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE A MEANINGFUL VOICE IN IT. SO I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF A SUBCOMMITTEE.

FANTASTIC WE WOULD MAKE A MOTION INCLUDING. SO PROBABLY THE RIGHT ORDER WOULD BE TO FOR YOU TO RECOMMEND IT TONIGHT, AS PART OF WHAT WE PRESENT TO THE CITY COUNCIL ON WAYS TO INCREASE CANOPY AS A STRATEGY. AND THEN YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE COUNCIL SAYS NEXT WE CAN REPORT BACK TO YOU AND THEN YOU ALL COULD ELECT MOVE TO FORM A SUBCOMMITTEE TO ADDRESS THIS IN THE FUTURE.

SO WE WOULDN'T DO A SUBCOMMITTEE BEFORE TO GET THE INFORMATION TO PRESENT? IT SEEMS LIKE WAITING FOR THE COUNCIL TO GIVE DIRECTION ON WHAT THE BIG PICTURE STRATEGIC PLAN.

COUNCIL MAY DECIDE TO DO SOMETHING ON THEIR OWN.

OKAY. WITHOUT NECESSARILY BRINGING IT BACK TO YOU.

I DON'T KNOW, SO PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD FORM SOMETHING TONIGHT, BUT THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THAT IT WOULD MEET AGAIN OR THAT IT WOULD BE IT WOULD LACK THE INFORMATION THE COUNCIL IS GOING TO GIVE YOU, TO GIVE YOU THE BEST DIRECTION ON HOW TO PROCEED AT THEIR PLEASURE. I'D LOVE TO BRING IT BACK AND THEN SPIN OFF WHAT WE'VE GOT SO FOR INSTANCE, THE COUNCIL HAS SO MANY THINGS THAT THEY'RE DEALING WITH.

CERTAINLY YOUR THIS COMMISSION'S OFFER TO KIND OF DO INITIAL STEPS TO START DEVELOPING STRATEGIC IDEAS, PROGRAMING, MOVING FORWARD. SOMETHING LIKE THAT I'M SURE WOULD BE WELL RECEIVED.

AND THEY MAY MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT WHAT YOU DO WITH THAT IN THE FUTURE.

[01:20:06]

COMMISSIONER BAJAJ. I FEEL LIKE WHEN THESE BE THE KIND OF SUGGESTIONS THAT WOULD COME OUT OF A SUBCOMMITTEE.

THAT'S WHERE I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT I THINK THE RECOMMENDATION IS BIG PICTURE. WHAT STRATEGY SHOULD WE PURSUE? SHOULD WE PURSUE REAL, SPECIFIC THINGS ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SIDE? SHOULD WE PURSUE A MASTER PLAN? SHOULD WE PURSUE YOU KNOW, SUBCOMMITTEE AS A WAY TO A VEHICLE TO CARRY THE CONVERSATION FORWARD ON BEHALF OF THE CITY COUNCIL? SO THOSE ARE ALL GREAT SUGGESTIONS. WE WILL CERTAINLY INCLUDE THEM THE MINUTES FROM THIS MEETING.

IF THEY'RE READY. WE HOPE THEY'LL BE READY IN TIME TO PRESENT.

BUT IF NOT, WE CAN VERBALLY SHARE OR IN WRITING, SHARE THAT IN OUR STAFF REPORT WHAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE.

BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A THERE'S A BIG SPREAD BETWEEN, HEY, LET'S JUST PLANT 200 TREES NEXT YEAR INSTEAD OF 100 AND CALL IT A DAY.

AND LET'S DEVELOP AN URBAN MASTER PLAN. WE'RE LOOKING FOR THAT DIRECTION TO WHAT DOES THE COMMISSION SUPPORT? WHAT SHOULD OUR RECOMMENDATION BE IN TERMS OF HOW WE PRESENT THIS TO COUNCIL? IN TERMS OF STRATEGIC THINKING ABOUT MOVING THIS FORWARD OVER THE NEXT YEARS AND DECADES PERHAPS.

I FEEL LIKE WE COULD I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND FOR US TO DO A SUBCOMMITTEE SO THAT WE CAN BE STRATEGIC IN OUR PRESENTATION.

WE CAN COLLABORATE WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS, THE EXPERTS, AND GET ALL THE DATA, REVIEW SOME OF THE DATA SO THAT WE CAN MAKE THE PROPER RECOMMENDATION, BECAUSE IT'S A LOT.

AND IT'S SO I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE ONE OF OUR THAT WOULD BE PART OF MY RECOMMENDATION.

COMMISSIONER NAFISSI DO YOU HAVE COMMISSIONER BEELI SORRY I THINK WE SHOULD IF YOU COULD REFORM THAT AND PUT IT INTO A MOTION, I THINK YOU'D BE RIGHT ON TARGET.

OKAY YEAH, I PROBABLY A LOT OF US AREN'T SUPER EXPERTS IN THIS TYPE OF URBAN PLANNING.

I CERTAINLY AM NOT. I HAVE MY OWN PERSONAL OPINIONS ABOUT THINGS, [LAUGHTER] BUT I THINK YEAH, ESTABLISHING SOME SORT OF COALITION TO COME UP WITH BEST PRACTICES.

I THINK PARTNERING WITH A CITIZENS GROUP TO GET THEIR FEEDBACK AND UNDERSTAND, WORK WITH OTHER, YOU KNOW, THOUGHT LEADERS COMMISSIONER ANDERSON DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? I SO AM I THINK WE SHOULD SOMEBODY OUGHT TO MAKE THAT MOTION AND.

SO JUST FOR FOR THE RECORD, COMMISSIONER ANDERSON HAD A MOTION.

THERE WAS NO SECOND? CORRECT. CORRECT. OKAY. SO I SAY WE MAKE A MOTION TO FORM A SUBCOMMITTEE SO THAT WE CAN BE STRATEGIC IN OUR PLANNING TO HELP DEVELOP CANOPIES AND ALL OF THE OTHER GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, MAINTENANCE AND EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE SPOKE ABOUT THIS EVENING AND PROTECTION. SO PROTECTION AND WE NEED TO CHANGE SOME LAWS SO OR, YOU KNOW, RECOMMEND CHANGING SOME POLICIES.

SO I JUST RECOMMEND WE DO A SUBCOMMITTEE. IF I MAY JUST I THINK [LAUGHTER] SO I DON'T KNOW, HOW DO YOU MAKE AN AMENDED MOTION OR DO I PROVIDE A.

I DON'T THINK THAT WAS AN OFFICIAL MOTION. MAYBE IT WAS JUST AN IDEA. SO IF YOU WANT IF YOU WANT PROVIDE INPUT REGARDING PRIORITY, SCOPE, VALUES AND STRATEGIES FOR AN OVERALL ON THIS SUBJECT. SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, ARE YOU IS YOUR

[01:25:08]

AND BRING IT BACK TO US? THAT'S UNDERSTOOD? YEAH.

AND THEN I HEARD A LONG-TERM APPROACH VERSUS A SHORT-TERM APPROACH.

IS THAT CORRECT? I MEAN WERE YOU ABLE TO CLEAN THAT UP? YEAH I THINK WE UNDERSTAND. ASK FOR GUIDANCE.

SO I'LL WELL IT'S JUST THE BEGINNING OF THE CONVERSATION SO OBVIOUSLY THE COUNCIL YOU KNOW, ADVOCATING FOR OR AGAINST, YOU KNOW, WHAT DECISIONS YOU'RE MAKING.

YOU HAD SOMETHING TO SAY? I WOULD SECOND IT. OKAY. WE HAVE A SECOND. A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER SIMPSON.

CORRECT. DO WE NEED AYE. COMMISSIONER BAJAJ. AYE. COMMISSIONER ANDERSON.

AYE. COMMISSIONER NAFISSI. AYE. COMMISSIONER BEELI.

AYE. COMMISSIONER TSAO. AYE. CHAIR ARRATA. AYE.

THANK YOU.

I'M TRYING TO GET BACK TO MY I'M TRYING TO GET BACK TO MY PAGE WE'RE ON ITEM K, RIGHT? YEP. YEAH SORRY OH, HERE WE GO OKAY SORRY [LAUGHTER] ABOUT THAT. ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO CHECK. WE'RE IN K. I KNOW I'M TRYING TO GET ALL RIGHT SO K. COMMISSION MEMBER ITEMS AND FUTURE COMMISSION AGENDA TOPICS.

[K. COMMISSION MEMBER ITEMS AND FUTURE COMMISSION AGENDA TOPICS]

SO BACK IN APRIL, I BROUGHT UP AS PART OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION TO REVIEW SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CITY TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS ON A FIRST LAST MILE SOLUTIONS AND VARIOUS OTHER ELEMENTS FOR THE GREEN LINE EXTENSION.

IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IT IS GOING THROUGH FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW RIGHT NOW.

AND IS GOING TO BE ADOPTED BY METRO LA. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE ACTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL IS GOING TO BE ON THIS.

BUT I DO RECOMMEND FOR A FUTURE COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM MIGHT BE TO LOOK AT SOME AREAS OF BENEFIT AND REALLY START TO GET. THIS IS STARTING TO BECOME REAL NOW, I THINK.

AND THINK ABOUT SOME AREAS WHERE WE CAN TALK TO METRO ABOUT ELEMENTS THAT COULD REALLY BE BENEFICIAL TO THE CITY AS THIS GETS INSTALLED. I THINK THE MORE EARLY, THE EARLIER OUT ON IT, THE BETTER OPTION, THE MORE OPPORTUNITY WE'RE GOING TO HAVE FOR IT. AND I AND I THINK IT ALSO PROVIDES MORE COVER WITH RESPECT TO MAYBE COUNTY MIGHT SEEM AS BETTERMENT, BUT I THINK IF WE PUT A STRONG LINE AND START EARLIER, WE CAN IT'LL BE EASIER FOR US.

SO THAT'S THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD RECOMMEND FOR A FUTURE COMMISSION TOPIC.

THAT REQUIRES THE CONCURRENCE OF THE COMMISSION ON THAT.

SO JUST POINT OF ORDER. IT REQUIRES A CONCURRENCE IT DOES REQUIRE THE CONCURRENCE OF THE COMMISSION FOR THAT TO BE A FUTURE AGENDA TOPIC, CERTAINLY WILLING TO DO THAT.

BUT PROCEDURALLY, THAT'S THE NEXT STEP. HERE'S FOR THE REST OF YOU TO AGREE THAT THAT SHOULD BE [LAUGHTER] ON A FUTURE AGENDA, OR AT LEAST THE MAJORITY OF YOU.

WELL, I AGREE. SURE WE COULD WE CAN TAKE A VOTE ON IF THERE'S IF THE COMMISSION WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT TO THE FUTURE.

I WOULD JUST I WOULD CAUTION THAT WE WAIT TILL IT'S ALL FINALIZED, THE ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT.

AND ONCE METRO MAKES THEIR FIRM DECISION BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO START, YOU KNOW, PRE-PLANNING UNTIL IT'S COMPLETELY FINALIZED.

[01:30:08]

ANDY, DO YOU KNOW, LIKE WHAT KIND OF TIMELINE THERE IS WHERE METRO IS LEANING TOWARDS FINAL ADOPTION OF THE ALIGNMENT? I'VE HEARD IT SPECULATED THAT BY THE END OF THE YEAR.

OKAY. AND I KNOW OUR CITY COUNCIL HAS IS PUBLICLY OPPOSED THE LOCALLY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE.

SO IT MIGHT SEEM PREMATURE TO START TALKING ABOUT FIRST LAST MILE AROUND THE LOCALLY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE.

CORRECT. UNTIL IT'S DONE, BECAUSE IT'S IN OPPOSITION TO WHAT OUR COUNCIL HAS TAKEN A POSITION ON.

LIKEWISE, IT MIGHT ALSO BE PREMATURE TO START FIRST LAST MILE AROUND THE CITY'S ALTERNATIVE BECAUSE IT MAY NEVER COME TO FRUITION.

SO IT WOULD SEEM TO BE JUDICIOUS TO WAIT UNTIL THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDY REPORT HAS BEEN ADOPTED AND THE LOCALLY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED. YEAH WELL SAID. I THINK THAT'S KIND OF THE POINT I WAS TRYING TO MAKE.

IS THAT YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO CONTINUE FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT.

YEAH EXCELLENT IDEA CERTAINLY. AND THERE'S A LOT YOU'RE RIGHT.

THERE IS A LOT OF GRANT MONEY AVAILABLE. AND PROJECT IDEAS IS AN EXCELLENT WAY TO.

IN FACT, THE CITY'S GOT OBLIGATIONS, I THINK, TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE PORTION OF THE PROJECT THAT GOES THROUGH TO OUR CITY.

SO YEAH, THOSE ARE ALL GREAT IDEAS TO PURSUE.

I JUST THINK WE WANT TO GET THE TIMING RIGHT ON THAT ONE. JUST JUST A RUMOR THAT MIGHT HAPPEN IN OCTOBER.

IT'S COULD BE COMING UP QUICK. HAD NOT HEARD THAT RUMOR, BUT.

YEAH SO IT'S BEEN MOVING, I THINK, A LOT QUICKER THAN OTHER PEOPLE HAVE ANTICIPATED AS WELL.

AND I'M NOT RECOMMENDING THAT IT'S NEXT MONTH.

AND MAYBE WE CAN DROP IT FOR NOW, BUT SOMETHING I THINK THAT SHOULD BE BE THINKING AROUND WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR.

OKAY HE WAS GOOD TOO SIMPSON YEAH I'M GOOD, YEAH. COMMISSIONER BAJAJ. COMMISSIONER SIMPSON.

COMMISSIONER NAFISSI. QUESTION. I DID WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON THE REQUEST REGARDING THE NEW PARK THAT'S OPENING ON SEPTEMBER 30TH.

IF WE WERE TO HAVE THAT ITEM COME BACK AS THE BILL BRAND PARK, IS IT TOO LATE? OH, NO. IT'S NEVER TOO LATE? NO, I DON'T THINK SO.

I'M SURE THE MAYOR HAS HEARD THIS REQUEST AS WELL.

OKAY. AND I KNOW HIS HEART IS IN THAT SAME PLACE [LAUGHTER], AND SO WE'RE DOING JUST A GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY ON THE 30TH FOR THAT EVENT. AND IT'LL TAKE SEVERAL MONTHS FOR THE PROJECT TO BE DONE.

SO THERE'S LOTS OF OPPORTUNITY STILL TO TO HAVE AN OFFICIAL NAMING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

IF THAT WAS IN THE COUNCIL'S INTEREST. OKAY. IS IT POSSIBLE TO MAKE THAT REQUEST FOR IT TO COME BACK TO THIS? DOES IT COME TO THIS AND WE MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL, OR IS THAT OUT OF OUR PURVIEW? NO, I THINK THAT'S; WE COULD PUT THAT ON AS AN AGENDA ITEM.

MAYBE A CONSENT ITEM OR SOMETHING. OKAY ALL RIGHT.

I'D LOVE TO DO THAT OH, NO, I WAS, I THINK COMMISSIONER NAFISSI ASKED IF THAT IS EVEN SOMETHING THAT COMES TO US, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE IT DOES. IT DOESN'T JUST GO STRAIGHT TO CITY COUNCIL FOR.

YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE NAMING? YEAH. NO, THEY WOULDN'T WAIT FOR YOU NECESSARILY [LAUGHTER] IF THEY WANTED TO DO IT TO [LAUGHTER] WE WANT TO SAY. LAUREN, LAUREN'S GOT A LITTLE INFORMATION OR MAYBE SHE CAN HELP US.

HELLO. HELLO. I DO GET TO TALK TO LAUREN SABLAN, CITY ENGINEER. THERE IS A MEMO THAT WE CAN DO THROUGH THIS TONIGHT.

IF YOU MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL. WE CAN PROVIDE THAT TO THEM.

IT'S KIND OF A STANDARD FORM. IF THERE'S ANYTHING NOTEWORTHY, WE WOULD GO AHEAD AND GIVE THEM THAT, THAT INFORMATION IN A MEMO, AND IT'S PROVIDED TO THEM ON THROUGH THE AGENDA.

THEN THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING. SO IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND RECOMMEND, WE CAN DEFINITELY DO THAT SO I DON'T BELIEVE IT WOULD ACTUALLY COME BACK TO YOU, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING YOU CAN RECOMMEND.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU YEAH I DID. YEAH. WE ALL SECOND AYE. AYE. I'M SORRY SO WOULD THAT BE TO BRING IT BACK NEXT MONTH? NO, I THINK THAT'D BE INCLUDED IN OUR MEMORANDUM TO THE COUNCIL ABOUT SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS FROM EACH OF THE COMMISSION'S YEAH.

[01:35:06]

YEAH THAT'S FANTASTIC. SORRY SO I THINK WHAT LAUREN WAS SAYING IS WE DON'T NEED TO COME BACK AS AN AGENDA ITEM IF YOU ARE ALL IN FAVOR OF US MOVING THAT FORWARD TONIGHT IN OUR COMMUNICATION TO THE COUNCIL, WE CAN DO THAT TONIGHT.

MOVE IT FORWARD I MEAN, COMMISSIONER I'M SO SORRY. COMMISSIONER BEELI I'M SO SORRY. I KIND OF FEEL LIKE I WOULD I WOULD APPROVE THAT AS WELL. NO DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO? COMMISSIONER TSAO? NO. OKAY. SO MOTION TO ADJOURN . YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I'M HOPING. I WILL MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.

OKAY, I WILL SECOND THAT MOTION. OKAY ALL IN FAVOR? REDONDO BEACH PUBLIC WORKS AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION WILL BE A REGULAR MEETING TO BE HELD AT 7:00 P.M.

ON OCTOBER 27TH, 2025 IN REDONDO BEACH CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS 415 DIAMOND STREET.

WE ARE ADJOURNED. ALL RIGHT THANKS.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.