HomeMy WebLinkAboutPACKET Parks Advisory Board 2021-7-15
Parks Advisory Board Agenda
Current Members:
July 15, 2021 Geoffrey Elliot (12/31/22) Vicki Papineau (12/31/21)
8:30 AM – 10:00 AM Kirby Nelson Hazelton (12/31/23) Rex Poggenpohl (12/31/22)
*Virtual Meeting Ron Wilcocks (12/31/21) Vacant (12/31/23)
Christian Berry (12/31/23)
The Parks Advisory Board will participate in the meeting remotely due to the Declaration of Emergency
signed by Town Administrator Machalek on March 19, 2020 related to COVID-19 and provided for with the
adoption of Ordinance 04-20 on March 18, 2020
Options for the Public to Participate Remotely and Provide Public Input:
1. By Electronic Mail: Members of the public may provide public comment or comment on a specific
agenda item by sending an email to publicworks@estes.org. The email must be received by 5:00
p.m., Wednesday, July 14, 2021. All emails will be provided to the Parks Advisory Board and
incorporated into the minutes.
2. By Telephone Message: Members of the public may provide public comment or comment on a
specific agenda item by calling (970) 577-3587. The calls must be received by 5:00 p.m.,
Wednesday, July 14, 2021. All call-in information will be provided to the Parks Advisory Board and
incorporated into the minutes.
3. No public attendance at this meeting.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION DURING MEETING
Options for participation in the meeting will be available by call-in telephone option or online via Zoom
Webinar which will be moderated by the Parks Advisory Board Chairperson.
CALL-IN (TELEPHONE OPTION):
Dial public participation phone number, 1-833-548-0276
Enter the Meeting ID for the July 15, 2021 meeting: 980 2246 9751 followed by the pound sign (#). The
meeting will be available beginning at 8:20 a.m. the day of the meeting. Please call into the meeting
prior to 8:30 a.m., if possible.
Request to Speak: For public comment, the Chairperson will ask attendees to indicate if they would like
to speak – phone participants will need to press *9 to “raise hand”. The Chairperson will be moderating
the Zoom session to ensure all participants have an opportunity to address the Parks Advisory Board.
Once you are announced by phone please state your name and address for the record.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (ONLINE):
Individuals who wish to address the Board via virtual public participation can do so through Zoom
Webinar at https//zoom.us/w/98022469751 – Zoom Webinar ID: 980 2246 9751.
Start Time: The Zoom Webinar will be available beginning at 8:20 a.m. on the day of the meeting.
Participants wanting to ensure their equipment setup is working should join prior to the start of the meeting
at 8:30 a.m.
Request to Speak: For public comments, the Chairperson will ask attendees to click the “Raise Hand” button
to indicate you would like to speak at that time. The Chairperson will moderate the Zoom session to ensure
all participants have an opportunity to address the Parks Advisory Board.
• You will experience a short delay prior to re-connecting with the ability to speak.
• State your name and address for the record.
In order to participate, you must:
• Have an internet-enabled smartphone, laptop or computer.
o Using earphones with a microphone will greatly improve your audio experience.
• Join the Zoom Webinar.
o The link can be found above.
• Click “Participate Virtually in the Parks Advisory Board Meeting”.
• DO NOT watch/stream the meeting via the website at the same time due to delays and possible
feedback issues.
Documents to Share: If individuals wish to present a document to the Parks Advisory Board, material must
be emailed by Wednesday July 14, 2021 by 12:00 p.m. to the Public Works Office at publicworks@estes.org.
AGENDA NEXT PAGE
AGENDA
Parks Advisory Board
Thursday, July 15, 2021
8:30 a.m.
Public Comment Chair Geoff Elliot
Welcome New Member Chair Geoff Elliot
Approval of May Meeting Minutes Chair Geoff Elliot
Women’s Monument Project Update Member Ron Wilcocks
2021 PAB Initiatives Chair Geoff Elliot
Environmental Advisory Task Force Vice Chair Rex Poggenpohl
AIPP Program Update Vice Chair Rex Poggenpohl
Mrs. Walsh’s Garden Update Parks Supervisor Brian Berg
Parks Division Update Parks Supervisor Brian Berg
Other Business
Adjourn
Marie Cenac, Town Board Trustee Liaison
Brian Berg, Estes Park Public Works Staff Liaison
Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, May 20, 2021
Minutes of a Regular meeting of the PARKS ADVISORY BOARD of the
Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado. Meeting held virtually in said
Town of Estes Park on the 20th day of May 2021.
Committee: Geoffrey Elliot Chair, Rex Poggenpohl Vice Chair, Kirby
Nelson-Hazelton, Vicki Papineau, Ron Wilcocks
Attending: Geoffrey Elliot, Kirby Nelson-Hazelton, Rex Poggenpohl, Ron
Wilcocks, Brian Berg, Town Board Trustee Marie Cenac
Absent: Vicki Papineau
Chair Elliot called the meeting to order at 8:35 a.m.
PUBLIC COMMENT
No public comment.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A motion was made and seconded (Hazelton /Wilcocks) to approve the March and April
meeting minutes and all were in favor.
AIPP APPLICATIONS
The first AIPP Application reviewed was for the annual yarn bombing. With the same
stipulations as in years past, a motion was made and seconded (Wilcocks/Hazelton) and
all were in favor.
The second AIPP Application reviewed was for the Women’s Monument Project. Member
Wilcocks shared that the Women’s Monument Committee (“committee”) is on-track for
installation and dedication in late August or early September. The committee has raised
90% of all funds needed for the project. Wilcocks will be installing a sign near the project
to inform them of what is being installed. The contract has been signed by all parties and
the artist is on-track to coordinate with Supervisor Berg regarding site work. Wilcocks will
keep the PAB informed as to the date of the dedication and plans to invite the newspaper.
A motion was made and seconded (Hazelton/Poggenpohl) to approve the Women’s
Monument Project application and all were in favor. The PAB members extended their
appreciation and congratulations to Wilcocks and his committee for the work done and
the fundraising success. Wilcocks reminded the group that it was the excellent teamwork
of all the members on the committee that made this successful.
2021 PAB INITIATIVES
Tree City USA: Chair Elliot extended his thanks to Vice Chair Poggenpohl and member
Papineau for their help with the Arbor Day Activity. An Arbor Day update will be shared
subsequent to this update.
Public Art: Today there were two AIPP Applications reviewed and approved.
ARBOR DAY UPDATE
Poggenpohl stated that the Arbor Day event at the Estes Valley Library was much more
successful and popular than he’d anticipated. He shared there was a line of 25 people
waiting to get the free tree saplings. Member Papineau started earlier than planned and
ran out of the saplings within 40 minutes. For added success, the next event should have
at least twice as many saplings. There was only one sapling handed out per family, but it
would be better to give out more where appropriate. The members also provided
guidance on how to plant for success. There were approximately 30 disappointed people
due to the lack of saplings.
Parks Advisory Board – May 20, 2021 – Page 2
AIPP UPDATES
Poggenpohl shared his disappointment in the information provided to the Town Board.
He stated it has been months since he was able to present information to the Trustees
and feels it’s important to update them on what the PAB is behind, related to the AIPP
program. The PAB proceeded to review Member Wilcock’s comments.
Supervisor Berg thought it would be best to have dollar values associated with this
recommendation. Poggenpohl’s document shows a +/- 5%. Berg suggested indicating
where the dollars will come from so a price would be needed.
Wilcocks shared that there has been nothing but consistent support for the adopted
Downtown Plan (DP). Within the DP there are dozens of citations about how public art
needs pursued including the Town incentivizing developers for promotion of public art.
The DP directly states that the Town should be supporting art in many different ways.
Poggenpohl’s shared that direct feedback from the Trustees does not support
construction dollars. Wilcocks stated that regardless, the DP is what has been adopted.
If the new Trustees don’t like what it says, they need to bring back to Town Board and
vote to disregard the DP.
Chair Elliot stated a key distinction is incentivization versus requirement of construction
costs, etc. Wilcocks agrees but landscaping is mandatory and the developer/contractor
could install public art instead of the landscaping. Berg agreed with all comments and
stated there may be potential for a percentage of development that could still be
considered. The PAB agreed this idea should move forward and let the Trustees decide.
Poggenpohl recommended not suggesting a percentage of construction costs as it may
sink all funding. Wilcocks fine with waiting on this item but doesn’t want to disregard the
DP’s true purpose. The DP was intended to be the guiding force for our plans for
downtown. The pushback indicates there is potential that not all of the Trustees have read
the DP. Hazelton believes it would be beneficial to provide a gentle reminder to the
Trustees of what has already been approved for our downtown, and that a unanimous
decision was made.
Liaison Cenac believes a review and discussion with the newer Trustees will help educate
the decisions made. The PAB agreed and a motion was made and seconded
(Wilcocks/Hazelton) to request Town Board Study Session discussion of the Downtown
Plan for new members. Supervisor Berg shared that once the discussion has occurred, it
would then be appropriate to call out the specific items from the DP. Before all members
could vote in favor or against, Poggenpohl makes different approach be taken. He
recommends the AIPP funding update be reviewed at a study session prior to the review
of the DP. Hazelton requested thoughts from Cenac. Cenac stated she can give the option
of both but states it is more difficult to look at an update without the benefit of knowledge
of the approved plan. Poggenpohl’s point is that the AIPP is for all community art and the
DP focuses on Town-owned parks and land. Although both need addressed, the PAB is
tasked with AIPP. Wilcocks is accepting of the different approach. The original motion
was withdrawn. Cenac shared that although the AIPP and the DP may bridge, the items
will require separate study sessions.
A formal motion was made to amend the existing motion to request 2 study sessions.
First to provide an AIPP update from the PAB, and the second to discuss DP’s art for the
broader community. Three members were in favor and one opposed.
Moving on, the PAB discussed Wilcock’s feedback about creating an Art Master Plan in-
house rather than spending funding on consultants. Wilcocks feels strongly about it based
on all the community support shown for the Women’s Monument Project. The community
art representatives have shown a lot of excitement and Wilcocks understands that the art
community is willing and able to participate in matters of art.
The original study session regarding AIPP funding proved the Trustees did not want to
deal with another committee based on the opposition to the creation of an Arts Advisory
Committee. Regarding the Art Master Plan, Berg stated that the item causing Public
Works pause with only the art community working through a Master Plan is that if done
Parks Advisory Board – May 20, 2021 – Page 3
by a board or committee, Town staff must be involved and provide representation. The
Town Board directs work performed by staff. Poggenpohl stated that Town support is
necessary, therefore the PAB should proceed with in -house work or a grant to fund a
consultant. Hazelton stressed to the group that outside or grant-funded assistance would
be best as she doesn’t believe the PAB should direct staff or add additional work to staff.
Poggenpohl stated that due to timing, applying for and receiving grant funding and outside
assistance would mean submitting the grant application this Fall for subsequent year
funding. If using the local arts community, Wilcocks may be able to do it quicker. Trustees’
feedback was they wanted official art organizations involved, but weren’t enthusiastic
about every artist in Town being involved due to the numbers.
Elliot stated that having a polished Master Plan at the initial presentation would be better
than going a different direction. He recommended continued work on the existing
whitepaper for added whitepaper discussions at the next regularly scheduled PAB
meeting. All related motions for this initiative are tabled until the whitepaper is in final
form.
ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY TASK FORCE
Poggenpohl wrote a personal letter regarding the new committee being defined for
environmental items (recycling, renewable energy, etc.), created in reaction to public
comments. Poggenpohl believed the Town should think more ecologically. He received a
call from a Trustee stating they are not only thinking about renewable energy and
recycling, but are thinking more broadly and stated the Town is working to be more
comprehensive. The Trustee also relayed that one individual in the Town Administrator’s
Office, as well as a Trustee stated they already have their hands full.
Poggenpohl said that as the Trustees indicated, a task force is needed to identify what is
needed to carry through long-term. Elliot shared that may be the best approach for an
Arts Advisory Task Force.
Cenac feels there is already too much on PAB’s plate. While there may be some
environmental items that fall under PAB, some will certainly not. A task force would be
able to identify from where these items need managed.
THUMB OPEN SPACE UPDATE
Supervisor Berg shared that everything is on-track for purchase closing on May 26. There
has been much back and forth with the title company and all paperwork is now in order.
The items remaining include obtaining an ecological study, work with the Access Fund
and Rocky Mountain Conservancy regarding the trail portion of the project.
Work is under way to publish the solicitation of a consultant to create the Thumb Open
Space Master Plan. Town staff has too little time available and too few staff to be the
creators of the Master Plan.
PARKS DIVISION UPDATES (Parks Supervisor Brian Berg)
Parks staff is very busy, performing as much work as possible within the established
timeline. The Parks Division is still working with half the seasonal staff from other years.
The plants currently in the greenhouse will be coming out in June and the annuals will
be planted the second week of June. Once an electrical issue at the MacGregor
roundabout is corrected with the irrigation, planting in that area will begin.
• The Big Thompson Recreation Area is holding as staff work through the
Community Development process. Looking for approval/denial next month.
• Site work for the Women’s Monument Project will be coming in the near future
• The Parks Division irrigation staff is heavily involved in the parking signage
installation. Irrigation is repeatedly hit and Parks staff make the needed repairs.
Parks Advisory Board – May 20, 2021 – Page 4
• The Parks Division staff will also be adding irrigation to the MacGregor wall.
OTHER BUSINESS
Chair Elliot will be out of town during the June 17 meeting. Vice-Chair Poggenpohl will
be unable to chair the meeting that day as he too will be out of town. It was decided that
the meeting would be moved to Tuesday June 15.
A motion was made and seconded (Hazelten/Poggenpohl) to adjourn the meeting at
9:56 a.m. and all were in favor.
Megan Van Hoozer, Recording Secretary
6/14/2021 Town of Estes Park Mail - Public Art update for Town Trustees
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ik=778bd29806&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-f%3A1702206139612149377&simpl=msg-f%3A17022061396…1/3
Megan Van Hoozer <mvanhoozer@estes.org>
Public Art update for Town Trustees
1 message
J Rex Poggenpohl <poggenpohl@mac.com>Thu, Jun 10, 2021 at 12:37 PM
To: Geoffrey Elliot <geoffrey.d.elliot@gmail.com>, Megan Van Hoozer <mvanhoozer@estes.org>
Cc: Greg Muhonen <gmuhonen@estes.org>, Brian Berg <bberg@estes.org>, mcenac@estes.org
Megan, please distribute this for the upcoming PAB meeting:
6.10.21
To: PAB
From: Rex Poggenpohl
Below is the latest draft of the proposed AIPP update to the Town Trustees for discussion and finalization at the upcoming PAB
meeting. I have included both Ron’s and my drafts for sections 1F and 2F, for PAB consideration and selection.
DRAFT
Rev. 6.10.21
Date:
To: Town of Estes Park Board of Trustees
From: Parks Advisory Board (PAB)
Re: Art in Public Places (AIPP) program update.
Honorable Trustees:
When the Trustees expanded the existing Tree Board into the Parks Advisory Board (PAB), some of the expanded duties had to do
with important ecology areas. Also, there was the thought of building on the existing downtown bronze statues with more public Art
to attract more visitors. So in 2015 an Art in Public Places (AIPP) program was initiated with oversight assigned to the new PAB and
staff support assigned to the Parks segment of the Public Works Department.
Many months ago the then current Trustees asked the PAB to investigate options for future funding of the AIPP program. During
these investigations a number of Art related issues have surfaced and been discussed by the PAB. Following is a summary of the
situation and options from the PAB about the AIPP program and related issues:
1 Situation:
1A. The main sources for funding public Art are: Donors, Grants and a program of designating a % of Town project construction costs
for Art (common at the Federal and State levels and in active municipalities with strong public Art programs). The Trustees seem not
interested in a % of construction cost program.
1B. Art funding from grants and donors is very difficult without the Town having established a formal Art Master Plan.
1C. The Trustees asked the PAB to investigate the possibility of developing an Arts Master Plan with inexpensive assistance from a
local University with Arts Management expertise. 3 such Universities were contacted and only CSU expressed interest because of
their developing Arts Management program and their obligation to community service as a Land Grant school.
1D. After talking to their staff, CSU was not comfortable to provide Arts Master Plan assistance, so development of an Art Master
Plan with local University assistance is an unlikely option. Most recently, CSU recommended talking to an arts management
professional working with the Fort Collins Museum of Art. That person recommended getting a grant for professional help to do an
Arts Master Plan (estimated to cost $15K to 25K).
1E. We note that developing an Art Master Plan is not listed in the current Town Strategic Plan.
1F Ron?. The Downtown Master Plan is document that was created over about a 2 year timeframe that is supposed to guide all
development in Downtown Estes Park for about the next 20 years. It was created with widespread public input and was approved and
adopted unanimously by the Town Board. There are numerous mentions in the document that clearly show the importance of Art and
6/14/2021 Town of Estes Park Mail - Public Art update for Town Trustees
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ik=778bd29806&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-f%3A1702206139612149377&simpl=msg-f%3A17022061396…2/3
Public Art in our Downtown. A primary driver for this focus is the very positive role public art has on economic development.
Following are several quotes from the document: half of page 36 cites the existing public Art and emphasizes the need to further
develop public Art. It also states on page 36 that “public improvements and private development projects should accommodate and
showcase work by local, regional and national artists”. It also states on page 36 that the Town should “Incentivize the Arts – Provide
incentives for inclusion of public art in private development projects. The Town’s land use code permits public art to count towards a
development’s landscape requirements.” Other major citations in the document include Page 19, 22, 27, 34, 36, 45, 48, 52, 54, 58, 67,
69, 132, 133, Appendix A-4, A-11, and A-35). It is clear that the Downtown Master Plan places strong emphasis on improving the
public arts profile in the downtown area for many reasons, including economic development. For example, a main downtown design
principle (page A-4) states that Art must be Integral to the Downtown experience. “Art should be synonymous with the character of
Downtown and a key place making driver. Buildings, streets and other public spaces should incorporate art. This ranges from
designing a sidewalk with adequate width to allow temporary art displays to incorporating physical artwork in a site or building’s
design.” The document also emphasizes that Art is more than just sculptures and the like, it also includes Craft oriented businesses,
such as breweries, wineries and distilleries, music venues of all types, and live-work spaces for Artisans. There were four distinct
area defined for Downtown and two of them were specifically focused on art
Character Area 1: Arts & Culture and Character Area 3: Artisan & Craft Industries.
1F Rex?. The recent Downtown Master Plan has numerous references to the importance of Art and our local artists to the community
and our visitors. A primary driver for this focus is the very positive role public art has on economic development. While much of this
is focused on the more commercial importance of Art, page 36 cites the existing public Art and emphasizes the need to further
develop public Art. It also states that “public improvements and private development projects should accommodate and showcase
work by local, regional and national artists”. It further states that the Town should “Incentivize the Arts – Provide incentives for
inclusion of public art in private development projects. The Town’s land use code permits public art to count towards a
development’s landscape requirements.”
1G. We have discovered that annual decorating the Utility Electric Boxes has been put on hold by the Town Utilities Department.
1H. Little Town arts info is currently provided to citizens and visitors by the Town. Some Arts info is provided by the Estes Arts
District, VisitEstesPark and BEstes groups; but it is uncoordinated.
1I. Town currently does not have a consolidated culture and arts management responsibility specifically assigned to staff.
1J. Trustees are interested in more involvement from the local arts organizations in the AIPP program.
1K. Feedback from the Women’s Monument Committee aligns with the PAB in calling for an Arts Advisory Committee to provide
esthetic and technical support for the Town AIPP program and that the local Arts community is interested and available.
1L. Town’s collectible fixed assets are currently above $1.75 million and probably appreciating. These Assets, while identified, do
not have assessment for adequate management, storage, display or maintenance responsibilities/instructions. The bulk of these
investments roughly fall into these categories:
Bronze sculptures: >$347,000
Museum holdings: >$1,020,000
Misc. Arts/Crafts: >$245,000
1M. Public Works feels it “does not currently have sufficient staff or specialized training and experience to inventory, store and
maintain the Town’s entire collectible arts assets”.
1N. PAB members are uncomfortable with the PAB making esthetic and maintenance decisions about public Art without assistance
from the local arts community and Museum curatorial expertise.
2. Possible Actions:
2A. Establish the desired degree of importance of the AIPP program to the community, and an appropriate level of Town support.
2B. Establish a consolidated Town program for Culture and Arts and assign administrative staff responsibility to include Town owned
art and other collectible fixed assets.
2C. Establish an appropriate arts advisory group to assist the responsible staff per above with esthetic and technical support for the
AIPP program.
2D. Enlist Museum curatorial staff to review the list of Town’s collectible fixed assets (including all Town owned Art) to determine
appropriate insurance value, maintenance, storage and monitoring procedures; ideally with the assistance of the local Arts
organizations and artists. This can be prioritized and phased over several years.
2E. Propose that an Art Master Plan be included in 2022 Strategic Plan.
2F Ron?. Utilize the Downtown Master Plan to guide decision making regarding our Downtown, and in regards to the AIPP, it guides
us toward increasing our density of Public Art and a large emphasis on Art of all types to further enhance our downtown
environment. This document was approved by unanimous vote of the Town Board and is to be in effect through 2038. It should also
guide future land use planning for the Downtown, including increasing support for Artisan and Craft Industries in Character Area 3
and Arts and Culture in Character Area 1. This should lead to funding for new public art and Town support for Public/Private Art in
these areas specifically. It also states the importance of establishing (and funding) a Colorado Creative Industries Creative District
6/14/2021 Town of Estes Park Mail - Public Art update for Town Trustees
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ik=778bd29806&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-f%3A1702206139612149377&simpl=msg-f%3A17022061396…3/3
Program (see A-36). The other alternative would be for the Town to vote to eliminate the Downtown Master Plan, but that would
seem wasteful since so much community effort went into creating it.
2F Rex?. Utilize the Downtown Master Plan to guide decision making regarding our Downtown, and in regards to the AIPP, it guides
us toward increasing our density of Public Art and a large emphasis on Art of all types to further enhance our downtown environment.
2G1. Research and apply for grants to assist developing an Arts Master Plan with professional assistance?
2G2. Develop an Art Master Plan, in house, with assistance from Museum staff, local Arts organizations, and local artists, or:
2H. Develop and provide descriptions of key public art pieces and a corresponding map for residents and visitors, available on a Town
webpage, at the Visitors Center, and with Arts organizations such as: Estes Arts District, Art Center of Estes Park, Visit Estes Park,
BEstes (Artists Trail).
2I. Develop and advertise a Solicitation program for public art donors.
2J. Upon establishing an Arts Master Plan, the Town can apply for grants to fund public Art projects for the AIPP. As valuable Town
investment assets, these projects should be managed by appropriate Town staff efforts, which can be overseen by a volunteer advisory
group.
The PAB looks forward to discussing the above at a Town Study Session and facilitating direction and decisions for the future growth
of the AIPP program.
Sincerely, Parks Advisory Board
Megan Van Hoozer <mvanhoozer@estes.org>
What is all the commotion in Mrs. Walsh’s Garden?
1 message
Town of Estes Park Public Information Office <krusch@estes.org>Wed, Jun 23, 2021 at 3:20 PM
Reply-To: krusch@estes.org
To: employees@estes.org
What is all the commo on in Mrs. Walsh’s Garden?
By Merle Moore, Mrs. Walsh’s Garden Advisory Commi ee
In September 2013, a devasta ng flood raged from one end of the Town of Estes Park to
the other, forever impac ng parks, structures, personal property and people living in our
community. Like many other community resources Mrs. Walsh’s Garden was not spared
from the raging water and experienced considerable damage. At that me responsibility
for the garden and its restora on rested with the Community Founda on of Northern
Colorado located in Fort Collins. It quickly became evident the founda on lacked personnel
with the exper se to guide the restora on and con nuing development and maintenance
of our gem of a na ve plant demonstra on garden. Consequently, on July 7, 2017, the
Town adopted Resolu on No. 22-17 affec ng the “dona on of Mrs. Walsh’s Garden from
the Community Founda on Trust to the Town.”
In 1996, when Judy Lamy purchased the land and created the trust that has resulted in the
na ve plant-garden we enjoy today, she also gave a generous endowment that ensures its
existence in perpetuity as a place of beauty, educa onal opportunity and respite. That
endowment she created to support the original design, development and plan ng of the
gardens is, today, allowing for a major restora on project to repair the total devasta on of
the waterfall at the east end of the garden and the pond into which it emp es, then
recirculates again. That is the work currently being done by AloTerra Restora on Services,
the firm that was selected by compe ve bid to make the extensive repairs and
improvements.
If you happen to visit the garden over the next month or so you will see that the east end
of the garden is closed off to safely do the work. However, two thirds of the rest of the
garden con nues to be open for you to visit, enjoy the plants blooming and pick-up some
informa on about those plants and their poten al use in local, Estes Valley gardens and
landscapes. Employees of the Town’s Parks Division can be found in the garden from me
to me maintaining the plan ngs outside the construc on zone and they are always eager
and willing to answer ques ons you may have about the garden and its beau ful
plants. You are welcome to visit from dawn to dusk.
Town of Estes Park
Public Information Office
www.estes.org
Town of Estes Park | PO Box 1200, Estes Park, CO 80517
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MWGAC meeting on Google Meet
May 12, 2021 10:30 - 11:30 am
Present: Brian, Mary Ann, Eli, Merle, Kathy, Jane Absent: Jim
Guest: Robin Howard
Robin Howard met the committee members and introduced herself. We hope she will join our
group. Margarete Steinhauer is stepping off the committee. Cathy Alper is also interested and
she will join us for the June meeting.
The March minutes were approved. Jane made the motion, Mary Ann seconded. All approved.
A motion was made by Jane to send the minutes to Joan Sapp. Mary Ann seconded. All
approved. After the meeting Kathy sent these minutes to Mary Lamy and Joan Sapp.
Reports:
Brian Berg
● Brian sent out in April the proposal from AloTerra which was the only bid
received.
● Another bid was received two weeks late from a company which only works with
waterfalls.
● Brian & Eli will be working closely with AloTerra once the deconstruction starts in
June. They will seek out advice from the committee as needed by email instead
of having meetings.
● The contract has been signed and all legal paperwork completed.
● An access point near the pond will be created by opening up the wall at that end
of the garden. This may become the second entrance which was part of the
Master Plan design.
● About ⅔ of the garden will be open to the public this summer.
Merle Moore
● Merle took a recent trip to Southern and Western Colorado visiting several
botanic and native plant gardens and nurseries along the way. Two online
nurseries he mentioned are: Sunscapes in Pueblo and Chelsea Nursery in Clifton
near Grand Junction.
● Merle shared the plant labeling process developed by Ross Shrigley. To watch
the YouTube video click here. Merle will get in touch with Ross to find out if he
has a proprietary interest in this labeling system. The use of a QR code to gather
information about plants is of high value. Plant Select does not have many
Colorado native plants in its catalog so we’d use other sources for plant info.
● The group is in favor of meeting in the garden starting June 9 at 10:30 weather
permitting.
Jim Conley
● Kathy shared Jim’s items with the group.
● Clean-Up for the garden is set for Wednesday, May 19 with a 7:30 am start
time. Since we will be working in a Town garden we will need to follow the health
guidelines from the Town. This means that social distancing is required and
masks are not required but may be worn by personal preference.
● Brian will look into the rocks down by the back wall and remove them from the
Whipple’s Penstemon.
Education:
● Kiosk display: Merle will add photos of early blooming spring plants to the
display.
● Kathy will send plant articles to EP News and Merle will let her know which plants
to feature.
● Brian has garden brochures available.
New Business:
● Merle confirmed that members of the group (Eli, Jane & Jim) all have copies of
Jennifer Ackerfield’s Flora of Colorado which is our nomenclature guide.
● Kathy will send out a call for agenda items a few days before the next meeting.
This will include the location for the June meeting.
● Summer garden plans
○ Installing a rodent proof fence to keep rabbits out of the garden is a high
priority after the destruction they caused last summer.
○ Merle is using a new product called “Rabbit Mace” to see how effective it
is in his garden.
Our next regularly scheduled meeting will be Wednesday, June 9. Location TBD
Future meetings will be July 14, August 11, September 8, October 13, November 10