Tanner Salyers, the city’s safety service director, told the Shade Tree Commission on an agenda item that staff have identified several new general-fund line items to support park maintenance and Shade Tree programs and that two external grant applications have been submitted. He told commissioners the city expects to appropriate money this fiscal cycle but cautioned that council-approved appropriations can create obligations if expected external revenue does not arrive.

Salyers said the parks budget will include three new lines: $80,000 for Bridal Foundation Park maintenance (about $40,000 of which he said is expected to be reimbursed by the Foundation Park Conservancy), a $10,000 line for the Delano Field of Discovery, and a $10,000 line for splash-pad beautification. He also said he added a $3,000 line specifically for Arbor Plantings within an existing arbor fund. "It's basically, you know, 1 big pot that goes into, you know, a multitude of funds," Salyers told the commission when explaining the relationship between general-fund appropriations and grant-funded projects.

Why it matters: the Shade Tree Commission advises on tree planting, replacement and park vegetation. The new lines and the expected reimbursement from the conservancy will shape which plantings and maintenance the commission can recommend and when projects can begin.

Details and context: Salyers said two grant applications have been submitted: one to International Paper and one to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) forestry grant program for 2025. He reported an initial reviewer acknowledged receipt of the USDA submission and did not reject it outright, which staff interpreted as a positive first step. The city’s Tree City application is active, and Salyers said staff will work to complete volunteer-hour reporting with the commission so the city can pursue a growth award if eligible.

Salyers and other staff emphasized that although some projects are ultimately grant-funded, the appropriation process often flows through the general fund. "If the people that write those checks decided, nope ... and council approves it, we're still on the hook for that appropriation," he said, noting the legal and budgetary risk of approving expenditures in anticipation of outside money. He said the auditor’s office and public-works leadership have been involved in classifying revenue lines and intended expenditures.

Commission logistics and next steps: Salyers said staff will meet with Councilwoman Hager, the chair of the parks appropriations committee, to review proposals and make her the champion of the items before they go to full council. He asked commission members to deliver outstanding volunteer-hour reports so staff can finish the Tree City submission. Salyers said engineering and public-works staff remain engaged on site-level questions for specific park items and will provide cost estimates and final line-item numbers before the next commission meeting.

Budget risk and guidance: The commission was told some arbor and park funds are in the general fund but may be grant-funded later and thus “wash,” while other miscellaneous general-fund accounts (which Salyers described as having many uses) may also be available for Shade Tree projects but need coordinated approval from engineering or public works. He urged the commission to meet with auditors and public-works staff to identify appropriate revenue lines and to confirm where particular expenditures should come from.

Less urgent items and background: Salyers reported the city will continue to work on volunteer and inventory tracking for programs such as TCP requests, West End plantings and Mansfield Avenue work. He said staff intend to finalize a wish list, obtain vendor quotes and then identify funding sources before bringing final requests to the commission and then to council.

Ending: Staff said they will provide a clearer line-item breakdown and a one-page budget summary for commission members ahead of follow-up meetings so members can review appropriations and revenue assumptions before council consideration.