City of St. Ann, MO Article VII Maintenance of Parks, Green Spaces, Trails and Landscaping

Section 550.430 Description Of Activities.

[R.O. 1998 § 550.430; Ord. No. 2802 §1, 7-17-2012]

A. The City of St. Ann has seven (7) parks totaling nearly one hundred fifty (150) acres of land, and over four (4) miles of biking, hiking and jogging trails.

B. The City of St. Ann has responsibility for the development and maintenance of recreational areas and green space within the City, including neighborhood and regional parks, bike and walking paths, trees, public facility landscaping and public street right-of-way landscaping. The City promotes an interconnected system of open space and trails that facilitates active and passive recreational opportunities for the community.

C. The creation and design of parks and open space can assist in management of stormwater by providing green infrastructure and a means of absorbing rainwater, slowing its release into streams, storing, filtering and slowing stormwater runoff down and thus preventing or reducing flash flooding downstream. Local governments have an opportunity to use their park lands to benefit the environment and to demonstrate best practices for stormwater management.

D. Maintenance activities include mowing of grassy areas, pruning trees, removing fallen limbs, mulching, emptying trash receptacles, trail maintenance (repairing asphalt bike path and walking trails), routine cleaning of park restrooms, and parking lot maintenance.

Section 550.440 Locations.

[R.O. 1998 § 550.440; Ord. No. 2802 §1, 7-17-2012]

Tiemeyer Park — Ashby Road

St. Ann Park — Ashby Road

Vatterott Field — Ashby Road

Buder Park — Breckenridge Avenue

Schaeffer Park — Wright Avenue

Livingston/Wright Park — Wright Avenue

Maryridge Park — Westridge Avenue

These parks are interlaced throughout the community and are maintained by the Parks Department and/or Public Services.

Section 550.450 Responsible Parties.

[R.O. 1998 § 550.450; Ord. No. 2802 §1, 7-17-2012]

The Director of Parks and Recreation has authority over all parks. Parks are actively managed by the Superintendent of Parks Operations.

Section 550.460 Materials/Supplies Acquisition, Storage And Usage.

[R.O. 1998 § 550.460; Ord. No. 2802 §1, 7-17-2012]

The following materials and quantities are typically kept on hand for landscaping and park maintenance operations.

Material	Maximum Quantity Kept On Hand	For Use Within	Storage Location	Comments
Mulch Pile	100 yd3	6 months	Asphalt pad	Stored as needed
Fertilizer	25 bags	6 months	Garage	Park Maint.
Herbicide	10 gallons	6 months	Garage	Park Maint.
Rock	100 tons	1 year		Park Maint.

Section 550.470 Waste Generation, Storage, Disposal, Recycling.

[R.O. 1998 § 550.470; Ord. No. 2802 §1, 7-17-2012]

Wastes generated by landscaping and park maintenance operations are as follows:

Waste	Maximum Storage Capacity	Storage Location	Method Of Disposal	Contractor	Frequency
Wood, brush	20 yd3	Yard waste center	Chip into mulch	In-house	6 months
Leaves, Grass	10 yd3	Yard waste center	Compost into mulch	In-house	6 months

Section 550.480 Best Management Practices (BMPs).

[R.O. 1998 § 550.480; Ord. No. 2802 §1, 7-17-2012]

A. Park Design And Siting.

1. Creating undeveloped, natural open space and preserving established trees and other natural vegetation, particularly around natural drainage areas, such as creeks, is recommended. Tree buffers and tall grass filters around streams improve water quality, slow runoff and prevent erosion. A minimum buffer width of fifty (50) feet is recommended.

2. Avoid site development and placing facilities in the floodplain.

3. Design park sites to preserve natural resources such as wetlands and existing natural draining areas, minimizing their loss and maintaining existing trees and a riparian corridor next to creeks to the degree possible. Minimize creek crossings, and place them only after consideration of the stream features to enable natural flow.

4. Design landscaping that uses native vegetation to reduce the need for irrigation, fertilizer and pesticide. Select plants appropriate for site conditions for sun, moisture, and soil type.

5. Utilize low-impact development to minimize impervious surfaces, see Article V.

6. In designing stormwater drainage facilities, use the following BMPs to improve the water quality of site drainage and slow the release of water to streams: wet detention ponds, micro-detention basins, wetlands, rain gardens, vegetative filter strips and riparian buffers along streams, structural filter systems, pervious pavement and green (vegetated) roofs. The use of swales instead of curbs along roads and parking lots is beneficial to filter pollutants and reduce the volume and rate of stormwater flow. Fact sheets on stormwater management practices are available from the Stormwater Manager's Resource Center at the following website: http://www.stormwatercenter.net

B. Community Programs.

1. Sponsor activities and annual events that involve the general public, schools, watershed groups, stream teams, etc., providing hands-on activities that promote water quality in their adopted parks and greenways. Typical activities include: field trips, cleanups, educational programs, restoration projects, stream monitoring, storm drain marking, and trail projects.

2. Organize or participate in reforestation programs, planting native trees to buffer streams, create shade, and beautify parks. Support community volunteer group efforts in these programs.

3. Require pet owners to pick up and properly dispose of pet waste in parks. Provide pet waste scoop dispensers and signage in parks to notify visitors of the requirement.

4. Control wild geese populations near lakes with "no feeding the geese" signs and ordinances. Other techniques to control populations include habitat modification by increasing shoreline vegetation height, scare tactics or relocation.

C. Park/Landscape Maintenance.

1. Remove litter and debris regularly.

2. Properly dispose of yard waste, for example, by composting. Do not dump yard waste into creeks.

3. Minimize mowing of open space sites, depending on site objectives.

4. Mow grass higher and leave grass clippings on the lawn to retain moisture and provide nutrients.

5. Remove exotic invasive vegetation and replace with native plantings as resources are available.

6. Perform soil tests to determine the optimum fertilizer application rate.

7. Apply fertilizer only in cool weather, preferably fall. Avoid application before a rain, and do not apply fertilizer at rates higher than indicated in/on label instructions. Apply slow release fertilizers such as methylene urea, IDBU or resin-coated fertilizer.

8. When disturbing land, such as clearing vegetation and destroying the root zone, employ BMPs for erosion and sediment control. For details concerning these BMPs, see the SWPPP link on the following web page: www.stlouisco.com/plan/land_disturbance.html.

9. All construction or maintenance activities that excavate in or discharge any dredge or fill material into a "water of the United States," which includes ditches, creeks, rivers, lakes, ponds and wetlands, requires a Corps of Engineers 404 permit and a MDNR 401 water quality certification. Examples of activities that require a permit include: placing culverts in creeks, constructing outfalls, and stream restoration activities. See Appendix 5-F1[1] for a summary of permit requirements.

[1] Editor's Note: Appendix 5-F1 is included as an attachment to this Code.

D. Integrated Pest Management.

1. Use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques to minimize the use of pesticides. Pesticide application should be timed carefully and combined with other pest management practices. Pests and their development stage should be identified accurately and pesticide applications made only when necessary, using the least amount needed and the least toxic product for adequate pest control.

2. Use mechanical controls to keep pests in check, such as species specific, pheromone based traps. Remove pests by hand. Eliminate conditions favorable to pests and place barriers to control pests and weeds.

3. Use natural, biological controls, when feasible, including natural enemies of pests, such as: predators, parasites, pathogens, pheromones, and juvenile hormones.

4. Reduce the risk of West Nile Virus by reducing stagnant water (mosquito breeding grounds) caused by cans, containers and tires present in litter and junk piles. Keeping stormwater drainage gutters and drains clean will also reduce conditions suitable for mosquito breeding. Refer to MU Extension IPM Guides at: http://ipm.missouri.edu/ipmresources.htm.

5. Minimize the use of herbicides through an integrated pest management techniques for weed control. This includes practices that keep plants healthy, such as selecting disease- and pest-resistant varieties and maintaining good growing conditions. For turf grass, prevention of weed infestation begins with practices to promote healthy grass through proper planting, watering, fertilizing, mowing, aerification, and thatch control. Refer to MU Extension Publication IPM1009: https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/mx399.

E. Pesticide/Herbicide Use.

1. When pesticide or herbicide use is required, select pesticides carefully, avoiding highly water soluble and very environmentally stable products to minimize potential for leaching from soils into waterways. Environmentally friendly products readily degrade in the environment and/or bind to soil particles.

2. Consider the vulnerability of the area in which pesticides are applied, avoiding areas with streams, ponds, sinkholes or wells. Sinkholes are an environmentally sensitive area because they allow surface water to reach groundwater quickly with little natural soil filtering.

3. Apply pesticides when the target pest is at its most vulnerable life stage, and use site specific rather than wholesale application.

4. Read pesticide labels carefully for information and restrictions about the rate, timing, and placement of the pesticide in that container.

5. Calibrate equipment to apply at the proper rate. Apply when the threat of rain is low to avoid wasting material and washing pesticide into the waterways.

6. Carefully calculate how much pesticide concentrate is needed to treat the specific site with the equipment being used, to eliminate disposal of excess spray mix.

7. Store pesticides in their original containers in a cool, well-ventilated building with a concrete floor. Handle pesticides carefully to avoid spills.

8. Dispose of pesticide waste properly, following label instructions.

Section 550.490 Training.

[R.O. 1998 § 550.490; Ord. No. 2802 §1, 7-17-2012]

All employees directly involved in the design, construction and maintenance of landscaping, trails, green spaces and parks will be trained on the BMPs in this Article. Affected employees will likely be: facility engineers, park management, equipment operators, gardeners, laborers, and contract operations providing these services.