Proposed Dates of Use: As conditions and time permit April 3, 2023 at the parking lot behind the Police Station. This area is not open to the public.
Applications will occur during working hours; schedule is dependent on wind and weather conditions staying within acceptable parameters.
Posting and Notification: Site notifications will be posted at least 48 hours before application via the pesticide application electronic notification system and at site entrances, remaining 24 hours after.
Pesticide Products: Cheetah Pro (Glufosinate Ammonium) EPA Reg #: No. 70506-310 / 228-743 Pesticide Type: Herbicide City Use Type: Tier 3, Less hazardous, Least restrictive
Target Pests: Various broadleaf weeds and annual grasses.
Justification for Use: This herbicide use is justified because it is the only reliable method to keep the identified areas safe and free of vegetation. The infrastructure in mostly hardscaped, but can become overgrown with vegetation during the wet season due to regular inputs of new seed from natural causes and other management activities. Mowing or string trimming are not reliable ways to manage the vegetation in these specific areas because they do not kill plants and actually promote new growth on the grasses. It is also hard on equipment and operators to mow/trim over concrete/DG/gravel because the small rocks are thrown around.
In regards to the atrium area, this is an area that has been contracted to Brightview which is only accessible at various times, and only with proper clearance to service the area. This service is performed on a basis of need at this time and makes herbicide applications even more important due to the lack of regular maintenance.
The City's landscape maintenance contractor is managing the rest of the property with great success through the use of all available IPM methods including: sidewalk and parking lot cracks are scraped with hand tools, road frontages are trimmed and landscaped to resist undesirable vegetation.
The primary strategy to prevent future herbicide applications is to manage the emerging vegetation with herbicide, thus preventing seed-set and future infestation of the areas. This will be hard to do and may require at least one pesticide application each year. There is also the opportunity to increase maintenance intervals in the restricted areas, allowing for more time to control weeds with other methods.
More information on the IPM Program, including the current Policies and Procedures guidance, can be found on the City's webpage: Integrated Pest Management
