The Environmental Advisory Board didn’t take any formal action Sept. 16, focusing instead on outreach problems (their videos are “buried” online) and fall programming. The board also flagged a need for better event coordination and floated the idea of organizing a river cleanup themselves.
Key Decisions
Board members said the city’s environmental videos are getting low traffic and are hard to find on the website, and they decided not to push new web content right now—raising a basic question: if residents can’t find the information, the outreach isn’t doing its job.
The winter educational series is set to start Oct. 16, but the board still needs to line up a speaker for March 2026—an early warning that the schedule isn’t fully locked in yet.
After mixed feedback on Paddle Palooza (paddlers showed up, vendors were disappointed), the board pointed to missing basics like signage and maps and said a river cleanup should happen—something the board would need to organize and staff.
Public Input
No public comments or communications recorded for this meeting.
Agenda Items
EAB City Posted Website Videos Update
Members reported low website hits and said the content is “buried,” then chose not to push new website information for now. That’s a practical admission that the city’s current setup isn’t reaching people, and it leaves the board with an unresolved next step: whether to improve visibility (like using Cool City Connect) or accept that the material won’t be seen.
The board put a hold on adding “Did You Know” content to the website for now. It’s a small item, but it reinforces the bigger issue they raised: the city’s online channels may not be set up in a way that makes public education easy to find or worth the effort.
The board said the first session will start Oct. 16 and noted they still need a speaker for March 2026. Residents who care about these programs should expect more details later—and the board will need to close that gap if it wants a reliable series people can plan around.
The board flagged geese as an issue affecting the trail at Washington Park. The minutes don’t show a plan or timeline, but it’s a quality-of-life problem that can quickly turn into a maintenance and usability issue if it’s not addressed.
NWFW, Great Lake and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative Grant Update
An update from a Friends meeting said raised beds may be changed to depressed in-ground beds. That kind of design change can affect cost, maintenance, and how well the project works—so it’s worth watching for a clearer explanation of why the change is being considered and who signs off on it.
The board listed upcoming events (Plants and Pints, a volunteer tree planting, and a pruning workshop with location TBD) and reviewed Paddle Palooza feedback. They said paddlers turned out but vendors didn’t see much interest, and pointed to coordination gaps like signage and maps—basic execution issues that can undermine otherwise good programming.