Update on Right-of-Way Mowing and Mowing of Parks and Street Medians Pre-Council Meeting November 10, 2009

2 Purpose of Presentation Provide an overview of: 1. Grounds maintenance service levels for parks, street medians & right-of-ways 2. Opportunities and challenges associated with volunteer maintenance and financial sponsorship, including liability insurance 3. Communications plan to educate citizens regarding service levels, code enforcement and volunteer adoption opportunities

3 Parks & Street Medians Service levels for neighborhood and community parks [no buildings onsite] –18 mowing cycles [16 cycles at 14 days; 2 cycles at 21 days]; –Trim and edge one [1] time per year after first freeze Service levels for street medians –14 cycles per year or every 21 days during growing season –Trim and edge with each cycle

4 Parks mowed every 14 days; edged & trimmed one time per year

5 Street medians mowed and trimmed every 21 days

6 Right-of-Ways Effective FY2010 ROW maintenance by the CFW eliminated Exceptions include traffic intersections to maintain sightlines Inventory includes 294 lane miles (LM): –121 LM Urban and 173 LM Developing Areas Estimated cost per LM per year: –$3,300 Urban and $1,400 Developing Areas Prior service levels: Urban – sidewalk, fence and curb; maintained every 14 days Developing Areas – usually no sidewalks or curb; maintained every 28 days

7 City Code City Code, Section 11A-7 includes a definition of “Parkway” as “The unimproved portion of any street, between the roadway and the private property line.” City Code, Section 11A-8, prohibiting high grass and weeds, makes it an offense if a “person owns, occupies, or controls any real property and fails to maintain the parkway adjacent to the property free of weeds and grass that exceed an average of twelve (12) inches in height.” It is the opinion of the Law Department that the 1997 adoption of Section 11A-8(b) of Appendix B of the Fort Worth City Code placed a clear duty on property owners/occupiers to maintain “parkway” that is adjacent to their property.

8 Right-of-Way Budget and Inventory History Fiscal YearBudgetLane Miles 2006$67, $271, $283, $283, $0294

9 Developing Area & Urban ROW

10 Current “Adoption” Process & Insurance Requirements Irrigate and Use of Power Equipment –Execute an Adopt-A-[Park, Median or ROW] agreement; and –$1,000,000 general liability & name city additional insured Use of Power Equipment –Execute an Adopt-A-[Park, Median or ROW] agreement; and –$500,000 general liability & name city additional insured Litter Collection Only –Execute an Adopt-A-[Park, Median or ROW] agreement, completion of a volunteer application and execute waiver of city liability

11 Communications and Code Enforcement Plan Traditional communication and education outlets: City-News, Web Page, City Times, notices to neighborhood associations, community meetings/forums Notification to property owners adjacent to ROW previously maintained Renew promotion of Adopt-A-[Park, Median and ROW] program to encourage civic involvement in maintaining a clean and attractive community Manage code enforcement on a complaint basis

Update on Right-of-Way Mowing and Mowing of Parks and Street Medians Pre-Council Meeting November 10, 2009