The Common Council met 03/20/2024. One of the items they separated out for an individual vote was the request to award the 2024 native landscape management contract to NES Ecological Services.
This item was discussed at the 03/12/2024 Utilities Committee at which Alderperson Israel Del Toro (District 4) expressed concern that the contract allowed the use of glyphosate chemicals as one of the tools used to manage invasive species and control algae in the city’s stormwater ponds and channels. He wanted to know if it was possible to amend the contract to allow only the use of non-glyphosate products. The committee almost held the item at committee for further review, but the contract was time-sensitive, so instead they approved it with the understanding that, prior to the Common Council meeting, staff was going to review the feasibility of removing the use of glyphosate products from the contract and present their findings to the Council.
After further review, city staff continued to support the inclusion of glyphosate products as one of several landscape management strategies that also included hand pulling, mowing, and burning. They pointed to the use of glyphosates by US Fish and Wildlife Services, WI Department of Transportation, various nearby municipalities, several land preservation organizations, and the University of Wisconsin Green Bay. They also believe it was “appropriate to use glyphosate according to the label and as directed by the label.”
The Common Council ended up voting 11-4 to approve the contract as written with the inclusion of glyphosate chemicals. Alderpersons William Siebers (District 1), Del Toro, Alex Schultz (District 9), and Nate Wolff (District 12) cast the 4 opposing votes.
I’ve prepared a transcript of the discussion for download:
Alderperson Del Toro opposed the continued use of glyphosates on city land, saying, “’This is the way it’s always been done,’ ‘This is the most cost effective,’ ‘This is the least taxing on staff time,’ are all real reasons that are commonly used in this chamber to justify the city’s actions. But I want us to try a new reason tonight for doing—or in this case, not doing—something. This is the right thing to do for our community and our environment. Our constituents repeatedly asked us to make our parks safer, our environment cleaner and our city more sustainable. Going about business as usual, actually hinders that progress that our city wants and needs.”
He pointed to DDT usage as something that had once been “business as usual”, and, as with the move away from DDT, he wanted to see the city move away from other “harmful chemical pesticides”. Later on, he said, “[I]t’s hard to have to deal with invasive species and things that threaten our native biodiversity and our ecosystem health. However, hard things are worth doing. Hard things are worth investing in. Finding solutions to problems and especially environmental problems that threaten both the health of our community and the health of our ecosystem are worth putting dollars behind.”
Alderperson Schultz was also concerned about the use of glyphosates and believed the city shouldn’t default to using glyphosates and similar chemicals whenever they found themselves having to deal with a difficult situation. “We’ve got to find other methodologies to move forward.” He also thought that the city should evaluate the other weed control chemicals it uses and not just focus on glyphosates.
Alderperson Vered Meltzer (District 2) thought that the city was going to have to find other ways to deal with their landscape management but was not ready to vote against glyphosate usage at this time. “[E]ven if we don’t feel that we’re ready to take those steps yet, we need to be having this conversation now to figure out how we can all get to the comfort level that Alder Del Toro has. So, I want to thank you very much for this important conversation that we’re having.
Alderperson Patrick Hayden echoed those sentiments. “I share your concerns, but at this time, I’m not ready to vote for this. I would like to see clear concrete alternatives presented side by side. And hopefully someday we can kind of get there, but I do appreciate you speaking up on this.”
Alderperson Denise Fenton (District 6) also felt the city should be investigating other landscape management options but was not willing to vote against the contract before them that evening. “I think while we have to use the methods that we’re using, I just want us to use Alder Del Toro’s words, everybody to remember that we need to always be looking for other ways. We might not have them now, but—and I think that’s part of you know, the sustainability group is working on. So, while maybe we want to, we approve this contract tonight, we should not stop looking for a better way.”
The 2024 native landscape management contract ended up being approved as presented with not amendments by a vote of 11-4.
View full meeting details and video here: https://cityofappleton.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=1171630&GUID=0FD6CC44-548D-406A-8681-BBD549FF0A19
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