At the January 4, 2010 work session, the Department of Parks, Recreation and Public Lands (PRPL) presented information on the damage being caused to pine trees in Billings parks by Mountain Pine Bark Beetles.  The park trees can be inspected and damaged ones removed and disposed of for approximately $27,000.  Although the department did not budget those funds in FY 2010, it will perform the work in-house and does not need additional funding.  Preventative spraying of undamaged trees will cost approximately $20,000 and PRPL does not have that money in its budget.  The City Council approved an intiative at its January 25, 2010 meeting, directing staff to prepare a resolution to approve the required funding from the City Council Contingency Account.  The City Council will consider adopting the Resolution, which will provide PRPL with enough funding to spray or treat living trees in the City parks in the spring, 2010.  This needs to be an annual treatment, so the City Council should expect to receive a FY 2011 budget request from PRPL when Council reviews the department's budget in May or June, 2010. 

The City Council may:

• Approve the resolution and appropriate up to $20,000 of Council Contingency funding for spraying pine trees in City parks in order to prevent further tree damage/death. 
• Disapprove the resolution.  PRPL will not spray undamaged trees, but will have to remove damaged or dead trees from the parks this year and in future years. 

Staff recommends that the City Council approve the resolution that approves up to $20,000 of FY 2010 Council Contingency funding for spraying City park pine trees for Mountain Pine Bark Beetles.