*** ADDITIONAL MATERIAL FOR SCHEDULED STUDY SESSION ITEM #5 ***

MAYOR & COUNCIL MEMORANDUM

October 23, 2018

Subject: Implementation of an Integrated Pest Management Page: 1 of 3

(City Wide)

Issue – Council Members Kozachik and Durham have requested this time to be set aside to
discuss implementation of an Integrated Pest Management Policy/Plan.

City Manager's Office Recommendation – It is recommended that Mayor and Council provide
direction to staff to fully evaluate an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Policy applicable city-
wide; and integrate the Final Draft Integrated Pest Management Plan developed by staff and the
Landscape Advisory Committee, as part of the policy. As part of this direction, staff will conduct
an IPM workshop with staff from departments involved in landscape pest management, initiate
pilot projects to calculate potential 5 year costs to implement a process utilizing the IPM pyramid
and moving the city toward use of organic-first pesticide/herbicides and report back to Mayor and
Council in 12 months with their evaluation.

Background - At the Mayor and Council Study Session of May 5, 2015, Council Members Uhlich
and Kozachik requested a presentation by the Landscape Advisory Committee (LAC) regarding
development of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Plan. Initially, the LAC had a series of
subcommittee meetings to develop pollinator-friendly landscapes and to protect pollinators from
chemical pesticide and herbicide use that may be contributing to the decline of bee colonies.
Following the LAC’s presentation at that Mayor and Council Study Session staff was directed to
develop a program for an IPM Plan.

The LAC, along with former member Peter Warren, then an Extension agent with Pima
County/UA Agriculture Co-Operative Extension office, and an IPM specialist, developed a Plan.
Members of the LAC IPM subcommittee and staff from Transportation, Tucson Water,
Environmental Services, Parks, Housing & Community Development and Procurement reviewed
the draft Plan.

Present Considerations –– The City does not currently have an IPM policy or plan in place;
however, in general, city practices are in alignment with state and federal requirements on the use
of pesticides and proper practice of applications. There are a number of conflicting studies
regarding use of synthetic chemical pesticides. Development of a City-Wide IPM Plan can serve
as a road map to utilize new approaches to address vegetation management and public health,
safety and welfare.

While this process has been lengthy, a final draft Plan has been completed. While the final draft
Plan is undergoing review and input from internal stakeholders, the LAC IPM subcommittee
forwarded the final draft to Council Member Kozachik. In September 2018, Council Member
Kozachik made the LAC IPM subcommittee aware of a policy and implementation by the City of
Irvine for “Organics First Pesticide.”

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Implementation of an Integrated Pest Management (City Wide)

Irene Ogata, Urban Landscape Manager and staff liaison to the LAC has begun the evaluation of a
similar organics first pesticide concept to better understand the process, progress and costs of
utilizing manual weed removal and including moving toward organic pesticides. Utilizing the IPM
pyramid would be a cultural change within the City and require education and outreach to staff
involved in outdoor vegetation landscape management of this approach.

Financial Considerations – Moving toward working up the IPM pyramid from Physical and
Cultural practices up to the tip of first using organic pesticides/herbicides then to chemical
pesticides/herbicides as the last resort, will likely result in initial additional costs. In many city
departments, maintenance has been deferred and vegetative management has been inadequate. As
city maintenance practices catch-up and community acceptance thresholds adjust, landscape
maintenance practice will adjust and costs will likely stabilize over time. The City of Irvine, in its
second year of organic pesticide use, still has a slight increase in pesticide budget, but they believe
costs are beginning to decrease, as frequency and amount have been decreasing.

Plan Tucson Considerations – This item relates to the following elements in the City of Tucson’s
General and Sustainability Plan :

• PH5 : Support educational programs that promote healthy living.

• PH8 : Support streetscape and roadway design that incorporates features that provide healthy,
attractive environments to encourage more physical activity.
• PR1 : Maintain and implement the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation
Agencies standards addressing such characteristics as park size, service area radius, and
operations.
• PR7 : Emphasize the role of public recreation programs in public safety (preventative) and
public health (physical and mental).
• PR12: Expand outreach and partnerships with neighborhoods to facilitate the adoption and
care of existing neighborhood parks.
• G1 : Provide the public with regular communication and sufficient information regarding
policy, program and project planning and decision-making via multiple methods.
• G9 : Coordinate consistent and integrated policy, program, and project planning across City
departments.
• JW3 : Increase and promote environmentally sensitive businesses, industries, and
technologies, including desert adapted technologies and goods and services tailored to the
special needs of Tucson as a desert community.
• TQ2 : Preserve and celebrate the beauty of Tucson’s natural landscape and the wonder of the
Sonoran Desert.
• TQ3 : Recognize the importance of well-maintained and attractive roadways and gateways in
establishing an initial impression for visitors and generating pride and among residents.
• TQ5 : Promote Tucson as a premier healthy lifestyle, outdoor, and recreational destination for
cycling, hiking, bird watching, astronomy, nature, desert ecology, golf, spas, wellness, and
healthcare.

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Implementation of an Integrated Pest Management (City Wide)

• GI5 : Create, preserve, and manage biologically rich, connected open space; wildlife and plant
habitat; and wildlife corridors, including natural washes and pockets of native vegetation,
while working to eradicate invasive species.
• WR5 : Protect groundwater, surface water, and stormwater from contamination.

Respectfully submitted,

Albert Elias
Assistant City Manager

IO/TT
Timothy Thomure, Director, Tucson Water

Attachments: 5-5-2015 Mayor and Council action (item 8)

Updated Presentation

SS/OCT23-18-165(2)