Council Appointee Sub-Committee

CITY OF PORTLAND, MAINE Pesticide Management Advisory Committee Minutes April 2, 2019 Members Present:​ Avery Kamilla, Karen Snyder, ​Carol Laboissonniere​, Jesse O’Brien, Tim Lindsey, Priscilla Skerry Staff Present​:​ Troy Moon, Ashley Krulik Meeting was called to order at 6:24 PM by Jesse O’Brien. Welcome and introductions ​- information sharing among the group ● CedarCure - tick treatment that committee should review to see if it’s allowed under the ordinance - carcinogenic ● April 9th - South Portland workshop with City Council regarding fertilizer ● Jon Hinck’s firm recruiting people with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma for Roundup lawsuit Review and approve minutes from March 11, 2019 ● Tim Lindsey moved to accept, Avery seconded, all in favor 7-0. Report on contacts with members of the public regarding the ordinance ● Troy ○ Very few calls about the ordinance so far ○ City in MA interested in our ordinance ○ Trying to connect with Maine Hardware on educational materials ○ One question about treatment for ticks ○ Participated in Channel 6 news story ○ One call about carpenter ants in the home ● Karen - create a spreadsheet with comments and questions that we receive Waiver Applications ● Received one from Cherverus but it was not complete, asked them to fill in gaps and review ordinance again to determine if they are eligible. ● Waynflete - Application included a treatment plan with no changes to adhere to ordinance. No current sign of grubs. Waiver application denied, do not expect an appeal. ● Review process ○ Cannot discuss items over email, should discuss during meetings so that it is part of the minutes ○ Need to share fair judgement on waiver applications ○ Our meetings are public meetings and waivers are posted prior to waiver committee meeting, which is not the case in South Portland ○ Committee members should not deliberate prior to waiver committee meetings  ○ Can clarify agendas via email Brochures ● 2 brochures are better than one ● Use South Portland as a base ● Karen to incorporate Avery’s comments into her version of the Top 10 brochure ● Post Karen’s version of the Pesticide Ordinance brochure for committee to review to Google Drive ● Reverse order of aeration and overseeding in Top 10 brochure ● Recommend spiking in addition to core aeration (spiking may bring up fewer weed seeds than core aeration, but spiking can cause compaction, site and time specific) ● Add UMaine Cooperative Extension Cumberland County as source ● Timing: aiming for the end of the month ● Distribution: ○ Events ○ Stores ○ Insert in Stormwater bills? ○ Included in Parks and Recreation digital newsletter ● Develop materials specifically for youth? Hold for now. ● Get quote to develop Pesticide Ordinance logo Tabling: ● Home Depot has OK’ed ● Waiting to hear from Lowe’s and Paris Farmers’ Union ● Risbara Bros - haven’t contacted yet ● Maine Hardware - talk to Tim ● Need people to commit to manning the table on a Saturday in May ● Sustainability Office to order table ● Jim Lausier - Peak’s Island - Jesse to man Outreach ● Add pesticide section to “Fix-It Portland” - Troy to look into ● Enforcement - use education first ○ How do we prove the use of ordinance? Cannot test, need to trust people’s word. ● Add links to helpful books/resources to website Approved Contractor List ● Cannot recommend based on certification ● Add disclaimer to compliant land care companies on website Applicator’s Round Table Review ● High priorities: ○ High Use Athletic Fields  ○ Homeowner education ○ Grubs ○ Reseeding during correct time of the year Managing Grubs: ● 1 year lifecycle - grub -> pupate -> japanese beetle/other types of beetles ● Japanese beetle is being overtaken by the Oriental beetle ● European Chafer beetle - largest and most voracious ● Eat roots ● Once they reach large population, animals start to forage for then and tear up land quickly ● Issues: lots of different types of beetles, unpredictable, come and go quickly ● Need to discuss if Japanese Beetle traps are banned under ordinance ● Treatments: ○ Milky Spore - used as treatment for Japanese Beetles, does not work for other types of beetles, can be sporadic and doesn’t last ○ Nematodes - specific to each type of beetle, spray into turf and attack grubs, all variables need to be perfect to work - may not survive Maine winters ○ Pre-emption - need to apply treatment before there is any sign of infestation to be effective - first or second week of August - once grubs are visible there is no effective organic product. Can use traps or watch for Japanese Beetles to determine if there will be an issue. ○ Possible to test in late fall if grubs are present? Yes. ○ Rescue treatment ● Need to consider long term effects of pesticides on children ● Acelepryn ○ Reduced risk product ○ Scarborough has been organic since 2011 - using Acelepryn on athletic fields to address grubs ○ South Portland also exploring Acelepryn for athletic fields - PMAC may recommend amendment to ordinance to allow Acelepryn for certain circumstances ○ Acelepryn affects muscles of insects - does not affect bees - could affect beneficial beetles/worms ○ Needs to be applied second week of May in coastal Maine ○ 48 hour re-entry time for schools ● LD 50 - used to rate all pesticide products - the higher the number, the safer the treatment is ● If pesticide is used in a proper manner at a proper time, it can save people thousands of dollars ● Artificial turf also poses issues and has high cost ● Thresholds are key ● Best educational resource for grubs: UMass, UConn and NOFA Next meeting: May 7, 6:30pm ● Determine tabling events and who will work at each event ● Discuss enforcement Motion was made by Troy Moon adjourned the meeting at 8:13 pm.

City of Portland Pesticide Management Advisory Committee April 2, 2019 6:30 PM Room 24 ­ Portland City Hall 1. Welcome and Introductions 2. Review and approve minutes from March 11 a. Minutes from March 11, 2019 3. Report on contacts with members of the public regarding the ordinance a. Requests for information or waivers b. Outreach 4. New Business a. Report on issues being addressed by South Portland and Scarborough pesticide committees b. Discuss approaches to managing grubs. 5. Set next meeting date. 6. Adjournment