Council Appointee Sub-Committee — Portland, ME
Date: 2019-09-12
Time: 18:00

City of Portland
 Pesticide Management Advisory Committee

 City Hall
 State of Maine Room
 6:00 PM

1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Nancy Olmstead to Present on Invasive Plant Ecology and Management
3. Review and approve minutes
 a. Minutes from August 6
4. Reports and Updates
 a. SeeClickFix
 b. Other Communications
5. Outreach and Education
 a. Maine Pesticides Collection Program
 b. Other outreach ­ General Public
6. Future Meetings/Speakers
7. Adjournment

City of Portland
 Pesticide Management Advisory Committee

 City Hall
 State of Maine Room
 6:00 PM

1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Nancy Olmstead to Present on Invasive Plant Ecology and Management
3. Review and approve minutes
 a. Minutes from August 6
4. Reports and Updates
 a. SeeClickFix
 b. Other Communications
5. Outreach and Education
 a. Maine Pesticides Collection Program
 b. Other outreach ­ General Public
6. Future Meetings/Speakers
7. Adjournment
 CITY OF PORTLAND, MAINE
 Pesticide Management Advisory Committee



 Draft Minutes August 6, 2019

Members Present:​ Avery Kamilla, Karen Snyder, Jesse O’Brien, Tim Lindsey, Priscilla Skerry,
Carol Laboissonniere
Staff Present​:​ Troy Moon, Ashley Krulik

Meeting was called to order at 6:32 PM by Jesse O’Brien.

Welcome and introductions ​- information sharing among the group
  ● Jesse - shared ​Wild Urban Plants of the Northeast
  ● Priscilla - talked to Maine Audubon about putting brochures in store
  ● Karen - Maine Hardware frustrated by CCSWCD educational efforts, would like further
 education on alternative land care practices, Karen created one-sheet and will send file
 to Troy/Ashley to review
  ● Avery - pollinator populations are looking good

Review and approve minutes from June 4, 2019
 ● Add missing PMAC members who were in attendance. Tim moved to accept, Carol
 seconded, all in favor 7-0.

Reports and Updates
 ● Cushings Island Conservation Corporation waiver request, 1-1 rejected, filed appeal,
 Lena Geraghty is appeals officer and is reviewing application now
 ○ OK to grant 7 year waiver if approved?
 ○ Avery - felt application was incomplete and answers from CICC during hearing
 were unclear
 ○ Troy - feels that application was sufficient
 ○ Jesse -
 ■ Unlicensed people can apply pesticides on conservation land but area
 needs to be closed 7 days after application
 ■ Containers must be triple rinsed before being thrown out
 ■ Leftover material must be used up on labeled uses or disposed as
 hazardous waste
 ■ Need to monitor process to ensure that CICC is informed on proper
 application and clean-up
 ○ Tim -
 ■ Moving forward, can we require applicators to read guide book and make
 sure they read the label
 ■ Would you (Troy) have approved this waiver if it wasn’t a conservation
 organization requesting it? Troy - yes, based on background, level of
 knowledge, experience with the land.
 ○ Troy - if we make any amendments to the ordinance, recommend adding a third
 person to the waiver committee
 ○ Carol - important to preserve ecosystem that invasives can destroy

 ● Performing outreach (sending letters) to residents who may have applied pesticides
 ○ Keep a log of letters sent
 ○ Many cases have been applications for carpenter ants which is exempt
 ● Jeff Tarling - City may be getting a steam weed killer - follow up to learn more
 ● South Portland Art in the Park event - conducting survey about ordinance
 ○ Jesse working with Fred Dillon on survey
 ○ See if South Portland would be open to including Portland ordinance in survey

Discuss Future Meeting Agendas
 ● September 12 - invite Nancy Olmstead, Maine state biologist
 ○ Invite South Portland and Falmouth PMACs
 ○ Will be beneficial to learn about treatments for invasive species
 ○ Important to also hear from experts in organic land care in the future
 ○ Avery - expects that we will receive some pushback from the public on invasive
 species exemption within ordinance
 ● Bring in someone to speak about how to find a balance with invasive species
 management
 ● October - Browntail moth - Jesse to reach out to UMaine to find a speaker
 ● Ticks and mosquitos

Educational Discussion: Jesse presented on Soil Biology

Next Meeting: September 12, 6pm

Adjourn 8:04

CITY OF PORTLAND, MAINE
 Pesticide Management Advisory Committee



 Draft Minutes September 12, 2019

Members Present:​Avery Kamilla, Karen Snyder, Jesse O’Brien, Tim Lindsey, Priscilla Skerry,
Carol Laboissonniere
Staff Present​: Troy Moon, Ashley Krulik

Meeting was called to order at 6:05 PM by Jesse O’Brien.

Welcome and introductions - expanded meeting with South Portland PMAC and other
landscape professionals with State of Maine Invasive Plant Biologist Nancy Olmstead

Nancy Olmstead presented on Invasive Plant Ecology and Management

Review and approve minutes from August 6, 2019
 ● Avery moved to accept, Tim seconded, all in favor 7-0.

Reports and Updates
 ● SeeClickFix
 ○ Created Pesticide category - no issues submitted yet
 ○ Tim - who enforces ordinance? Troy is in charge of enforcement - start with
 educational materials.
 ● Jesse asked how we can track inquiries about specific plants
 ● Carol brought Green Earth Ag & Turf - potential new resource
 ● Avery asked about Cushing Island exemption
 ○ Surveyed mayoral candidates and all were in support of removing the invasive
 pest exemption
 ● Avery suggested that Lena Geraghty get NOFA certified if she will continue to be the
 decision maker in City Manager’s office
 ● Karen asked if NOFA will give us a discount on certification - Troy to inquire
 ● Karen and Avery have been working on pest control matrix - still in draft mode, will share
 with committee for input
 ○ Add notes to use caution with horticultural vinegar and throw pulled-up invasive
 plants in the trash - not the woods or the compost
 ● Avery shared Invasive Plant Medicine as a resource
 ● Avery asked about future speakers - ask speakers to not talk about using synthetic
 pesticides and focus on organic pest management
 ○ Troy - important to have speakers who bring different points of view to learn from
 ○ Tim - ask for speakers to bring new OPM products that work
Outreach and Education
 ● Maine Pesticides Collection Program - happening in October in Portland
 ● Portland hazardous waste program - will take pesticides the first Saturday of every
 month (April through November, 7:30am-1pm)
 ○ Add information to website
 ● Organic approved compost - WeCompost and Garbage to Garden are MOFGA certified
 and available at Riverside
 ○ Add information to website
 ● Jesse brought up that fall is the key season for turf
 ○ Recently presented at Skillins - most common question from applicators is what
 is the best stuff to get and how much does it cost? Needs to fit within their fee
 structure.
 ○ Need to have more presence on turf care in September 2020 - committee
 members would need to assist
 ● Jesse - we should launch a question and answer platform for residents
 ● Outreach - Avery - once matrix is ready she and Karen will take materials to stores to
 have conversations with staff - most likely this winter
 ● Portland Sustainability Office to advertise NOFA class - send to MELNA list
 ● Continue to educate residents and professionals



Future Meetings/Speakers
 ● Moving forward, work with the speakers on the specific topics that committee is
 interested in learning more about
 ● No October speaker
 ● Email Jesse any speaker recommendations
 ● Continue to invite other PMACs to share information

Next Meeting: October 1

Adjourn 8:37