City considers using herbicides at popular playground

The City Beach neighborhood in Whitefish has maintained the grounds at Soroptimist Park for years simply by pulling weeds during an annual potluck gathering. The chemical-free tactic kept the park up to city standards while providing peace of mind to residents concerned about the use of herbicides at the popular playground.

Then this spring a proliferation of weeds took over the one-acre park. The weed-pulling party was no match for the sheer number of dandelions.

“It went nuts with the dandelions,” said Jan Metzmaker, who helps organize the annual weed-pulling gathering. “It’s dandelion city.”

The weeds this year are so out of control that city officials are considering the use of herbicides at the park. But in order to use chemicals the city’s 2009 weed management plan will have to be repealed or amended.

The weed plan identifies Soroptimist as the only park in the city that requires the use of organic herbicides.

Deadeye, a vinegar-based brand of weed and grass killer, is the only spray allowed at Soroptimist per the weed management plan. All other city parks can be sprayed with herbicides.

City Parks and Recreation director Maria Butts says Deadeye is non-discriminatory, meaning it kills weeds, as well as grass. Each individual dandelion plant needs to be sprayed, as opposed to a blanket application.

With the dandelion infestation at Soroptimist this year, Butts says using Deadeye would be tedious, and might just leave the park with thousands of brown spots and dead grass.

“The product we are limited to makes it difficult,” Butts said.

“We might be at a point where we have to spray it [chemicals].”

The parks department says it would post signs prior to spraying the park, then close Soroptimist for 24 hours after application.

All other parks in the city are sprayed with herbicides three times per year, if necessary. Milestone and Confront brand herbicides are used. Milestone is used by the National Park Service.

“It’s the most effective and friendly we can find,” Butts said.

Some neighbors near Soroptimist Park don’t want to see the weed plan changed or repealed. They have asked the city to mow the park more often, but Butts says that’s not a cost effective plan.

“That increases the amount of time we mow, which is a financial burden on the city,” she said. “And it becomes ineffective. Mowing stunts the growth of dandelions but won’t eliminate them.”

Because city code demands all city grounds are kept up to a certain standard, Butts says the use of herbicides might be the only solution.

“We are at a place where our hands are tied,” she said. “Neighbors want us to manage the park, but some don’t want it sprayed. City code says we have to maintain our parks to the same level as the citizens. But because of the weed plan, we have found ourselves at a road block.”

The Park Board voted unanimously at its August meeting to recommend allowing the Parks Department to oversee weed management as needed.

Councilor Frank Sweeney argues that the 2009 weed plan is too rigid to allow the parks department to do what’s best for weed management.

“It’s a static document that doesn’t allow for continue improvement,” he said.

“The Park Board wants to find better, better and better methods to control weeds. One of which is a turf enhancement protocol that could eliminate the need for chemicals in any park. But under the current plan, we couldn’t do that.”

He said the Park Board is sensitive to the neighbors who don’t want chemicals to be used.

“But the neighborhood has been unable to maintain the park,” he said. “If this were any other property, the city would go in spray and then charge them.”

“Soroptimist may have to have a one time shot [of herbicides] and we move on. But under these circumstances we can’t do that.”

Whitefish City Council on Sept. 2 decided to table their vote on whether to repeal or amend the weed plan. They told the Parks Department it needed to craft an alternative weed plan before council would vote on repealing the current version.

Councilor Jen Frandsen, who lives in the City Beach neighborhood, spoke against repealing the plan.

“I’ve spoken to neighbors who absolutely do not want [chemicals sprayed] on that park,” Frandsen said. “I understand the dandelions are overgrown, but they wanted absolutely no chemicals. I would not support this.”

Mayor John Muhlfeld also lives near the park. He said he’s spoken with many neighbors who are in favor of using herbicides to control the weeds.

“I hope we can address the weed problem there, because it is an issue,” he said.