CITY OF PICKERINGTON

TREE COMMISSION

CITY HALL, 100 LOCKVILLE ROAD

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2006

 

REGULAR MEETING

5:30 P.M.

 

  1. ROLL CALL.  Mr. Goodrich called the meeting to order at 5:32 P.M., with roll call as follows:  Mr. Goodrich, Mr. Malone, and Ms. Carter were present.  Ms. Hurley was absent.  Others present:  Ed Drobina Gregg Ellis, Diana Fuller and Linda Shelts.

 

  1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES of July 12, 2006, Regular Meeting.  Mr. Malone moved to approve; Ms. Carter seconded the motion.  Mr. Goodrich, Mr. Malone and Ms. Carter voted “Aye.”  Motion carried, 3-0.

 

  1. COMMUNITY COMMENTS.  Mr. Goodrich introduced Linda Shelts, the new Tree Commission Member who will be starting in September.

 

  1. REPORTS.   

A.                 Street Tree Report

Mr. Goodrich asked if Mr. Ellis had to do a lot of watering?  Mr. Ellis stated they have been watering once a week.  Mr. Goodrich asked if there has been any vandalism at the Arboretum.  Mr. Ellis stated that someone tore down the message board and broke the glass.

 

Mr. Goodrich asked how many trees would be planted for the Fall planting.  Mr. Ellis stated that he would figure out the plan starting in September.  Mr. Ellis stated there would definitely be a lot planted, at least 200.

 

     5.    SCHEDULED MATTERS.

                  A.        Tree Preservation Update

Mr. Malone stated that Mr. Goodrich and himself looked at the property by Fairfield Square Condos. Mr. Malone stated that they looked at the proposal Centex made to stabilize the stream bank that is closest to the condominium development and to remove the trees on the golf course side of the creek and reroute the stream through there to compensate for what they were going to do on the condo side.  Mr. Malone stated the Corp of Engineers approved the work being proposed on the condo side of the creek but have no jurisdiction on the golf course side of the creek.  Mr. Malone continued that Centex was not required to get a permit through EPA for this.  Mr. Malone stated that he brought several EPA people out to look at this and they are unanimously opposed to what Centex has proposed for the golf course side of the creek. 

Mr. Malone stated that he has contacted EPA and is hoping to get the individual that did the last stream study out there to take a look and tell us what is going to happen if they go through with this.  Mr. Malone stated the only people that have a say in the final approval of this project is the city, which would be the Tree Commission, Floodplain Administrator and the Engineer. 

 

Mr. Drobina stated there is a lady looking to buy a house in Preston Trails and the plat shows a tree preservation area behind her house with a few dead trees.  Mr. Drobina stated she wanted to know whether they were allowed to remove those dead trees.  Mr. Malone stated that she would need to get approval from this commission first.  He continued that as long as it’s something that’s dead and not something they just want to remove, we could approve that on an individual basis.   Mr. Malone stated that Mr. Ellis can go out there and look at it and make a recommendation but the residents are responsible for the cost of taking the trees down, not the city.

 

      B.        Arboretum.

Mr. Goodrich asked if anything has been going on down at the Arboretum.  Mr. Ellis stated that someone complained that he mowed the Arboretum.  Mr. Drobina stated that he called and explained to the resident the area is mowed to control all the unwanted woody plants. 

 

Mr. Goodrich asked if the flowerbeds had been cleared of weeds.  Mr. Drobina stated that they had been cleaned up by one of the summer helpers. 

 

     6.    COMMUNICATION

 

Mr. Goodrich asked if we were going to update our website with the new members names.  Mr. Drobina stated we would do that.

 

Mr. Goodrich asked if we put out a notice about leaf pick-up regarding not piling leaves into the gutters.  Mr. Drobina stated we post the leaf pick-up schedule in the newspaper and could add something about that to the article. 

 

7.   OTHER BUSINESS

 

Mr. Malone mentioned the Central Ohio Urban Forestry conference being offered October 26 at Dawes Arboretum.  Mr. Malone stated that the applications would be mailed to us in September.  Mr. Malone stated there was also a seminar in Columbus on October 3rd titled “Building with Trees” that would be an important one to attend.

 

Mr. Ellis stated that a resident called thinking his Ash tree had the emerald ash borer.  Mr. Drobina said the State inspected the tree and said it is an ash borer, but not the emerald ash borer.  Mr. Malone stated there are several types of ash borer.

 

Ms. Linda Shelts stated a concern that more trees should be planted in the city playgrounds by the slides and swing areas.  Mr. Malone stated she could do decide the specific areas where the trees should be placed and the city could discuss it.

 

Ms. Carter asked whether the City was going to do a spreadsheet on the trees in the City so we can track what trees are planted and where?  Ms. Carter stated she would do the spreadsheet if the information can be gathered and given to her.  Mr. Drobina stated it is an important document to have and he would work on getting the information together.

 

     8.    ADJOURNMENT

            Their being nothing further, Mr. Malone moved to adjourn, Ms. Carter seconded the motion.  Mr. Goodrich, Mr. Malone and Ms. Carter voted “Aye.”  Motion carried, 3-0.  The Tree Commission adjourned at 6:10 P.M. on August 9, 2006.

 

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:

 

 

___________________________________

Diana Fuller, Administrative Assistant

 

 

_____________________________________

Ed Drobina, Service Manager