CITY OF
PICKERINGTON
TREE COMMISSION
CITY HALL, 100
LOCKVILLE ROAD
WEDNESDAY,
SEPTEMBER 12, 2007
REGULAR MEETING
6:00 P.M.
A. Street Tree Report
Mr. Goodrich asked if the trees for the Fall planting had been ordered. Mr. Ellis stated that he would try for next week and see what we need to order. Mr. Goodrich stated there hasn’t been a lot of building going on. Mr. Ellis stated that we didn’t get our 2nd Spring planting done last year so that will be this year. Mr. Malone asked if there were any particular areas being planted in this fall. Mr. Ellis stated there are quite a few replacements this fall and he has no idea how many there will be.
6. SCHEDULED MATTERS.
A. Tree Preservation Update
Mr. Malone stated there is nothing new to report at this time.
B. Tree Data Base
Ms. Carter stated she has been working on it but it has been slow moving. Mr. McKinley asked if it was still progressing. Ms. Carter stated that it was still progressing and she was getting ready to send some more to Mr. Goodrich. Ms. Carter stated that she has also been backing it up because of all the computer failures that have been happening.
C. Arboretum.
Mr. McKinley asked if Mr. Ellis had noticed any further issues at the Arboretum. Mr. Ellis stated he hasn’t noticed any more vandalism since early summer. Ms. Carter asked if he has replaced the tree signs yet. Mr. Ellis stated he hasn’t done anything with them yet. Ms. Carter stated she thought someone was going to check with Columbus to see what type of tree signs they use. Mr. Malone stated he thought we were going to get with the Parks folks and try to coordinate something with them. Mr. McKinley stated he would check with the City of Columbus.
D. Emerald Ash Borer
Mr. Goodrich stated we needed to get the websites and phone numbers for the resources listed. Mr. Drobina asked if we should change under “Scope” from ID to identify. Ms. Shelts stated she has some grammer issues with the plan and would just give them to Mr. Goodrich to make changes.
Mr. McKinley stated the next step is whether to move it forward to the Service Committee for review. Mr. Goodrich stated he didn’t think we needed another meeting because everyone is in agreement with the plan. Mr. McKinley stated he just wanted to point out that he still feels we need a proactive approach but understands that everyone else doesn’t and that is fine. Ms. Shelts stated that taking the proactive out of the plan is bad and there should be something in there about residents having an option of removing the ash tree. Mr. McKinley stated that the Urban Forestry fund is for new trees, it’s not for the replacement of existing non-diseased trees. Mr. McKinley stated that any proactive approach we wanted to take we would have to go before City Council and ask for additional funding. Mr. Goodrich stated that if Fairfield County turns around and basically quarantines the county all bets are off on everything. Mr. Goodrich stated this is a plan for where we are today because we can’t predict the future.
Ms. Shelts stated that the Dept of Agriculture is monitoring all the trees and we just fall into that. Mr. McKinley stated that ODNR does a lot of sampling around the state. Ms. Shelts stated we are deferring to them to do that and not binding ourselves into doing it and making it our responsibility. Mr. Malone stated that most cases of trees around the state that are being used for monitoring are voluntarily offered by the community to be evaluated, bark stripped, and checked for the possibility of infestation. Mr. Drobina stated that we have provided 6 trees this spring and they will come back this fall, cut them down and test them.
Mr. Goodrich stated that if he gets the contact list he would make the changes and e-mail it to everyone. Mr. Goodrich asked when the next Service Committee meeting is. Mr. Drobina stated Monday night the 17th. Mr. Drobina stated he would write a short memo explaining the plan and put copies in there packets for Monday night just so they will be aware of it and they could make some suggestions. Mr. McKinley stated we would then table it until the next Tree Commission meeting. Mr. Goodrich stated we should table it until it is finalized and we receive comments from the Service Committee.
E. City Beautification Campaign
Mr. McKinley stated he passed out copies of pamphlets of programs other cities have. Mr. McKinley stated everyone could look over that in the next month. Mr. McKinley stated that most of the programs for the other cities are privately funded and not funded with city funds, minimal city funds at most. Mr. McKinley stated these are just ideas for you to look over and we can wait on doing anything further with this until we are done with the Emerald Ash Borer.
Mr. McKinley stated he also wanted to mention the first annual Pickerington pick-up day is scheduled for September 23rd. Mr. McKinley stated that start time is 1:00 until 6:00 with a pizza and pop party at City Hall.
7. COMMUNICATION.
No comments.
8. OTHER BUSINESS
Mr. Malone asked whether registrations to attend the Urban Forestry Conference for October 11 have been turned in. Ms. Fuller stated they have been.
Ms. Shelts stated she is worried about the budgetary aspect in regard to the EAS management plan because she has no little understanding about what we are doing budget wise. Ms. Shelts asked if the money for planting new trees is given to us each year by the city. Mr. Malone stated it’s from the developers. Mr. Goodrich stated that is why we cannot use it for other things. Mr. Malone stated they give us the money and we plant the trees so that there is no question that it is done the right way.
Ms. Shelts stated that she didn’t really read the minutes from the August meeting and what was decided to do about the resident’s tree. Mr. McKinley stated we were going to write a letter to let her know that even though we appreciate her concerns that it is a healthy city tree, we are not going to cut it down. Ms. Shelts asked whether it has been done yet. Mr. Drobina stated he didn’t think it had been decided who would write the letter. Mr. Drobina stated that he did talk to our insurance company about the liability of someone falling from stepping on an acorn and they stated that was not a claim they would pay.
Ms. Shelts stated that the resident is willing to pay to have the tree taken down on her own. Mr. McKinley stated that sets a precedent that anyone who gives us money can have a tree removed. Ms. Carter stated that it is a beautiful tree and we don’t have the manpower to go around removing trees and replanting new ones. Ms. Shelts stated she doesn’t know that that’s been quantified. She stated she would have to know how many times we’ve done that for how many people at what expense. Ms. Carter stated we do not remove trees unless they are damaged or diseased. Ms. Shelts stated she doesn’t feel there will be any other people that will come and say you have to remove my tree at whatever cost because I don’t like it. Ms. Shelts stated something we need to think about is making public relations a priority in the decisions that we make. Ms. Shelts stated this is not a big tree that is going to cost 3,000.00 to have it removed. Mr. Drobina stated that it is an easy tree to cut down but that is not the point. The point is we don’t want to start cutting down healthy trees just because someone doesn’t like it. Ms. Shelts stated we don’t have to go against someone’s wishes just to prove a point. Mr. Malone stated the point is that it is our wishes. It is a city tree, it’s a tree that the Commission and the City decides where it is to be planted, and that’s why everyone is concerned about the precedent being set. Mr. Malone stated that yes it would be nice to make everyone happy but we are not going to be able to do that. Mr. Malone stated that he could not see how we can justify removing a tree that is in good shape and is very healthy because someone feels inconvenienced by it. Mr. Malone stated it is not the sort of precedent we want to set because next time someone will come in and say they don’t like the leaves. Mr. Malone stated another issue came up from someone regarding removing a Hawthorn tree because they didn’t like the spikes. Ms. Shelts stated she still thinks we need to compromise and the residents offer to pay for it puts it into a different realm. Mr. Malone stated he would agree if it was an issue of manpower and compromising would be a good thing. Mr. Malone stated that’s not the issue and the issue is it’s our tree planting plan and our process for planting trees and our decision about how that’s going to be done in Pickerington. Mr. Malone stated that as in life you are not going to satisfy everyone but it does not make our decision wrong or that we have to make everyone happy. Ms. Carter stated she is not the first one to complain about trees. Ms. Carter stated businesses have complained because they cover up their signs or a resident doesn’t like the neighbor’s tree because its leaves blow onto their property. Ms. Carter stated that there was a big issue about a tree blocking someone’s view. Ms. Shelts stated she would have to look at more hard data to quantify that.
Mr. Drobina stated he would write the letter and he would provide everyone a copy of it.
9. ADJOURNMENT
Their being nothing further, Mr. Malone moved to adjourn, Ms. Carter seconded the motion. Mr. Goodrich, Mr. Malone, Ms. Carter, Mr. McKinley, and Ms. Shelts voted “Aye.” Motion carried, 5-0. The Tree Commission adjourned at 6:40 P.M. on September 12, 2007.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:
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Diana Fuller, Administrative Assistant
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Ed Drobina, Service Manager