HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-STAC-2010-01-06Shade Tree Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
January 6, 2010
Present: Nina Bassuk, Judy Fogel, Tony Hanna, Pamela Markham, Judith Maxwell, Paul
Paradine, Debra Statton, Keith Vanderhye, Lew Ward
Guest: Ray Benjamin, Acting Assistant Superintendent of Public Works
Corrections to Dec 2009 Minutes: cultivars used on Water & Sewer site are not new,
only Ulmus x `Danada Charm.' Quercus montana is now the name for Quercus prinus
Forester's Report (by Lew): crew did 10 take downs over the month, sugar and Norway
maples, also 1 horse chestnut on W. Yates. On good days, the crew does trimming, but now it's
mostly snow removal and Christmas tree chipping.
The City is working on the reapplication to the National Arbor Day Foundation for next
year's growth award, intends to include a stratum analysis, so Lew is transferring data from
Treekeeper to I Tree. ( Nina notes that data doesn't have to be on I Tree for this -- -need only
species and dbh - -- and in response to question what is a stratum analysis, says it's a Forest
Service program to quantify benefits provided to a city by street trees.)
Looking at a March start up on Franklin Street for the City to do curb; Water and
Sewer will do the sidewalk and tree lawn.
Also supposed to start on Hector St with 600 ft sewer line replacement- from Sunrise
Drive to the city limits.
Spring planting will include replacement trees not planted in fall, including 6 in Belle
Sherman. Typically B &B and easy bare root trees are planted in spring since bare root don't
do so well in spring.
Nina asks whether the site plan review has been finished for the parking lot at Island Health
& Fitness. Ray replies that the City is putting in the substructure for permanent lighting for the
entire lot and doing the parking lot there now – that the project went through site plan review.
He reports that the City got $50,000 - -- not enough for the whole project, so of the 200 -car
parking lot designed, the City is focusing on the south half. Has built the bioswales, so if the
lot were overwhelmed with rain, it would go into the storm system. He says there should be
some planting around the bioswales -- 21 RPM trees are planned for the site.
Nina notes that the tiny RPM trees ($15 each) are inappropriate —too vulnerable -- for a
public parking lot, also that many of the choices are disease prone and will die or at best be
without foliage for most of the year. She asks about the soil in the berms – just fill now – and
recommends that soil be brought in for the trees. She will discuss the species choices with Rick
Manning.
Committee Member Concerns: Pamela reports that the back side of Cedar Creek Apts has no
city trees. The neighborhood has waited for years, can some be planted there?
The Committee is concerned that the most destructive option for the Commons redo-- -
near total removal of the trees - -- is the one on the table now. Nina will talk to Jo Anne Cornish
and ask when and if this is going to be implemented.
Next meeting Feb 10 4pm Minutes respectfully submitted by Debra Statton