HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-STAC-2010-04-14Shade Tree Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
April 14, 2010
Present: Nina Bassuk, Judy Fogel, Jeanne Grace, Tony Hanna, Dan Klein, Judith Maxwell, Ellen
McCollister, Pamela Markham, Paul Paradine, Debra Statton, Keith Vanderhye
Nina introduces Jeanne Grace, new forestry technician for the City.
To help smooth the transition, Lew will continue on through the summer with DPW.
Corrections to and follow up on March minutes: Dan didn't do all the chips at Van Horn Park.
NYSEG brought some chips too.
Conley Park — followup — who to do Spring clean up. Suggestion to meet there instead of
here next meeting and do clean up.
Need to find out from Lew what /when/where for Arbor Day tree planting, and if spring order
is coming.
Forester's Report by Jeanne (from Dave)
The crew is doing removals and stump grinding to prepare for replacement trees. They removed the
tree grates in the 100 block of Cayuga and filled in with chips. They mulched Van Horn Park
Mike King, formerly a maintenance worker here, has been hired as a tree trimmer. Now there
are two maintenance positions open in the department.
Volunteers are coming to DeWitt Park to get it ready for spring.
This is the 22nd year of Ithaca getting the Growth Award from the National Arbor Day
Foundation, also the Tree City USA Award.
Arbor Day Call Simon Wheeler @ Journal to come take pictures, etc. Nina to call Lew and will
email everyone - -- about the time, what's being planted, etc.
Nina recommends Jeanne talk to Dave about putting in a two foot- wide strip of mulch for the bare
root trees along Elmira Road. All the trees there need water bags on; the bags are at Steward Park in
the storage unit. The trees need regular watering this year. Also the 6 -7 new trees on 3rd Street need
to be watered. Also the new trees on the 100 block of E State need mulch.
Dan for Beautification: there are 15 new volunteers this year. They've put 3000 pansies on the
Commons and State St.
At the traffic circle the road engineers have put up netting and are hydroseeding grasses on the
cliff face. Maybe Dan will be permitted to put weeping forsythias on the cliff. Debra has donated the
forsythias. (The forsythias on University Ave are from 1950.)
Paul reports that NYSEG took 48 face cords of wood from Clarks Corners - - -3 skid loads in 9' lengths —
and donated the wood to Urban Salvage here in town. Scott at Urban Salvage will be making posts out
of it for the Trumansburg farmers market. Part of the donation is for the City too.
Paul took over landscaping for the 1890 House in Cortland. His crews are volunteering the tree
work. Paul is looking for advice and tips from Dan and all on the idea of a period garden with Victorian
rose garden. Nina suggests that design students sometimes take on projects in the community.
Citizen Pruners: Monika reports that approximately 20 people took the trainings. It's not sure how
many will become volunteer pruners. This year instead of hands -on training new volunteers will be
invited to come watch an actual weekday pruning session. Jeanne Grace will be working with Citizen
Pruners.
Monika passes around the door knocker prototype she's had in storage. Nina will edit and return
it to Monika, who can get it typed up. Dan volunteers to hand cut them. The City to have it printed.
Judith reports that the Garden Club is donating half of the money to fund a college student as forestry
intern with the City for the summer (mid May -mid Aug). Jeanne asks if the Garden Club
has specific expectations. The hourly wage and number of hours per week need to be figured
Will the City fund the other half of this internship?
Next meeting Wed May 12 The second Wed of the month is okay for all.
Minutes respectfully submitted by Debra Statton.