HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-STAC-2015-03-18Shade Tree Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
March 18, 2015
Present: Nina Bassuk, Judy Fogel, Laurene Gilbert, Jeanne Grace, Judith Maxwell, Paul Paradine,
Debra Statton
Corrections to February’s minutes: 1) The plan for Old Elmira Rd won’t have all the same species in each
island ---rather there will be repeating groups of the 4-5 species spread over all the islands. 2) There are no
underwire trees on the Court St block by GIAC.
Forester’s Report: 115 trees, all B & B, have been ordered for spring planting on Court St, Old
Elmira Rd and as replacement trees in the City. On Green Street where 4 large trees were cut down
under power lines, small trees have been ordered as replacements, including yellowwood,
serviceberry, Adirondack crab, hawthorn, and dwarf horse chestnut Autumn Splendor. The last of the
winter removals have been marked on Hook and Cayuga Streets.
Jeanne was contacted by Rhoda Maurer, new Director of Horticulture at Cornell Plantations, who’s
enthusiastic about making Ithaca’s Arbor Day celebration bigger. Jeanne and Lee Dean, arborist at
Cornell, will meet tomorrow to exchange ideas and plans. The Ithaca Garden Club usually donates around
$600 for an Arbor Day planting; we want to plant a tree in DeWitt Park that we’re sure will make it rather
than a unusual species from a milder climate. Arbor Day is April 24, the celebration at 11 am at DeWitt
Park.
Jeanne and Laurene went to the Feb Planning Board Meeting to present our revisions to Site Plan Review
Criteria for Trees. The revisions were well-received, but members need time to look at the specifics more
carefully. When changing city code, it’s important to make sure there are no contradictions. The revisions
have to go to the Board of Public Works for review and then to Common Council for the final vote, which
will probably occur in July.
Tree City USA awards are given on March 26 at a luncheon in Albany. Jeanne can’t attend this year, so
Paul will attend.
The crabapples planted in 1974 along the inlet on Floral Avenue are deteriorating. The Ithaca Garden
Club wants to sponsor replanting. This could happen this fall with bare root trees. Nina will send us a list
of resistant crabs.
Since Planning Board meetings are the 4th Wed of each month, with comments due the 3rd Wed, we are
moving our meeting time to the 2ndWednesday of each month so we as a group can comment on items on
the agenda. Our next meeting will be Wed, April 8.
EAB: the Committee reworked wording on an email to the Fall Creek list serve offering the Committee’s
help to residents in identifying ash trees. If the response from Fall Creek residents is manageable for us,
we’ll enlarge the offer to include other areas of the city where there are large ash trees on private property.
Debra will make a new draft of our changes and email it to STAC members for comment, then Jeanne will
send the final email to Common Council members for distribution to Fall Creek residents (with a copy to
the City Clerk and to JoAnn Cornish so they’ll know about it).
Next meeting Wed April 8 4pm at Cooperative Extension
Minutes respectfully submitted by Debra Statton