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City of Ithaca Shade Tree Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
March 16, 2016
Present: Nina Bassuk, Jeanne Grace, Beverly Hillman, Pamela Markham, Monika Roth, Debra Statton
Forester’s Report: Easements‐‐ Krin Flaherty at the City Attorney’s office will look up and see if any
easements have been official where we’ve treated private property trees as street trees. If there haven’t
been any official easements, we can create our own template. The State of Massachusetts has such
easements; Jeanne can look these up. In the l980’s Nina says the City tried for such legislation within 20’ of
public right of way, but it didn’t pass.
After we get the easement, then do the planting of Metasequoia at the bus station in fall. The City
can’t commit funds or cut down or plant there without permission, but with easement, could take care of
the plantings there.
The crew will start stump grinding in anticipation of planting soon after taking down silver maples.
The tree order is all in, approximately 80 trees, more smalls than talls, mostly replacements, but also for a
buffer along the golf course where the Waterfront Trail goes . With the early spring, the nurseries are
digging early. Ordered Schichtel’s: narrow red maple, ‘Grace’ smoke bush, tulip trees for Stewart Park,
crabs, ‘harvest gold’ and ‘Professor Sprenger,’ Heritage oaks, weeping willows for Stewart Park.
Ordered Aesculus glabra, ‘Autumn brilliance’ serviceberry, hackberry, redbud, ‘Winter King’
hawthorn, swamp white oak. Add on swamp chestnut, Ulmus cordata (risky in terms of hardiness), small—
Parrotia persica ‘Vanessa.’
Pamela suggests 3 ‘Centurian’ crabs for underwire on 500 block Chestnut Street to replace gingkos that have
to be severely pruned to keep them under the wires.
Arbor Day: have ordered a cucumber magnolia and American tulip trees for planting at Stewart Park, would
like to plant 5 in a line closest to the train tracks, first row back from where the weeping willows are. Have
the ceremony Friday, April 29, 1 pm. DEC Forester is more likely to be able to come if afternoon. Monika
suggests since it’s at Stewart Park, might be fun to combine the ceremony with walking the Tree walk or
looking at the work Miguel Berrios has done near the bridge in the wooded area.
Jeanne talks about building a tree lawn near the new building by the old Renovus building since there is no
room for a real tree lawn. Wants to plant 3 trees in front of the old Renovus building, and is looking for
suggestions. The pH is 8 down there, so need alkaline tolerant. Accolade elms (thick leaf) and Triumph elms
are both resistant to yellows as well as Dutch Elm Disease, Quercus Muelenbergii , chinkapin oak.
Staples hasn’t given Jeanne a map of the trees cut and needing replacement. She will remind and suggest
alternatives to Freeman maples which are water guzzlers and will outgrow their spaces.
Crab Apple Planting on Floral Ave. Monika asks about` the idea of planting real fruit trees down on Floral
Ave near the community garden there. Deer protection—fencing? Jeanne says the crab apple project is
closer to town. Nina says there are questions about fruit trees on public land, such as pruning and picking.
Nina is working on an i‐ Tree Program on canopy cover for Ithaca, not number of trees but coverage. Big
cities average 30% coverage. Nina thinks we have more.
Nina presented our list of STAC accomplishments to Common Council. She will writea letter to Stephen
Smith, our liaison to Common Council, to say we’d really like to have him at our meetings.
Progress of our ordinance. Jeanne thought it had to go through the Planning and Economic Development
Committee for changes before Common Council, but realized it can either go before Planning and Economic
Development or through City Administration. Since JoAnn has had it for more than one year without any
action, seems reasonable to email Seph Murtagh, Chair of Planning and Economic Development and ask to
have it put on their agenda within 2 months‐‐ to give Lisa and JoAnn time to process it, and if no response
take it to City Administration.
Next meeting Wed April 13, 4pm Cooperative Extension. Minutes respectfully submitted by Debra Statton