HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-STAC-2016-09-19STAC Meeting September 19, 2016
Present: Nina Bassuk, Jeanne Grace, Beverly Hillman, Debra Statton, Kevin Vorstadt, and Ava, visiting Nina’s department
at Cornell from Norway
Let’s go back to the second Wednesday of the month at 4pm since Cynthia Brock can’t meet with us on a Monday after
all, and since Monday doesn’t work for several of us. We will be without a liaison to Common Council, but can enlist
Cynthia’s help on issues if in a pinch.
Forester’s Report:
The task force to consider consolidating City committees appears to be working better than the last time at
reorganization. They’ve looked at how many committees don’t have full membership. We don’t know more now.
Commons replacement trees will be accepted or rejected by Jeanne, so she’ll make sure quality is good.
There are a few planting spots where the tree died or was vandalized but the flexi-pave is still in place. Jeanne will try to
peel back the flexi-pave and replace all the trees on Tioga between Seneca and Buffalo with Chanticleer pears.
Our changes to City ordinance: Jeanne and Seph didn’t get a chance to meet. She will email him to say it’s been 2 years
that we’ve been waiting to have final review by the Planning and Economic Development Committee so the changes can
go to Common Council for approval. If Seph can’t get our ordinance on the Planning Committee’s agenda right away,
then Jeanne will bring it to City Administration and then to Common Council.
Chlorotic Trees: Kevin came up with 80 chlorotic trees, but none were treated this season. There was the suspicion that
Bolton raised pH to address the brown water problem, and that drought was also a factor, so it got to be too late to
treat them. We have the list now so can treat them next June.
Dawn Redwoods by the Bus Station: Jeanne will contact Krin Flaherty about an easement, then maybe replace just 2
dawn redwoods in spring with b&b. Columnar ginkgos are much more drought tolerant and would look great there,
though. We’ll think further.
Tree Order: Jeanne got everything but catalpas and yellow wood. Coming are upright male seedless osage orange
White Shield, Magnifica hackberries, Bloodgood London planes, Mongolian linden, Autumn Splendor horse chestnut (not
as much leaf blotch as hippocastanum), and Cardinal Royal mountain ash (don’t get any more of these, insects kill them),
one zelkova, one Ky coffee tree and golden raindrops pears for Tioga Street. Nursery didn’t have any Jack Callery pears
to replace those dead on Meadow and State Streets.
The 15 crabapples for the Inlet are ordered and will be planted on Nov 10 by Nina’s class.
The crew watered last week once. Want to keep watering but have to take the bags off to put deer protection on. Crew
is stump grinding in prep for planting, so don’t want to pull them off for watering.
Kevin has trimmed all 3year trees for structural strength. Kevin and Jeanne are doing knotweed control along the flood
control channel. Kevin looked at all ash trees at Stewart Park, checking for woodpecker damage. Kevin is working on
DEC reimbursement. Jeanne is working with Paul on Norway maples under power lines at Weed St and Elmira Rd. Paul
is doing the garden by the little brick meter house there
Nothing has happened with replacement trees for Staples parking lot yet. The Autumn Blaze in Lowe’s and Wegman’s
parking lots can’t take drought, and are badly planted.
The black willow on Buffalo between Plain and Park is dead, is a hazard and needs to be taken out now.
Next meeting Wed Oct 12, 4pm, Cooperative Extension. Minutes respectfully submitted by Debra Statton