HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-STAC-2015-04-08Shade Tree Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
April 8, 2015
Present: Nina Bassuk, Laurene Gilbert, Jeanne Grace, Pamela Markham, Paul Paradine, Debra Statton,
Keith Vanderhye
Paul described the Tree City Luncheon in Albany he’d attended on Ithaca’s behalf‐‐‐300 people, good
talks about how other communities are using their tree money, impressive number of years some
communities have been getting the Tree City USA award, us 27 years, another 43 years continuously.
Forester’s Report
This year’s Arbor Day event is at 11 am April 24 in DeWitt Park. Kentucky Coffee ‘Prairie Titan’ was
suggested as the tree to be purchased with the annual Garden Club donation and planted April 24.
Perhaps New Roots students could do a presentation on the tree. Nina agrees to make posters for 5 or
6 trees in the park showing the dollar amount of benefits provided by these big trees. Lee Dean from
Cornell will talk about how to plant and mulch a tree.
Site prep and stump removal are continuing along before spring tree planting, still lots to grind
before ready to plant. The trial pack from Schichtel’s is coming any day now, with a new narrow catalpa.
Jeanne wasn’t successful in getting an intern from Cornell for the summer, so she needs
additional funding which she’ll request so she can hire someone.
The seasonal budget was cut 7% over last year. The forestry technician position hasn’t been
funded by the City for five years. The situation can’t go on like this where Jeanne is doing the work two
people used to do. Hiring a permanent employee carries a hefty price tag (benefits, retirement), but
Jeanne intends to make an effort to rebuild the position ‐‐‐maybe 40 hours/week for the summer.
Perhaps STAC can write a letter of support when she makes the request.
Infrastructure work should go fast now on Old Elmira Road. Trees for the project can be stored
at the side of the golf course until time to plant them.
Bank Alley is done on the Commons so it will be planted next week. Redbuds are planned for
there. Not sure if there’s structural soil on Bank Alley since it’s redbuds there—definitely included it on
State Street. State Street trees will be planted in September.
EAB: Jeanne will go back to the last draft email and send it to two council people and JoAnn. She’ll
keep a running list of people requesting help with ash id. STAC members will go in pairs to the sites.
Crabapples: Jeanne has tried to match up the map with the plantings along Floral Ave. When the
trees bud up she’ll be able to identify varieties and know what colors to use to fill in.
Keith reports that the Taughannock Park parking lot expansion felled hundreds of trees that fell onto all
the other vegetation, causing a lot of damage. Now the road up to the falls is asphalt right up to trees. A
shame to lose so many wonderful big trees to a parking lot.
Pamela asks if the hawthorns have been ordered for the bank (behind the apartments) that fronts on
Floral Ave. Such thorny trees should keep down on the partying on the slope. No, they haven’t been
ordered. How would they be planted on such a steep slope? Hawthorns do poorly when planted bare
root, why not shrubby evergreens close together. Is INHS iinvolved with the planting? No decisions made
today about this issue.
Next meeting 4pm Wednesday May 13, 2015, Cooperative Extension
Minutes respectfully submitted by Debra Statton