Tree Board Meeting 11.17.2023

Detailed briefing

Tree Advisory Board Meeting — November 17, 2023 ATTENDEES: Dana Mulder, Theresa Johnson, Jamie Melky, Talia Satora, and Gail Brown. • The board approved its October meeting minutes after correcting an attendance error that listed Dana Mulder as both present and absent. The transcript does not state a vote count. • Members received an update from the prior evening’s Planning Commission discussion on bluff vegetation management. The Planning Commission debated whether the primary issue is bluff aesthetics, bluff stability, or both. It voted 5-4 to recommend that City Council investigate the cost of a bluff-stability study. If Council takes action that involves trees, the matter is expected to return to the Tree Board. • A resident of Traverse Street asked how future street-tree planting is planned and requested that any planting preserve a view from his home. The board explained that it has surveyed neighborhoods and corridors, identified priorities and constraints, and generally sends notices to homeowners before planting in front of houses. Traverse Street is identified as a high-priority street in the planning discussion. • The board focused on how to turn its street tree plan into projects. Ben and Lucas are to review non-postponed high-priority neighborhoods and corridors and bring back the maximum number of feasible planting locations. The review is to consider physical constraints, including driveways, signs, overhead lines, and infrastructure. The board would then decide how many locations to use, the desired spacing, and suitable species. • Members discussed the current mismatch between a 20-foot minimum separation used in the street-tree planting application and 30-to-45-foot aesthetic spacing discussed in the tree plan. No new fixed spacing rule was adopted. The discussion favored a flexible, site- and species-sensitive approach. • DPW requested Tree Board input on planting two or three conifers in an unimproved Prospect Street right-of-way to discourage parking near a home. Boulders were rejected in discussion as a safety concern. White spruce and other conifers were considered, but no formal tree selection or final planting decision is shown in the transcript. Worth watching: • Whether City Council authorizes or seeks cost information for a bluff-stability study. • When Ben and Lucas can provide feasible planting-location counts for high-priority areas; staff said an update would be provided at the next meeting, though the work could take a couple of months. • Whether the city establishes an ongoing record of removed trees and updates its tree inventory. Upcoming: The next Tree Advisory Board meeting is planned for December 15; City Council appointments are scheduled for December 21. Why it matters: The board is moving from identifying street-tree needs toward defining practical planting sites, future funding needs, and maintenance capacity.

No open public follow-ups are linked to this meeting yet.