Tree Board Meeting August 18, 2023

Detailed briefing

Tree Advisory Board Meeting — August 18, 2023 ATTENDEES: Gail Brown, Tracy Johnson, Shannon Mulkey, and Diana Mulder. • The board approved its June 16 minutes after discussing a correction to a street reference. Members indicated the reference was likely Arbor Street rather than Maple Street. • Members said two incoming council members, Michael Bearman and Kathy Mitchell, are expected to receive a Tree Board/Parks Board briefing after the Parks Board meeting the following Thursday. The goal described was to bring them up to speed on board work and prior council reporting. • In reviewing street-tree corridors, the board found little practical room for public-right-of-way trees along State Street because of the roadway width and limited green space between street and sidewalk. Members discussed possible future beautification recommendations to council. Narrowing the road was raised only as a possible consideration if the street is rebuilt for another infrastructure project. • East Lake, especially near the school and nearby parking areas, was identified as a Priority 1 corridor. Members discussed filling tree gaps and possibly replacing heavily pruned trees with better-scaled trees because of overhead wires. Ann Street between Summit and Lake was also described as a high priority. Harrison Street between M-119 and Summit was identified as a medium priority. • Spring Street between Pine and Lake was considered Priority 1 because of school traffic. Center Street between Maple and Lake was discussed as Priority 2. Pine Street will need coordination with a school parking-lot project before planting is pursued; members did not fully settle its priority. • The board said no action is needed at this time for Layton Park and the North Lake neighborhood. Next month’s field review is expected to cover West Bluff, areas below the bluff west, and Glen Drive. • On park forestry, members discussed two proposed shade trees and emphasized species diversity. They noted concern about adding more maples to a city inventory already heavily represented by maples, discussed the 10-20-30 diversity guideline, and considered Princeton elms as a possible option. No final species decision was made. Worth watching: • Whether staff confirms infrastructure and planting-space constraints on identified priority corridors. • Coordination with the school before any Pine Street planting work. • A later board decision on species and timing for the two proposed park trees. Upcoming: The board plans a briefing for incoming council members after the Parks Board meeting the following Thursday and corridor review of West Bluff, below-the-bluff west, and Glen Drive next month. Why it matters: The board is moving from identifying canopy gaps toward a phased planting plan while balancing safety, infrastructure, maintenance capacity, and tree-species diversity.

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