Tree Board Meeting 6.17.2022

Detailed briefing

Tree Advisory Board Meeting — June 17, 2022 ATTENDEES: Karen Searle, Nancy Rondell, Dan Mulder; John Cassidy arrived after the initial roll call. • The board approved the previous meeting’s minutes with corrections: Nancy Rondell was added as present, and Savannah was removed from the prior attendance record. • Staff reported an unauthorized vegetation-cutting incident on city property near the boardwalk/bluff. The homeowner had been working with staff on a vegetation-management plan, but no approval had been issued when a contractor began work. Police were sent to stop the activity, and staff said the matter remains under investigation. Members heard that no trees larger than four inches in diameter appeared to have been removed, though staff still needed to assess the work and determine whether trespass, tree-ordinance, or other penalties apply. • Members discussed the need for a meaningful deterrent when work begins before city approval. Staff said unauthorized access to city property is already a violation and that the tree ordinance may add further penalties, potentially including a stated $1,000-per-tree provision, depending on the facts and applicable thresholds. No penalty or final outcome was decided at this meeting. • The board positively reviewed Arbor Day. Members estimated about 80 attendees and thanked volunteers, sponsors, and contributors for activities including nature art, a nature walk, tree climbing, food, and tree distribution. Suggested future additions included greater Parks Board collaboration, more trail walks or educational activities, and improved guidance for participants to post trail-art photos. Some thank-you notes were still being assigned or prepared. • For MDOT’s M-119 culvert project, the board reviewed a proposed replanting mix of sugar maples, red oaks, and hawthorns after clearing within the construction area. Members questioned whether larger nursery trees could survive on steep slopes without watering or city maintenance. The board’s recommendation was to ask MDOT to use smaller bare-root trees and plant a greater number of them, while maintaining the proposed species mix. • The board supported developing a zoning-code provision for commercial redevelopment that would require trees planted through site plans to follow ANSI planting standards. Staff will consult the city’s planning consultant as the zoning-code update begins. Worth watching: • Staff and police must complete their investigation of the unauthorized bluff-area cutting and determine any enforcement response. • MDOT is expected to bring an easement/financial offer to City Council; the board’s bare-root replanting recommendation needs to be conveyed. • Commercial ANSI planting standards must be drafted and considered through the zoning-update process. Upcoming: The MDOT culvert project was described as expected next spring; substation screening-tree species and Main Street streetscape planning are expected to return to a future board agenda. Why it matters: The board’s work affects protection of public vegetation, replacement of trees removed for infrastructure work, and how future redevelopment contributes to Harbor Springs’ tree canopy.

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