Tree Advisory Board Meeting 2.18.2022

Detailed briefing

Tree Advisory Board Meeting — February 18, 2022 ATTENDEES: Nancy Rondell, Patrick Wise, Karen Stroup, Dana Mulder. • The board approved the prior meeting minutes with corrections. Members noted that Sue Stewart had not attended the prior meeting and corrected a small Arborfest reference. • Staff announced that Harbor Springs is Tree City USA certified. Staff also reported one Tree Board applicant, John Cassidy, whose application was expected to go to council Monday. Savannah Mackey was again absent, and staff said it would follow up with the school. • For the Arbor Day Fest planned for May 28 at Kiwanis Park, the board retained an 11 a.m.–2 p.m. window. Members discussed overlap with the farmers market and concluded that publishing a schedule could help families participate in both events. • Proposed event activities included species-identification walks, a possible Adirondack-history presentation by Eric Hemingway, nature art, simple bird-feeder crafts, trail cleanup, a farmers-market booth, and tree-seedling giveaways. The board also discussed having a sign-up/information table at the Kiwanis building. • Tree climbing remains a major logistical and safety question. The city bucket truck will not be used. Members discussed equipment, liability forms, rescue planning, and limiting participation to adults 18 and older; a demonstration was also discussed. No fully detailed operating plan was established. • The board discussed sponsorships because 200 white pine seedlings were estimated at $750. It also considered seeking food support, obtaining a temporary food license if grilling, recruiting volunteers, preparing tree-species placards, and using limited printed materials along with QR codes. • Members agreed to reorganize the tree-plan implementation matrix by subject area and add high, medium, and low priorities. The stated goal is to identify a few priorities for work after the Arbor Day Fest. Worth watching: • Safety, liability, and staffing requirements for any tree-climbing activity remain unresolved. • Seedling sponsorships, food arrangements, volunteers, and a final event schedule still need to be secured. • The board needs to decide how to manage disc-golf activity and participant safety during the Kiwanis Park event. Upcoming: Arbor Day Fest is planned for May 28 at Kiwanis Park; the next Tree Canopy article is expected to announce Tree City USA status and the event. Why it matters: The board is moving from broad planning to practical decisions on public tree education, event safety, volunteer capacity, and funding.

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