Tree Advisory Board Meeting July 16, 2021

Detailed briefing

Tree Advisory Board Meeting — July 16, 2021 ATTENDEES: Nancy Rondell, Theo Stewart, Sam Lambert, Chris Strauss; Ash Wise attended while seeking appointment to the board. • The board accepted the previous meeting minutes. Members welcomed Ash Wise, who had applied to join the board; staff said City Council would likely consider the appointment the following Monday. • Members discussed whether tree planting and related work should be shared with other landscapers rather than routed through the city arborist. Staff said the city uses designated professional consultants in several areas and that some tree-related work has also been performed by DPW or other contractors. Staff agreed to clarify the official role and scope of the city arborist for the board. • Staff explained that the vegetation dispute along West Bluff east of Ann Street involves privately owned bluff property, not city property. Property owners below the bluff were said to be organizing around ownership and management issues. MDOT right-of-way also affects requests west of Ann Street. The board agreed the city should be cautious and avoid inserting itself into the private dispute. • The board reviewed the Harbor Springs-specific “Right Tree, Right Place” guide, covering growing conditions, deer resistance and suitability for street trees. Members supported placing it on the city website and using it as a resident resource. They also discussed ongoing public education, including possible articles and future information on new-tree care. • Members reached consensus that a draft rubric for major tree donations was thorough and ready to use. The tool considers donation size, location, species, site conditions, public impact, current and future costs, donor expectations, and whether City Council or other boards should review a proposal. Staff said it would first be used in follow-up on Ronald Fennick’s Traverse Street request. • In discussing remaining 2021 priorities, the board identified possible work on low-tree neighborhoods and parks, a potential planting-locations list, street and park tree-base improvements, and clearer guidelines for requests to remove public trees for non-view reasons. Ordinance-related work was deferred while the city’s master plan process continues. Worth watching: • Staff will provide clarification on the city arborist’s role and scope of work. • The board plans to develop standards for evaluating non-view requests to remove public trees. • Funding rules and possible grant or donation sources for a private-property tree rebate remain unresolved. Upcoming: The next Tree Advisory Board meeting is August 20, 2021; members expect to continue discussing goals, priorities and implementation steps. Why it matters: The board is building clearer, public-facing tools for tree planting, donations, maintenance and removal decisions across Harbor Springs.

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