Tree Board Meeting 12/18/2020

Detailed briefing

Tree Advisory Board Meeting — December 18, 2020 ATTENDEES: Sue Stewart, Dana Mulder, Nancy Rondell, and Mark Gilbert participated in roll call; Rondell participated from Charlotte, North Carolina, while the others reported Harbor Springs locations. • The board approved the November 20 meeting minutes. During the discussion, members asked that future motions more clearly capture substantive board decisions so the minutes accurately reflect what staff or council is being asked to do. • Staff announced that John Cups has resigned from the Tree Board. The city will look for a replacement member through city council, and members were told they may suggest potential volunteers. • An East Main request to remove a tree was continued because the applicant was not present to present the case. Staff said there was no urgency and that the request could remain open until the applicant returns. Previous council direction allowed limited trimming under the arborist's purview. • The board reviewed the draft city tree plan in detail. Members supported moving charts and graphs to appendices, adding a table of contents, and making longer supporting materials easier for the public to access and print. Staff will incorporate editorial and other revisions; the plan is expected to return to the board for approval before it goes to city council. • Members discussed how the plan should guide requests to remove public trees. Comments stressed caution about removing healthy, mature canopy trees; flexibility for unusual cases; and the need for future guidelines on replacement planting, possible replacement elsewhere in the city, and potential payment toward city planting when direct replacement is not feasible. • The board approved a Lake Street street-tree planting application for a ginkgo. Staff said the application followed the prior condition that a tree removal be accompanied by a street-tree planting request. • Discussion of 2021 budget and implementation priorities was postponed to January. Topics expected to return include a possible city tree-planting fund, locations for six donated trees, and planting locations associated with the ReLeaf grant. Worth watching: • Whether the revised tree plan returns for board approval and then proceeds to city council. • How the board develops removal/replacement guidelines and a dedicated funding approach for tree planting. • Selection of sites for donated and ReLeaf grant trees, including consideration of future park development. Upcoming: The board plans to revisit 2021 goals, funding, and implementation priorities at its January meeting. Why it matters: The plan and follow-up policies will shape how Harbor Springs protects mature canopy, replaces public trees, and directs future planting resources.

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