Community Tree Council

ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY COMMUNITY TREE COUNCIL AGENDA MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2019 4:00 – 6:00 P.M. Call to Order and Welcome: Nina Wurzburger 4:00 – 4:05 ● Introductions Housekeeping (Secretary) Rodney Walters 4:05 – 4:30 ● Roll Call Sign In & Membership Roster Updates (Congratulations to all newly appointed members!) ● 2/11/2019 Minutes Edits/Approval (Action Item – Vote to approve): ● (Information) Amy Stone (former Athens arborist) has expressed interest in serving on the CTC. She has been invited to attend meetings and has been sent an application ● Tree Planting Donations and Requests: Trees for Tomorrow – Memorial Grove & Firefly Trail (discuss under new business) ● (Information) Required Business - communication and interface with commissioner’s office - Member Binder Information - Review ACC Advisory Committee Roles & Expectations document - Review CTC mission (purpose) - Due to open information requirements, CTC needs to be put onto the ACC Boards and Authorities website (agenda and minutes must be posted along with time and location of meetings and an invite for public to attend given). – Roberts Rules of Order apply to this process. (Discussions are to be recorded and dissenting opinions must be allotted for and recorded in minutes). - CTC will need to advertise to fill remaining vacant seats (nominees should be selected by August) (must select nominees who represent a diverse range of interests – Diverse representation of ACC citizenry) - Communicate Expectations of the CTC to applicants - Media releases will be utilized to advertise for open positions. - Jeff Montgomery, ACC Public Relations - County TV Notice - CTC Web page - Open Governance Open Information Requirements: CTC needs to be put onto the ACC Boards and Authorities website (agenda and minutes must be posted along with time and location of meetings and an invite for public to attend given). Roberts Rules of Order apply to this process. Discussions are to be recorded and dissenting opinions must be allotted for and recorded in minutes (will work with Jeff Montgomery to facilitate this). ● (Information) Communicate ACC Forester duties and time allotment to CTC = 75 hours annually ● Reminder of Bylaws Enforcement (discontinue absentees to help CTC maintain a quorum) Treasurer’s Report Pam Knox Old Business: (Information) Broad Acres (Arbor Day Event) – Debrief Shawn (Information) Green Life Expo (debrief - Marc) New Business Presiding Chair 4:30 – onward ● Roger Cauthen (Discussion and Action Item) - The Winterville Tree Commission is planning a local tree tour for April 27 from 4-5PM. It will be led by Dr. Merkle, professor at UGA School of Forest Resources. The WVTC would like to invite participation (and possible co-sponsoring) with the ACC CTC. We'd like to attend the next CTC meeting to pitch the idea, and see if it might serve as a conduit to future cooperative efforts. ● Trees for Tomorrow - Memorial Grove (Information) – March 15th Memorial Grove Planting on March 15th. – Trees for the families of Sean Jeankins and Gloria Miller Bruce were planted at Sandy Creek Park (3/15/2009). CTC members planned and coordinated the planning. ACC Landscape Management crews performed the heavy lifting of digging the holes and placing the trees. - Lissa Myers – 2 white oak (memory of Sean – Brother and Son). Family arrived at 10 AM to help plant and put soil from hometown in with the roots. Sean Jeankins’s family expressed their heartfelt gratitude for everyone who helped make Sean’s dying wish of planting a tree in Athens a reality. - Meridith McCoy Trees for Tomorrow – 1 red oak (commemoration of grandmother’s birthday) - Donor names on plaque at Sandy Creek Park Visitor’s Center and family comments recorded in Tree Legacy Book in Heritage room in the library - (Discussion) This planting will fill the grove. A new grove location will need to be planned (Partner with Leisure Services) - TfT Program may need some reworking (information-wording & distribution, management and oversight, planning) (discuss pricing of memorial trees) -Who? (form a committee? – Action Item) -New York Donor (discussion item) -TfT needs its own committee who takes minutes (This is because of the funding, which has to have records kept for public review. This info should also go on Boards and Authorities Website Trees for Tomorrow Continued - (Information) Firefly Trail Tree Planting Commitment - The TfT program had a commitment to plant 40 trees on the new Firefly Trail in order to honor a large donation received for the Carl Jordan Firefly Trail Grove for that purpose. The original plan to plant most of these trees near the trail entrance will not work, because other projects are currently providing the plant materials in that area. The Firefly Trail is in various stages of development and construction and appropriate planting locations are currently limited. With that in mind the CTC has purchased 5 eastern red cedar trees that have been planted by Landscape Management (Greg - Parks) to establish a screen along the trail in a wide spot behind 379 Oak Street where there have been people driving onto the trail between boulders. TfT is now committed to Planting 35 more trees for the Carl Jordan Grove on the firefly trail. [have planted 5 (eastern red cedars) trees as a 1st step to honor commitment to plant 40 trees – Trees have been delivered and planted by Landscape Management, Parks Maintenance Crews]. - Trees for Tomorrow – Firefly Trail Tree Planting Commitment for the Carl Jordan Grove. (Information and Discussion - Planning for next 35 Trees): Meetings with Leisure Services (Todd Miller) & Landscape Management (Greg Shaw & Jeanne Connell) about the Carl Jordan Grove indicate the Firefly Trail will include non-native plants that are more likely to survive, because the planting sites are ecologically degraded along the old railway upon which the Firefly Trail is being constructed. A desire for accent trees (burgundy) mixed up with color was also expressed (burgundy, oranges, reds, and whites (flowers). Possible Plant materials include:  Chestnut oak  Nuttal oak  White oak (where they may survive)  Trident Maples  Black gum “wildfire’  London plane trees  Thornless honeylocusts  Kousa dogwoods  Jane magnolias  Service berries (where they may survive)  Pistache (Chinese) ● (Discussion) New Member Recruitment ● (Discussion) CTC website (Run Ruffian = $90 per hour)–Website needs maintenance and management ● (Discussion) Fundraising ● (Discussion) CTC Tree Planting Commitments, Donations, and Requests: - Dog Park - (Discusion) Will the landscape plan developed by Jeanne a LMD will be utilized? Primary factor will be the fundraising needed to purchase the plant materials. - How will funds be raised to purchase materials for the dogpark? - (Information) Idylwood & Friends Garden Club (donation for nuttal oak at Dog park) – wants a follow-up as when planning for dog park have occurred.