Community Tree Council

1 Community Tree Council (CTC) Meeting Minutes Meeting Date: October 14th, 2019 Location: Planning Department In Attendance - Members: Lea Clark, Phil Hale, Shawn Doonan, Nina Wurzburger, Pam Knox, Rodney Walters, Joseph Bates, Joe Perloff, Jessie McClellan Staff, Guests, and Ex-Officio Members: Russell Edwards (District 7 Commissioner), Stacee Farrell (Director-Keep Athens Clarke County Beautiful), Moniika Kapousouz (Emeritis Member), Todd Miller (Leisure Services) Absent: Mary Attaway, Myung Cogan Call to Order: Nina Wurzburger called the meeting to order at 4:00 P.M. A quorum was present. ● Housekeeping (Secretary) Rodney Walters 4:05- 4:20 PM ● Roll Call/Sign In (2 minutes): Sign-up sheet was distributed ● (Information and Discussion 3 minutes): Congratulations, officially, to Jessie and Lea for being appointed to the CTC for an approximate 1 year term (Jessie) and an approximate 2 year term (Lea) as voting members! ● (Action Item: Vote to approve minutes- 3 minutes): 8/12//2019 Minutes Edits/Approval and 9/9/2019 Minutes Edits/Approval ● (Information, Discussion, and Action Item 3 minutes): New online CTC membership application: may be found on the ACC CTC webpage. Does the CTC want to put the link on the CTC webpage? https://www.athensclarkecounty.com/FormCenter/Community-Tree-Council-48/Application-for-AthensClarke-County- Comm-579 - Motion was made, seconded, and approved to put the above CTC member application link on the CTC webpage ● (Information and Action Item)- 12 minutes) Feedback from ACC staff: The CTC needs to inform Jean Spratlin (Mayor and Commission Executive Assistant) about its membership advertising activities. The CTC needs to advertise on media that is separate from its social media posts. The purpose for this is to achieve the opportunity for members to be selected from a broad range of the Athens Clarke County citizen body. - The ACC, ACTV Bulletin Board System and conducting an ACC press release are options that do not require fees  (The ACC, ACTV Bulletin Board System is a video-based system available on the Unified Government’s Cable Access Television Channel. This information will be provided to all Charter Communication Cable subscribers) - Motion made, seconded, and approved to allow the CTC secretary to request advertising for members through the ACC, ACTV Bulletin Board System and via an ACC press release. ● (Information and Communications- 5 minutes): 2 donations were received this month (Donation Letters Read to CTC) - Lea volunteered to write these donors thank you notes - Potential for raising donations as a carbon offset was very briefly discussed (carbon offset calculator or app on ACC website with donation link) – A more in-depth discussion will be set on next month’s agenda ● (Information and Request for Information 5 minutes) Tree City USA Application information: - Pass out form and discuss - Help asked from CTC secretary in getting information back (Need to have the information by October 25th, so a report may be compiled in time to meet the November application deadline).  2 Treasurer’s Report (Information - 10 minutes): Pam Knox 4:20 – 4:25 PM - A written Oct. 14, 2019 treasure’s report was submitted by Pam Knox (attached at the end of this document). - A check was written for 2 separate webpage domains. Suggested the CTC have the old domain forwarded to the new domain and then, at a future date, consider having the old domain dropped. CTC Committee Reports (Information and Discussion): 4:25 –5:00 PM ● CTC Executive Committee {Nina (chair), Shawn, Pam, Rodney} – Committee did not meet, no report given ● CTC Steering Committee {Executive Committee and Standing Committee Chairpersons} -Did not meet ● CTC Education Committee {currently inactive} ● CTC Policy Committee {Joe, Shawn, Joseph, Joe, Marc, Rodney (Chair)} - Policy Committee met on 9/27/2019 and on 10/9/2019 - Topic of discussion include updating the Tree Species List, Updating the Tree Ordinance to include edits and Technical information updates, The Landmark & Champion Tree Programs, Developing a County Tree Care Plan, an exploration of the possibly changing permitting requirements for single family residential Properties, and incentives that may help to promote the planting and care of trees in Athens Clarke County. - Question was asked if the “Moon Tree” could be added to the Landmark Tree list. Answer from ACC’s forester is that it definitely qualifies and may be added. ● CTC Trees for Tomorrow Ad-Hoc Committee {Phil (chair), Nina, Joe, Mary, Pam, Rodney} - The TfT Ad-Hoc Committee did not meet. Phil Hale provided information to the CTC from the old TfT files that helps to define the intent, purpose, and function of the TfT Program - Current TfT tree planting plan is to plant 5-10 trees this planting season on the Firefly trail as part of the Carl Jordon Grove funds that are held in the CTC Trees for Tomorrow account. The TfT committee and ACC staff are planning on meeting at the firefly trail near Peter Street to talk about this year’s planting plans. o Todd Miller expressed that there would be many tree planting opportunities during the next phases of Firefly Trail construction. o Carl Jordon has expressed that he would like to provide feedback and input on the planting activities that happen on the firefly trail. He expressed an interest in attending the CTC meeting for these discussions. Rodney has agreed to call Carl to explain the current planting plan and to invite his input on further planting activities. ● CTC Promotions Committee {Mary (Chair), Larry Morris, Joe Perloff} - New Logo being developed by Michael Huskey - Jessie has only received about half the bios she has requested. She would like a short Bio for everyone (a short survey has been posted in a Google app to help everyone develop their Bio). - Development of Instagram account is waiting on the development of the new logo - Motion made by promotions committee member requesting a $6.00 per month fee be approved for a CTC email address to integrate a PayPal capacity into the email account. The idea was not seconded or supported by the CTC at this time. o Feedback was given to find a shorter email address name for the CTC email address Ongoing Business (Information, Discussion, and action item- 10 minutes): Phil and Stacee 5:00 – 5:30 PM ● Phil and Shawn have been continuing to water trees at the Broad Acres site. ● Dog Park – Discussion about what role the CTC is willing to play in planting trees at SE Clarke Park. The CTC has spent a lot of time discussing the possibility of planting trees at the Dog Park and has discussed fundraising possibilities at length. Currently, enough money has been donated to purchase one tree. The CTC is generally open to the idea of planting trees at the Dog Park and will seek (earmarked) funding to do so. o A motion was made, seconded, and approved to meet its responsibility to Garden Club (who donated money to plant a nuttal oak outside of the dogpark fence) by purchasing one nuttal oak and donating that tree to ACC’s Landscape Management (who has agreed to plant and establish this tree outside of the fence near the Dog Park). o One tree will be planted at the Dog Park this year because that is what was raised for Dog Park tree planting.  3 New Business: Nina Wurzburger 5:30 – 6:00 PM ● (Discussion – 15 minutes) Fundraising: - Ths Snyovous Grant application has been submitted. This grant is intended to support underserved or marginalized Athens’ communities and would work well with continued plantings at Broad Acres and Rock Springs ● (Discussion – 15 minutes) New Member Recruitment: ● (Information – 5 minutes) Cobham Triangle Park has its park opening on November 2- 4th Adjourn Nina Wurzburger 6:00 PM ● The next CTC meeting will be held on 11/11/2019 at 4:00 PM in the ACC Planning Office. ● A motion was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting and the meeting adjourned at 6:00 PM. Athens Community Tree Council Treasurer’s Report: October 14, 2019 submitted by Pam Knox Money Market Account Beginning Balance as of 07/08/2019 $12,021.14 Interest 07/31/2019 0.30 Interest 08/31/2019 0.31 Interest 09/30/2019 0.29 Ending balance as of 10/14/2019 $12,022.04 Checking Account Starting balance 04/08/2019 $734.80 Deposit 7/16 600.00 Ending balance 10/14/2019 $1,334.80 PayPal Account Beginning balance 07/08/2019 $0.00 Ending Balance 10/14/2019 $0.00