Community Tree Council

6/15/2020 COMMUNITY TREE COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEETINGS - MINUTES: Meetings were held on You Tube online at: https://youtu.be/WGR0hVGZtoU 12:00 - 12:15 PM - CTC Executive Committee meeting 12:15 - 12:45 PM - CTC Steering Committee meeting 12:45 - 1:00 PM – CTC Ad Hoc Interview Committee meeting 1:00 - 2:00 PM - CTC Promotions Committee meeting 2:00 - 3:00 PM – CTC Policy Committee meeting 3:00 - 4:00 PM – CTC Trees for Tomorrow Ad Hoc Committee meeting 4:00 – 5:00 PM – CTC Education Committee meeting (not meeting this month) u Executive Committee Meeting Agenda (6/15/2020, 12:00 – 12:15 PM): Attendance: Joe Perloff, Mary Songster, Shawn Doonan, Pam Knox, Marc Beechuk, Phil Hale, Rodney Walters What Operational/Organizational Issues or Needs are there?: - Stay on topic and on time during CTC Meeting (Secretary will help keep time during Meetings) Adjourn: 12:12 PM u CTC Steering Committee Meeting Agenda (6/15/2020, 12:15 – 12:45 PM): Attendance: Joe Perloff, Mary Songster, Shawn Doonan, Pam Knox, Marc Beechuk, Phil Hale, Joe Bates, Rodney Walters Next CTC Meeting Agenda (Topic Outline): - CTC Committee Chairs need to set a written agenda and make sure minutes are taken. These documents will then serve as outlines for setting the next CTC agenda. Overall Goals for the 2020 CTC and/or respective committees: - Shawn has begun dialogue with Seth Hawkins and Joe Burgess regarding the notion of developing our own making the shade program. Joe Burgess initiated the MTS program and is also involved with the Marietta Tree Keepers which from what I gather is the equivalent to the ACC CTC. My goal is to research the viability of developing a program on our own and if we did what funding sources may be available. Adjourn: 12:49 u CTC Ad Hoc Interview Committee Meeting Agenda (6/15/2020, 12:45 – 1:00 PM): Attendance: Shawn Doonan, Pam Knox, Marc Beechuk, Phil Hale, Rodney Walters, Joe Perloff, Mary Songster, What are the current and early 2021 Membership Needs: - Next opportunity to nominate CTC members is Jan. or Feb 2021. Currently have one vacant seat and will need to assess what seats need to be filled from the terms expiring 12/31/2020. Since Nina is going on sabbatical there will be at least two empty seats that need to be filled. How will the membership needs be filled: - There is a desire to cycle new CTC members into Ad Hoc Interview committee. The CTC will need to advertise for the open CTS member positions and the prospective members will need to be interviewed Adjourn: 1:02 u CTC Promotions Committee Meeting Minutes (6/15/2020, 1:00 – 2:00 PM): Attendance: In attendance: Mary Attaway, Tori Goff, Phil Hale and Jessie McClellan Action Items:  Obtain final edits of logo from Hope Hilton for addition to website and launch on social media.  Add new logos to website  Add page for donations on website that will include the new donation levels  Bring to full council the donation levels discussed in prior meeting (for vote) o $25 Acorn o $50 Seedling o $100 Sapling o $250 Dogwood o $500 Sourwood o $1000 Tupelo o $2500 Loblolly o $5000 White Oak  Discuss with council the gifts for the donation levels  Mary will reach out to artist on etsy about tree that owns itself prints and get quote for bulk amount  Jessie will take photo of Tree that Owns Itself to include on banner of website  Jessie will remove the pet page from the website (previously added at request of Larry)  Goal is to have website built for vote by full council for July meeting  Jessie will set up paypal account for donations and reach out to Pam Knox for bank account information.  Joe is working on carbon offset calculator for website (Mary will reach out to him for update).  Page will be added to site for previous projects to highlight partnerships (like Athens Housing Authority).  For future discussion: ways to involve the public on social media, annual event for fundraising, quarterly newsletter to thank donors and corporate sponsors. Adjourn: 2:00 PM u CTC Policy Committee Meeting Agenda (6/15/2020, 2:00 – 3:00 PM): Over all Policy Committee Goals:  Begin discussion about larger code changes that may be needed  Explore the merits of the creation of a Tree Bank (positive and negative aspects of a tree bank)  Tree Management Plan (needed? wanted? Is Policy Committee the right place for this?) Attendance: Information/Discussion: Larger Ordinance Change: Homework -Read the Tree Ordinance Carefully Consider and discuss large edits for long term changes. Very carefully consider the potential domino effect each change could have throughout the entire document and how ordinance rules may effect ACC communities. Questions that need to be answered in order for the ordinance change(s) to be successful (Ordinance change flowchart - keep ordinance change flowchart process in mind) What do we want and why (vision/goals)? What do we have (data/information)? How do we get what we want (resources/partnerships)? Are we getting what we want (adaptive management)? Is it Needed? (Data- canopy cover assessment, iTree Eco, etc.) 1. Is it Wanted? (Community Feedback-Stakeholder meetings - Such a process at this level of ordinance change should engage a broad representation of community members and organizations for feedback ) 2. Is it Supported? (ACC Staff- refer to flowchart) 3. How it gets done? (who writes changes, gets changes vetted with ACC staff, talks to Mayor and Commission, etc.- create a plan ) What Ordinance Changes are Needed and Why? (how do we know?, prove it). - Burden of proof lies on the group making then ask. Data is required to effectively answer this question. - This will likely require some type of deliberative process (legitimacy, justice, effectiveness) the fits somewhere on the public participation spectrum [inform -> consult -> involve -> collaborate -> empower] and involve processes such as: Stakeholder assessments, Mutual Gains consensus building sessions, Deliberative polling, citizens juries, blue ribbon advisory committees, Town Hall meetings, charrettes, committees, community organizing, facilitation and mediation, digital tools, information sharing, or joint fact finding sessions *In all cases, the progression will likely involve some type of negotiation process (natural resource management is always about resources = who gets a seat at the table (are we involving everyone in an equitable process (justice). Discussion: Possible changes that may be needed and why: - Consider removing Single Family under an acre loophole - Remove exemption for single residential parcels under 1 acre (“Timber Harvest permits are required for all single family residential properties  for removal of more than 5 trees, greater than (12?) inches DBH(current standard in ordinance is 18”) within a one year time frame. Invasive species removals will be exempt from permitting requirements”). - Consider if all trees over a certain size (12” DBH ??) should apply (18” is the current standard in the ordinance - Incorporate street sections, planting street trees in a verge ? (see Chattanooga Infill design standards) - Downtown Tree requirements? - Consider removing structural soils requirement, replace with silva cells or other vault planting options (discuss with Bartlett, a Dr. in BC who pioneered structural soils) - Tree Bank - Stormwater runoff incentives (sustainability) Adjourn: u CTC Trees for Tomorrow Ad-Hoc Committee (6/15/2020, 3:00 – 4:00 PM): Attendance: Phil Hale, Rodney Walters, Nina Wurzburger, Pam Knox, Mary Attaway Business: 1. Discussion of the costs to purchase, transport, and maintain trees by/for the CTC: In the past, solicitation of donations to CTC for memorial tree planting referenced $175 as the needed minimum amount to plant 1 tree into a grove. This is seriously outdated now, and even historically probably did not reflect overall cost realistically. Current estimates for having a professional landscaper install and guarantee trees of 2.5-inch caliper are about $700-$800 each. We would like any future requests for planting donations from the public to the CTC to reference $700 as the amount needed to plant and maintain a suitably sized tree. Our intent is to provide a guide for those wishing to support the work of the CTC, not to set a fixed donation requirement; of course any financial contribution is welcomed. [ACTION ITEM] 2. Future of the Trees for Tomorrow Ad-Hoc Committee: The discussion of Item #1 led to a far-reaching conversation about the TfT program, memorial trees and groves, and our recently re-populated, updating CTC. Below are highlights and elaborations: The Trees for Tomorrow program was established as a commemorative tree grove program initiative of the CTC on public lands. It was to be donor-driven with participants underwriting the establishment and maintenance of the grove. Designed specifically for tree plantings recognizing a person, place, time or event, documentation was to be by plaque and entry in a ‘Tree Legacies’ book kept in the ACC Library. More recently, the program has been little-used and recordkeeping has been sporadic at best. Always, would-be participants must be educated to the grove-planting concept rather than the “ownership” of a specific tree within the public grove. Advertised costs have become very under-represented, and planting of trees individually over time rather than in groups at once is now recognized as inefficient use of our time and resources. More accurately reported costs and delays in planting may deter potential donors. Location of public grove sites has become more difficult, and may compete with resources needed to initiate and complete other CTC tree-planting projects. These recent projects have been time-limited and have been funded using a broader base including grant awards, individual financial donations, and in-kind services from community-partner organizations. At present, one unfilled memorial grove exists—the Carl Jordan Grove, which is limited to plantings along and associated with the uncompleted Firefly Trail’s ROW. The CTC has funds on hand that were donated for this purpose and as the Firefly Trail is extended, we are utilizing those funds to meet this commitment. Just this year, 9 trees were planted in conjunction with our local Arbor Day celebration. It is the consensus of the TfT Committee that the committee be dissolved and that no new funds be solicited for the TfT program, as such. Obligated funds in hand will be used as specified when donated (Carl Jordan Grove). [ACTION ITEM] We envision that the memorial groves concept will continue within the CTC in some form, perhaps as Community Groves reflecting a variety of funding sources. We see the re-organizing and reforming Promotions Committee and Education Committee as the proper homes for the tree- planting initiatives. As a practical matter, working groups could be established on a project-by- project basis with membership solicited from all CTC members regardless of committee affiliation. 3. Updating of Informational Materials: There was a brief discussion of outdated promotional CTC brochures and how they might be revised to reflect the changes we are considering and then incorporated into the new website and Facebook presence. Scans of the ones we have onhand with be forwarded to the Promotions Committee for its consideration. This will be the last meeting of this Committee pending action by the full CTC at its next meeting on July 13, 2020. Adjournment: Meeting was adjourned by unanimous vote at 4:10 PM. u Education committee – 6.15.2020 The recently reactivated education committee is currently gathering ideas and plans to convene for the first time in July Did not meet this month END COMMUNITY TREE COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEETINGS YOU TUBE SESSION