Community Tree Council

1 Community Tree Council (CTC) Meeting Minutes Meeting Date: July 13th, 2020 Athens Clarke County Location: ACC Cisco Webex online meeting, Community Tree Council You Tube Streaming Link: https://youtu.be/Bzqj7ftU-MM In Attendance - Members: Rodney Walters, Pam Knox, Edith Jackson, Shawn Doonan, Victoria Goff, Jim Weck, Lea Clark, Phil Hale, Mary Songster, Jessie McClellan, Joe Perloff, Nina Wurzburger, Joseph Bates, Staff, Guests, and Ex-Officio Members: Larry Morris (emeritus member), Stacee Farrell, Marc Beechuk (ACC Planning Arborist), Seth Hawking (Georgia Forestry Commission – Urban Forestry Coordinator) Andrew Saunders (ACC Central Services Director), Todd Dickey (ACC Public Information Office) Absent: Mary Attaway, Jake Hagan, Call to Order and Welcome: Shawn Doonan 4:00 - 4:05 ● Introductions/Welcome ● CTC Executive Committee {Shawn (chair), Joe Perloff, Pam, Rodney – 2 minutes Please stay on topic and on time during CTC Meetings according to agenda schedule (secretary will keep time and help remind members of the time during meetings) Housekeeping (Secretary) Rodney Walters 4:05 - 4:10 ● Roll Call Sign in (3 minutes): Attending members written on attendance list ● (Action Item: Vote to approve the June 8th CTC meeting minutes and the June 15th CTC Committee Meetings Minutes ), (3 minutes): After the June meeting, the CTC meeting minutes and the CTC committees meetings minutes were distributed to the CTC members for review . The CTC voted unanimously to approve the June 8th CTC meeting minutes and the June 15th CTC committees meetings minutes, which include all the suggested corrections. ● (Information- 2 Minutes) Motions that were passed during the June CTC meeting were reviewed Treasurer’s Report (Information – 5 minutes) Pam Knox 4:10 – 4:15 ● Treasurer submitted a treasurer’s report (attached at the end of this document) New Business: Shawn Doonan 4:15 – 5:35 ● Fundraising - 20 minutes: - (Discussion and Action Item – vote to Apply for KACCB UPS 2020 Tree Grant) Keep Athens Clarke County Beautiful announced the 2020 UPS tree grants) : After a discussion was held and motion was made and seconded and passes by unanimous vote to apply for the 2020 Keep Athens Clarke County Beautiful, 2020 UPS Grant.  Details were discussed about the tree planting project connected with the grant money (if awarded): o Coordinate with Athens Housing Authority for site and other details o Decide when the planting will occur o Seth may have an auger and is tentatively available to help o Shawn may have a skidsteer available o Joe is able to create a basemap of a tree planting plan  2 - Other possible Grant Opportunities  GA Power  Synovous  State Farm – Good Neighbor Citizen Grant  Request budget from Mayor and Commission (like other Athens Commissions- Explain further)  Georgia ReLeaf Program (replace canopy cover lost to storm or event or reforestestation for the benefit of Veterans) CTC Committee Reports (Information and Discussion) Shawn Doonan 4:35 – 5:20 ● CTC Steering Committee {(Shawn (Chair) Executive Committee and Standing Committee Chairpersons} - 10 minutes - CTC Committee Chairs need to set a written agenda and make sure minutes are taken for committee meetings. These documents will then serve as outlines for setting the next CTC agenda. - Annual Goal: Shawn has begun dialogue with Seth Hawkins and Joe Burgess regarding the notion of developing a CTC based 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. Shawn has a request for the Education Committee to research the viability of developing a program on our own and if we did what funding sources may be available.  Good segue in activating the Education Committee  Making the Shade Grant (if approved) – Matching funds requirement may be matched with in-kind volunteer labor and donated mulch, equipment, tool shed items, etc. ● CTC Ad Hoc Interview Committee Meeting {Shawn (chair), Phil, Pam, Mary Attaway} - 5 minutes - 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. - There is a desire from current interview committee members 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.  Questions about logistics of conducting interviews was asked: May interviewes be conducted online via Webex, or by Zoom, or do they have to be in person? A desire to do this virtually was expressed (because of the Covid-19 pandemic) o Discussion revealed (after clarification from Andrew Saunders) that an interview committee is not necessary, because a work group may be organized to fill the interviewing and member recommendation process - As long as there is no quorum (2-3 members) in a work group and the work group reports all its activities directly to the full CTC, then a work group may perform the functions of selecting and recommending nominees for CTC membership.  Phil and Rodney are both happy to continue to serve in this role but think it would be good to mix it up among the CTC members, because it is a good experience  3 ● CTC Policy Committee {Rodney (Chair), Shawn, Joseph, Joe, Marc, Lea} – 5 minutes (5:00) - Review of discussion of exploration of larger, more complex, ordinance changes was given  Need to decide what is wanted and why (Burden of proof - information/data is needed) 1. Is it Wanted? (Community 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 )  Could involve deliberative processes with a wide range of community groups o Legitimacy (Do citizens have good reason to support it?) o Justice (Is it fair? Consider political inequality issues) o Effectiveness (Can it be effectively implemented? Resources, Expertize, Enforceability)  Will require many discussions and will likely involve public forums as the process progresses (discussions with Community groups, ACC staff, the Planning Commission, etc.) - Possible Ordinance Change Areas (Single family residential loophole, stormwater credits, downtown tree requirements, median strip planting, changing TMP inventory requirements from 18” dbh trees to 12” dbh trees.) ●CTC Education Committee {Marc (Temporary Chair), Edith, Lea, Mary Attaway, Tori Goff} - 5 minutes - The recently reactivated education committee is currently gathering ideas and plans to convene for the first time in July. - Ed SPLOST (Planting and Maintenance Project – Proposal would be due early Fall) - Possible programs in interacting with the schools include Making the Shade Program & The Green School Program ● CTC Promotions Committee {Mary (Chair), Larry, Joe, Jessica} - 15 minutes (5:15) - The cityscape logo is being changed to include the full name of the council. We will use the Athens Tree Council logo for social media. - (Discussion and Action Item – vote to approve the following donation levels for the CTC Webpage): ○ $25 Acorn ○ $50 Seedling ○ $100 Sapling ○ $250 Dogwood ○ $500 Sourwood ○ $1000 Tupelo ○ $2500 Loblolly ○ $5000 White Oak Discussion produced a suggestion to select different names for some of the above trees that will be more recognizable to the general public (i.e. persimmon instead of Sourwood, etc.). After a discussion was held, a motion was made and seconded to approve the above donation giving level categories with changes allowable for some of the names so they may be more recognizable to the public. The motion passed by unanimous vote.  Donation gifts may be considered for the different levels (such Tree that owns itself prints or seedlings from Tree that Owns itself while supplies last), but thank you letters will be sent out for now.  Update on Paypal account link on website for donations: Paypal is not set up so donations may be received.  4 ● CTC Trees for Tomorrow Ad-Hoc Committee {Phil Hale (Chair), Mary Attaway, Nina, Joe, Rodney} - 14 minutes (5:29) - Please read the TfT 6/15/2020 meeting minutes, which explains the rational for each of the following motions  (Discussion and Action Item): Vote to a Dollar Amount that is needed for Planting a 2.5 inch Balled and Burlapped Tree: Motion was made and seconded to set $700 as the estimated amount for CTC to acquire, plant, train, and establish a quality 2.5 inch balled and burlapped tree within its tree-planting initiatives, and to publicize this amount in promotional materials as a guideline for donations for CTC tree-planting projects. The motion passed by unanimous vote.  (Discussion and Action Item): Vote to Dissolve the Trees for Tomorrow Ad-Hoc Committee: A motion was made to: dissolve the Trees for Tomorrow (TfT) Committee and provide no new funding for the TfT program. As such, obligated funds for the TfT Firefly Trail tree plantings will continue to be utilized exclusively for planting trees on the Firefly Trail until the obligated funds are exhausted. A discussion ensued. A question to provide a history of the TfT was posed. The discussion was tabled until the next CTC meeting due to a lack of time. Ongoing Business: Shawn Doonan Tabled ● (Discussion, and Proposed Action Item, - Carbon Offset Calculator or App on CTC website with donation link -5 minutes- Tabled until after the CTC webpage is set up): - Update on web page setup status No Parking Lot Items were discussed Presiding Chair 5:29 Meeting Wrap up – (5 minutes) Presiding Chair 5:30 A motion was made, seconded and approved by unanimous vote to end the CTC meeting. Treasurer’s Report: July 13, 2020 submitted by Pam Knox Money Market Account Beginning Balance as of 6/8/2020 $10,024.27 Interest 6/30/2020 0.25 Ending balance as of 7/13/2020 $10,024.52 Checking Account Starting balance 6/8/2020 $4,786.05 Check #1255 - 2,856.60 Ending balance 7/13/2020 $1,929.45 PayPal Account Beginning balance 6/08/2020 $0.00 Ending Balance 713/2020 $0.00