Urban Forestry Commission

x Tree Commission Meeting Minutes Monday, June 20, 2016  7:30 - 9:00 pm Oak Room, City Hall Present: Kathy Philpott Costa, Dennis Szymanski, Kate Reich, Barbara Tesner, John Tesner, Karen Jones, Christian Autor 1. Approval of April Minutes: The minutes from the April 20, 2016 meeting were approved. 2. Public Comments: None 3. Old Business  New Specimen Trees: Six new Specimen Trees were designated by the City Council. Kate shared the Specimen Tree certificates for these trees. 4. Current Business  Update on Streetscape Task Force activity: Dennis, as the Tree Commission representative, and Kathy, as the alternate, attended the initial Streetscape Task Force meeting. Other groups represented on the taskforce are the City Council, Planning Commission, Chamber of Commerce, VPIS and EDA. Attendees discussed process and possible scope of the taskforce. Dennis and Kathy are unable to make the August meeting, so Kate and John will attend. There is a possibility that part or all of the Tree Commission’s draft tree planting guidelines will be discussed in upcoming meetings.  Possible need to change tree species on West Broad Street: The Red Oak trees on West Broad Street have leaf scorch and are dying; a species change is probably warranted. The 1987 Adopted Streetscape Plan provides only for Red Oaks on that section of the street, so a change might need to be negotiated. For broader future application, Kathy will draft proposed language in the draft Tree Planting Guidelines too allow the arborist flexibility to select a different species in this kind of situation.  Code updates/modifications relating to urban forestry: Kathy and Kate will review for discussion at next meeting. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability call (703) 248-5350, option 5. TTY 711.   Calendar and Officers: The 2016-2017 Tree Commission calendar has been updated and will be sent to the City Clerk. The current officers were reconfirmed in their positions: Dennis Szymanski as Chair, Barbara Tesner as Vice Chair, and Kathy Philpott Costa as Secretary. 5. Plan Reviews: None 6. Informational Items  Christian provided photos and language regarding identification of unsafe tree conditions that require attention. Information will be posted on the City website for residents’ reference. 7. Future Business  Tree canopy goals and strategies  Enforcement of site plan landscape violations Staff liaison: Kate Reich, 703-248-5183 kreich@fallschurchva.gov The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability call (703) 248-5350, option 5. TTY 711.