Jensen-Olson Arboretum Advisory Board (Sunset Date 5/31/2023)

JENSEN-0 LSO N ARBORETUM JUNE AU, ALASKA A CITY & BOROUG H OF JUNEAU PA RKS & R ECR EATION FACI LI TY AGENDA JENSEN-OLSON ARBORETUM ADVISORY BOARD Zoom Webinar Wednesday, November 18, 2020 at 5:15 P.M. I. Call to Order II. Approval of Agenda III. Public Participation on Non-Agenda Items IV. Approval of Minutes A. Wednesday, August 12, 2020 V. New Business A. Appreciation & Recognition of Merrill Jensen B. Update on Merrill’s replacement VI. Unfinished Business VII. Committee, Liaison, and/or Staff Reports A. Chair Report – N. McConahey B. Merrill’s Final Manager Report – M. Jensen C. Friends of JOA Report – P. Harris D. Other Business VIII. Adjournment Endowment Subcommittee meeting to follow immediately after adjournment. Next JOAB Meeting: Wednesday, February 10 at 5:15 – Zoom Webinar  MINUTES JENSEN-OLSON ARBORETUM ADVISORY BOARD Zoom Webinar │Wednesday, November 18, 2020 5:15 P.M. I. Call to Order at 5:27 pm by Chair, Nell McConahey Present: Ed Buyarski, Rose Evans, Peter Froehlich, Patricia Harris, Nell McConahey, Paulette Schirmer, Deborah Rudis Absent: Kristin Bartlett Staff Present: Merrill Jensen, Arboretum Manager; Michele Elfers, Deputy Director; Lauren Verrelli, Staff Liaison II. Agenda Changes – Added update on Commercial Use from M. Elfers. III. Public Participation on Non-Agenda Items – None. IV. Approval of Minutes – A. Wednesday, August 12, 2020: N. McConahey requests to remove Melissa Hebdon from present list. E. Buyarski moves to approve updated minutes, no objection. Minutes adopted. V. New Business – A. Appreciation & Recognition of Merrill Jensen N. McConahey: We are all looking forward to a retirement party next summer. On behalf of the JOAAB, we wish you a fabulous retirement and thank you for all the magic you have created at the Arboretum. P. Froehlich: Thank you for being the best manager the Arboretum has ever had. I am grateful and honored to have worked with you. You have been everything we could hope for. E. Buyarski: I second everything Peter said. I have enjoyed working with you, Merrill, and sharing plants back and forth. D. Rudis: The primroses wont the be same without you! Thank you so much for everything! B. Update on Merrill’s Replacement M. Elfers: We offered the position to Ginger Hudson and she has accepted. We are thrilled to have her start as the Arboretum manager in early January. She has worked at the Alaska Botanical Garden, the American Botanical Council, and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. She has great experience with managing a public facility and garden, which will serve us well. She also has experience with educational programming, and a passion for writing. N. McConahey: What is Ginger’s official start date? M. Elfers: We are looking at January 7 being her tentative start date; it all depends on the ferries. We will have a CBJ employee who will be a caretaker in the interim. We will be renovating the bathroom and doing some maintenance on the residence. Ginger Hudson: I am looking forward to being down there! I do believe my gardening and writing skills will be a great benefit for the Arboretum. What Merrill has built, he has made an incredible foundation and I just hope to share that with more people throughout the state, country and the world and build on what he has done. VI. Unfinished Business – A. Arboretum Commercial Use Comments M. Elfers: Nothing has happened since our last meeting where we agreed to send the document to CBJ Law and SEAL Trust. In the interim, we heard back from CBJ Law about our overall Commercial Use regulations. I decided not yet to send it to SEAL Trust until I hear back from our Law Department with their revisions for the arboretum document. JOAAB Minutes 11.18.20  Things are currently slow due to COVID and staff turnover. My plan is that once we get the document from Law, if there are only minor changes, I will send it along to the board and to SEAL Trust. However, if there are larger changes from Law, I will bring it before the board for review before sending it to SEAL Trust. N. McConahey: Yes, if it is just simple verbiage keep moving it forward, just let us know. D. Rudis: Do you think there is a possibility to have this done before next summer? M. Elfers: Yes, I think we can have it done. Once I have something, I will notify the board and if there is any significant changes and send it along to SEAL Trust. VII. Committee Liaison and Staff Reports A. Chair Report: Presented the 2019 JOAAB Annual Report to the HRC in August. Wade Bryson asked if we were interested in reducing the size of the board in the future. We currently have 9 seats. Something for us to consider in the future. We have three members with terms ending in January 2021 - Rose, Ed and Pat. I also assisted with the interviews for Ginger Hudson, our new Arboretum Manager. B. Manager’s Report: Merrill’s last report Included in minutes. C. Friends of JOA – Pat White/Pat Harris: Pandemic has made them become digital; now have a Facebook and Instagram account and opened an online store. Sold 320 tickets for the fundraiser with all proceeds going towards interpretive signage and interactive visitor tablets. D. Other business— None. Adjournment – 6:14p.m. Having no further business before the Board. Respectfully submitted by Lauren Verrelli, Recreation & Public Services Manager, 2/6/2021. JOAAB Minutes 11.18.20  Jensen-Olson Arboretum Manager’s Report to the Advisory Board November 18, 2020 Thank you for your continued support of the Arboretum :>) • IrisBG work across the entire period • 15 yards of D1 delivered and put on Pt Caroline trail with the CBJ CCC in 2.5 days • Bears!! Had to close for 3 days while 9 bears ate through the mountain ash trees…..4 full hours to clean up the branches and debris… • Primula seed harvesting, cleaning and send to the APS seed exchange • 2 Memorial plaques mounted and installed • Rotary Zoom meeting presentation • All of ‘Lauren’s Grape’ seed pods stolen – this is the second known plant theft to date…sad. Seed was not yet viable (so the person who stole it will have no plants) and of course now, none will be available to the community through our regular seed sales. New seed purchased while in Oregon. • Interviewed for a Juneau Empire article about my retirement after 13 years as Manager • New set of plant labels generated, ordered and installed • Final bulb planting as a career horticulturist • Fall tree pruning using long reach chainsaw • 5 candidates interviewed (1 – 2 hours each) via Zoom for my successor; 1 candidate for second interview (3 days) on site • Loaded worldly goods into shipping containers in preparation to move south • ACS T1 line work • Ongoing work toward the final draft of the Annual Work Plan • Garlic planted and vegetable garden put to bed for the winter • Removed the last of the annuals in preparation for winter • Visitor Map finalized; design work in process at AK Litho • Installation of JOA Library for staff and volunteers with books and resources • Field Guide work; text and photos gathered (150 entries with color photos) • 6 days in Oregon – logistical work for upcoming move • Battery replacement in all smoke detectors, mice and weather station • Loo FINALLY installed on October 26. Still not operational as we’re waiting for the diaper changing table (due this week), alternate door, and CBJ inspection; will be locked according to plan for winter; will install the winter sign • House cleaning in preparation for new resident manager • Snow removal and upcoming snow plowing issues and concerns • Mail box repair • Electronic filing for both CBJ files and FJOA files; 2 separate computers • Text and photos for lichen interpretive panel; sign in production; should arrive before I leave; will need to be installed in the spring • Primula Collection signage produced • Potted Primula into winter storage • Installation of additional holder (Visitor Map) and signage on kiosk