Shade Tree Management Board

SHADE TREE MANAGEMENT BOARD Borough of Madison Madison, New Jersey 07940 Minutes of May 15, 2014 Meeting The Shade Tree Management Board held its regular monthly meeting on May 15, 2014 in the second Floor Committee Room of Hartley Dodge Memorial, 50 Kings Road, Madison, New Jersey. Pledge of Allegiance Call to Order Alan Andreas called the meeting to order and read the Sunshine Law for compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act. Present: Alan Andreas, Christine Hammitt, Steve Miller, Penny Garman, Nancy Bruce and Gene Cracovia, Vince Licari and Mike Kopas. Also present: Paul Allocco. Absent: Lauren Hagerstrom and David Maines. Minutes The Board approved the April 24, 2014 minutes. The Board addressed the following items of business: Budget Report Tree King submitted a bill in the amount of $10,570. Honor submitted a bill for $14,870. Council Liaison Report No report. Public Comments and Correspondence Mike will check: 3 Glendale (tree leaning over wires) 38 Green (purple plum planted in the right of way) 37 Albright (root issues, tree trim) Vince will check: 10 Lathrop (Borough tree removed, inform builder of replacement size and variety) 75 Valley (builder wants to relocate a last-year planted tree) The owner is afraid that a River Birch in Rose Garden Park will fall on his building at 41 Kings Road. Frank Russo (Commercial Code Engineer) will be asked for a follow-up report about two trees at Enterprise. Borough Tree Maintenance Status Fifty trees will be delivered on May 19. Mike and Vince will evaluate them. Twenty-two homeowners rejected tree plantings. Three already had a white X painted on the lawn. Windshield surveys are due June 30. TCC Two applications were reviewed. FMST Friends is planning on planting 5-6 trees at the Habitat for Humanity site. They will plant trees on both ends of the Bailey- Ellard parking lot. The hazardous waste area will be fenced in. Parks Advisory Committee Plans are moving forward for the new Dog Park at Memorial Park. No trees will be removed. 2014 Management Goals This year’s goals include: Tree inventory; Landmark trees; educating the public about invasives. Old Business Alan will ask David to advise Honor Tree that time sheets can be dropped off at Hartley Dodge (STMB or DPW mailbox). New Business Steve will compare iTree to ArborPro for the Board to decide whether or not to stay with ArborPro. The Drew Forest tour is scheduled for May 20 at 1 pm. Directions will be emailed. Alan will set up a meeting with Jim Burnet to discuss transferring ArborPro to the Borough website for improved access. Discussion of deer fence at MRC: Funds are short and the question was asked if the STMB would want to financially support the project. The consensus was that it did not fit within the STMB scope. Tree Planting Recommendation was made and supported to make plantings mandatory when planting locations are between a sidewalk and curb and/or when replacing a tree that was removed. For other instances, it would be up to the homeowner. Two separate letters would be created. Another suggestion was discussed to hire an arborist to determine locations and species. The Board adjourned at 9:45 am. Minutes submitted by Christine Hammitt.