Shade Tree Management Board

Shade Tree Management Board Madison, NJ 07940 Minutes of September 15, 2016 Meeting The Shade Tree Management Board held its regular monthly meeting on September 15, 2016 beginning at 8:00 AM in the Committee Room of the Hartley Dodge Memorial, 50 Kings Road, Madison, NJ. Call to Order: Gene Cracovia called the meeting to order. Present: Gene Cracovia, Nancy Bruce, Alice Wade, Mike Kopas, Alan Andreas, David Maines (DPW). Absent: Penny Garman, Stephen Miller, Vince Licari, Paul Allocco (Parks). Minutes: September minutes were approved. The Board addressed the following items of business: Member Resignation Lauren Hagerstrom has tendered her resignation effective immediately. Board members will rotate in her job as secretary for the immediate future. Public Comments None Borough Tree Status Reliable Resources tree company pruned/ weeded/removed unwanted plant growth on the RR embankment between Prospect and Cross Streets. Work required NJ Transit permit and flagman. TCC No report Budget Report Budget - $117,650 Expended $10,625 – Tree King $12,452.50 – Honor Tree Service Total Expended $78,248.28 Encumbered $27,545 (new P.O. of $13,000 Honor Tree) Unexpended $39,401.72 David Maines submitted proposal for 2017 budget- same as 2016 Parks Advisory Committee  Paul A. has requested that Mike or Vince evaluate apple trees at Livesey Park.  Honor Tree will prune cherry trees in James Park FMST  Request for Vince to evaluate commuter parking lot trees for stress. Trees may need deep watering.  Arboretum in planning stages. Will schedule meeting to walk several proposed sites: Summerhill Park on Ridgedale Road side or Cole Park. May use new arborist to inventory existing trees and help in planning.  FMST is considering a new project: replace kousa dogwoods along walkway at Madison Public Library. They will contact Nancy Adamczyk, Director, and Library Trustees. Bottle Hill Day, Saturday, October 1 FMST and STMB will have a table with posters/literature on value of big trees, how to become a steward of Madison’s trees (volunteer opportunities), adopting a tree from the Madison tree nursery, request a street tree for spring planting. Volunteers are needed for the booth. Old Business  Construction/street tree protection: Alan will incorporate comments from STMB and meet with Bob Vogel on how to implement.  Heritage Home/Trees: need status update. New Business  NJ Shade Tree Federation Annual Conference: Oct. 28-29 in Atlantic City. Several STMB members may attend  Sustainability NJ: Discussed ways of updating a tree canopy survey. Mike will reach out to Drew students, professors, alumni who may have access to technology to map Madison’s tree canopy.  Windshield surveys due Nov. 1.  Gene attended the Morris County Freeholder September presentation on Emerald Ash Borer. Technical presenter was Richard Wolowicz, the arborist Madison will be using. It was recommended that low value ashes should be removed now and high value ashes should begin immediate treatment. STMB discussed the state of our street tree ashes (according to the inventory, there are 250) and agreed that we should survey and inspect any ashes in our parks. Any and all diseased trees will be taken down. Board adjourned 9:35 AM Submitted by Nancy Bruce