Tree Board

MTB 12/15/14 1 Morgantown Tree Board (MTB) Minutes, meeting of December 15, 2014 Present: MTB members Dan Brown, Dave Barnett, Katherine Payne, Secretary Jon Weems, Chair Kara Hurst, new MTB member Dave Davis, city employees Damien Davis and Marchetta Maupin, and City Council liaison Nancy Ganz. The Chair called the meeting to order at 4:30 PM in City Council chambers and noted that a quorum was present. D. Barnett moved, and D. Brown seconded, that minutes of the 10/27/14 meeting be approved as amended. The motion carried unanimously. Unfinished Business 1. Deckers Creek Trees at Marilla Park/ WV Radio Corporation. City Manager J. Mikorski apparently has yet to hear WV Radio Corporation’s response to the city’s proposal. 2. Interest Group/Volunteer Coordination. Grad student Arathy Gowda, who is interested in this, has returned to India. Her future plans are unknown. 3. Bartlett Tree Experts/BOPARC. It was noted that there was $13,878 budgeted for tree work. MTB has already committed $3168 for work at Jack Roberts Park and $2112 for work on Pleasant and Walnut Street trees. K. Hurst noted that some money needs to be kept for replanting after removals. M. Maupin said that she and W. Breiding have been pruning small trees, up to six inches in diameter, and she has a list of larger trees that could benefit from pruning. N. Ganz suggested trees on Junior could be a priority. M.Maupin said some Junior trees have been removed. Elsewhere in the city, falling trees and limbs have damaged four cars. She also noted that the large, rotten tree in Jack Roberts Park has been removed by city workers. Discussion resulted in a decision to ask Bartlett for an additional day of pruning. New Business 1. Planting in empty tree pits on Pleasant and Walnut Streets. There is potential for seven to nine trees. D. Barnett estimated grates would cost about $1000 each and Cornell structural soil about $500 for each tree. Total cost might be $1700 to $2000 per tree. It was suggested the city might apply for a Demonstration City grant. These grants can run as large as $10,000 to $20,000. Dam. Davis suggested holding off because utilities could be installed underground. M. Maupin and Dam. Davis agreed to check on this and other possible conflicts. 2. 2015-2016 MTB budget. K. Hurst noted that last year’s budget was for $15,000. She said MTB could submit a request for a similar amount. After discussion, D. Brown moved that MTB submit a budget request for $15,000. K. Payne seconded. The motion passed unanimously.  MTB 12/15/14 2 City Council Report (N. Ganz) N. Ganz said the city’s budget is straitened, in part because nearly a third of property values are controlled by tax-exempt institutions. She mentioned there have been complaints about the Krepps Park dog park. The next meeting will be January 26. D. Brown moved, and K. Payne seconded, that the meeting be adjourned. The motion carried unanimously at 5:50 PM. Respectfully submitted, ______________________ Jon Weems, Secretary