Tree Board

Tree Board minutes 03/30/16 1 Morgantown Tree Board (MTB) Minutes, meeting of March 30, 2016 Present: MTB members Dan Brown, Jonathan Cumming, Greg Dahle, Ken Willis (MUB), Secretary Jon Weems, and Chair Dave Barnett, City Council liaison Nancy Ganz, City employee Marchetta Maupin, and Mon Power representatives Matt Cummons and Matt Walker. Chair D. Barnett called the meeting to order at 3:32 PM in the Public Safety Building conference room and noted that a quorum was present. G. Dahle moved, and D. Brown seconded, that minutes of the 2/22/16 meeting be approved as amended. The motion carried unanimously. M. Cummons stated that contractors for Mon Power will be performing right of way maintenance work (pruning etc.) along Mon Power’s distribution lines in parts of Morgantown in 2016. Areas affected include Wiles Hill, Mon General Hospital, parts of Suncrest, and Collins Ferry Road. Some work was expected to start soon. M. Maupin distributed an itemized proposal from Mitchell Tree Care LLC for pruning a large number of city trees, plus injection of one tree to protect against emerald ash borers. Total cost was listed as $2465.00. It was noted that about $2000 would remain in MTB’s budget after Mitchell was paid. J. Cumming moved, and D. Brown seconded, that the Mitchell proposal be approved. The motion carried unanimously. M. Maupin said that Bartlett had completed its contract work satisfactorily, although more pruning could have been done on Richwood Avenue area trees. She also reported a mixup regarding work at the Public Safety Plaza – a City-owned paperbark maple that had been dug and prepared for transplantation was apparently removed from the site by the contractor. The City was expected to obtain full compensation for the value of the abducted tree. Unfinished Business 1. Deckers Creek Trees at Marilla Park/ WV Radio Corporation (WVRC). D. Barnett noted that MTB had committed to planting trees and/or shrubs purchased by WV Radio Corporation to reduce erosion in the area of recent heavy pruning. After some discussion of species, it was pointed out that the West Virginia Land Trust planned to meet with BOPARC and other stakeholders about streambank protection in the Marilla area. D. Barnett said he would check on this to coordinate MTB’s efforts. 2. Demonstration City Grant Application. The grant application was reportedly in the works. The application would be for the planting of approximately four trees, and installation of grates for them, on Pleasant Street. 3. South Walnut Street trees. Trees have been repeatedly run over by cars turning left onto South Walnut from Cobun. It was noted that the lack of a stop sign on Cobun may be a factor in vehicles making the turn at too high a speed, but the roadways of concern are on a state route, so the City cannot install a stop sign. The possibility of a guard rail was discussed, along with the need to plant larger caliper trees. It was further noted that  Tree Board minutes 03/30/16 2 Aspen St. (Suncrest) was another area where larger trees should be planted to improve chances that planted trees would survive. 4. Year to Go Green (YTGG) and Arbor Day. There was continuing interest in MTB facilitating tree planting in each ward for the City’s Arbor Day 2016. MTB member Brent Bailey had been in touch with the YTGG group in this regard and obtained their support. D. Brown and J. Cumming indicated interest in helping with this endeavor. 5. MTB letter to County Commission. The letter J. Weems had drafted concerning MTB’s willingness to help County Commission replant the courthouse plaza was discussed, along with a recent flurry on Twitter concerning the tall ash stumps there. All agreed that the letter would need be reviewed by City Manager Mikorski before being sent. J. Cumming moved, and D. Brown seconded, that MTB approve the letter as drafted. The motion carried unanimously. 6. Cicada outreach article. The article D. Brown had drafted to inform the public about the cicadas to emerge in the spring of 2016 was discussed. There was consensus that the concise article would be very helpful and informative. D. Brown was encouraged to submit the article to the Dominion Post for possible publication and to City employee Chelsi Baker for posting on MTB’s web page. New Business - none Open Discussion Limbs in utility lines. Mention was made of broken limbs hung up in utility lines, primarily telephone wires, at various locations, such as South University Avenue near the intersection with Dorsey Avenue. It was noted that MTB needed to adjourn its meeting in favor of the joint meeting with the Urban Landscape Commission (ULC) at 4:30 in the same location. The purpose of the joint meeting was to hear landscaping proposals together, avoiding separate presentations to the ULC and MTB. Next meeting 4:30 PM Monday, April 25 in City Council chambers. Motion to adjourn made at 4:29 PM by D. Barnett, seconded by D. Brown. All in favor. Respectfully submitted, ______________________ Jon Weems, Secretary