Tree Board

Tree Board minutes 1/23/23 Morgantown Tree Board (MTB) Minutes, meeting of January 23, 2023 Public Safety Building conference room, 4:35 PM. 1. ATTENDANCE: MTB members Dan Brown, Greg Dahle, Chelsea Hilty, Secretary Jon Weems, Chair Dave Barnett, Urban Landscape Director Marchetta Maupin, and City Council Liaison Joe Abu-Ghannam. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: D. Dahle moved, and D. Brown seconded, that the minutes of the Nov. 28 meeting be approved as amended. The motion carried unanimously. 3. REPORT FROM URBAN LANDSCAPE DIRECTOR: M. Maupin reported the City Arborist position was in process for posting. The Tree City USA application was also in process. Bob Hannah had told her that federal money may soon be available for swales, porous pavements, and other measures to slow runoff. M. Maupin said the tree swale contract for lot B had been signed that day. Landscaping on Pleasant Street (and possibly some on Walnut Street) was slated for 2023. Mitchell Tree Care had done structural pruning on 51 downtown trees and removed some trees in the old Woodburn School area. She regretted that the long-planned removal of a Jack Roberts Park silver maple ended up happening on short notice with little notification of neighbors. She and J. Abu-Ghannam both received considerable flak. 4. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: A. White Park update. Another meeting was scheduled for later that week. B. Caperton Trail Invasive Species Removal. Work had begun, with vines and small trees removed. Bucket truck and chipper work to deal with larger trees was anticipated that week. C. Approved Tree & Shrub List. One suggestion was to rename the section to better reflect what it contains, perhaps “Trees & Shrubs to Plant or Avoid Planting.” 5. NEW BUSINESS: A. Goals for 2023 - Outreach. C. Hilty wondered what had happened to the American holly article written by D. Brown. It was understood that all articles, press releases, etc. must go through the City’s communications department. One idea was seasonal articles about tree care – mulching, planting, pruning, irrigation, etc. Another idea was contacting neighborhood associations to lead tree walks to identify and discuss area trees of interest. B. WVU Tree Campus USA Update. D. Brown and G. Dahle reported WVU’s Arbor Day, a joint event with Mon Power’s Tree Line program, was set for 1:00 April 20. A program to sell lumber from removed campus trees was mentioned. 6. OPEN DISCUSSION: It was announced that MAC-ISA (Mid-Atlantic Chapter, International Society of Arboriculture) will have its 2023 annual meeting in Morgantown on Oct. 2 and 3. It was mentioned that former MTB member Ken Hacker of the Morgantown Utility Board (MUB) wanted MTB’s help in identifying some trees on the  Tree Board minutes 1/23/23 back side of White Park Tuesday morning. These were trees MUB or contractors needed to remove for sewer line work, and MUB hoped to replant identical species after sewer line work was done. D. Barnett, D. Brown, and J. Weems expressed interest. 7. NEXT MEETING: 4:30 PM, Monday, February 27, location uncertain, probably Public Safety Building conference room. 8. ADJOURN: C. Hilty moved, and G. Dahle seconded, that the meeting be adjourned. The motion carried unanimously at 6:16. Respectfully submitted, _____________________ Jon Weems, Secretary