Tree Advisory Commission

AGENDA Tree Advisory Commission Meeting 4:00 PM - Thursday, September 4, 2025 City Hall Council Chambers Page 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. ROLL CALL 2.1. Chairperson welcomes all, including guests. Commissioners & Advisors introduce themselves. 3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA 3.1. Motion by______________Second by_____________to approve, or amend and approve, this September 4, 2025 agenda. 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 4.1. Motion by______________Second by_____________to approve, or amend 3-4 and approve, the May 1, 2025 meeting minutes. 05_01_2025 TAC Meeting Minutes 5. OLD BUSINESS 5.1. City Reimbursement Programs & Budget Update - J. Stadheim Engineering 5 Dept. Tree Advisory Commission Budget Update 5.2. Park and Recreation Department Update - J. Schugel 5.3. Public Works Update - J. Hoffmann 5.4. Private Tree Services Update - T. Guggisberg 5.5. Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Update - Joe Stadheim, Engineer 5.6. Big Tree Contest - Ginkgo The submission deadline was July 31. Four entries were received. Tree measurements are needed to determine the winner. 5.7. Walkabout Program Recap 6-9 Neighborhood Walkabout Program Walkabout Pictures 6. NEW BUSINESS 6.1. Minnesota DNR Tree Grant 10  2025 Community Tree Planting Grants - $4 million in grants for local units of government in Minnesota that are planning to replace trees lost to forest pests, disease, or storm; or to establish a more diverse community forest better able to withstand disease and forest pests.  2025 Releaf Grants - $7 million in grants for local units of government and nonprofits in Minnesota. Eligible projects include inventory, Page 1 of 10  planting, assessment, maintenance, treatment, improvement, protection, wood utilization, and restoration of trees and forest resources. These efforts support a wide range of community forest programming and activities. Tree Advisory Commission Letter of Support - Official 9-7-2023 7. COMMISSIONER REPORTS 8. DATE OF NEXT MEETING 8.1. November 6, 2025, first Thursday of odd numbered months. 4:00 pm, City Hall Council Chambers. Please email agenda items to the Park and Recreation Department Administrative Assistant, Donitta Trebesch no later than one week prior to meetings. donittat@newulmmn.gov 9. ADJOURNMENT 9.1. With there being no further business, Chairperson declares the meeting adjourned. Page 2 of 10  New Ulm Tree Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes May 1, 2025 1. Commission meeting was called to order at 4:00 p.m. by Commission Chair Diersen. 2. Roll Call Attendance 2.1 Greg Diersen Chair Present Paul Egeland Vice Chair Present Miriam Hoffmann Commissioner Present Lee Knauf Commissioner Present Jordy Veit Commissioner Present Tony Guggisberg Advisor Absent Jeff Hoffman Public Works Superintendent - Advisor Present Joey Schugel Director, Park and Recreation - Advisor Present Joe Stadheim City Engineer – Advisor Present 3. Approval of Agenda 3.1 Motion was made by Egeland seconded by Veit to approve the May 1, 2025 meeting agenda. With the addition of item 6.3 Middle School Program. Motion carried. 4. Approval of Minutes 4.1 Motion was made by Veit seconded by Knauf to approve the March 6, 2025 meeting minutes. Motion carried. 5. Old Business: 5.1 2025 City Reimbursement Programs and Budget Update • Plantings: 5 trees reimbursed for a total of $496.35 • Removals: 57 trees reimbursed for a total of $4,624.53 • Printing Expense: $1,040 • Home Show Expense: $300 As of this update, $5,964.53 remains in the regular budget, with an additional $107,585.47 available in the Diseased Tree Program Reimbursement Fund. An additional $2,852.36 in carry-over funds will be available after July 1, 2025. 5.2 Park and Recreation Department Update • Over 30 new trees were planted in Washington Park, Nehls Park, and other locations throughout the city. • The city was awarded Tree City USA recognition for 2024. • A large tree fell on the fence at Johnson Park; the tree was removed and the fence repaired. During this process, several additional trees were identified as needing future removal. • The New Ulm Fire Department assisted with a controlled burn on the terraces at Hermann Heights. 5.3 Public Works Update – Hoffmann • A total of 51 stumps have been removed to date. • Two dead trees and one tree damaged by a vehicle were removed in downtown New Ulm; all will be replaced. • Eight downtown trees that had outgrown their grates had the grates removed and woodchips installed around their bases. 5.4 Private Tree Services Update – No update. 5.5 EAB Update. – DNR Forestry Grant has not opened yet, application will be submitted when it does. Page 3 of 10  5.6 Big Tree Contest – The species for the contest for 2025 is the Ginkgo and submissions are due by July 31, 2025. We have received 2 submissions to date. 6. New Business: 6.1 2026 Budget Request – Commissioners discussed budget needs for 2026. Veit made a motion to request $13,550 for the 2026 Tree Advisory Commission Budget, motion was seconded by Egeland. Motion carried. $10,000.00 Diseased and Boulevard Tree Programs $1,000.00 Contractual Services $350.00 Home Show $1,400.00 Printing and Pamphlets $800.00 Tree Pest Reduction Efforts $13,550.00 TOTAL 6.2 Walk About Program At the March 6, 2025 Tree Advisory Commission meeting. Deb Egeland proposed a Walkabout Program to take place in the community during June. Each walk would last approximately one hour and include information on tree care and management. The League of Women Voters would assist with program promotion.Motion was made by Egeland, seconded by M. Hoffmann to approve a Tree Advisory Commissioner Walkabout Program. 6.3 Middle School Program Amber Gremmels presented information about STEM program she conducts with 5th-8th grades. Commissioners discussed educational opportunities for the students. 7. Cover It Up Program 7.1 Veit provided an update on the Cover It Up program, a statewide project aimed at removing buckthorn and replacing it with native grasses to suppress regrowth. The study focused on one of 100 plots across Minnesota, with some areas seeded with a native mix and others left unseeded. Data from 2020–2023 indicates that seeded areas experienced reduced buckthorn regrowth compared to unseeded areas. 8. Next Meeting 8.1 Next meeting Thursday, July 3, 2025 at 4:00 pm, City Council Chambers. Please email agenda items to the New Ulm Park and Recreation Administrative Assistant, Donitta Trebesch no later than one week prior to meetings: donittat@newulmmn.gov. 9. Adjourned - Respectfully submitted, Donitta Trebesch, Park and Recreation Administrative Assistant. Page 4 of 10 Page 5 of 10 2025 Tree Advisory Commission Reimbursement Program 1“ Jan. 1“ - JUIV Budgeted Amounts Unused Amounts July lst - Dec. 315t Ex , Expenses pe ns Boulevard Tree Planting Program Reimbursements $10,000.00 $3,447.55 $6,552.45 es Diseased Tree Program Reimbursements $100,000.00 $15,607.09 $78,966.19 $5,426.72 Contractual Services Expenses $1,000.00 $0.00 $1,000.00 Tree Pest Policy and Education Expenses $800.00 $0.00 $800.00 Printing and Pamphlet Expenses $1,400.00 $1,040.00 $360.00 Home Show $350.00 $300.00 $50.00 Sub TOTAL $113,550.00 2024 Budget carry-Over Amount v _ 7 _..._. TOTALS $113,550.00 _’ $96,602.91 " a ? ‘ — - H I H . . aTreesrR-(‘e—moved'Qty:i Account Number: 101-1000-355203 August 27, 2025  Join us for a Neighborhood Walkabout A 8 block guided walk led by a member of the New Ulm Tree Commission Identification, tree care: planting , pruning, watering, possible damage June 5 1: 30 PM Meet at NW Corner of 4th N & Franklin Street June 7 1:30 PM Meet at Washington Park 8th N & Washington Street June 10 2 PM Meet at MLC College Near the Bike path off Highland Ave. June 11 10:30 AM Harman Park Shelter Garden Street and 1st North June 18 2 PM Nehls Park NE Corner by the sidewalk Please join for any or all of the walks Listen to KNUJ for cancellations Questions; Contact 641-436-0176 Co sponsored by the New Ulm League of Women Voters New Ulm Park & Recreation Tree Commission Page 6 of 10 Page 7 of 10 Page 8 of 10 Page 9 of 10 September 7, 2023 RE: ReLeaf Community Forest Grants The New Ulm Tree Advisory Commission supports the City of New Ulm in seeking grant funds from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to help respond to the rapid spread of Emerald Ash Borer throughout the City. Since discovering EAB in New Ulm in 2019 the insect has spread quickly and now is found in every corner of the community. The prolonged drought has exacerbated the EAB’s effect on the ash, where trees are now dying at a faster pace and therefore causing a greater safety concern. We support City staff in applying for grant funding from the “ReLeaf Community Forest Grants” from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. If funding in the amount of $500,000 were secured it would help the City remove nearly all of the remaining boulevard ash and take a large financial burden off its residents. If we were successful in this application it would mean that the City would no longer need to apply for additional grant assistance to remove ash from boulevard areas or public property and kickstart the process of once again providing shade trees along City boulevards. The City will continue implementing the City’s Emerald Ash Borer Preparedness Plan throughout the grant process and into the future. The New Ulm Tree Commission will provide oversight of the City’s implementation of the response to the presence of Emerald Ash Borer. Thank you for your consideration, Greg Diersen Chair, New Ulm Tree Advisory Commission Page 10 of 10