Tree Advisory Committee
Regular MeetingNorwalk, CT · April 22, 2025
Minutes
TREE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
AGENDA
APRIL 22, 2025, AT 6:00 PM.
BY ZOOM VIRTUAL MEETING
To allow public access, anyone may access a meeting by telephone, Zoom, and/or the City of
Norwalk YouTube channel. Specific instructions and links can be found at :
norwalkct.org/meetings
Members of the public can call in and listen to a meeting. They will not be able to speak or see any of
the meeting participants. Each meeting will use a unique Meeting/Webinar ID. Please find the
information using the link above.
Members of the public who wish to provide "live comments" will need to register in advance and use
the Zoom meeting platform. All participants will be muted upon entering the meeting. To speak, click
the “raise your hand indicator” and you will called on by the host of the meeting during the public
comment section. Please find the information using the link above.
Members of the public who wish to view the meeting, but are not participating, can view a live stream
on the City of Norwalk YouTube channel. This stream is delayed by approximately 20 seconds. Please
find the information using the link above. The meeting recording and minutes will be posted on the
City of Norwalk website within seven (7) days after the meeting.
Members of the public who wish to provide public comment are encouraged to submit those via email
in advance of the meeting. For these comments to be read into the record, they should be submitted at
least three hours in advance of the meeting start time. Please email Dilene Byrd at
dbyrd@norwalkct.gov to provide written public comment prior to the meeting.
Attendance: Erica Kipp, Chair
Richard Whitehead, Vice Chair
Gay MacLeod
Sonya Oliver
Staff: Paul Sotnik, Deputy Tree Warden
Sarah Cruz, Arborist/ Horticulturalist
Others: Jeff Scheer, Norwalk Tree Alliance
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1. CALL TO ORDER
Ms. Kipp called the meeting to order at 6:01 PM.
II. ROLL CALL
Ms. Kipp called the roll, and all those listed in the attendance were present. There was a quorum
present.
III. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
A. Guests at committee meetings may speak to any item on the agenda. (Comments shall be
limited to no more than three (3) minutes per speaker.)
There were no public comments this evening.
IV. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES
A. Approve the minutes of the March 25, 2025, Tree Advisory Committee meetings.
**MS. MACLEOD MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE
MARCH 25, 2025, MEETING.
** MR. WHITEHEAD SECONDED THE MOTION.
** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
V. REPORTS
A. Tree Planting Program
Ms. Cruz said that 14 trees have been planted or ordered to date. She and Mr. Sotnik will be
exploring planting opportunities on South Main Street for new tree pit construction; still, there
are also quite a few private yards that they would like to try to connect with the residents to see if
they can plant trees with our Adopt-a-Spot tree program. She said she and Ms. Oliver will
connect as more people request trees at the Madison Condominiums and hope to plant more in
the spring. Ms. Oliver said she should have a list of people interested in planting the trees by the
end of this week.
Ms. Cruz said that, as she had previously mentioned, the funding for the spring is low except for
the funds that are in the MLK corridor, so they are trying to find more locations to be able to use
the funding that is currently available. The funding in the capital budget will be refreshed on July
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1, 2025, and we will reach out this summer to those who had planting requests to set them up for
the fall. She hopes to have 100 plantings done this spring and somewhere between 300 and 400
in the fall, which is looking good in terms of funding to hit those numbers.
VI. OLD BUSINESS
A. SONO School- Tree Planting Opportunities
Ms. Cruz said that Ms. Oliver had contacted her regarding the new SONO School
because it is adjacent to San Vincenzo Street on the very back side of the property. Ms.
Oliver said she has spoken to some folks in the area, and they are very interested in
having trees planted to provide a buffer. When she talked to Ms. Young, she said she
wanted to see the city’s plans but had not heard back. She will follow up with her. Ms.
Cruz said she was able to look at the preliminary landscape design, and there are plans
to plant 70-90 trees across the property, but the lot is quite large and may be able to
accommodate more trees. There is a meadow in the back adjacent to the community
garden, so she has been speaking with Mr. Hughes about establishing a tree line to meet
what they are looking for.
Ms. Kipp said some folks from Norwalk High School have reached out to her due to the
tree work there a lot of trees have been removed, including trees that the city has planted
in the past and a Sweetgum tree that had been there for a very long time and asked if
there is a replanting plan for that area. Mr. Sotnik said that when the permit was issued,
they tried protecting all of the trees from being removed at once, so it was broken into
two phases, and they could only remove what was being worked on last year at that
point. They are now in phase II, so some trees were posted recently and received no
protests. They were issued the permit last week, but a large replanting plan exists. Ms.
Kipp suggested reaching out to the Board of Education. Mr. Sotnik said they have been
included in the process. Ms. Kipp noted that if the Board of Education is being told
information, there seems to be a disconnect between that information filtering down to
the facility and staff. Mr. Sotnik said anyone with questions regarding the permit or the
planting plan should contact him. Ms. Kipp asked Mr. Sotnik if he would oppose a
presentation on the planting plan if people wanted it. Mr. Sotnik said, “No,” he would
not oppose it.
Mr. Scheer said if more trees are needed, the Norwalk Tree Alliance can provide them at
the SONO School. He also requested an offline meeting to discuss Jefferson School.
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VII. NEW BUSINESS
A. ARBOR DAY EVENTS
1. Arbor Day Cleanup 4/23 on NRVT
Mr. Whitehead said the cleanup will take place tomorrow. This will be the third year working on
the new section of the NRVT trail. They will meet at 40 Cross Street, and the cleanup will occur
from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM. They are looking forward to a fun event that will call attention to the
value and importance of trees in our community and elsewhere. He said the event is not open to
the public, but the committee members and staff are welcome to attend. Ms. Cruz noted that
Greer’s Southern Table is helping to sponsor the event.
2. Arbor Day Celebration 4/25 at Cranbury Elementary School
Ms. Cruz said they have just received the posters for the poster contest, and they all look really
good. They are in the process of judging them with the folks at City Hall and Norwalk Public
Schools. There will be a planting ceremony, and the mayor will read a proclamation.
VIII. NORWALK TREE ALLIANCE UPDATES
Mr. Scheer reported that the Earth Day Festival will be held this Saturday on Norwalk Green
from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Ms. MacLeod said she would manage the Tree Advisory Committee
table, have a sign-up sheet for tree liaisons, and give out seedlings.
Mr. Scheer said the poetry reading event was well attended and positive. Over 20 people
attended.
Mr. Scheer said they have planted approximately 11 trees and have another 15-20 planting
locations. He noted Ms. MacLeod had contacted them regarding planting a shrub at Union Park
and asked if they could plant a few trees there, as there is plenty of room. Ms. MacLeod said
“yes,” and she had emailed him some suggestions for species.
IX. ADJOURNMENT
** MS. MACLEOD MOVED TO ADJOURN.
** MR. WHITEHEAD SECONDED THE MOTION.
** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:25 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Dilene Byrd
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Agenda
REGULAR MEETING – TREE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
AGENDA
APRIL 22, 2025, 6:00 PM
BY ZOOM VIRTUAL MEETING
To allow public access, anyone may access a meeting by telephone and/or Zoom, or a recording in the City of
Norwalk YouTube channel. Specific instructions and links can be found at norwalkct.gov/meetings.
Members of the public may call in to participate. Callers will not be able to see the meeting
participants. All participants will be muted upon entering the meeting. To speak, dial *9 on the phone
and you will be called on by the host of the meeting during the public comment section. All speakers
must state their name and address. Comments must be on a topic on the agenda, and are limited to
three minutes. Anyone disrupting the orderly conduct of the meeting, including by using threatening,
hateful, or sexually-explicit language, will be removed. Please find the information using the link
above.
Members of the public who wish to provide "live comments" may also use the Zoom meeting platform.
All participants will be muted upon entering the meeting. To speak, click the “raise your hand
indicator” and you will be called by the host of the meeting during the public comment section. All
speakers must state their name and address. Comments must be on a topic on the agenda, and are
limited to three minutes. Anyone disrupting the orderly conduct of the meeting, including by using
threatening, hateful, or sexually-explicit language, will be removed. Please find the information using
the link above.
Members of the public who wish to provide public comment are encouraged to submit those via email
in advance of the meeting. For these comments to be included into the record, they must be
submitted by 12:00 p.m. the day of the meeting. Please email Dilene Byrd at dbyrd@norwalkct.gov
with the subject line “Public Comment” to provide written public comment prior to the meeting.
I. CALL TO ORDER
II. ROLL CALL
III. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
IV. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES
A. Approve the minutes of the March 25th, 2025 Tree Advisory
Committee meeting
V. REPORTS
A. Tree Planting Program
VI. OLD BUSINESS
A. SONO School - Tree Planting Opportunities
VII. NEW BUSINESS
A. Arbor Day Events:
- Arbor Day Cleanup 4/23 on NRVT
- Arbor Day Celebration 4/25 at Cranbury Elementary
VIII. NORWALK TREE ALLIANCE UPDATES
IX. ADJOURNMENT
UPCOMING MEETINGS
May 27th, 2025 6:00pm
Packet
REGULAR MEETING – TREE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
AGENDA
APRIL 22, 2025, 6:00 PM
BY ZOOM VIRTUAL MEETING
To allow public access, anyone may access a meeting by telephone and/or Zoom, or a recording in the City of
Norwalk YouTube channel. Specific instructions and links can be found at norwalkct.gov/meetings.
Members of the public may call in to participate. Callers will not be able to see the meeting
participants. All participants will be muted upon entering the meeting. To speak, dial *9 on the phone
and you will be called on by the host of the meeting during the public comment section. All speakers
must state their name and address. Comments must be on a topic on the agenda, and are limited to
three minutes. Anyone disrupting the orderly conduct of the meeting, including by using threatening,
hateful, or sexually-explicit language, will be removed. Please find the information using the link
above.
Members of the public who wish to provide "live comments" may also use the Zoom meeting platform.
All participants will be muted upon entering the meeting. To speak, click the “raise your hand
indicator” and you will be called by the host of the meeting during the public comment section. All
speakers must state their name and address. Comments must be on a topic on the agenda, and are
limited to three minutes. Anyone disrupting the orderly conduct of the meeting, including by using
threatening, hateful, or sexually-explicit language, will be removed. Please find the information using
the link above.
Members of the public who wish to provide public comment are encouraged to submit those via email
in advance of the meeting. For these comments to be included into the record, they must be
submitted by 12:00 p.m. the day of the meeting. Please email Dilene Byrd at dbyrd@norwalkct.gov
with the subject line “Public Comment” to provide written public comment prior to the meeting.
I. CALL TO ORDER
II. ROLL CALL
III. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
IV. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES
A. Approve the minutes of the March 25th, 2025 Tree Advisory
Committee meeting
V. REPORTS
A. Tree Planting Program
VI. OLD BUSINESS
A. SONO School - Tree Planting Opportunities
Page 1 of 7
VII. NEW BUSINESS
A. Arbor Day Events:
- Arbor Day Cleanup 4/23 on NRVT
- Arbor Day Celebration 4/25 at Cranbury Elementary
VIII. NORWALK TREE ALLIANCE UPDATES
IX. ADJOURNMENT
UPCOMING MEETINGS
May 27th, 2025 6:00pm
Page 2 of 7
TREE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
AGENDA
MARCH 25, 2025, AT 6:00 PM.
BY ZOOM VIRTUAL MEETING
To allow public access, anyone may access a meeting by telephone, Zoom, and/or the City of
Norwalk YouTube channel. Specific instructions and links can be found at :
norwalkct.org/meetings
Members of the public can call in and listen to a meeting. They will not be able to speak or see any of
the meeting participants. Each meeting will use a unique Meeting/Webinar ID. Please find the
information using the link above.
Members of the public who wish to provide "live comments" will need to register in advance and use
the Zoom meeting platform. All participants will be muted upon entering the meeting. To speak, click
the “raise your hand indicator” and you will called on by the host of the meeting during the public
comment section. Please find the information using the link above.
Members of the public who wish to view the meeting, but are not participating, can view a live stream
on the City of Norwalk YouTube channel. This stream is delayed by approximately 20 seconds. Please
find the information using the link above. The meeting recording and minutes will be posted on the
City of Norwalk website within seven (7) days after the meeting.
Members of the public who wish to provide public comment are encouraged to submit those via email
in advance of the meeting. For these comments to be read into the record, they should be submitted at
least three hours in advance of the meeting start time. Please email Dilene Byrd at
dbyrd@norwalkct.gov to provide written public comment prior to the meeting.
Attendance: Erica Kipp, Chair
Richard Whitehead, Vice Chair
Gay MacLeod
Sonya Oliver
Staff: Paul Sotnik, Deputy Tree Warden
Sarah Cruz, Arborist/ Horticulturalist
Others: Jeff Scheer, Norwalk Tree Alliance
1. CALL TO ORDER
Ms. Kipp called the meeting to order at 6:06 PM.
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II. ROLL CALL
Ms. Kipp called the roll, and all those listed in the attendance were present. There was a quorum
present.
III. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
A. Guests at committee meetings may speak to any item on the agenda. (Comments shall be
limited to no more than three (3) minutes per speaker.)
There were no public comments this evening.
IV. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES
A. Approve the minutes of November 24, 2024, and February 25, 2025, Tree Advisory
Committee meetings.
**MS. MACLEOD MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE
NOVEMBER 26, 2024, MEETING.
** MR. WHITEHEAD SECONDED THE MOTION.
** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
**MS. MACLEOD MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE
FEBRUARY 25, 2025, MEETING.
** MR. WHITEHEAD SECONDED THE MOTION.
** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
V. REPORTS
A. Tree Master Plan: Workshops and Feedback
Ms. Cruz said the draft master plan was completed in January of this year. Therefore, last
Wednesday, a workshop was held with city staff from various departments and external
stakeholders, which was very well received. She provided an overview of the workshop
and stated that 1,100 trees would need to be planted annually to meet their goal, adding
that the exercise was helpful for participants to see. On Thursday, a public workshop was
held, and it had a good turnout. It was nice to have organizations that already work within
Norwalk. She mentioned that a brief survey was conducted following each workshop, and
she received feedback on how to prioritize the recommendations. She noted that they will
continue to raise the tree canopy by 10%, and currently, there is 43% tree cover across
Norwalk. The goal is to reach 53% by 2053. The consultant has done a very good job on
the plan and would like to receive feedback from the committee and others by the end of
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next week, as they plan to present it to the Common Council for adoption the first week
in April.
Ms. Kipp asked if the goal of planting 1,100 trees annually was based on the 53%
projection. Ms. Cruz said “yes,” stating that the city would be responsible for planting
70% of what the goal should be, and 30% of the plantings would be led by developers,
the community, private owners, and others. Still, the city hopes to plant 1,100 trees each
year, and for reference, is currently planting 400-500 annually.
Ms. Kipp requested that photos of the workshop be shared on the website, as people need
to see that action is being taken.
Mr. Whitehead asked if the goal of 1,100 trees takes into account the tree's growth rate.
Ms. Cruz said “yes,” and the plan includes assumptions that were considered, including
the number of trees that will be lost each year.
Ms. Oliver joined the meeting at 6:15 PM.
VI. OLD BUSINESS
There was no old business discussed.
V. NEW BUSINESS
A. Arbor Day Celebration 2025: Cranbury Elementary School, Friday, April 25, 2025
(Arbor Day)
Ms. Cruz said the annual Arbor Day celebration will be taking place at Cranbury
Elementary School, and they are very excited about it. Mr. Sotnik provided an overview
of the event and stated that the ceremony will take place on April 25th from 1:00 PM to
2:00 PM. Ms. Kipp said it is nice to give out seedlings, but a vast majority of them don’t
end up being planted and suggested providing educational materials instead.
B. Arbor Day Clean-Up 2025: Location: NRVT, 40 Cross Street, Wednesday, April 23,
2025.
Mr. Whitehead said that the Arbor Day cleanup event will take place on Wednesday, April
23, 2025, from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM. However, it is not a public event, and private tree
companies and Eversource will be donating their time and staff to assist with tree
cleanup. This will be the third year they will be working in the new section of the NRVT.
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C. Planting List and Species Selection
Ms. Cruz said that during the last couple of meetings, the committee discussed refining
the species list for the contract and shared the list of trees included in the current
contract. Ms. Kipp said that Ms. Cossuto had spent a great deal of time putting together
the scientific and common names of the trees, whether they were native or non-native,
and a photo of the tree, which was helpful for most people who don’t know what a
majority of the trees look like, which would be a great starting point. Mr. Sotnik asked if
she had a copy of that and, if so, if she could distribute it to the committee.
Ms. MacLeod asked Ms. Kipp if she could find a student to assist with putting together a
guide with the species on the list. Ms. Kipp said “yes”. Ms. Cruz said that she is in the
process of hiring an intern if students are looking for an internship. Ms. Kipp requested
that Ms. Cruz send her the job description so that she could share it with her students.
Ms. MacLeod noted that, in addition to trees, shrubs will also be included on the list.
Mr. Whitehead said the planting list is constantly being modified because we should not
plant trees that are known to be problematic such as species affected by pests, so the list
is constantly evolving.
Ms. Cruz asked the committee members to review the current list to be discussed at the
next meeting.
D. SONO School- Opportunities for Tree Planting
Ms. Cruz stated that Ms. Oliver had contacted her regarding some of the residents near
San Vincenzo Place, expressing interest in the potential to plant trees at or around the
SONO School. She said she is currently working with the Superintendent of Recreation
and Parks to determine the landscaping plan and to gauge residents' interest in identifying
potential tree planting locations.
Mr. Scheer stated that on April 11, 2025, from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM, a poetry event
related to trees will take place at the Rowayton Library.
Mr. Scheer asked anyone on the committee who has a location for tree plantings on
private property to let him know, as the Tree Alliance would be happy to help. Ms. Cruz
said they definitely will because a majority of the funding for the spring is solely for
South Norwalk. Mr. Scheer said they will be planting in the 6th Taxing District and will
also continue the partnership with the Third Taxing District.
Mr. Scheer said the Tree Master Plan workshop event was a very good event.
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Mr. Sotnik stated that the Arbor Day Foundation has notified us that Norwalk has
received recertification as a Tree City USA for the 21st consecutive year and also
received the Growth Award for the 19th straight year.
Ms. Kipp said that the CT State Norwalk campus has also received the Tree Campus
award for the 6th year. Mr. Whitehead asked if that is the only Tree Campus award for the
state. Ms. Kipp said “yes” other than UCONN.
VII. ADJOURNMENT
** MR. WHITEHEAD MOVED TO ADJOURN.
** MS. MACLEOD SECONDED THE MOTION.
** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
Respectfully submitted,
Dilene Byrd
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