Tree Advisory Commission Meeting

APPROVED September 5, 2018 TREE COMMISSION MEETING DATE: Wednesday, June 6, 2018 TIME: 1 :30 P.M. PLACE: Urbana Public Works Department, 706 Glover Avenue, Urbana, IL MINUTES Members Present: Marshall Bellville, Stewart Berlocher, Jackson Bird, Bridget McGill, and Michael Stevenson (Vice-Chair) Staff Present: Michael Brunk (City of Urbana Arborist) and Derek Liebert (Urbana Park District) Members Absent: Carol Augspurger (Chair) Others Present: None Call to Order In the absence of the Chair, Michael Stevenson, Vice-Chair, called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m. Roll Call Roll was called and a quorum was present. Bridget McGill was introduced as the newest member of the Commission. Approval of the March 7, 2018 Meeting Minutes A motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes for the March 7, 2018 meeting. The motion was approved unanimously by a voice vote. Public Input There was no public input. Former Business a. USDA Tree Planting Grant/Spring 2018 Tree Planting Mike Brunk updated the Commission on the status on the USDA Tree Planting Grant and Spring 2018 Tree Planting. The City received a $15,000 tree planting grant. He said that there was extensive paperwork involved for reimbursement since the grant required accountability for all items. He mentioned that most of the 300 trees arrived at the same time so staff had to be pulled  APPROVED September 5, 2018 TREE COMMISSION MEETING from other projects, such as the Broadway Avenue Mini-Park, to complete the tree planting. Mr. Brunk said that the City plans to plant 200 trees per year. He mentioned that staff is planting a variety of container, root bag and burlap ball/wire basket type trees. Staff is monitoring the new trees for stability the first few years of development. It was asked if there were problems with the root system circling around the trees. Mr. Brunk said that staff has not found a circling root problem so far in the container stock of present nursery sources. He noted that the trees were grown in five different nurseries and that the City was looking at an additional grower. He explained that the City was also researching a new watering system, “tree diaper,” which contained a water absorbing material to hold moisture longer. He noted that staff was working with the goals established in the City of Urbana’s Climate Action Plan to limit the urban forest to less than five percent of any one species. He said that due to USDA requirements that the species makeup of the recent tree purchase was within that established goal. Brunk stated that he had discussions with the grant administrators at Morton Arboretum about how the 5% species parameters were difficult to meet in any one order especially for smaller communities with smaller tree orders. Brunk continued that he described how Urbana may target a large number of trees in one particular species for a given order, due to its availability, when attempting to diversify the overall community species makeup. Brunk said that Morton Arboretum acknowledged his point and would revise the language in the next grant cycle to allow more flexibility in tree purchases. Brunk said, that about ten percent of the City’s current forest consists of oak trees. He informed the Commission that cases of Bacteria Leaf Scorch (BLS) have been found in oak trees within the West Urbana Neighborhood Association (WUNA), particularly around Delaware Avenue, Vermont Avenue, Pennsylvania Avenue, and Busey Avenue between Illinois Street and Florida Avenue. Brunk stated his concern that the oaks are going to be the next species that has potential for rapid decline. b. Legacy Tree Nomination – 604 West Pennsylvania private 40” Ash Mike Brunk stated that the green ash tree nominated as a Legacy Tree designation had been treated for EAB by trunk injection at least three times in the last six years. Brunk stated that he would continue to monitor the tree early this summer but does not expect to see any signs of decline. The Tree Commission voted to include the 604 West Pennsylvania Ash tree as a Legacy Tree in the rarity category unless the City Arborist’s recommends otherwise after his inspection of the tree in early summer . c. Tree Diversity (presentation of a quick study of Family makeup completed by staff) Mike Brunk handed out a listing of inventory listed trees by family. He explained that this was a quick study completed by Scott Tess the City’s Environmental Manager. Mr. Brunk requested the Tree Commission study the family makeup listing to look for any corrections. New Business  APPROVED September 5, 2018 TREE COMMISSION MEETING There was no new business. Adjournment There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 2:40 p.m. The next meeting of the Urbana Tree Commission will be held on Wednesday, September 5, 2018 at 1:30 p.m. at the Urbana Public Works Department, 706 South Glover Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61802 Barb Stiehl Interim Recording Secretary Urbana Tree Commission