Tree Advisory Commission Meeting

TREE COMMISSION MEETING DATE: Wednesday, March 3, 2021 TIME: 1 :30 P.M. PLACE: Urbana Public Works Department, 706 Glover Avenue, Urbana, IL MINUTES Members Present: Carol Augspurger (Chair), Jackson Bird, Stewart Berlocher, Bridget McGill, Michael Stevenson (Vice-Chair) Staff Present: Kevin Sanderson Members Absent: Jacob Torres, Marshall Bellville, Derek Liebert Others Present: None Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 1:30 p.m. Roll call was taken. Approval of the March 4, 2020 Meeting Minutes Stewart Berlocher moved to approve the March 2020 Meeting Minutes. Michael Stevenson seconded the motion. Carol Augspurger directed questions to Kevin Sanderson regarding discussion topics from the previous meeting. Augspurger asked where Kevin was at with the Savannah Green Home Owner’s Association and their willingness to trim and water their neighborhood trees. Sanderson responded in stating that they were still in the works with coordinating that effort. Chair Augspurger asked about the funding initiative championed by the Rotary Club. Augspurger wondered if there was money still available in the fund and if money could still be added to it. Sanderson responded by stating that approximately $5,000 was donated last year and was used for summer and fall planting. Sanderson also stated that the fund is still open as a part of the Legacy Tree Fund. Discussion followed. Bridget McGill joined the meeting. A roll call vote was taken. The motion to approve the March 2020 meeting minutes was approved. Augspurger- Approve McGill- Approve Berlocher- Approve Stevenson- Approve Bird- Approve  TREE COMMISSION MEETING Public Input There was no public input. Former Business a. Benefits of Trees and Tree Values Brochures update Chair Augspurger mentioned the two brochures that Kevin Sanderson provided to the commission as potential options for distribution within the community. The Brochures were provided by the International Society of Agriculture. Discussion followed. Sanderson agreed to talk with his contact at the Savannah Green Homeowner’s Association on getting assistance with distributing brochures within her neighborhood. b. Commission seat opening Chair Augspurger asked for Kevin Sanderson to provide a status update to the vacant seat. Sanderson mentioned that they are still waiting on appointment from the Mayor. However, there have not been any applicants as of yet. Commission members made suggestions on how to notify potentially interested parties about applying. Discussion followed. New Business a. Approval of 2021 Meeting Dates: June 2, September 1, December 1 Michael Stevenson moved Jackson Bird seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken. The motion was approved. Augspurger- Approve McGill- Approve Berlocher- Approve Stevenson- Approve Bird- Approve b. 2021 Contract Removals Kevin Sanderson updated the commission on the 2021 contract tree removals. Sanderson mentioned the contractor started late January and had to stop due to inclement weather but has since resumed work and is almost done. The cost was approximately $45,000 which covered approximately 23 tree removals. Discussion followed. c. Spring 2021 Planting list Kevin Sanderson provided the commission with a spreadsheet of addresses and species of trees being planted at those locations. Some of the trees were selected by the homeowners while others were selected by Kevin. Chair Augspurger had questions regarding the native origin of some of these selections. Discussion followed.  TREE COMMISSION MEETING d. Questions/Discussions December 20th 2020 Summary Report The commission discussed the summary report that was sent out by Kevin Sanderson on December 20th 2020. Chair Augspurger asked what could be done so that the pruning and maintenance rotation could happen more frequently for the different zones of Urbana. Sanderson mentioned the biggest issues that the city faces is staffing. They simply do not have the staff support needed to get to these zones more frequently. Discussion followed. e. PUD project update-601 S Lincoln- Oregon/California Kevin Sanderson has been consulting with developers of this large construction project to see which trees can be saved or replanted. The goal is to preserve as much of the canopy as possible. Discussion followed. f. Required Tree Replacement policy for new development It was discussed that there is not currently a city tree replacement policy for new development. Questions were exchanged. It was suggested that the commission assist in developing a policy for city tree replacement during large development projects. Discussion followed. g. Lumpkin Grant Report Data presentation by Scott Tess Scott Tess, Sustainability & Resilience officer with the City of Urbana, joined the call to educate the commission on a grant-funded study regarding urban forestry. This study focused on correlation between “tree deserts” and particular demographics of these underserved areas such as income and race. Tess asked the commission for any feedback they could provide. Discussion followed. h. 2021 Arbor Day A week-long scavenger hunt for Arbor Day/week has been scheduled and is in the works. This will be posted online as a way for people to view their favorite legacy trees etc. A proclamation from the Mayor has been scheduled to be read on April 30th. Announcement None. Adjournment Michael Stevenson made a motion to adjourn, Stuart Berlocher seconded the motion. The meeting was adjourned at 2:47 p.m. The next meeting of the Urbana Tree Commission will be held on Wednesday, June 2, 2021 at 1:30 p.m. via Zoom. Shelby Mammano Recording Secretary Urbana Tree Commission