TREE BOARD MINUTES

 November 2, 2017

PRESENT:  Jody Mudd, Cheri Siley-Slusher, Jodi Smiley, Laura Trachenberg, Kate Greer, Jim Ising, Caroline Westfall.

An article in the Courier Journal about the importance of trees and health was displayed by Mayor Ising.  Laura presented one from a medical journal on the same topic.  Kate will summarize the gist of both for the newsletter.

The current 2018 plan for the Tree Board is to plant trees on Clerkenwell.  Jodi Smiley and Amy Carter mapped the city, street by street, to see which areas needed trees the most.  Cheri sent letters to property owners on Clerkenwell to see if they would like to have a tree.  The first ten responders will receive a tree with a tree watering bag.  They will sign an agreement to take care of their tree.  One area that could really use them is a vacant lot owned by resident Floyd Taylor that abuts his property.  Jim will talk to him about a possibility of planting some there after we develop our Clerkenwell plan.

The Board and the Mayor hope get more trees in Windy Hills.  There needs to be a new program for the entire city. We will present our plight to the Council along with the map and visuals.

After the City received an e-mail from a resident on Foeburn regarding a hazardous tree, Caroline Wesrfall examined it.  She determined that it was a danger to people who might be walking near it.  She advised that it should be cut down.  Jim Hodge sent an e-mail that if it was a safety problem, the City should do something about it.  Information from Caroline will be sent to Attorney Hodge for him to send a letter to the resident.

Mayor Ising asked Caroline to look at a tree on the Ease corner of Ambridge to see if it is dangerous to anyone besides the homeowner.

TREE CITY USA REPORT is due.  Jim will make up a proclamation for the one we had.  Cheri will call the Arbor Day people to get what was sent to them last year.  Jodi and Kate will work on the report.

Kate will talk to the owner on Ambridge about replacing the dead Chinese Fringe Tree.  The Garden Club sent the Tree Board the money to replace it.  The funds came from their plant sale in Kate’s yard last May.

Caroline had had several residents call her for tree evaluation.

We have two vacancies that must be filled for the nest 3 year terms.  Sandy needs to send out a blast for new members.

The next meeting will be the first Thursday in January.

Submitted by Kate Greer