WINDY HILLS TREE BOARD
A meeting of the Windy Hills Tree Board was held on Thursday, January 14, 2016, 7:00 P.M. at the home of Cheri Silvey-Slusher 1307 Killiney Place 40207.
Members present were: Cheri Silvey-Slusher, Chair, Shaun Danahy Marcia Myers, Jodi Smiley, and Ward Wilson. Also present were City Council Representative Kate Greer, Certified Arborist Caroline Westfall, and City of Windy Hills Mayor Jim Ising.
Mayor Jim Ising was introduced and shared words of appreciation for the work of the board.
Minutes: Minutes from December 3, 2015 were approved.
Financial Report: Balances as of December 31, 2015
Tree Board Account – $4876.07 Arborist Account – $912.50
Shaun Danahy will review the format of the financial report and change as needed for clarity.
City of Windy Hills Report: – Kate Greer
The Council will recognize the work of Arborist Mike Hayman with a plaque when the Wireless Zelkovas are planted on The Windy Hills Green. Arrangements are being made for the remaining tree lottery tree to be planted at CoachGate.
Arborist Report: – New Arborist Caroline Westfall proposed that she begin her work with a complete street review and condition report of Windy Hills trees that would be associated with the Master Tree List and serve as a baseline. The report would include location, size, species, condition, and recommendations. The board embraced this proposal and encouraged her to proceed.
After discussion, the board determined that there is a need to clarify the responsibilities of the Tree Board with the City Council. This may include revisions to City Ordinance 12.04. Ward Wilson agreed to head the effort to gather information and develop recommendations. Caroline Westfall will provide samples from other cities. The current Work Plan and Resident Tree Program forms will be reviewed for consistency.
New Business:
All members present completed required annual disclosure forms.
Kate Greer announced that the next Windy Hills Newsletter deadline is February 26, 2016.
Master Tree List – Marcia Myers has the Master Tree list as of the end of 2015 and will update it as new trees are planted. The paperwork process with the Resident Tree Program will be simplified.
Other Tree Vendors – In response to a resident’s concern that only one vendor is being used for the Resident Tree Program, the board decided to explore a change in the program which would allow residents to purchase trees from a list of approved vendors and be reimbursed the allowed amount upon submission of documentation. Kate Greer will talk with Frank Otte and Wallitsch Nurseries to see if they would be willing to give us the same discount we currently receive from The Plant Kingdom for the Resident Tree Program. Once information has been gathered, the board will consider approving the change and publicizing it.
Arbor Day will be celebrated on The Windy Hills Green on Sunday, April 17th. The program will include the planting of a tree by our Arborist Caroline Westfall as an educational opportunity.
The next meeting will be Thursday, March 3, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. at the home of Cheri Silvey-Slusher 1307 Killiney Place 40207.
If any member sees a discrepancy between the minutes and what occurred or sees a need for corrections or additions, e-mail Secretary Marcia Myers at marciaclarkmyers@gmail.com. Your approval of these minutes is granted unless the secretary hears otherwise from you.