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02-08-11 Street Tree MinutesKALISPELL STREET TREE COMMISSION MEETING HELD February 8, 2011 - 4:00 p.m. Present: Bette Albright, Andrea Davidson, Dawn Tacke, David Jones, Rebecca Bodnar, Mike Baker and Lisa Simmer Next Meeting Date: March 8, 2011 — 4 p.m. Parks Department Items of Discussion: • Board Members Presentation to Council • Christmas Tree Recycling Program • Forest Health Monitoring Open House • Dead Tree Removals • Miscellaneous Tree Business Board Members Presentation to Council Bette and David recapped their brief presentation to council the previous night at the regular scheduled council meeting. Bette and David presented the Mayor and Council with the 2010 Urban Forestry Excellence Award and brought to their attention the upcoming Free Tree Talk on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 in council chambers. Christmas Tree Recycling Program Lisa passed around a thank you letter for members to sign, to Easthaven Baptist Church who volunteer and pick up the Christmas trees for the recycling program. Lisa explained the group likes to keep this project anonymous, however the office normally sends a thank you letter on behalf of the City of Kalispell, Kalispell Parks and Recreation and the Kalispell Street Tree Commission. Trees To Paper To Trees Recycling Drive Bette noted the spring recycling drive is scheduled for April 2, 2011. It has been scheduled with the fairgrounds, and Bette will be contacting the high school for volunteers and getting pictures to the Daily Interlake if we have new ones. Additional arrangements and preparations will be made at upcoming meetings. Forest Health Monitoring Open House The Forest Health Monitoring Open House will be February 15, 2011, at the City of Kalispell council chambers. The group reviewed the preparations: The public service announcements have been sent out by the Parks Department to over 1000 customers, related organizations and the media. It has appeared in the Daily Interlake once to date. Andrea had Stop, Look and Listen posters made which are available for members to distribute, with some members having already started hanging them in locations. Lisa has gotten some response back to the invite, with notations that Doepker Landscape, Inc will be sending five personnel. Lisa will be responsible for bringing coffee donated from Colter Coffee (including cups, sugar, creamer), iced water jug, cups and napkins. Dawn offered to meet Lisa at the Parks office to assist with hauling of these items. Bette will bring 4 dozen cookies and will be reimbursed out of the urban forestry budget or DNRC budget, who can donate $50 towards the event, if needed. David briefed the group on the feedback he has been hearing about Mike Garvey's presentations to date. Feedback has been quite positive; however Mr. Garvey has switched up the presentation a bit and has been discussing the value of trees more than anything else. David will bring any informational pamphlets, door prizes, etc., that he can provide from DNRC. David is going to send Mike Garvey another email to confirm that he has the equipment needed and does not want to hook into the council chamber monitors. Board members will try to make it to council chambers at 6 p.m. to set up for the presentation. Miscellaneous Tree Business Lisa noted that Clifford Kipp, Director of Montana Conservation Corp is going to join the group at the March meeting. MCC is interested in Arbor Day projects and possibly will send volunteers to the recycling drive, depending on their project schedule. David Jones passed out copies of a Technical Report discussing Root Collar Disorders. Miscellaneous tree discussions included the problems in recent years with birch trees, the damage done by early frost. Lisa gave a request from Chad Fincher to David Jones, regarding the desire of Parks staff and crews to acquire two copies of Dirrs Hardy Trees and Shrubs Book, by Michael Dirrs. Parks would like to acquire two and find them to be a bit pricey purchasing brand new. Staff is looking into purchasing used, however if David had an avenue to these books for free or reduced it would be great. David agreed to check into it. 2 David presented some information to the group regarding the value and maintenance of trees and mentioned an email he had sent regarding an online course. The information is compiled from a psychiatrist who is on a tree board. David had sent a link to the Parks office regarding on free online credit course for Tree Board University and Lisa will forward this link to members. Lisa informed the board that the Parks staff and crew are currently utilizing the new TreeWorks work order system that was purchased from the Urban Forestry Excellence grant funds. Additionally Lisa will soon be putting in all the DED removals and plantings from the ARRA grant project. David requested a copy of the inventory printed out. David mentioned that he had heard through DNRC work associates that Kalispell is going to get more money for the ARRA federal stimulus grant to remove more Dutch Elm diseased trees. Lisa informed the group that it does look like there will be opportunity for additional funding after DRNC has had a chance to close out other cities grant programs. She explained that DNRC will pool all left over funds from projects and give interested cities an opportunity to apply for additional funds. She noted that DNRC extended Kalispell's contract to allow for the necessary time for other city projects to close and determine remaining funds available. Some city contracts do not close until March 2011. Extension of the contract would make it a continuation project and not a new project, allowing for cities to work with the existing contractors and contracts in place. Members asked if the staff received calls regarding the tree removals on 93 South, near the courthouse complex. Brief group discussion ensued regarding the calls that came in from upset citizens who did not understand the trees were dead and a complaint regarding the free wood lot and loud chainsaws. It was noted that most people understood once it was explained to them and the free wood was being snapped up as fast as crews could haul it. Mike Baker briefed the group on the plan for replanting these locations. Replantings on 93 will not happen until the widening of Hwy. 93. Mike explained in great detail the proposed widening and redesign of that area and where new plantings would occur. Due to the new design and location of future plantings these trees will not be subject to as much mag chloride and other salts. Staff is fairly confident that future plantings will get better care and not be subjected to the recent issues that have resulted in so many trees dying in the immediate area of the county complex. The county seems to have made the transition to less salt and environmentally friendly salting products. City staff is hopeful that the county will assist in the funding for future plantings. Members questioned, and Mike explained what is required by developers in regards to landscaping with developing commercial properties. It was noted that government agencies are exempt from certain things in development criteria. They are not exempt from building codes, electrical, plumbing, etc., however are exempt from some standards. The county by all appearances do a fairly good job at landscaping. 3 Members discussed the recent passing of the landscape ordinance, which includes provisions for protection and preservation of boulevard trees. It was noted that the landscape ordinance is good support for the existing tree ordinance and they go hand in hand. The landscape ordinance can be found online and Lisa will send a link to members. David passed around a folder he picked up at an AMTOP conference and discussed the interesting information he learned regarding the process of injecting trees with fertilizers and pesticides. These methods can be very pricey, however quite effective, working within minutes. The Dutch Elm disease injections the city tried weren't that effective, possibly because they trees were too far along in the disease. It is very effective for aphids, however the city budget doesn't allow for treating boulevard trees. There was no other business and the meeting adjourned at 4:55 p.m. F.