City of Athens, Ohio Athens Shade Tree Commission 2023, 13 Apr 2023

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From YouTube: Athens Shade Tree Commission - April 13, 2023

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Athens Shade Tree Commission - April 13, 2023

A

Good good evening, everybody, um this is the shade tree commission for April 13th 2023 at 7 A.M at 7 pm 701.. um First order of business for the agenda is to establish a quorum. We have all um all members, but Nancy Walker will not be here tonight and I want to take this time to introduce and welcome our two new members.

A

um Do you like Deborah or Debbie.

B

Depends on how well you know me and my.

A

Michael, okay, Michael, so I would like you to introduce yourselves by talking about your favorite tree in Athens.

B

Favorite tree in Athens Elm in my backyard that I see every morning when I look out my bathroom window, porch window and my dining room window rather large stream, but it has a real nice thing going on with it. So if.

C

You could also get your name and address my.

B

Name is Deborah Daniels and I live on Larson's way.

D

um Michael Lincoln um I live on cable, Lane, um favorite, trees, I think Maple used to be Oak until one came through my roof um that'll happen well.

A

I know somebody else on cable Lane that just left.

D

A

Bill and Heather.

D

A

You joke three: just came through.

D

A

Love trees anyway. Yes,.

D

A

um First order of business is the approval of the February 9th minutes after much help from Roxanne. Thank you.

C

Did you pass around the.

A

Last minute, I sent them out, okay, good, so any other issues or questions about it. Okay um can I have a motion.

D

A motion to approve great.

A

The second second great all in favor to approve the minutes. Please say aye aye all opposed. Thank you. um We have a title 33 tree, permit right-of-way issue this evening um at 21, Elm 21 Elmwood.

A

um So there is a request to have a tree removed by the homeowner, because there's concerns about the gas line. So if you would like to come forward and I know that you have some, you told me to sit here. Okay,.

E

But I have some photos, yeah, like it's all past, so it just shows that it's within 12 inches away and then I just took before. Okay, great so um I'm, Pro tree and I know the trees are important, but when I realized, how close this tree was to a gas line? I just became concerned about it, causing a gas leak um and I had been emailing with Ann Bonner, and she sent me an article and from her article I'm, going to quote three things that says preventing tree utility conflicts is a serious matter.

E

Another one is electric gas water sewer lines installed, underground can be compromised by tree roots and natural gas operators often keep the area directly over and 10 feet each side of pipelines, free of trees, to protect them from potential tree root damage, and um the tree is not so giant that removing it and whether the roots are above or below it.

E

Right now would make the gas line collapse because I think that's part of the issue is removing trees can cause problems as well, but it seems like it's young enough that uh this is the right time to make a move, because I think it's so close that there's a greater danger of it growing, larger and so some of the literature she sent see more about sewer lines and I can see why that wouldn't be as big of an issue.

E

But if it seems like with a gas line, it seems like a pretty big safety concern and I already have two very large one of the photo. One of the trees is not in the photo, but there's already two very large trees. So it's not that there's it's not really going to be empty.

A

um Are there questions first comments.

C

B

C

Tree commission our purview is to decide whether or not a tree is in Decline, and the determination is that your tree is not in Decline when there is a potential safety issue. We refer to the city. The city makes the assessments because it is their liability as per Andrew checky. They have made a determination that they do not believe that your tree is a safety issue at this time.

C

Therefore, I do not think it's within shade tree purview to overrule the city.

C

um There are guidelines for planting trees, near utility lines and there are best practices and you're absolutely right that the tree is within the 10 feet recommended and that utilities very often will recommend removing lines, but the city has spoken to the utility company and the utility company has worked with the city to make the determination that the lines do not appear to be at risk.

C

However, if the lines do become at risk, then the homeowner does have the basis to hold the city Bible.

C

In addition, what I would suggest is that the homeowner does requests J Tree to monitor the health of the tree on a basis determined by her and, if she so deems. We can also request that the city and the utility line continue to make assessments on an annual basis. But at this point it is not considered.

C

So I don't think that we have curfew to override the city.

E

Isn't the point, though, to be proactive, so it doesn't become a safety issue, because obviously an oak tree is going to grow very large and the tree roots will grow very large and it's within 12 inches of that gasoline.

C

According to the utilities, in the city, they have trees that actually are on top of the utilities without safety issues. The way that our utilities have been constructed, I have been told that they are robust enough to grow to survive the roots of an oak tree.

C

um The city and Ann Bonner also are concerned that the biggest risk is when you do remove the roots of a tree, even a tree of this age. So the city has made the determination that they think that it is a higher liability for them to remove the tree even now, when it's small and just leaving it in place. So.

E

If there's a gas leak, the city takes care of.

C

That, if there is a gas leak, then you notify the utility company and at that point, if it is a safety issue which it would be, the city would be liable. They would come and cut down the tree and potentially they could be liable for the removal of the roots as well or the utility company could be. Since you did report it and.

E

What, if there's an explosion there.

C

Will not be an explosion. Gas does not explode if there is a small leak that does not pose a safety issue for it for an explosion.

C

If you feel that you want to have additional conversations, it's going to have to be at the city, we don't have the perfect to make any other decision.

C

But in my personal opinion your tree does not pose a safety issue to the gas, but I would, if I, were you request on an annual basis to have a safety check? And you can do that for us and we will be supportive on that.

C

We have several trees that are within 10 feet of gas.

E

Lines in the city and do you have several that are within 12 inches.

C

Possibly and more than the Hub, what you see is what's happening underground those definitely we have trees within very close proximity of the actual lines underneath so.

C

It's just I think our hands are are tied and I hope you don't feel like. We asked you to come in here. You know uh and not giving you any recourse or mechanism forward, but I think we wanted to have you here, because we do want you to know what your options are and they are to continue to have an annual assessment and I would suggest you do if that's your comfort level and if the tree ever becomes in Decline, then that could be within our purview.

E

Yeah, it's just it's strange, because what I'm quoting is from what Ann Bonner gave me. Yes,.

C

I'm aware of those guidelines, but your direct quotes. If you could read the first one.

E

Preventing tree utility conflicts is a serious matter. It.

C

Is it is a serious matter.

E

Electric gas, water and sewer lines installed underground can be compromised by tree roots. They.

C

Can in many districts, especially in very old lines, some lines are more at risk at others, and therefore the utility company has to make a safety assessment based on the pipes that are absolutely there, and that was done and they don't believe it.

E

And then the third one I wrote or read was natural gas operators often keep the area directly over in 10 feet each side of pipelines, free of trees, to protect them from the potential tree root, damage and.

C

That is true, and the gas company does have that ability to make a safety request to the city, and in this case they have not.

E

The gas line did not make a request of the gas.

C

Company has not considered it a safety issue and has not put in a tree removal request and.

E

The gas line looked, the gas company did look at it. The.

C

City said that they had the utilities that make an assessment now I. If it was the city engineer and the utilities company I do not know, but we specifically asked them to do a safety assessment and, as per Andrew I'll, read it to you.

C

This we can have his email a tree within 10. Feet of a gas line is not reason enough for removal. In my opinion, the commission may disagree or have additional information, though. That is why your request is going to the commission and why it exists. So that can be reviewed debated and a recommendation made myself in the administration will wait for a recommendation from the shade tree Commission on this planting trees. Near utilities has a number of best practices, but City trees have all sorts of potential conflicts that are worked around regularly.

C

The single biggest risk to a utility is when the tree is planted, which is the reason for distance from a gas line. Yes, companies don't want people to accidentally hit the line with the equipment. The second biggest risk is when it's removed, so that is the determination that it is a bigger risk to have it removed than to leave. Okay.

A

Do you have any other questions you can? Let us know if you, if you want us to put in a request for the annual monitoring with the city, okay,.

A

Thank you for coming in okay,.

C

um I guess I would say one other thing: there's nothing that prevents a citizen from contacting the utilities directly and also having them involved. Okay,.

A

um Jumping down to new business because we don't have any title: 37s or maintenance issues, um so new business, one one of the um let's see Sam.

A

um Bro, thank you. Oh my gosh uh I was gonna say you know. City council Town um has asked whether we would like to be at a table for the Earth Day celebration at OU, um which is what next week the next week um between one and four.

A

um If we have any information or any sort of educational things, they would be more than happy to put it out on a table for us. If we can't get anybody there.

A

um People can look at their um calendars and see um I can send out exactly what they would like, but mostly it is um tabling.

F

What the heck are we talking.

A

About it's like next, is it next Thursday I.

G

Think it's Thursday April 27th April.

A

Yes, that will not be in town.

G

Neither will I.

A

Tell people so, um but if we have information to put out then we can also put it out, which kind of really leads me to the next I.

C

Think one thing that for tabling that might be really good is that resource that talks about climate change and tree selection that seems to sort of fit within that maybe recommended trees and those are on the shade tree uh commission sites so feel.

G

Free to download.

C

Things they're.

A

C

On the site, all right.

A

A

So well, I think this kind of leads into some of the about a discussion that I wanted to hold about educational materials in PR, um because when we had the all commission um evening, um Sam and I spent a lot of time trying to get stuff together to have a at a table, because it seemed like a good idea, an opportunity, and it's really um sad what we have, because it's not really very interesting or flashy or brochure, or anything also I.

A

Think that if we um and this will lead into some of the old business um that if we also get together things like a tri-fold that we can put up. If we did presentations at different places or we can put it up the community center and those sort of things so I think that having more educational, material and and things that are good, um content-wise and consumer-wise would be helpful.

C

So well, we have a task force specifically for Education you're, the chair of that so yep I would say, move forward.

A

Right well and that works into my work study student update. So we have a work study student.

C

For what period duration of time, the summer, okay.

A

Yes, so I can talk about that on your old business, okay, any questions about them.

C

uh The only thing I would say about education, materials is there's a lot of materials out of ODNR and extension, and so I would think that you should just be pulling information except them and just referencing appropriately right.

A

Well, and also there are um you know we can get stuff from B City. You know we just have to put in the the ask for it I. It was too late to be able to get some of those things for the community center thing, but we can have those there's also a lot of posters that.

C

Are out Soil and Water has a lot of water really good brochures about moths and butterflies.

A

um Also Cincinnati Zoo has a whole program about pollinators and all those, and they have some really beautiful um posters that they'll send people so.

C

Because hold on because my.

C

Mind are you you know, so we have a tree planting uh Commission and then we have education and we have code and right now, code is being held up because our co-director is busy right now, so things are slow there. If you have interest in either being on the educational committee or the tree planting definitely feel free to.

G

Volunteer, you can also.

C

Volunteer for both, we won't stop.

A

So, thank you, so um yeah I think that one of the first order of business would be to get all the different sources out there that are splashy.

A

um Okay, uh do you want to talk about the code revisions.

C

So we know that we want code revisions needed for right away to re removal right now. There is language that says that people, if they want to plant or prune or remove a tree in the city right away, must fill out the form and must have approval from shade tree commission and code.

C

Actually, it's a recommendation from Bay Tree and then code approval, and it also says that if somebody removes a tree without that permission, that they are responsible for placing replacing the tree at the cost of the tree and for planting the tree in a new place, what we're missing in code is how that fun is actually assessed, and so we need to sort of close the loop on the language, and so uh that is something we need to work with. Our code office, normally Dave Riggs, our David wood, come to the meetings.

C

uh I'm surprised he's, actually not here tonight, usually reaches out and tells us when he can't join us. So um I will reach out to him and and try and get an update. I know that summertime is usually when we work on clothes. That's when we did the last so I would imagine that we'll have code revisions for everybody to review this summer. Yep.

A

Well and we can pull Lisa Eliza in she's.

C

Always pulled in She's Always, a review.

A

Right, I'm thinking- that's probably some some place. That's already has a um fine language in there that we can probably yeah.

C

We pretty much.

C

We know that it's now four hundred dollars to plant a tree, so that will be the price and then the assessment we just have to say as per and there's a really good reference uh that Ann Bonner gave us for how uh the cost of trees are assessed, based on heightened Earth, so I think we just have to get the language in.

B

There this is pretty.

C

Straightforward.

A

Great questions about them.

C

But I think that you know for your first meeting. You can really hear The Angst of a homeowner who thinks that their property is contiguous going to the street and they're. You know they think that you know if something is in the city right away. If the city has the right away to the property, but it is their property and in a way that's a misnomer, because any tree within that strip is actually city property, and um you know it was obvious that um previous person does care about trees and she's right.

C

She has a you know a tree lawn. It's just we're really nervous about setting precedent for how we function. What decisions do we make? What decisions does the city make? First of all and then once we make the decisions, how do we impact? You know the entire line, um so it means just a little bit rectified. I. Think.

A

I think yeah to be able to get to things that need to be gotten to um in a more timely manner. I think is also an issue.

C

Yeah, we also have some process issues with um right. Now, it's a very manual process people put in electronically for the permit, but then Dave brings it to shade tree. The shade tree makes it. You know a recommendation and you know it.

C

It would be nice if there were a better electronic systems to actually track where everything is in the queue. We need to talk about that.

F

um Follow-Up about yeah.

C

F

Think you're saying before so you person cuts down a tree and then they have to pay for a new trade 400 bucks. But then you started saying like that: it's based on the size that they cut down so.

C

F

There, a penalty based on the size.

C

Yes, so if somebody, if we or I'm sorry, if code approves the removal of a tree- and it is within City rights to say yes, you can remove the tree, but you have to plant another similar Tree on your property or on a city property and right now we have the tree bank. So there's no cost to that. But there could be a fine assess for planting that tree the replacement if they can't place, uh do it on their own property.

C

If somebody removes a tree without permission, there is the additional penalty of the value of the tree. Okay, I.

F

Wasn't clear on that I mean it makes sense. I just did yeah yeah.

C

So I think a lot of people don't realize is that no.

A

um Maybe that's something that we should think about and like the fall, we can have maybe make a flowchart to help people and stuff.

C

A

C

The shade Terry Commission site, which I think are pretty clear, now yep, but it's a matter of disseminating that information exactly.

A

My name red show um any other questions about that. So look for more information come down the way: um okay, pollinator Garden, Awards and considering drawing joining pollinator pathways.

C

So about what a year and a half ago, a state tree commission took on the responsibility of a pollinator Gardens for the city kind of unusual, but we all are pollinator friendly and there is an application to be filled out and when you pay, your fee, I think it's 20 or 25 dollars, you're supposed to get a plaque and we have been holding a design um for a while now and we said that we wouldn't advertise the pollinator program until we had the plaques in place, because we wanted the whole process.

C

uh But meanwhile, I have uh been contacted by some people who are very interested in the pollinator Pathways program because uh they reached out to Cleveland Ohio to be a partner city and what it that is is that they have an application which is very similar to ours. Tell us what natives and non-native pollinator plants you have in your garden. During what seasons do they bloom? Do you have a water source, and uh do you commit to reducing herbicides and pesticides very similar to our application?

C

They also have a system by which any individual can join the pollinator pathway. You put in your application, they approve it. They send a plaque to you for ten dollars and I was like wow they're doing what we want to do.

C

Why are we in the business of this now I? If we want to review the applications, we certainly could that we could use our form. We could also convert into allowing people to either use our form or the pollinator pathway form we could do both. But what I really like is the fact that they will then give out the plaques which we don't have to do, and the nice thing is to see that that green rectangle, that's actually supposed to be the shape of your county yeah.

G

C

They allow you to take their design and put your own County and then on the bottom, see if I can find it. Oh no I don't have it here, but there is one other design. Oh here we go with the county, it's a weird County, but see how it says the city you're allowed to put Athens Ohio and so I really I think the design is cute, I, like being part of a federal program.

C

The nice thing is is that if somebody does it, they become a DOT on the map, and so they become part of a National Database, whereas we don't do that now we could upload our information to that. I did send this to David and I, even before I sent it to y'all, I I said: hey David. Would the city have a problem with this? I did not get a response, uh but I think he will probably defer to whatever decision we want to make.

C

So my suggestion is that we do reach out to the pollinator pathway I'm happy to do it see how we can join as a city. It's actually online very easy. It looks like, and then we would have to revise code.

C

Probably we could keep our own form or allow them to do the pollinator pathway and then submit the pollinator pathway form, but uh the revision would be that, rather than us, giving out the plaques. That would get the plaques directly from the pollinator pathway and uh we would be responsible for just working with them to design the plaque specific for Athens County.

C

So if shade tree is interested, I am willing to interface with the pollinator pathway right entity and see how we might move forward and bring. You know information to the next meeting. I.

A

um I I would like this also to go to the sustainability people, because we are obesity USA, and so we don't want to necessarily um step on each other's toes with that. um The reason why the pollinator thing is because we do permits- and they didn't so it was easier sticking.

C

I tell you what as chair, why don't you send it to the sustainability committee uh copy us uh give them a deadline of like a week or two and if they're in favor are we in favor of me looking at it so.

F

It would basically just be giving them web page access right putting their, so people could go to the shade tree website and then connect to them.

B

A

Well, there's probably other things that they provide too. Oh.

C

My God, that's all this sort of stuff. That's why huge resources.

F

We're not really offering much in return except you can. You can advertise the program through us that.

C

Is yeah exactly yeah they're just trying to build their database.

F

And how many people have signed up at Athens I know Nancy did? Did you.

C

Yeah I think we have three people, that's it because we stopped advertising the program pending the plaques and it's been over a year. So this is getting a little ridiculous.

B

It doesn't seem like you.

F

Want to do both like keep Athens and do this one. Then it's like well, which one which which black do I like.

C

The only thing I can think of is as if somebody doesn't want to register with a National Database, but I. Don't know why they wouldn't, but.

A

Or well, the other thing is: is that um to a certain degree, if somebody comes and complains to us that their neighbor doesn't really have a pollinator, even though they have that um plaque and they filled something out, because there are certain things that if you have a pollinator front yard, you don't have to do as as much Mowing. And these other sort of things that you are exempt from in the in the Landscaping grass. Rail actually.

C

Yes and no to that, if it's ornamental grass- yes, if it's long grass.

A

No right so I mean there's other there's overlapping language in there. um That has more to do with code enforcement sort of things. So that's what we're gonna have to make sure doesn't fall out, but.

C

What we could do is we could still have an application which says you have to notify shade tree that you now have pollinator pathway or.

A

You're going through it's a registry.

C

Yeah yeah, a registry so I think there's a way to interface between the two and, if you guys are all okay and I, suggest a vote um that I'm happy to at least look into the information. Once you tell me that sustainability is okay, we're not stepping on anybody's toes plus I really do want to connect with code and just make sure that there's nothing there right. Okay, uh vote. One.

G

Question yeah um just looking at it at this um like up in the our ordinances and such in city code I mean just thinking about if we I feel like looking at what we have here as the requirements for a pollinator friendly front yard. We have all these. We have the five different requirements there I feel like we could probably add, and just to make it easier, so they could go through this process or that ad just added or register.

G

So you can either go through the city with this process or you can register with this and meet all of their criteria. So I, don't.

C

G

Or we could say.

C

You have to register for them too, and that way you get the platform, then sorry.

A

So would you like to do a motion.

C

Yes, I would like to do a motion that uh the chair take. The idea to the sustainability committee feel free to just forward the email and, if they don't have any problems, that I will uh find out some more information to present at the next meeting.

A

Any seconds or questions.

A

Thank you all, those in favor, please say: aye, abstain and abstentions. Let's see, oh anybody against, please say no.

B

A

Thank you. um Priority tree plants for erosional areas.

C

um Okay so due to the significant downpours and the wins that we've had especially this year, we are seeing extensive damage in the South neighborhood, uh so think on the hill Longview Heights um Longview Heights is subsiding. They weren't able to do concrete.

B

C

Asphalt right now, so they literally had three days of continuous trucks putting in fill. They will work on that, but um we lost oh about 300 feet of trees, major trees that just came.

G

C

When their Roots gave.

B

C

B

C

Other areas in the South neighborhood I've been told that also the Far East neighborhood also has the same issue around sales Park. So um in talking with the city, we need to probably come up with a plan for tree planting and in areas of erosion. I strongly suggest that we work with soil and water.

C

The type of tree planting that you can do very often isn't planting a tree. It's actually planting steaks live steak free, so you drive it into the ground and that way they establish in that very compacted soil.

C

um Right now we have a budget of five thousand dollars which we have put aside for priority planting in the near East neighborhood, where we were going to continue this year.

C

I still want to do that, but I would like to have a conversation with the city to determine where they see a need for trees to stop the erosion, so I think what I suggested to Andrew is. Is that, although it's wonderful that we have David Briggs, usually here is the liaison to shade tree I. Think that it's time for shade tree to have a meeting with several of the directors for the city, we need to talk to power and engineering and code and Landscaping all at once.

C

So we can begin to hear what some of the priorities are for the city. We basically are a committee that serves you know to as an Advisory Board, essentially for the city, a little bit of a police dog, sometimes but definitely advisory and I. Don't think that we have enough interface with them to understand what issues and sometimes I think when we have issues, we don't have enough interface with them to really get continual conversation.

C

So I would like to have a motion that we set up a meeting with um the city uh interfacing with Andrew turkey directly and allowing him to decide who should be at that meeting. It would be a public meeting. It could even be our next meeting that we use for that purpose, but I do think that it's really important.

A

um We can do something like the city council used to do with the university is have a lunch also where people would feel more comfortable and it's not a it- would still be open, yeah, but kind of a lunch. Whatever.

C

So, do you want me to interface with Andrew or.

A

Do you want to interface with them, so um I won't be here for the next two meetings: okay,.

C

Then maybe we will try and make it off cycle of the meetings and additional meetings, so you can try and make it. Oh okay.

A

Okay um and- and you know, if we could meet like in the morning or you know, it doesn't have to be.

C

What I will do is I will reach out to everybody for their availability after I talk to Andrew I.

D

C

Andrew has certain times in a year where it is more convenient for them to meet, and but others so I will I'll, try and schedule something within the next two.

G

Months because we.

C

Want to know what our tree planting is by August.

F

Is that a place you drive by regularly The Long Beach? This first.

C

Time I live on Longview, Heights and I was the one who reported to the city when the road I mean literally the last eight feet of the road on the side separated from the other part of the road, and it uh it collapsed about two winches.

F

Yeah, would you uh hold your camera out the window and take a picture sometime and oh.

C

Yeah I might even have it on my phone I'll check after the meeting. But literally you could go on the side of the Hill that had collapsed and put your arm in under the road.

F

So it's just a naturally wooded area.

C

And it's a very steep hill and sorry.

B

C

If you're listening to us, there were a bunch of weed trees.

B

C

Mean by that are trees that were never able to properly form because they were choked up by Honeysuckle and other things, and um it just was a bit of a disaster waiting to happen. You know Longview Heights, yes, how old, Longview, Heights Road, seven.

G

Years early.

C

C

It's one of the earliest roads, yeah, and so it's been built upon and built upon, but never really properly engineered and it.

B

Doesn't even have a right away.

C

There is no right-of-way for Longview Heights, because.

F

It's that will also happening at cells Park too I.

C

Mean yeah at least at least sells park it. It's It's, Not, Really Gonna undermine roads. So much as it's just you know like below sales. Park people were losing their trees, but yeah.

F

Private property people uh we're up into the park both.

C

From what I heard, okay yeah.

F

C

In talking, you know, um with Ryan Pho from meteorology, he basically said that climate change for the Ohio region is going to be increased well. I'm, sorry not increased overall rainfall, but increased rainfall per event.

B

C

But he also said there also is the potential for some drought periods. So if you get a gully washer following a drought, the water can't absorb, and so we're gonna expect some really interesting erosion problems and the city is aware of it, but they said that they're a little bit behind the eight ball in the infrastructure, for it.

A

Hopefully, some of the money coming down from Washington will help with that yeah climate change, stuff.

C

But I think we can also help with that too, because trees really are a good solution for erosion. Oh.

A

Yeah so you've made a motion yeah. We have a second.

F

The motion there.

C

It's to reach out to Andrew and I'm happy to reach out to Andrew, but I would love it. If somebody else would maybe you know work with me behind the scenes and and also you because you're on the tree, planting task force to maybe think about erosion. I need to do a lot of reading up.

A

On that, as much as I need to be so motion, sorry motion: you want a second. Second, all those in favor say aye, aye, aye opposed name. Thank.

D

A

Okay, um now we have old business so um just as an um to catch you, because uh the university has a program where Community groups and non-profits can go through their program and hire a get a work study student to work for you, I've done the program when I was a city council, member and a lot of tree planting before the covet was the outcome of it so I put in for another work.

A

Study student I have one for the summer, um and so we've been kind of kind of thinking about the different projects that could come up. So um one of the things that I'm going to have him work early on, because he's going to be doing some stuff remotely um is looking at Old um older photos and identifying the really old trees and then ground Truth theme them to see if they're there.

A

um So we have a lot of old photos, ones pictures um what's the value of that value. Oh this goes into one of the projects that the committee educational committee has wanted to do is to pull all together the Arboretum plans that are all over the city. This is Nancy Walker's um project and um to see uh where those trees are. What are those how it is and do some research on the back of it and see whether it's a doable thing to go forward with making a city-wide tree Arboretum.

C

A

Okay, got it and Nancy and I've been working on that um it's close to her heart and so.

F

um That's the area that we're you're talking about I mean those photos cover all of Athens counties.

A

No, it was only the city.

F

Within the city limits just any big trees and.

A

Yeah to kind of just do some ground well, the thing is: is that most most of the projects that get done at the University um get down in the near East? It's just easier. So to do some of this aerial and um he's also interested in that because of some of the other things that he's interested in and Sam.

A

A

um And then the second program, we can talk about I, you know if we need to get educational materials together and all those sort of things um that would be a great second half of the summer project, I think and we can kind of um brainstorm where he could go in with some of the the information so.

C

I think it would be great we're going to have meetings during the summer if he could maybe join us for our meetings and give regular updates that'd be great yeah.

A

um After, like the beginning of June, yeah cool, um any questions or anything, yeah name again, sander sander sander, what's up don't stunts? Yes, he was there today at your oh, yes, because he said he couldn't talk to me until after it so he's. He has a planning background, he's a planner.

C

Excellent yeah, we met him once he came. Yeah see the one yep.

A

Yeah, okay, good, okay, right on. Thank you. um Bylaws project update. The mayor has asked us to put our bylaws together um and gave us a template and it is becoming by the way by the Wii.

C

You mean the I, because we haven't seen anything.

A

I know because um I will have that done and before the end of May and before the end of April I just wanted to, let you know um and that from last discussion, I will not really put anything in that's different, coming to um types of meetings and streaming. The meeting. Okay, but.

C

You will present that to shaytree at the next meeting.

A

Right I will I will send that out for updates, and then you guys can vote on it.

C

So, okay, so we'll have to vote on it at the next meeting when you're not here, yeah, that's fine! That's fine make sure you put it on the agenda. So we don't forget. Okay,.

A

um It's pretty straightforward, though. I think that we can um improve our mission statement and some things like that. So any question.

C

Do me a favor uh in the mission statements just make sure that you do mention pollinator, since we took that on yeah I, don't think it was in there.

A

Right: okay, any other questions with that. No that's great! Okay! um Do we have any citizens who want to speak.

A

Sometimes I think we should go out loud TV. We can't hear you go out onto the street and say: would you like this? What do you think about trees.

G

A

Want to come talk, um so the next meeting is the the second May 9th 10th. You.

F

Just like 11 saying numbers.

A

Say 11. thank.

C

A

May 11th May 11th, um so uh a German can I have a motion to adjourn.

A

Thank you. Okay, rocks and I'll. Just put you um all in favor to adjourn, say: aye, aye aye. Thank you. An implicit.