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

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From YouTube: Shade Tree Commission - July 13, 2023

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Shade Tree Commission - July 13, 2023

A

B

All right good evening, the shade tree commission is being meeting today, July 13th at seven o'clock. We have a quorum of voting members, we do not have our Council representative and as if he is called Away by duty tonight.

B

um So there was some problems getting minutes, but if other people had read it and thought that they were okay, we can go ahead and approve of them tonight.

C

Actually I realized I wasn't at the meeting, so I would have to abstain anyway.

B

Oh, she was that's right.

C

So I don't count, so it helps in your Quorum. Okay,.

B

So anybody had any questions or okay, so we can have a question off on yours. To move. Did.

D

You move to approve the.

B

Minutes: okay, second, all those in favor hi. Thank you um May!

B

Are you really gonna do that yeah? You can abstain if you would like I.

C

B

um Next tree permit right away issues. So last time we were together, we had that discussion about um Morris Avenue tree mystery, and that was decided that it was going to be investigated. Is it being investigated yeah.

E

So the uh compile the police chief was working on that and um he has since retired, on June the 30th he retired and we have a new police chief, but that created the transition problem for for me on this uh Morris Avenue uh property, so I'm trying to get that straightened out for you and I hope to have something to report at our next meeting. Okay,.

E

C

I have a question: in the past we haven't been able to always prosecute, because code hasn't been as clear as needed. Are you also going to speak to Lisa and figure out whether or not we need to change any code? Yeah.

E

So we started this process with talking to Lisa Eliason and Tracy Meek, as well as a police chief police, chief and Andrew chickie on how we were going to move forward on this, because code office doesn't really have an investigative arm. We weren't sure who had done this. We thought it would be best to go to the police to do a formal investigation and then they would run through the prosecutor on that instead of going through the code office, it just seemed to make more sense in this case. Thank.

F

You just briefly: what is the issue I.

B

Mean I deciding cut a tree down. Oh yeah,.

C

B

C

They were told that it was in the city right away and they didn't have permission. So it's not a case of somebody, not understanding their. You know latitude. It was somebody potentially willfully, ignoring.

F

C

F

B

A potential naughtiness okay, so that is an ongoing investigation.

B

Thank you absolutely it's funny that most cities, probably don't have their chief police investigating things about their trees. That's so awesome! That's so Athens! You know um okay! Well, then, let's have another discussion about the five ring street because you guys had a really interesting Email exchange about that. So.

C

Yeah so um I went out to the property. uh Imagine a property that is on a pretty steep slope, so there's one property at the base somewhat flat, then there's a huge hill and another property, maybe 40 feet behind it, um then, in between those so between the garage and a small wall, which is only three feet from the house. Immediately on that Hill, there is a very large pine tree, 50 feet, plus probably uh it's lower branches have fallen off or been taken down. uh It is on a hill, but its roots are secure.

C

um There is another tree, though, just upwards of that Hill that shows clearly storm damage where one of the branches looks like it had been twisted and ripped off. So it's an open area where I think that there is potential for trees to have real storm damage and that particular type of pine is very susceptible, as we know, after all, the pine trees that we just lost on Mulligan that took down power multiple times.

C

um So what I said had written to Dave was basically the tree is not in failing health and so therefore Falls I think outside of our purview. For suggesting it's removal, and but it is at the city's discretion whether or not they want to accept the liability.

C

I. Don't think that there's liability because of the tree's Health, but I do think that there is liability because of the height of the tree and the proximity to the garage three feet away, and it's a really tall tree, and also just the fact that there was another tree with storm damage.

C

What bothers me a little bit is: is that I believe that this person got a variance from the city to build this garage in proximity to the tree, so in a way they sort of knew what they were doing and had to accept some liability.

C

But I think my personal recommendation is: is that if the individual wants to remove the tree at their own cost and we'll plant another Tree on their property, not necessarily right away like We would like, because the right of way there is very well.

C

It's just because of the steep grades and also the proximity of the houses. It's a donkey like.

F

C

Yeah I mean yeah. You got to see this property, it's interesting, um it's actually quite pretty, but it's interesting. So that would be. My recommendation is, is that unless the city thinks that it's too high a liability and they want to remove it immediately at their expense that we offer that the person remove it at their expense, but they plant a tree on site or I, guess as a backup, they could donate a tree to the tree bank, but I just assume see a tree and back in that area, if possible.

C

So they want the tree down. They do want the tree down, and you know it has to pay for it and yeah, and it's going to be expensive because it's in really close proximity to the buildings and it's extremely tall I would be surprised if it's I mean I wouldn't be surprised. If it's a couple thousand dollars.

D

I've had estimates for, for this very same thing, yeah.

C

So I there are people who can do it and they can do it safely and if it had trees, cut down it's very expensive, yeah I I, as I said the trees in good health. That's not the issue but the type of tree and where it's located and seeing a tree just literally 30 feet up the hill being twisted and torn by wind.

D

Thought there was a potential issue that it was in the right-of-way of an alley. That's no longer there.

C

So I I asked David. I was like how could there possibly be an alley it turns out? There never was an alley. According to Dave, it was plotted that it could have had an alley, but it never had an alley. So.

D

What garage itself is in.

C

The right-of-way, then the it is a little bit I think they got a variance or or they got a variance to have it. That close to.

E

The right way, I recall they had a variance for a for a setback that was less than five feet. Yeah.

F

E

F

Did they require that.

C

In the first book, well, I mean literally, it might be three feet. I.

D

Mean I looked at those photos, I couldn't I mean I asked the same question. How could that be in the right way? Yeah.

C

C

C

Welcome to Athens, as we say, 1804, you know we got crazy. So how do you all feel about that recommendation? I mean ultimately it's the city's decision about. You know the safety issue, but how do you feel about allowing them to remove a tree at their expense if they replace one on their property.

D

I mean you: don't have any way of enforcing that recommendation. Actually.

C

We do uh when code office makes the allowance it gets written into the language that they must plant a tree within such amount of time in their property.

C

Whether or not code's gonna go and make sure they get a tree. I don't know, but we could also give them one from the tree Bank, and that way we could have like green leaf planted and.

F

Brazil, it could be guaranteed and everybody would be happy that might be good. That's a good idea how.

C

Do you feel about that Jim yeah.

D

I mean since they're going to be out what an expense taking the tree down yeah so.

C

Why don't we offer that we'll pay for a tree of their choosing with our approval.

E

From I would recommend that we'd be a little cautious uh spending City money on private property that can that can be like a sticky issue. It.

C

Has to be in city right away, if we do that, you.

E

Do that it would, it would need to be on city property rather than on private.

C

Parts yeah so either they get to plant a tree on their property at their expense or will do it on the right away. Somehow does.

F

That give you Direction.

C

Yay, okay, cool: oh uh one thing I made a recommendation today for these type of issues. We make recommendations to the city and because of their recommendations, they're, not exactly formal business. So we can give personal recommendations directly to code office, we're not supposed to have conversations on the email, uh but Dave thought. If he could get two people for each tree, he would email us and we'd be responsible for them. Responding directly to him.

C

um Do you feel? Okay with that, so we don't always have to bring it to these meetings and wait every month and if yes, then also who on the committee would be willing to do these type of inspections? Besides me.

B

um Maybe we need a roster well.

F

We we could rotate I, don't feel like I have the qualifications to do it to begin with. Yeah I. Don't have any training in that at all. Okay,.

C

So you wouldn't feel comfortable Jim. You've done them before.

D

Oh I'd gone, looked at him, yeah um I, don't mind doing it but, like Nancy said, there's some issues that I wouldn't be comfortable and.

C

I sometimes say: I have no idea. Bringing in I mean I've absolutely done that when it's been like root damage potential root, damage to buildings, I, don't know those things.

C

D

Somebody has a tree that they want to get rid of in there right away that we come and look at it or.

C

Yeah that they either want to plant, remove or prune that David would then contact two people on shade tree. Two people would then give him recommendations and then he would run with it.

A

C

It's at the city's discretion, whether or not they take our advice, but we still have advice from two of us where.

F

Did you get your training.

C

So I've done two online courses now for tree pruning.

C

um Is that enough? I don't know, but it's something and I've gone out with Anne on several of her installations, so well I think maybe I can get trained well, you've also, haven't you done the tree training or you did that I mean they.

B

Teach me how to do that I think part of it is having a faster response of being able to do it faster. So we have a mid-month response.

A

B

And maybe, and the first Beginnings we can pair people up and get get more training for for all of us. I think might be good.

A

B

Might be coming out more in the very beginning, but um I think that makes sense, because a month is a really long time and then sometimes when we don't have a formal meeting. But we have some like committee meetings, that's even longer yeah. So how.

C

About the two of you, you both I, know no trees more than your average.

A

C

Okay, so now you have your list: okay, okay,.

F

Awesome, the nice. The thing that that worries me is somebody calling and saying this tree needs to be removed, am I, saying no and then the tree falls over on their house. Guess.

C

What we just made a recommendation to the city, the city agreed or didn't disagree. It is their liability. Okay, it is not yours.

F

Will that relieves some attention yeah.

B

Well and I think that we're all um you know, honest enough to say: whoa I really don't understand this tree and or somebody so yeah, oh okey dokey. Thank you. um uh We don't! Oh, we did have an ordinance issue, landscape, ordinance issue. Just a discussion come up with Sonic um about when we trigger our involvement. So um what square footage? And we went and looked at the ordinance language- it doesn't really say so.

B

That might be something we need to codify so that what we know when we need to be in and stuff so that would help, and so um that is Sonic for down their building because reasons they're building a new building and.

F

They I thought that was a misprint yeah, but it was fun so.

B

um I think most people think that any commercial building going on is reviewed in some way by certain parts of the city um like shade tree or title 41, which is another review system.

A

B

It looks like there's no trigger for us, and so we should work on that, so that might be going. Maybe at the same time we do the landscape pathway rewrite. We can do maybe something like that, but get something we can put in there, because it's the same or it knows.

F

Are you are you, volunteering to writing.

B

I can help write it well.

C

I sent you the the query, you know where I said it's very specific about when we step in for City Planning and also um on when it's greater than x numbers square feet for under certain conditions, we serve as an Advisory Group to the city.

C

Was the city purposefully silent on this? You know and saying when specifically, we are triggered or not triggered to participate in a review, or is it really just a code oversight that just sort of slipped.

E

um So this would be me, I would be the person that would be the city. It would be me to be responsible for this, and what we've done historically, with the shade tree committee, was to have uh a landscape plan um for review when the development is has to go through the site plan, title 41, site plan development, and there are certain triggers for that, one that has to be a new development, more than uh 5 000 square feet, uh there's like five different criteria for it. This one didn't meet that criteria.

C

So it would be just like any other small. There were a few different criteria.

E

For several different ones, that has to do with uh whether it's residential or commercial, that the title 41 site plan review kicks in and when that, when that does that's, when we require a landscaping plan uh for the there's there's, we require a landscaping plan for title 41, one for major subdivisions. We require a landscaping plan and those are the two that I'm that I know for sure. Hardly ever get a new title. 21 uh subdivision plans that come in those those are pretty rare when they come in.

E

We are getting one just I'll, I'll update you on this. We are getting one up in University, Estates, that's going to be a PUD, a planned unit, development and in a planned unit. Development they'll show everything that needs to go, including the Landscaping at that level, and nobody else gets to review it.

E

It's reviewed by the Planning Commission and then reviewed by city council and approved so you're allowed to make all kinds of variances and changes to the to the zoning code with a PUD style development and that's coming and, and we can I can certainly have you guys, look at it, but there's no uh codified section. That requires your review for for the for the.

B

But they're still Bound by um title 37 and such when they're doing landscape.

E

So this will be a bit like a variance for that if they put whatever they put in for trees, that that would be the same as as a setback, variance or a square footage variants, or uh uh so so they are bound by it. But it does allow Planning, Commission and city council to waive those requirements.

C

Well, but why would you do that? Because.

E

It's a PUD plan to unit development. They they do that in this case, we're doing it because um the city sees a need for low to moderate income, housing.

B

Things like condos of this thing has been in. Oh my God.

C

I didn't mean: why would why would you not allow the the units I guess what I'm saying is if we agree that there should be a landscape variance? Why wouldn't they put money into the tree? Bank I can understand, you could say: okay, it doesn't need to go to shade tree. You don't need to meet the tree requirements for that plot of land as per what is it title 37 right, but why not get money into the tree Bank.

E

I, don't know that there's any section of the code that would require them to do that. Like I said this is a this is a separate process, a PUD process which is different, and we don't see it very often. It's actually really hard to get you have you actually have to have a two-thirds majority on city council. It has to be publicly advertised and uh public hearing is.

F

The landing commission, it's.

B

E

B

No, this is more than five acres, but it's more than five acres, so they can do it. Okay, but.

C

The title type, no titles language says that if you get a PUD, you don't go to shade tree I, don't think what it says is plan submitted to shade tree need to contain.

C

So it's at the city's discretion and I can understand. If you don't want us to be involved under certain circumstances. Absolutely. But what I don't understand is why you're not building the true Bank.

E

C

This is so please, please build the tree Bank, because otherwise, everybody's going to be like well I want to get an exception for.

B

This or I want to get an exception for this, and we need the money right. The idea with the Pud is that it it's the most flexible, but also at the same time, it's you try to have a lot of cooperation between the developer.

G

And the city right and.

B

There's no reason why you can't sit there and say hey: this is our requirements. Please follow them. You know whether you see me planned unit development. Oh, so it's a big plot and they get to do things well.

C

Here's my argument 150 or what is it 250 per tree now some 225 225.

E

C

Centuries, let's just say that that's the variance, that's a pittance for them, but for us that means that we get to work in the city and remove root balls at the price of four or five hundred dollars each which we currently cannot afford.

C

That is the rate limiting step for us right now to plant trees in Athens is removing existing tree roots. We need that money in the tree, Bank.

E

So if the board would like I can wreck I can I can pass your recommendation on the Planning Commission I. Think the next meeting is the 20th of July uh this coming Thursday. So if you'd like I, could pass that your concerns on to them no.

C

I think that that would be really good. It allows some variance and latitude, but it also helps them contribute to the community. Well,.

B

The Pud process is not a give them all give all of it to the developer process. You know, and they do have with variances from responsibilities, because you're you're asking Community for special treatment when you get ovariance, so there should be some sort of recompense for certain things, but also at the same time, they're building the roads up to two specs they're bonding things up to Specs, so they're not completely.

B

C

Yeah, just for no no oh I.

A

C

That I think it's a good thing for the community I.

B

I should follow, as you know, they shouldn't sit there and won't like how many variances can we get today. You know.

A

B

A

Need to say it's important.

B

The landscape requirements are not owner in us, they're not really difficult, and they result in places that people probably really like to live, and so it doesn't make sense that we are concerned. I, guess that's the problem yeah so pass it along.

E

F

That thank you. Here's something else to it's interesting about variances.

F

They, where I live a block away, a half a block away. They requested a variance from a business and.

G

F

Variance was not granted and they did it anyway, and they did it got away with it and they're still getting away with it and now they're even expanded, but half the city right. There.

C

Doesn't have anything to do with trees. Does it okay, then we don't have to discuss.

B

F

Has to do with my neighborhood places, yeah.

B

Okie dokie um Let's see we don't have any maintenance of tree canopy issues, we do have new business, so um there was actually.

C

uh Do we, oh okay, where's, the sorry yeah.

B

Discussion of Uptown Improvement- yes, yes,.

C

Okay, it's the next thing. Okay, thank you I'm sorry, so we got a request from uh the city. They want to do. Uptown improvements, including trees and I, sent an email to everybody about what would be your thoughts on how we prepare the ground under the tree. uh There were permeable barriers she uh that we had received from Jessica. You were supposed to review them. Did everybody review them?

C

Okay, so everybody has an opinion um and I also asked one other thing: I think that I saw part of a tree on West, Union and Court got taken out by a car and I. Think we've had a few of those on Court Street, where people jumped the curb and hit a tree. So I was wondering if we needed metal tree guards.

C

So do you guys have any thoughts about when it was a.

B

Pipes that come out it, actually it it it's are they like ballers.

C

uh They're they're metal grates, but they're they're substantial. If your car hits it it's stopping the car or it's gonna,.

G

D

Damage the car before.

C

It damages the tree, what that's true? Yes, it shows. So it goes up it's sort of like a tree collar made of um metal. You know so bars of and it's very decorative and it's wide enough. It's usually um you know made by it sort of looks like a blacksmith. You.

B

C

They're wrought iron yeah.

B

They're wrought iron and it goes up.

C

Around the tree- and it has a little decorative collar and it'll- stop a car.

B

But I can't stop this people, climbing them.

C

Actually, it does because usually the top of them has a nice little pointed filial yeah.

B

C

I mean it depends on how stupid you are in Toronto, but um so what did you guys think about the permeable barriers? Yeah? Oh there we go here. We have it there. That's the picture.

B

They're using half they come in half sizes. They also look like great places to stash trash.

C

F

C

So what do you guys think about the permeable barriers? I? Think that what um did you have any problems with any of the three choices that.

B

You gave us no I think that they look nice I. Just what and Andrew was saying about I think anything we do is going to have problems with trash or whatever you know we live in Place. Some people seem to have a problem with garbage. That's.

C

Amazing and anybody have a problem with the tree guard or just telling Jessica to look into it. What I did was I gave her a link to New York City, so New York City has a great link that says when they plant a tree in New York City. This is how they do it and I just sent it to her and I said: okay.

G

C

A contact they they actually welcome people from other communities to talk to them and I was like just go talk to them, but I think. The only thing that she wanted to know was did we have anything against the three choices and not from what I'm hearing no and then she wanted to know whether or not we would make recommendations for types of trees that they should plant and I. Think the answer is yes, and I've already been told that they're going to make the request through the tree Bank.

C

So as uh Kevin Scurlock is working on the number of trees and then once we get that, then we can maybe talk about what trees we think would be successful in areas and we can actually walk to those areas and see if it's sun or shade everybody willing. Okay, then I'll tell Jessica that we're willing to consult with her yeah okay.

D

um On the tree guards do we have any idea.

C

585, but who looked no so much 585 was the one that I found, but that's for one off. So if they're gonna get more, I have a feeling, cities would get a discount, but I just don't know.

C

um You know a tree only costs a couple hundred dollars, but once a tree gets bigger, it's gonna cost you a thousand dollars, but the big thing is removing the root ball. One of the biggest expenses that they have of replacing all the trees on Court Street is digging up all the trees that are there the roots and that's a thousand dollars. When you have to work around traffic.

C

D

Need things the city of a machine shop they do, could they make something for less than 585, possibly.

C

In Hocking, College might even be.

D

Able to do it because don't they have a blacksmith.

C

C

Yeah, so they could probably work on something I, just don't even know if it's worth it, I I, remember three trees in my entire history, where I knew that the cars had taken them out. I, don't know if that's enough to be investing this, but at least it's an option, but.

B

It would also maybe keep people from swinging on them. Yeah.

C

You know because we could Electrify them.

B

I was thinking that too great minds, think alike.

C

um It would at least damage it.

B

Well, yeah, it might also damage- maybe that's yeah. The trees may be sad anyway.

C

F

Yeah I shouldn't be vengeful, whoever calls them. Maybe they could ask how frequently it happens. If it's, you know frequently.

C

I asked yeah I asked him to look into it, I, just don't.

A

B

Keep people from um deter like people writing on them and yeah, but.

C

Some would just having cameras. Do we have cameras? Do you know? Do we have cameras in the city.

E

I, don't believe that we have uh street cameras, we do have some cameras for security purposes, yeah.

C

Because you would think that if a tree gets taken out really there's no record, uh we we can't see it no business. Has anybody ever tried to prosecute somebody who's taken out a tree like.

A

C

Know that that night there was a tree the next morning, there's not a tree, so we asked the businesses for camera footage. Well if it takes and try and prosecute have we even tried.

E

Not not to my knowledge.

B

F

Yeah, they always say so anyway. Well.

B

So maybe we'll just deal with it.

F

Pictures will be taken of you as you yeah.

B

So um so you have enough information to give to yes: okay, great okay, old puzzles, yay, whole business. um Okay, first old business is we're going to hear some information that Zan. This is our work study person, if you don't remember them hello, so zam's been working since the beginning of the summer session um through the awesome Community program that the university runs with work study and they will put them in community non-profits and things.

B

It's awesome. So um Zan's been working on um Nancy's idea that came up last year when we first had our committees. We had this glorious time of meeting and committees and we got so much done and then Lisa came up and said that we couldn't do that anymore because we had sunshine.

B

So it was sad because our committees went away anyway.

C

When you do committees, we just have to have them as public meetings. Yeah.

B

Yeah so when we had a committee last year of um doing doing things and getting education and those sort of things that was the committee for that, um Nancy was talking about having a city-wide Arboretum, and so we ran with that idea. I asked Suzanne to look at that idea of having, instead of like a normal, arbitrary item where you go park and you go, and this would be a city-wide one, accompanied by some kind of app or something that would go along with it, so um Dan's been working on it. So thank you. Yeah.

G

um So I did some research into what constitutes an arboretum and what those qualifications are very murky. uh For example, the uh Ohio State's Chadwick Arboretum doesn't have any sort of accreditation to it, but it's still recognized on a national level.

G

um I do think that, as far as what Athens needs, I think it does need some sort of accreditation for an arboretum to give validity to it. um There's a national organization called the American public gardens Association that does have a set guidelines to get accredited for an arboretum.

F

Is there an accreditation official, do they do officially accredit in some way? Yes,.

G

Yes, accreditation has over 100 arboretums accredited over the United States, and so in Canada. It has four main guidelines.

E

G

Just base level arboretums, that's creating and maintaining an arboretum strategic plan um creating a governing body that runs the Arboretum tagging and maintaining at least 25 different tree species and having the Arboretum be public and holding one public event per year. I think that's all very doable. I think it's all very achievable um and a lot of what the Athens shade tree commission is now can be augmented to kind of help run an arboretum or a Citywide on freedom. So, as far as governing body, the Athens shade tree commission could fill that very easily.

G

As far as strategic plan I think the shade tree commission can easily come up with something based on city ordinances or ask the city to give you the power to be able to run an arboretum.

G

um The things that are going to cost would be um creating an informational plaques to put at each of the tree sites.

E

G

Chose this is going to run upwards of 415 for 25 trees or more. If you have more trees, um I was told that there is a local business that does uh Museum exhibits and I was wondering, if maybe we could look into them to figure out uh if they would be able to do these information I.

C

Have a question when they say tag a tree: can we geotag a tree because right now at The Ridges, that's what they have right? They they have a virtual tour of trees right now, I.

G

Think? Yes, yes exactly.

C

E

um So that's the only thing.

G

That's going to cost money is uh getting an intern or a work study student to go out and identify and geolocate these trees, because, uh if somebody's going to be going out and identifying these trees, they can easily just attack the coordinates of them and upload them to a database. That way, we can create a map similar to the one at The Ridges, as well as Ohio University has a tree walking map um for you know: Citywide Arboretum, um the American public gardens Association does require informational plaques in person.

G

However, these can have QR codes that will can link to a different site and provide more information like environmental benefits and cost benefits for the city, which I thought was really cool. A really good comparable is found in South Carolina in Aitkin South Carolina. It is an apga accredited Arboretum. It's a city-wide Arboretum uh very much like what we want to do. It does have a virtual walking tour uh like we want to. It has over 65 different tree species that are scattered over the city and there's a three-person team that maintains the Arboretum.

G

So it's very small, but it is accredited and it is a city-wide Arboretum I have a couple of links that I can send out or have Chris send out yeah. So.

C

I have a question so right now the university has a really good log of their trees.

C

Now, before Susan Calhoun left, she had given up on tagging the trees because the students were taking them down or the squirrels were taking them down. Something was taking them down, um but she always wanted to do it again. Would it be possible if we did a city-wide Arboretum, but we started in a specific location on The Ridges or on the University campus?

C

Is that possible, and as long as you have the X number of species, and then you can expand I.

G

Certainly think so, um 25 tree species is just the minimum. It can be upwards of. However, many.

F

Oh, that's said in the in the in the directions: you're talking 25 species because.

C

On campus, we we could hit that in no time right right in the city itself, that's a little bit more difficult just well! That's the.

B

Second part that we'll talk about right.

G

um So, in order to do that, there needs to be some sort of memorandum of understanding to work with the university to borrow their trees um because they're technically not on city property, are they yeah? No, so um just something to understand or a memorandum of understanding to say: hey can we borrow your trees, we'll foot the bill for identification, plaques and we'll have somebody you know, go out and identify these trees.

G

um I think the university would be very willing to do that.

D

They would require the plaque be specifically designed requirements.

G

That is true, probably.

D

Produced at their shop yeah.

C

But I would hope that they would just do a QR test. Yeah QR, because QR tags are going to be less likely for somebody to want to steal them the bronze. What what was the name QR code? You.

B

Know, oh, you know where you take.

C

A picture with your phone and then it takes you to work. So what's.

D

The advantage of putting it on OU as opposed to a park because they've got more.

F

C

They already know where their species are. That's not.

B

That we do yeah. Well, that's what that's what Sam's going to talk about next! So yes,.

C

If the cemetery would be a good place,.

F

Too there are, there are trees around yeah when I first came here. No, no Joe, John, yeah.

C

John but to get to 25 species took.

F

C

It's not the easiest thing in Athens. We don't have a lot of species diversity.

C

We have. Oh that's.

B

True I mean certain neighborhoods do just on our street. We probably have 10 tree species.

G

And that's the benefit of doing the white arboretums that you can.

A

G

Have it in just one place, but you can cover anywhere that has a you know: High diversity of different trees,.

B

So are there questions specifically about some of those Zan also looked into grant funding and stuff, so yeah.

G

Yeah, um so um there are grants, um I do not have them in front of me right now, but I do have a list of different grants that we can apply, for. um One of them is I believe the uh Ohio Department of Transportation, as well as the Ohio Environmental Education fund, because this is a public education.

A

G

So I think that would be very doable and very achievable as far as going out and tagging these different trees I think that another work study student would be able to do that very easily. Yeah um I do not think that I should be either one doing that. That is not anywhere near my expertise of identifying tree species, but I can definitely help set up a GIS.

G

You know database to help jump start the.

C

um Now, I would think that the p-bio people would probably go out one day happily for us as part of a bio Blitz. Well,.

B

Yes, that's something that we've been talking about was um sustainability. Well,.

D

Then some place like sales part I, don't think he'd have any trouble getting 25s.

B

You know it's, but one of the one of the reasons why you want to do it a city-wide, especially in areas where so much of of you know, recreational infrastructure is kind of stuck in certain parts of the city. Is that helps make people realize that the whole city has really wonderful things in it?.

C

Because every mini Center actually has a lot of trees.

D

A

Now I just realized. Where did you say the.

C

Community center, we we have some good diversity. We probably have 15 species right there, I.

F

Remember the tour I took it was they were not any of those places, it was, one was in the cemetery and what is.

C

It well, those are the champion trees right right. Were you aware that we have I, think it's four Champion trees.

G

I've heard of them I, don't know where they are, though,.

C

Yeah they they should be.

B

Included, so um should we talk about our next? Yes,.

G

um So my next steps going forward um are kind of to help not only push this project along, but also to go and identify some historic trees. um Look at their health, geolocate them um figure out how old they are using past satellite imagery um yeah. That's kind of that.

B

Yeah so he's he's working he's gonna be working with Glenn.

B

The idea with this is that one we need to be able to start doing the inventorying of our trees. um Two, we want to know where our big giant, wonderful, old old trees are so that we can celebrate them.

B

um I can't hear you oh well. We want to be able to to inventory trees. You know. Is this an easy way to inventory trees? Who knows it's a proof.

B

Proof will be a way of identifying our big, wonderful celebration, trees and our you know, and if they're not there, what happened? You can tell sort.

D

Of thing, so, where are you targeting there's an awful lot of trees.

B

On this right, well and and I'm um What Glenn suggested- is that we just do small targeted areas, one on the flood plain um I'm wanting to do not in the near East or the Far East, because that's always done by students but doing a little bit more over by Congress in those places just to see and look for those old trees and look for the celebration. Trees, the big Champion trees and those sort of things.

C

It could be a lot of fun to get a news article where we challenge Athens City residents to understand what a champion tree is in terms of girth and height and then to identify what they think you know for each of the tree species in Ohio. You can get the species, it tells you the girth, that is the current champion and the height fun. If we could identify a new Champion Tree in Athens right, it would just be a good way to get our get. The word out there right I want to.

B

I wonder if we could, even you could do an Instagram um campaign and.

F

People send in what they think it might be. An unusual species in.

C

Their yard yep and that's that's another thing sure.

B

Right and so one of the things um Sam does only have a certain number of hours um excuses excuses and he is getting a you know, a livable wage, so this is okay. You know we're going to see how it goes and do this proof of concept um do some nice GIS right.

B

D

You giving me a job yeah.

B

You guys know each other um and then see how this works and then also starting when we're doing something of the calendar. This could feed into whatever we're doing for whatever fall, Arbor Day celebration, we can I thought the campaign that right then of like which is, can we find Athens Champions I.

C

Think here's an idea, it's crazy idea, so we get the 3D printer people and Engineering to give us a whole bunch of different QR codes.

C

People are then encouraged. If they identify a species on their property, they get a QR code. They send us a picture. We verify what the tree is. Then we can put the information in. We can link it to that QR code, so the only thing that they have to do is Tag the tree, which is really easy. It's just you know the hammer and nail and a tag.

G

That the treats would be on their property yeah.

C

And we could do the city, so we have the city Arboretum, but it would be a way to also maybe get people either to tag trees that are on the city right away, which is adjacent to people's property or just have them put it on their own property, and that way we could have a database. The only thing you have to do is have individual tags that you can then code properly and if.

B

We we one thing I would like to do is standardize whatever we do, and so this is also a way of finding a standardization of QR code tagging and those sort of things so that when we go forward to do more management and inventory, we have a standardized sort of process.

D

um You know we need to think about this, a little bit Yeah if we're making it private property. Oh.

B

D

It up for the public to go. Look at this right.

C

No I think no no they're sort of different ideas. You had the city Arboretum, but I think you also get people.

D

Talk about what you're, just talking about.

C

Oh, you just get people excited about understanding what it what tree species they have and they can just text.

D

But they're but you're making a public database of this stuff right if.

C

It's on city, right away in.

D

Front of their house or.

C

Something then maybe you don't do that, but maybe you just do the city right away, adjacent to their property yeah. That makes more.

B

Sense, yeah we're making new Instagram and stuff too so I think that those um when we were talking about in our committee kind of those were the the next steps of being able to do this sort of thing to get. People to you know do an Instagram campaign. That says this is my favorite tree, or this is the biggest tree I know of in this area. There's only one of these types of trees, um so I think that this will be a good start, so yeah yeah, okay,.

C

Job well done. Thank you for your work. I have a feeling that you're gonna have to convince them what we say and.

G

F

Where you want to go, but.

C

God bless thank.

F

B

Thanks a lot, so we can talk later and we'll we'll have go.

C

And hang out with you and whoever is writing the tree. City USA application this year can include all this. Oh because.

B

No, it would be good, you know, when does that? Do? Oh, that's our next November! Okay, let's continue with our agenda um report from Roxanne about the pollinator Pathways.

C

Okay, so the way that the pollinator pathway program was initiated is you had to fill out a form. The city brought it to shade tree shade tree I helped approve it. Then the city had to go, buy plaques. The city sends out the plots to the individuals and that hasn't happened, because it's a lot of work. So I talked to the pollinator Pathways project and I.

C

We've had a couple meetings now, where you guys have seen the information from them and I spoke to them again, and what they said is is that if an individual in Athens fills out their application, which is near identical to ours, except they don't require a water source, and if we feel strongly about that, we can require that as an additional thing, but basically they get approved by the pollinator pathway.

C

They get a little butterfly star on their map. They become part of this National Database.

C

Then the person would notify the city, hey, here's my certificate from pollinator pathway, and then the city would just say that's great now you're on record. But the great thing is: is that the pollinator pathway program sends you? The plaque the.

F

City does not have to do.

C

That the city does.

F

Not look at a lot of money.

C

The city does not have to build a database to keep track of these things, and we also get to be part of a larger National Database. So I sent suggested code to David he's been reviewing it. We've got a few more minor changes. It's actually really minor changes to code, because the majority of information is was in the form, that's outside of code just says, fill out the form. Basically, it's going to be go to the pollinator pathway, do what they say, give us proof and then we'll log it.

C

But there is the question if there are small differences between the pollinator pathway and what our original language is I'll bring it to the next meeting, and just we can vote whether or not and one of the things is the Water Source I'm, pretty sure that they don't require that, and we might want to record that.

A

G

C

Just go and it's okay well.

B

I thought it might be a butter Source or something or a habitat. You know, like a you know, like I'll.

C

Have to go back.

B

To yeah, but I thought it was.

C

A water source was required, but it is yeah. Okay, but whether or not we want to keep that and then actually have to get proof of that. I don't know if it's worth it, okay, that's it! Okay, so we're working on it. Oh and the way that code happens is David and I. We will make the recommendation, which are small, minor David, will send it on to Ben. Ben will take it to the committee.

C

They'll read it three times, I think it is and then it'll be changed and then uh we will then tell the pollinator pathway. You know, expect applications from Athens so do I have to fill out another application. Yes, you do sorry or we can fill it out for you if you really want, but it's not hard, it really isn't hard. It's the information. You already did it's just some typing, but it's not easy.

B

You might have some pushback on Council.

D

Of the city council, what from city.

C

Council pushback for remote, for what just so I know what.

B

To expect oh, um the pollinator program, oh.

C

It exists so they're going to say that they don't want it amen. There was some people, oh.

B

F

C

Already in code, so the only thing that we're gonna say is where it says, fill out the form. I can't even remember it's. It's like hardly any change to it at all, and so they're not going to be able to object unless they want to take it out of code, in which case we'll fight them. If we want to right so and just okay.

F

Just tell them we're not there to do that right and.

C

Just okay, yeah, that's not much I, don't anticipate a problem. I want my plaque. It's been a year too yeah.

B

Thank you for doing that. So, okay, next on the thing with is bylaws I'm working on them. I did not do my homework and I am very sorry. We were on vacation. I was.

C

On vacation, okay, but you're back now and I am back I know next meeting. Not me: okay,.

B

No seriously I won't be at the next meeting. Oh.

A

B

C

We have to talk about that because sometimes so I will work on that and get that out. So um The.

B

Mariju Wanted It by the end of the year so like we're still on time, that's good, so calendar um we need to the biggest thing is what you were meant. What you mentioned is the um filling out of the application so and Andrew cheeky usually does our Arbor Day application actually.

C

I did it last year with Catherine Catherine yeah, but um we updated it quite a bit that I think it shouldn't be hard. Okay, it it shouldn't.

B

C

Hard, so maybe.

B

We can task Andrew with it.

C

I'm happy to work with Andrew and is anybody else willing to just give it a look, see I, know I'm, looking at you guys, but I think it's always good to have two people from the committee. It's okay, yeah.

B

um Yeah and that's pretty, and then we have a celebration day where we go out and plant a tree. um Maybe we can um you know one of these days when we're not so pressed, we can have a bigger celebration, but that's kind of building with what we're doing with the Arbor Day stuff and the.

C

So last year the uh the tree celebration was at the community center right where we had planted the trees.

B

And the mayor didn't: do it right for the proclamation, so he had a yeah, it's pretty funny, but it was a nice. They had golden shovels. Yes, I did not get a golden shovel. I was upset anyway, so there will be some kind of um excitement so.

C

Okay, yeah we'll have to do some kind of Minutemen yeah.

B

We're it's required, you always have a good event, and maybe we can pick out someplace different.

C

So I have a question: yeah yeah. So are we going to have an August meeting or is that the one that we typically skip for summer wait.

F

Yeah everybody's good.

C

F

There, a June meeting, no.

C

No, but we didn't have a quorum so.

F

C

Sorry, if that was on me, I was in Scotland.

C

Sorry, not sorry, I.

B

Know so um yes, I will not be here, um so my brother has his 40th anniversary and they're renewing their vows. Oh.

C

You're talking about so cute, so do we have a meeting without the chair or do we just say that there's you know Dave? Are you expecting anything, that's really pressing where you're like you better have that August meeting, because we have to approve some stuff I.

E

Can't think of anything, that's coming up that I've received so far, that's going to need your review at the next meeting, so there could always be something that comes up, but right now, I, don't have anything.

B

And if it's a tree um issue, we have that too person process now.

C

But in September we absolutely need to have a meeting, because that is when we're going to approve trees out of the tree bank for various projects. That's.

F

What I was going to ask if there was anywhere.

C

And am I correct that if we do it in September, that gives them enough time or do they need it in August.

E

Probably September will be enough, are.

F

There any plans for neighborhood trees.

C

Yeah, so um Andrew wants to do Court Street as one of the neighborhoods, then there's Jessica's project, which is more Carpenter, and then we have um some trees that we're gonna go in around the neighborhood. When we had already worked around Utah and that area.

B

um She works in the what is.

C

She she's the she's this person, who does all the street plans the roundabouts and all? What's your what's her real title, David.

E

Jessica yeah, um it's that's, it's changed, I, don't know what the I don't know. What the new title is that she.

F

Has she works for the city, though yeah.

C

B

A

Yeah she's yeah.

B

She's the Andy over there.

B

Well, it used to be Andy Stone in the streets, and that was just across the streets, so it sounds like rock and roll man anyway. So, okay, well, that's another thing to put on our calendar. So Andrew has many things that we need to coordinate on that shouldn't be a problem. Okay, does anybody want to talk about any other old business.

D

Is that the um you looked at me and said GIS and I'm? Obviously, I was like what are you talking about yeah.

F

A

D

I was just gonna say if we should coordinate with living the land and not like do all this part and then give it to me and I say no. We shouldn't have done it, though yeah so just to be on the same page, right, okay and.

B

We'll talk about it, yeah Glenn wrote an email to him talking. He used the word: research, lots of words, research, oh you're, doing research and Sam's like no I'm, not doing this like. Yes, you are, you are so you know don't be afraid of it. So any other questions, August August, so we're not gonna have a meeting in August okay. So we will have our meeting in September.

B

B

um There's nobody who will speak, nobody wants to speak. Okay um can I, have a motion for a German. Yes, second I do okay, great all in favor. Yes,.