HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-07-12 Tree Board Minutes Tree Board
Wednesday, July 12, 2023 @ 5:30 p.m.
City Council Chambers
Meeting Minutes
1. Approval of ineeting minutes 3/30/23
a. Move to accept—Annette Dodd
b. Seconded —Greg Edwards
2. Updates
a. Tree Board Membership Change
i. Staff presented a summary of the Tree Board's activities to Gov Ops
Committee on April 19, including Greg Edwards' appointment to Chair.
1. Also presented the Board's vote regarding membership
requirements for the Board
ii. Item #23-142, recommending a change to membership qualification for
the Tree Board, was unanimously approved for passage on May 22, 2023.
iii. Ordinance 284-9 has been amended to allow 4 at-large members and 1
member who is a certified landscape architect or has completed training
in arboriculture.
b. Tree Removal Requests
i. 181 Randolph Dr.— backside of property, fence damage, healthy tree
1. Voted to not recommend for removal
ii. 119 Sanford St. — planted 2 trees in same spot, both pulled up by resident
1. Recommend contact resident with details of ordinance
iii. 170 Randolph Dr. — planted tree, resident pulled it up, cut it up, put it in
street
1. Recommend for re-planting
iv. 30 Dunning Blvd. — Resident refused to let crew plant tree
1. Recommend that we work with resident to find a better spot—
maybe on the boulevard in center of street?
v. Public
c. Spring Tree Planting Summary
i. 53 trees planted — handout
ii. 2 trees pulled back out of ground by residents
iii. Board recommendations
1. Reduce number of crabapple trees— BTM seem to target these
2. Can we do a spring tree planting event at the nursery? Maybe
hold the Arbor Day celebration there?
d. Arbor Day Celebration— Downeast School
i. Bangor City Council read an Arbor Day proclamation on April 24
ii. Three classrooms of 120+ students joined PW for planting of Sycamore
tree on school grounds on April 28th.
iii. Ceremony was attended by City Council Chair Rick Fournier
iv. Lots of positive feedback from the Downeast School staff and
Superintendent Tager.
e. 2022 Tree City, USA Award Ceremony
i. Maine Forest Service held an Arbor Day celebration and awards
ceremony on May 19t" at Viles Arboretum in Augusta, ME
ii. The City of Bangor was awarded 2022 Tree City, USA, certification - our
18t" yea r
iii. Speakers included
1. Ryan Martin, Executive Director of Viles Arboretum
2. Patty Cormier, Director, Maine Forest Service
3. Amanda Beal, Commissioner of Maine Dept. of Agriculture,
Conservation, and Forestry
iv. A Lifetime Achievement in Urban & Community Forestry award was
presented to Jeff Tarling, Forester for the City of Portland — recently
ret i red
v. Bangor applied for the Growth Award, but we did not get that
f. City Forest FMP Update
i. Rolland Perry City Forest
1. Invasive Honeysuckle removal and herbicide application to
stumps was completed on all trails this spring
2. Will attempt trail maintenance this summer
3. Discussing thinning of non-native trees this year
4. Planning more Balsam tipping events are planned for this year
ii. Essex Woods
1. FMP is currently being worked on by Shelterwood Solutions
g. Browntail Moth Update
i. Pesticide injections went well
1. We still observed defoliation but nowhere near the severity of
untreated trees
2. Caterpillar complaints still came in but there did not seem to be as
many from the parks as there have been in years past
3. Still observing to see how the Fall caterpillar hatch reacts to the
pesticide
4. P&R and PW plans to continue the program next year
a. We hope that we can alternate trees using the longer
lasting pesticide to create a broader impact
ii. PW purchased some pole pruners to create a lending library
1. We plan to hold an educational event this winter
2. Let people borrow the pruner to clip their own winter nests
iii. PW pruning efforts next winter will be focused on ornamentals in parks
and other public gathering spaces
h. Public Works Forestry Division staffing
i. Arborists
1. We currently still only have one arborist in the Forestry Division
2. We had one current employee bid on the available arborist
positions this spring. He since left the City to work in the private
sector
3. We posted the position online and received several applicants.
We are currently interviewing.
ii. Forestry Manager
1. We received considerable interest in the Forestry Manager
position
2. Benjamin Arruda was offered the position and he has accepted.
His start date is July 31
a. Ben gave a summary of his training & experience
3. Urban Forestry Plan
a. Workshop Meeting(s) to be scheduled
i. Plan to start creating an outline of what we are looking for in an urban
FMP
4. Other items
a. Public Comment
i. Dominic Rizzo of 57 Leighton Street recommended the City adopt a
standard buffer for the distance of sidewalks from trees.
b. Bangor Beautiful
i. Bangor Beautiful would like to donate and plant trees at the intersection
of Center St. and Park St.
ii. Donation will go to Government Operations Committee and full Council
for approval
iii. Proposed planting in October
5. Next Meeting
a. Oct. 18, 2023, 5:30 pm
Attendance
Q Greg Edwards—Tree Board Chair
Q Annette Dodd —Tree Board Member
❑ Erica Cassidy DuBois—Tree Board Member
Q Aaron Huotari —City Staff, PW Director
Q Ben Arruda — Incumbent City Forester