2022-05-12-TREE-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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Lexington Tree Committee Meeting Minutes Thursday, May 12, 2022 at 7:30 am Via ZOOM Present: Gerry Paul (Co-chair), Mark Connor (co-chair), Gloria Bloom, Jim Wood, Nancy Sofen, Mark Sandeen. Guests: Marty Kvaal, Barbara Tarrh, Charlie Wyman, Dan Miller Absent: Pat Moyer, DPW staff 1. Meeting was called to order at 7:34 am. Nancy Sofen appointed scribe. 2. Minutes of the March 3 and April 14 meetings were approved (5-0). 3. As no DPW staff were present, there were no updates on tree inventory, tree canopy assessment, tree bylaw activity, removal of public shade tree at 149 Adams Street, planting on Battle Green or commemorative tree program. 4. The tree hearing for the Lincoln Street sidewalk project has not yet been scheduled. 5. Planning for Earth Day in May: 11-3 Sat May 14 in front of Visitors Center. Gerry and Gloria will attend; Barbara to drop off table and bring pinecones, acorns and hand lenses and Gerry to bring printed materials. 6. There is good progress with Tim Goncalves of the IT department on Tre e Bylaw implementation. 7. Gerry presented a report on Tree Bylaw enforcement problems. This was approved (5-0) as a draft, with Gerry to ask for a meeting with the DPW director to discuss whether there is anything in the report that is not factual. Any commitments made by the DPW will be appended to the report which will then be brought to the Select Board Chair. See Appendix to these minutes for the draft report. A suggestion was made to make such a report on bylaw compliance an annual process. 8. We would like to see a credible system for tracking compliance with Chapter 87 regarding removal of street trees. 9. A subcommittee of Gerry, Barbara, Nancy and Dan will work on bylaw changes for future consideration by Town Meeting. A motion was approved (5 -0) to request of the Town Manager that this group have access to Town Counsel for the purpose of drafting warrant articles for future Town Meetings. 10. Gerry presented a framework for the formation of an active Friends of Trees organization with responsibilities and opportunities that differ from the formal Tree Committee. A challenge is to create a large, self -sustaining base of support. Lin Jensen has offered to build website; a priority is to find one or two people to take ownership and provide content. Barbara suggested connecting with parents who are involved in school conservation groups (Big Backyard, LHS clubs) and offered to explore BBY training. Gerry to collect names at Earth Day in May table, then Dan to reach out to those people. 11. We will have a table at Discovery Day on May 28 from 10-3. 12. Check https://www.preserve-lex-trees.org/ for updates on white pines at Center Recreation Complex.