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<br /> <br />Tree Committee <br />ROLE: In concert with the Tree Warden, to promote planting, preservation and protection of <br />public shade trees and certain trees on private property in the town of Lexington. To develop <br />regulations and manuals for the care of the Town’s trees for approval and promulgation by the <br />Select Board. <br />APPOINTED by the Select Board: Gerald Paul (Chair), Gloria Bloom, Mark Connor, Patricia <br />Moyer, Nancy Sofen, Barbara Tarrh, and James Wood; Liaisons: Mark Sandeen (Select Board), <br />Charles Wyman (Sustainable Lexington), Rick Reibstein (Sustainable Lexington) and Christopher <br />Filadoro (Tree Warden). <br />HIGHLIGHTS <br />• Continued activity initiated in FY’21 to document issues relating to Tree Bylaw enforcement <br />(https://records.lexingtonma.gov/WebLink/0,0,0,0/doc/2493704/Page1.aspx ) and briefed <br />Select Board members on these issues <br />• Supported the creation of the Mount Independence Historic District. <br />• Recommended retaining significant trees on the property at 41 Hancock St if the Hosmer <br />house was to relocated there. <br />• Supported a homeowner’s request for waiver of appraisal and payment of appraised value <br />for removal of invasive ailanthus trees in the right-of-way at 30 Ingleside Rd. <br />• Established a working relationship with the Town Permanent Building Committee <br />• Recommended that mitigation be required for the 18 Town Trees removed near Bowman <br />School with a value of approximately $70,000. The Town did not pursue financial, instead <br />accepting restoration overseen by the Conservation Commission mitigation. <br />• Participated in the October 2021 Re-Discovery Day and the May 2022 Earth Day events. <br />• Took the position that the current on- line implementation of Article 33 passed at Annual <br />Town Meeting 2021 does not reflect the intent of the article and the will of Town meeting <br />because the implementation does not support the collection of information about <br />individual trees in machine readable, digital format. Worked with the DPW and IT Dept. <br />toward [as yet incomplete] implementation of Article 33 through online the permit system. <br />(https://records.lexingtonma.gov/WebLink/0,0,0,0/doc/2505168/Page1.aspx) <br />• Concerning the removal of 37 white pine trees at the Center Recreation Complex, made <br />recommendations including <br />• requiring a hazard assessment for each tree <br />• implementation of a formal hazard tree determination process applicable in the future. <br />• Voted to support Massachusetts bills H.3123 and H.2195 updating MGL Chapter 87 Shade <br />Trees <br />• Approved Report on Tree Bylaw Enforcement and the Use of the OpenGov DPW Tree Permit <br />(see May 12, 2022 report in Town Public Records Portal) offering suggestions for