2023-04-13-TREE-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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Minutes, Lexington Tree Committee April 13,2023 1. This meetfng was held on zoom. Present: James Wood, Pat Moyer (minutes), Nancy Sofen, Gerry Paul (chair), Barbara Tarrh, Charles Wyman, Charles Hornig, Joe Pato (Select Board representatfve), Mark Connor, Dave Pinsonneault (DPW). The meetfng began at 7:31 AM. 2. Minutes of the February and March meetfngs of the Tree Committee were approved without revision. 3. April 28,2023, is Arbor Day; a tree will be planted at Buckman Tavern, at 11 AM. 4. May 27, 2023, is Lexington’s Discovery Day, held in the center from 10-3. Members Moyer and Sofen may be able to host a table. We must bring our own table and chairs this year. Moyer- Neumann truck available to transport, possibly. A theme will be to promote the Tree Statement of Concern. Lexington Living Landscapes will also have a table. 5. Barbara Tarrh identffied three trees near the Hancock-Clark barn that will be undergoing restoratfon that are proposed to be taken down due to proximity to the barn’s foundatfon. They are a black locust, a sugar maple, and an ash. Her judgment was that only the black locust may be in poor shape. The barn is owned by the Historic Society. Gerry will contact the director of the Lexington Historical Society which is the owner of the property. 6. On 4/24/23, Dave Pinsonneault will go to the Select Board to present the UVM tree canopy study. He is hoping to get more informatfon from the study we have, and perhaps to request funds for an even more detailed study, in order to provide informatfon for plantfng, for the Planning Board, for knowing where street trees should go, etc. 7. Dave stated that the new online forms and processes for builders to input tree removal informatfon is close to ready for rollout; Town IT department has a 5/1/23 deadline. 8. Gerry asked Dave if it would be possible to be informed, proximate to a town tree’s removal, about that removal and its cause as required under the Tree Bylaw. Dave committed to record these removals on the Tree Inventory and provide the Tree Committee with a monthly list of removals. 9. We discussed utflity company’s tree trimming and removal; they are supposed to be discussing their plans ahead of tfme with the Tree Warden. Dave will provide a copy of the annual vegetatfon plan that is required to be provided by the Town under MGL Chapter 87. 10. We discussed our meetfng’s locatfon. We are allowed to be on zoom for the next two years by the Commonwealth. We agreed there is value to in person meetfngs. Most committee members agreed on a format of a quarterly in-person meetfng in a room with hybrid capability. Such rooms on Town propertfes are limited at present, but their number is expanding. The chair will seek further informatfon. 11. We were reminded to write a “tree story”, if so moved, for the Lexington Living Landscapes compilatfon of same. 12. The Tree Statement of Concern has been presented to several town boards and departments. 13. For the record, we brainstormed our highest prioritfes for the town’s care of its tree. They included: (additfonally Nancy Sofen’s notes are included an attachment) Extending the definitfon of town trees into those in the setback from the street Creatfng a permitting process for tree removal companies