2023-12-21-TREE-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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Lexington Tree Commi?ee Minutes 12.21.23 1. A?endance: Gavin Grant, Barbara Tarrh, Gerry Paul, Jim Wood, Nancy Sofen, Mark Connor (co-chair), Pat Moyer (co-chair and minutes) (all aforemen?oned members); Charles Hornig, Charlie Wyman, Alicia Morris, Joe Pato (SB rep), Todd Rhodes. 2. Mee?ng began at 7:31 AM 3. Minutes of Nov.9, Nov. 26, and Dec. 7 were approved. 4. There was much discussion of proposed Bylaw Amendments we are submi?ng today for Town Mee?ng considera?on. We unanimously approved submi?ng all 3 as amended and a?ached to these minutes, dropping the extension of the proposed Bylaw to private property. Discussion items included: requiring a cer?ﬁed arborist to submit plot plan; how to save large trees; is the cost of bylaw #1 too high for families?; Dave P. feels the original proposed and dropped bylaw #1 is not feasible given staﬃng; having more public mee?ngs to grow support for these changes; hold protec?ng wetlands and that issue up as an example; the need to consider the health of small forests; whether it is feasible to ask tree companies performing work to pull the permit. Final version of our proposed changes due 1/15/24. 5. Gavin Grant was welcomed as our newest and seventh member. Alicia Morris was welcomed as our associate-member to be approved by the SB. (her applica?on is complete). 6. Joe Pato clariﬁed that the SB has provenance over who is appointed to a commi?ee. 7. Pat reported that Janice Chung’s desire and contribu?on for a memorial tree for her late brother ﬁnally culminated in a beau?ful liriodendron tulipfera being planted in Has?ngs Park in late November, courtesy of Fo? Trees. A small crowd, including Chris and Pat, a?ended. 8. Jim reported on his work with Chris on the town tree plan?ng process. He stated the need to order trees soon from Schichtel’s to get the best selec?on. He plans to encourage ordering trees ﬁrst, then ﬁnding sites, hopefully many setback loca?ons. Needs all of our help. We suggested also using the Tree Inventory—there are 1000 stumps on it. He hopes to enlist help of Julie Laﬂamme in the DPW oﬃce. Selec?on to include sweetgum, Kentucky coﬀee tree, crabapples, cherries, oaks, magnolias, dogwood. 9. Mid-mee?ng with Dave P. will be 1.10.24 by zoom at 1:30 pm. We would like to see a list of trees planted in 2023, how many were replacements, watering strategy; discussion of watering bags. 10. Nancy a?ended the ﬁrst of 5 mee?ngs of one of the subgroups working with the architects of the new Lex. High School. Our reps ﬁt in the Site Plan and Safety subgroup. We re-iterate the hope to have at least 70% of trees from our preferred plan?ng list. 11. Bylaw Enforcement WG: discussion of latest ac?ons. Some concern over Dave’s request for a new DPW posi?on—assistant superintendent. Would love to see job descrip?on; hoping for a tree focus. 12. Adjournment at 9:40 AM.