2017-08-10-TREE-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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A meeting of the Lexington Tree Committee was held on August 10, 2017, 7:30-9:30 a.m. at the Samuel Hadley Public Services Building, Room 125. A quorum of five was present. Members Present: John Frey (chair), Gerry Paul, Anne Senning, Nancy Sofen, Karen Longeteig Guests: Bob Creech, Tina McBride, Diane Pursley: Turning Mill Neighborhood Conservation District The meeting acted on the following items: 1. Anne Senning was appointed as scribe: The minutes of the meeting of July 6, 2017 were approved. 2.Bylaw Tree removal applications: Postponed until next month. 3. Tree Inventory: Postponed until next month. 4. Town Tree Manual Report: John Frey and Anne Senning presented a section relating to tree planting; fourth edition of the Tree Management Manual. The tree committee voted to approve this section of the fourth edition. 5. Town GIS Information Services interface with the Forestry Division: JudyBaldasaro, GIS/Database Administrator, Dave Pinsoneault, Director of Public Works, Chris Filadoro, Tree Warden, Superintendent of Public Grounds and Anne Senning, Lexington Tree Committee met. They discussed improved coordination between forestry and GIS departments, specifically the forestry department use of the GIS database system to integrate forestry department work orders with the town database. 6. Spring 2017 tree planting: Nancy Sofen has contacted the neighbors who live around the edge of the “Green Banana” on Somerset Rd and they have agreed to water the newly planted trees. 7. Fall tree planting: It was reported that there are 50 requests on the 2016 wait list for setback and street tree planting. Some members of Tree Committee plan to count an additional number of sites available in East Lexington on the sidewalk along Massachusetts Avenue in the near future. 8. Mass Ave sideway construction Bow St to Fottler Ave: The issue of planting strip width was superseded by concern over the initial state of the excavation around the trees, the lack of wood strapping around the tree trunks and damage to the root systems. Eric Gitschier, Superintendent of Highway, Equipment, and Drains was involved in this discussion, reviewed the site and responded to make corrections in a timely manner. 9. Tree species for Mass Ave. construction: Anne Senning reported that she found one reference to the Japanese tree lilac becoming invasive in the Midwest. 10.Preventing soil compaction after tree planting: Postponed until next month. 11. Tree Committee web site out of date: Nancy Sofen met with the Town webmaster and made corrections to the many inaccuracies in the Tree committee web page. 12. Turning Mill Neighborhood Conservation District bylaw: Diane Pursley, representing the Turning Mill Neighborhood Conservation District reviewed the content of the Turning Mill Neighborhood Conservation District Bylaw and its relationship to Town Tree Bylaw. As proposed, the Turning Mill Neighborhood Conservation District Bylaw will not conflict with the Town Tree Bylaw. There was no remote participation. The meeting was not recorded. Respectfully submitted, Anne Senning, Scribe Next regular meeting: September 14, 7:30 a.m. at Samuel Hadley Public Services Building, Room 125