2018-03-15-TREE-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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Minutes of the Lexington Tree Committee Samuel Hadley Public Services Building, Room 125 3.15.18 Members Present. John Frey, chair, Gerry Paul, Jewel Kuljian, Pat Moyer (scribe), James Wood, Anne Senning, Nancy Sofen. Guests. Suzie Barry, selectwoman, Dave Pinsonneault, DPW Tree Planting Finances. Dave Pinsonneault explained that both the budgeted line items for tree planting (Forestry Landscaping Maint and Forestry Landscape Supplies) in the Forestry budget, and the Tree Mitigation Fund (TMF), are under DPW control, to fund spring and fall planting. The TMF is mandated to be for tree planting, but Dave stated that the TMF was never under the purview of the Tree Committee. The Selectmen delegated that responsibility to the DPW. He stated that his guiding principle is to plant trees that can be maintained and whose site nourishes the tree. The first planting of the fiscal year is funded by Forestry budget, and the second uses TMF funds. Dave is committed to spending $45,000 from the Forestry Budget on tree planting, and he welcomes our input. Town Meeting has appropriated up to $45,000 to be spent on tree planting or on special plantings from the TMF; actual amounts may vary depending on how much the TMF accrues. Dave expressed his willingness to work with with the Tree Committee about what trees are planted where. He will provide us with planting locations and species for the upcoming 2018 spring planting. Dave related to us that in the third quarter of FY 2017, $24,000 was taken from the TMF to fund snow removal in the town. This action was reviewed with the Selectman. Dave stated that in the future, no funds will be taken from the TMF for other purposes. Dave let us know that Davey Tree has been hired to do the town tree inventory starting in May, 2018. This spring, they will do the first half of the project (which is all that is currently funded). DPW will solicit funds for the second half of the inventory from Town Meeting this year. Gerry requested that the Town Annual Report catalog: 1) tree numbers and species planted, 2)tree numbers removed, and 3) survival statistics for trees planted. Dave committed to doing this. The tree inventory will realistically be done by summer, 2019. It will come to us and to Town Meeting, among others.