2020-07-09-TREE-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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Lexington Tree Committee Minutes of July 9, 2020 meeting Meeting was called to order at 7:30 AM. 1. Gerry Paul, chair, read roll call, and read the required statement concerning suspension of the usual public meeting law due to covid-19, and our plan to meet by zoom. 2. Present: Members Gerry Paul, Pat Moyer (scribe), Gloria Bloom, Mark Connor, and Nancy Sofen; Mark Sandeen (Select Board liaison); Sustainable Lexington visitors Charlie Wyman, Rick Reibstein, and Marcia Gens; Dave Pinsonneault(DPW Director); Tree Committee candidates Joel Friedlander and Marty Kvaal Absent: Jim Wood, Chris Filadoro (Tree Warden). 3. Dave Pinsonneault updated us on DPW activity • Fall 2019 planting: Last fall 70 trees were planted. There were some trees slated for Grove St which could not be planted there due to unexpected utility lines, etc but other locations were found for these trees. Dave indicated that Chris will provide an updated list of planting locations. • Spring 2020 planting: Due to Covid-19, there was no real spring planting, though 12 trees were planted at Children's Place and 5 along the bikeway. • Fall 2020 planting: 70 trees are going to be planted this fall. • The Tree Bylaw: 34 sites by the Tree Warden since last fall—34 trees totaling 560 inches were removed—187 trees required to be replanted. Dave will ask Chris to provide the bylaw activity spreadsheet with information about individual sites. • Setback planting; about 20 requests for setback trees are outstanding. Plans are in place to satisfy them. Dave will talk to Julie Laflamme (DPW Operations Department assistant) about maintaining the Google sheets document she has managed in the past. • Tree canopy assessment: DPW submitted an application for a state grant under the Municipal Vulnerability Program. Applied for $30,000 for a Tree Canopy assessment. Staffing and delayed tasks will prevent the DPW from starting on it right away. Grant decision expected perhaps in August. • Tree inventory: Dave indicated that he is not aware of any remaining issues which would impact the completion of the inventory and indicated we should ask Chris for an update. 4. 497 Concord Ave Tree Removal Chapter 87 Determination (42 inch oak street tree). The Select Board gave the Cotting School the right to cut down the tree (4-1 vote, Sandeen dissenting). Extended debate over removing this tree gave the Town the opportunity to understand the value of trees and the validity of tree assessments. We appreciate the positives in this overall negative outcome.