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Home My WebLink About2019-04-11-TREE-min Minutes of the Lexington Tree Committee Meeting of April 11, 2019 Room 125 of the Department of Public Works, 201 Bedford Street The meeting convened at 7:30 am. Present were Gerry Paul (Chair),Anne Senning,Jim Wood,Jewel Kuljian, Pat Moyer, Gloria Bloom, Nancy Sofen (scribe), Bob Creech (Planning Bd. Liaison), and guests from Concord, MA: Brian Rosborough, Pete Funkhouser and Jonathan Keyes. Chris Filadoro (Tree Warden) and Jill Hai (liason from Select Board) were absent. 1. Minutes of the March 141h meeting were accepted as amended, noting Jewel Kuljian's absence from that meeting. 2. A street tree (maple) blocks visibility of a pedestrian crosswalk signal in front of the Stone Building/Waldorf School and the DPW would like to remove it. Committee members are in agreement that the tree is healthy and that the area is difficult for pedestrians for many reasons, including heavy traffic and the turn from Pleasant Street. Dave Pinsonneault has committed to looking into alternatives to removal (an extension arm on the signal beacon?) if the tree is healthy. If the tree must be removed,the TC requests that large shade trees be planted as street or setback trees nearby. 3. The `Best Practices' document was distributed to the Concord guests. It was noted that Eversource has a list of trees that are acceptable to plant under wires. That document is attached to the minutes. 4. Gerry Paul will invite Chris Filadoro to a special meeting of the TC next Thursday,April 18 from 8-10 am to cover agenda items 4-7 that could not be addressed at this meeting because of Chris' absence. Topics will include • Status of the Tree Inventory • Tracking removal of trees on private property: how much work is involved in extracting this information from existing tree bylaw applications? • Tracking survival rates for new plantings • How does he select tree species for planting? Note that meeting did not take place. S. Can we strategize to identify someone on DPW staff who can help with tracking homeowner requests for the setback tree program? 6. Trees for spring planting will arrive on April 22 and will be heeled in until planted. TC questions include • Who is contractor? • Where are trees being stored and who is caring for them? • What is delay in planting? • Does the contractor guarantee survival of the trees? 7. It was noted that no one is watering the trees planted in the state E. Lexington Corridor project (Mass.Ave. from Marrett to Pleasant Streets). The committee would like to know what provisions have been made for watering the Town 2019 Spring planting, and also how 2018 planting survival rates will be tracked. 8. A"big picture" discussion was held of how the Tree Committee would like to use technology for tree-related information. • Tree Management Manual will be online. • Spring and Fall tree plantings • Tree Inventory: how do we move forward? Where is Town in negotiation regarding accuracy of inventory that was just completed? Can we discuss and plan how we will use the inventory while waiting for it to be released? Tree Committee agrees that this is a priority, and would like to see the inventory online and integrated with town GIS. This topic will be moved to the top of next month's agenda. Gerry will mention it to Jill and will schedule a meeting with Tom Case of IT,Anne will contact Judy Baldasero in IT, Nancy will better define canopy measurement questions for IT. 9. Bob Creech will report in May about ways of tracking removal of trees on private property that are not covered by the tree bylaw. A central question is who will drive the question of whether there would be permits required for tree removals. 10.No discussion of policy re: EAB-infested trees on private property, due to Chris's absence. 11.Tree Committee priorities for 2019 were agreed to be • Finalize and integrate the Tree Inventory. • Ensure that spring and fall Planting and watering procedures are consistent with best practices that were adopted by TC. 12.The Town Annual Report for 2018 was distributed. The Tree Committee report is on p. 128, and the Forestry Division report is on p. 88. 13.Gerry Paul reported on the Community Resilience Building Workshop. Attendees included representatives from police, fire, GWAC, CLC, and others, and also a consultant expert in resiliency issues and in how to get funding for projects. There is a lot of money in the state budget for resiliency efforts, and so many areas of Town government would like to apply for grants. Concerns were about climate change increasing heat,wind, rain and flooding. Police and fire are concerned about the amount of time they spend responding to downed wires because of trees. Gerry feels that undergrounding of wires is a strategic priority for the Tree Committee. Also,we would like to apply for an Urban Forestry Management grant. The next step from this workshop is for John Livesy and the consultants to winnow grant candidates, as grants are applied for by the town, and the number of applications per year are limited. Often a planning grant in the first year is followed by an implementation grant in the second. Pat will draft a letter from the Tree Committee to John Livesy, expressing wholehearted support for an Urban Forestry Management grant. 14.Pat and Gloria can each cover part of the day at a booth for Discovery Day. OTHER BUSINESS 1a. Concord guests came as observers to see how our Tree Committee works, as they are considering whether Concord could benefit from a committee. They find that their tree bylaw is not enforced and that mitigation is too low. Merchants oppose trees in front of stores, and there is a prohibition on planting the verge. Because of recent staff changes, there is no tree input in town processes or long-term view of urban canopy management. Lexington members advised that our tree bylaw enforcement has hinged on the fact that we have a closed loop system with Chris's signature part of the building permit process. Also important is our Tree Management Manual. 2a. A Limited Site Plan Review for Minuteman Tech's playing fields project. Trees are to be cleared on .6 acres (28,000 square feet) of land, but trees are not part of a Limited Site Plan Review. Also,because of the Dover Amendment the Town has little control over what happens. Public schools were excluded from the exceptions to the Dover Amendment recently passed by Town Meeting. 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