HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-03-12-TREE-min
Lexington Tree Committee Minutes 3.12.26
1. Meeting was called to order at 7:31 AM. Present were members Gavin Grant, Alicia
Morris, Pat Moyer, Nancy Sofen, Barbara Tarrh, Rachel Summers; associate member
Ben Fein-Cole, Select Board member Joe Pato, and guests Frances Frankenberg, Ken
Prescott, and Gerry Paul.
2. Minutes of 2.12.26 and 2.26.26 were approved.
3. Frances and Ken are both still interested in joining the committee, as associate and
full member respectively, and have submitted applications to the Select Board. Each
has now attended 2 of our meetings.
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4. 250 Tree giveaway jotform went live 3 weeks ago. Nancy stated that 204 trees are
spoken for. Dave has ordered a total of 335 saplings, and we can give all of those away
if people claim them.. Nancy is researching fencing options to provide with the trees.
We’d like something sti?er than last year’s plastic. DPW will deliver a pile of wood
chips which tree recipients can take away in their own containers. Ben has o?ered to
bring leftover plastic containers from Site One. Barbara will follow up with Joel
regarding delivery date and watering. Barbara, Nancy and Pat can be present for both
days (Pat now realizes only until 9:15 on May 9). Alicia will volunteer, not sure when.
5. Spring planting. Barbara is working with Joel Custance on the Dept. using jotform.
We discussed and decided against collecting resident requests from jotform
ourselves as the Tree Committee. It’s a Forestry job. We will not distribute the door-
hangers, which have a QR code sending people to our website, until the jotform
issues are clearer. We will discuss with Forestry how to handle those requests from
the door-hangers.
6. The former Tree Warden had requested a list of trees acceptable for planting to give
to developers. We had a meeting (2.26) to create such a list and work is not done.
Nancy suggested we wait until new Tree Warden hired before paring the list further.
7. Rachel presented some literature on structural pruning she had encountered. After
reviewing, we agreed it would be valuable information to have available to hand out
during our public education days. Rachel will work on a pamphlet
8. The Town plans to hire a new Superintendent of Public Grounds/Tree Warden, as
Chris Filadoro has moved on. We discussed the possibility of separating those two
jobs. When they were combined, years ago, there were many fewer responsibilities
assigned to the Tree Warden. After discussion, Pat was delegated to write a letter to
the DPW, Select Board, and Town Manager, raising these issues.
9. Monitoring of construction sites. 3/15 was our agreed-on deadline to send
information to Nancy about Tree Bylaw infractions. Nancy asked that each
committee member( in addition to filling in the spreadsheet she created) notify her
via email about major infractions. We are focusing on proper fencing around trees,
but should be paying attention to recently amended parts of the bylaw which focus
on arborist attestations :that proper fencing is in place, and that the arborist has filled
out the sheet for each hazardous tree which will be cut down (and need not be
mitigated).
10. Nancy filled us in on Planning Board planting plans for 475 Bedford St site.
11. We adjourned at 9:13 AM.
Respectfully submitted,
Pat Moyer, chair