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2017-02-02 Tree Board MinutesEDMONDS CITIZENS' TREE BOARD Meeting Notes February 2, 2017 The Edmonds Citizens' Tree Board Meeting was called to order at 6:03 p.m. by Chair Steve Hatzenbeler in the Brackett Room, 3rd Floor City Hall, 121 5t" Avenue North, Edmonds, WA. BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT Steve Hatzenbeler, Co -Chair Doug Petersen, Co -Chair Vivian Olson, Vice -Chair Barbara Chase Frank Caruso Albert (Jed) Marshall William (Bill) Phipps Gail Lovell, alternate BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT N/A 1. CALL TO ORDER STAFF PRESENT Debra Dill, Parks Department ELECTED OFFICIALS PRESENT Diane Buckshnis —City Council member Co -Chair Hatzenbeler called the meeting to order 2. ROLL CALL/INTRODUCTIONS 3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA The following items were added to the agenda under New Business: • Updated status of Urban Forestry Plan contract • Share from tree board representatives who met with Ben Thompson, Urban and Community Forestry, State of Washington 4. AUDIENCE COMMENTS N/A- no audience members in attendance 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Minutes from two past meetings were approved as amended 6. OLD BUSINESS/ DISCUSSION a. Proposed Tree Board events for 2017 were made final- and a Tree Board event chair assigned to each- by a motion from Frank Caruso, 2nd by Jed Marshall and unanimous vote Edmonds Citizens' Tree Board Meeting Notes February 2, 2017 Page 1 of the Board. They are as follows (with annotation of Tree Board estimated financial obligation for these events): 1) April 22nd, Earth Day ivy removal event with Parks Department in Hutt Park — Chair Diane Buckshnis ($100-200) 2) May Tree Tags educational outreach project — Chair Jed Marshall ($200) 3) July, Edmonds in Bloom garden tour collaboration re trees in featured gardens - Chair Gail Lovell ($200-300) 4) Aug/Sep- Edmonds Summer Market- Chair Doug Petersen ($150-300) 5) October, Arbor Day Planting Event- Chair Barbara Chase (Bigger budget based on what we have left at this point) b. The Tree Board Presentation to Edmonds City Council is on March 14t" a little after 7 pm. The presentation will be made by the Tree Board Co -Chairs (Steve and Doug). Tree Board members should be there to show interest and support. 7. NEW BUSINESS a. Meet new Tree Board Members 1) Frank Caruso has lived in Edmonds 3+ years after a career in plant pathology on the East Coast. He specializes in sick plants and fungi and is a birder for fun. 2) Gail Lovell is a garden master who spends one to two hours outside every day! She has a lot of interest in trees as well as shrubs and flowering plants. Gail has a great passion for the education and outreach part of her Tree Board role. b. Tree City USA Certification 2016 Update- waiting for new WA state forester to be appointed to approve our 2016 application and growth award eligibility! New meeting note protocol: Please distribute draft meeting notes by email (preferably in a Word doc format) to Tree Board Members and Councilwoman Buckshnis within a week of the meeting. Bring 1 hard copy of the notes to the next month's meeting and record any revisions, and then get the final approved notes to the Tree Board Chair (who will then forward it to City staff for posting to the Tree Board website). Please search on "template" in your Tree board email inbox for the one sent by Steve H. in June of 2016 so that there is a reasonable amount of uniformity from month to month by our volunteer "note taker of the month". d. Tree Board "budget planning/ consultant scope of work" discussion. Thoughts were offered up on monetary volume and scope of work to include in the contract to be negotiated for Tree City USA application preparation and other Tree Board support by a consultant. Steve H. will have a meeting with Shane Hope, Development Services Director, to forward our positions so that Shane can negotiate/ let the contract for these services. e. Engagement of community in Tree Board events. We agreed that we want to keep those people close who have expressed interest in the Tree Board and our events so that we have more manpower to put behind our ideas (and replacement tree board members when vacancies come up). f. The meeting on Feb 1 with Ben Thompson (State of WA Dept. of Natural Resources, Urban and Community Forestry) was recapped by attending Tree Board Members Doug Petersen and Vivian Olson. Grant money is available to Tree Cities from DNR for Trees, mulch,etc.. Ben was also able to refer us to the City of Clyde Hill when asked if he knew of cities who had views that had done a good job coming up with policy that balanced views and vegetation. Edmonds Citizens' Tree Board Meeting Notes February 2, 2017 Page 2 g. Diane Buckshnis informed us that the contract with Davey for the development of the Urban Forestry Management Plan with Davey was just approved by the Edmonds City Council. Keeley O'Connell is an independent consultant hired by Davey to handle the community aspect. Tree Board involvement will be sought for the community meetings and possibly other activities related to the contract and resulting Urban Forestry Plan. In. Tree Board member ideas and comments 1) Bill Phipps offered up an alternative approach to partnering with the school district for tree education and outreach (an idea pursued by Barbara Durr at district level but which got little traction). He said that his sister who is a school teacher was receptive to the idea of doing an event with her classroom. The board discussed that maybe as one of our projects for 2018, each board member could find one or two teachers who would do this with us, bringing the same tree education outreach to the school district that the original district level approach had intended, but with a more grass roots approach. 2) Diane Buckshnis announced that the Student Saving Salmon Organization -which earned the Mayor's Climate Protection Citizen -of -the -Year- will be planting 400 trees along Shell Creek in the Edmonds Bowl. While all members were happy to hear of this endeavor in general, there was discussion about it being important that the Tree Board and the City of Edmonds make sure that this organization chooses the right varietals for this spot. Planting 400 trees will have a great impact not only on the environment, but on views in the area if tall trees are selected. We have the opportunity at this time- before planting- to make sure that good choices are made in this regard. 8. ADJOURNMENT With no further business, the Edmonds Citizens' Tree Board adjourned at 8:12 p.m. Next Meeting: Thursday, Mar 2, 6:00 p.m., City Council Chambers Edmonds Citizens' Tree Board Meeting Notes February 2, 2017 Page 3