2022-03-03 Tree Board Minutespi L;DA,
Edmonds Citizens' Tree Board
MEETING NOTES
March 3, 2022
The Edmonds Citizens' Tree Board Meeting was called to order at 6:05 p.m. by Co -Chair Donna Murphy via Zoom.
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT:
STAFF PRESENT
Donna Murphy, Co -Chair
Deb Powers
Suzanne Juergensen, Co -Chair
Kernen Lien, Planning Division
Bill Phipps
Susan McLaughlin, Development Services
Bill Grant
Janelle Cass
Wendy Kliment
Andy Lyon
Ross Dimmick (Alternate)
BOARD MEMBER(S) ABSENT:
ELECTED OFFICIAL PRESENT
Laura Johnson, City Council
NOTETAKER
Ross Dimmick
CALL TO ORDER:
Meeting called to order by Donna Murphy, reading the Land Acknowledgement Statement.
ROLL CALL:
All board members present.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA:
Agenda approved unanimously with addition of discussion of tree canopy study.
AUDIENCE COMMENTS:
No audience comments.
APPROVAL OF MEETING NOTES:
Meeting notes approved with minor correction.
OLD BUSINESS:
a. Follow-up of ongoing events: Edmonds in Bloom —table until April
b. Edmonds Tree Walk—Juergensen: Seems people not favorable to doing this downtown. Wants first one to be
successful so should be someplace people are familiar with. Perhaps waterfront. Eventually do walks in
neighborhoods. Discussion: Kliment suggested City Park for location. Juergensen will check out to ensure
adequate diversity and to get information on trees. Lyon had question on logistics —size of group possibly too big
to be able to hear presentation. Juergensen suggested megaphone. Cass suggested staggered starts. Dimmick
suggested having two people available to do presentation in event of large crowd. Phipps suggested talking with
Debra Dill to ensure accurate identification. Juergensen suggests advertising in Beacon or My Edmonds News.
Will keep on agenda and plan to do in summer.
c. Farmer Market Trees —Phipps will call source about trees from Oregon. Otherwise, will check with Parks
Department. Juergensen will also check with a source.
d. Sierra Park Potential Sign Project —Grant: Signs for visually impaired currently installed are old and some are for
trees that are no longer there. Grant not sure signs would be beneficial at this point. Phipps suggested planting
some new trees. Juergensen thinks this deserves a field trip. Phipps suggests including Parks Dept. in visit.
Murphy emphasized value of braille signs to visually impaired is greater when people can touch trees. Lyon
suggested fundraising for tree signs through posting photos of trees in park to website. Cass not sure about
protocols for fundraising, but tree photos posted to Facebook or Instagram is a good idea. Powers thinks posting
to city website would be OK. Murphy asked if there are examples website postings from other cities. Powers says
Kirkland may be a good example (Google kirkland trees). Lyon will check this out. Will keep on agenda for next
meeting.
e. City Council presentation date —Lien will schedule for April 26 .Need to submit presentation by April 21. Murphy
asked for any photos for contributions.
f. Follow-up with League of Women Voters statement sent to City Council —City Council has signed -off on
statement.
g. Action for Earth Day with Parks Department—Kliment made motion to approve $75 to purchase snacks forevent.
Seconded. APPROVED
h. Tree Equity Score Tool and its application in Edmonds —Link is not on Tree Board site. What is online is a beta
version. Powers says it can be found through Google. Tree Board will check out prior to next meeting.
NEW BUSINESS:
a. Susan McLaughlin, Development Services Director, to discuss Tree Board budget and answer questions—$4,000
available now for Tree Board. Does not roll over. Allocate at discretion of board. Phipps asked if McLaughlin still
committed to tree code for already developed lots. McLaughlin cannot speak to details tonight. Phipps concerned
that "Phase II" (tree code for already existing lots) may not happen given results of new canopy assessment
showing an increase in canopy cover since 2015. Neither McLaughlin nor Powers ready to discuss at the
moment. Phipps asked about Perrinville woods negotiations. Powers does not know outcome. Phipps said that
Mayor Nelson said in his State of the City address those negotiations fell through because owner wanted more
than market value. Perrinville woods is last major stand of large trees in the city that is not already a park. Murphy
suggested head of Parks Department should attend Tree Board meeting. Will add land acquisition as topic to
agenda for next meeting.
b. Note takers schedule —April, Phipps; May, Kliment; June, Cass; July, Lyon; August, Juergensen; September,
Johnson; October, Grant; November, Dimmick; December, Kliment.
c. Tree Canopy Study—Dimmick was concerned about the margin of error for canopy surveys. Murphy asked about
difference in values between Douglas fir and alder, as an example. Lien said survey measures the area covered
by tree canopy without differentiation among tree species. Powers agreed with Dimmick about margin of error.
Other factors besides canopy cover are also important indicators of urban forest health. Lien emphasized Powers
point by bringing up contiguity as another important element. Phipps asked if canopy percentages have increased
in other communities. Powers said answering this was not within the scope of the project but she will provide a
link to YouTube videos with canopy cover percentages for nearby communities. More discussion ensued about
this. Will keep on agenda for further discussion.
TREE BOARD MEMBER IDEAS AND COMMENTS:
• None.
ADJOURN:
The meeting was adjourned by Murphy at 8:08 p.m.
Next Meeting: April 7, 2022.
Submitted by Ross Dimmick
March 6, 2022