01-28-2013 TBMCITY OF HUTCHINSON
TREE BOARD
Monday, January 28, 2013
5:15 p.m.
City Center
Minutes
Members present: Laura Poser, Newton Potter, Dale Redetzke, Corey Stearns, Steve Cook (Council rep.)
Others Present: Mike Bahe, Natural Resource Specialist; John Olson, Public Works Manager
Meeting called to order at 5:15 p.m. There was a quorum of members present.
1. Approve Tree Board Minutes
There were no Tree Board minutes to approve
2. Tree Board Members
Newton Potter (to 04/14) Dale Redetzke (to 04/13)
Corey Stearns (to 04/14) Laura Poser (to 04/13)
*Proposed terms
Steve Cook (Council rep.)
Mike Babe (Parks rep.) John Olson (Public Works rep.)
For meeting schedules & interest forms for sensing on the Tree Board, see www.ci.hutchinson.nm.us
3. Staff Reports
Presentation by Mike Bahe
2012 Activities
1. Log Safe training — City cooperated with Utilities, County & State employees to host Log Safe
training, a free service from OSHA, to address forestry safety. This is an excellent program that the
City has conducted on roughly every three years.
2. Inventory — Report indicated there are 13,955 public trees. The two most prominent species are
Maple & Ash.
3. General planting operations — 189 trees
4. General removal operations — 188 trees
5. Dormant pruning operations — approx. 1,000 trees were pruned due to good weather during the winter
of 2011 -2012
6. Energy Tree program plantings — 132 trees
7. Arbor Day activities — On Arbor Day, for the second year, a planting program with 3M company was
completed. 3M has donated significant amounts of money for tree planting over the last two years. A
program at Park Elementary, with the 3'd graders, was also held. Tree planting at New Discoveries
Montessori Academy was also done.
8. Grove City storm — Forestry crews from Public Works & Parks assisted the City of Grove City in
cleaning up their large park after significant storm damage.
Tree Board —the tree board was reactivated in 2012 after approximately 18 months of no activity
subsequent to the transition in staffing and program management.
10. Intern — An intern from the U of M was used last summer. The U of M and two other schools have
been contacted to potentially supply an intern for 2013. Housing is an issue for interns, so members
were encouraged to let Mike know of any available housing they knew of.
2013 Preview
1. 2013 DNR Community Forestry bonding grant — 133 (boulevard); 126 (park/school)
2. 2013 General planting operations — 112 trees
3. 2013 Energy Tree program plantings — approx. 100 trees
4. 2013 Arbor Day — working with 3M Company and schools
5. 2013 Species Diversification — potential Ash removal project on Craig Ave SW
6. 2013 Dormant pruning — Late Winter/Early Spring contractor project and pruning operations by staff
4. Operational Issues and Open Proiects
a) Craig Ave SW — Species diversification project: potential ash tree removals on Craig Ave SW where trees are
very close together on the south side of the street between 774 and 744 Craig Ave SW. Anticipate removing
5 -6 trees. Based on discussion with the Tree Board, property owners will be contacted to receive their input
prior to the project beginning.
5. Other Discussions/ New Business
a) Quarterly meeting schedule — next meeting scheduled for April 29, 2013. Monthly email communications
will be done between now and the next meeting.
b) Establishment of board terms. Two members, Laura Poser and Dale Redetzke, were assigned terms that
expire in April, 2013. The other two members, Corey Stearns and Newton Potter, were assigned terms that expire
in April, 2014.
At 6:20, the meeting was adjourned.
NEXT MEETING: Regularly scheduled meeting: 04/29/2013.