04-27-2009 TBMHUTCHINSON TREE BOARD
Monday, April 27, 2009
5:00 p.m.
City Center Main Conference Room
Agenda
Members present: __Corey Stearns, __Dale Redetzke, _Laura Poser, _Newton Potter,
_�_ Steve Cook, Mayor;
Members absent Laura Poser and Newt Potter
Others Present: _Mark Schnobrich, City Forester; _
Others present:
Meeting called to order at _5:15 p.m.
There was a quorum of members present: _� Y N
l.) 9th Ave NE Residents request for Ash Tree Removal
A resident on 9t11 Ave NE requested that Ash trees be removed due to seed build up in
his rain gutters. He also stated that the trees were not in good health and should be
removed as he and his neighbor across the street both felt that the ash trees were
dropping limbs and were otherwise not desirable.
The Tree Board discussed the request and decided that the reasoning behind the
request was not substantial enough to warrant removal of any or all of the trees on 9th
Ave NE as requested. However after further discussion and due to the reality of future
infestation from the Emerald ash borer, the Tree Board requested Mark Schnobrich
put together a proposal to deal with the mono -culture of ash trees that due exist in the
9th Ave NE area of town. Schnobrich is to recommend ways to gradually integrate
other species of trees into that area of town without clear cutting entire blocks of trees
at one time. He will present this proposal at the next Tree Board meeting.
2.) Spring 2009 Tree Planting Update
The count is up to 20 residents who have applied for energy trees on private property.
This is a decline of about 50% from last year.
The Sentence to Serve STS crews will again be helping with tree planting this
spring.
The Hutchinson High School has a group of students who have started a new
" Cutting Carbon Klan" that is promoting tree planting on campus to help reduce
carbon. The group has asked to participate in an Arbor Day event at the school where
they will distribute seedlings and also plant 12 trees on campus to reduce energy at
the school. This will occur in May.
3.) Tree Value Promotion
Mark presented a new campaign that promotes the value of trees by displaying large
price tags on trees depicting what that tree does to improve our economic and
environmental well being here in Hutchinson. The visual price tags will be displayed
throughout town on various trees so that residents will see them as they travel through
the community. This along with media coverage will hopefully help redients realize
the many benefits trees provide for them.
4.) Forestry Master Plan Discussion
The Tree Board spent considerable time going through a Tree Ordinance survey
rating major issues related to trees in our community. This internal survey will help
the Tree Board as they revise the existing tree ordinance to better reflect the current
issues Hutchinson is now dealing with in respect to its trees. Such topics as licensing
tree contractors and establishing stricter tree preservation requirements were some of
the highlights that were brought up during the survey. This revision will help the
Tree Board as they complete the Forestry Master Plan this year.
The meeting was Adjourned at 6:45 PM