we
ready like to call the January 15 2025
meeting of the beex tree public arst
commission's order and call the RO
Charlie CL is giving a presentation in
Kansas City on asri
so um Grant was so kind to come in
really and recharge some of they were
uncharged so um you may take a minute
here and sech some
place mine works your Works mine
works your
worky are you
present just have to
okay Jim Wilson pres okay Grant Archer
here who is not supposed to be here is
now here I'm not supposed to be here
well I
can well oh no you're welcome you're
welcome we'd love to have you here we
thought you were only coming when there
were applications but oh then told me to
come to every oh so well he told me
you're only coming from application Sur
so you know we've got a I will clarify a
bated mayor I will clarify all right
okay so Matt here Grant Archer I call
your name yes all right grant Arch here
let's get back
[Music]
you all right so we me yes I did I
thought you were asking my mic oh no Jim
wison working you're here all right so
AB today are Celeste Williams
Ellen Giller
and
Charlie so all right so we do have move
ahead uh Grant thankfully is still
looking for um microphones that light up
and are
viable so uh we are going to table the
approval of the minutes of December 18th
Jordan said she's having technical
difficulties we apport
P regular we should Audra yes ma'am all
right we have vacancies and we would
like to appoint you or move you from an
alternate member to a regular voting
member do you accept the assignment I do
thank
you thanks for that thanks for that Jim
so the the minutes of December 18th have
not been transcribed
so so we will uh look at those in
February unlike my um memo which said
our December minutes will be available
in December we will not wait a whole
year to do those and I'm asking if we
have any additions to the agenda no no
no Mr Kingler do you have any additions
to the agenda do not all right then we
may add some things for you how does
that sound perfect that'd be fine good
all right thank you all right so uh do
we have any review of landscape
applications we do not we do not do we
have any residents who would like to
make
comments we do not then we'll move to
announcements and small victories Mary
mcmun would you like to tell us a little
bit about
uh rooting around in
Bexley sure okay uh rooted in Bexley
kicks off the 2025 season next Wednesday
with a program about the Ark of
Appalachia it's going to be a
fascinating program um I don't know if
any of you have ever been there it looks
amazing and it's on my list for this
coming year um 82 so far I've signed up
for that program so I'm pretty excited
about that in February we're going to
talk about the new Yark um sounds and
it's uh Ohio's one and only UNESCO world
heritage site which is really um a
feather in our cap um March is um um Zoe
schlonger author of The Light eaters a
New York Times best seller um that's
going to be a really great program and
at the same time we're going to um uh
hope Taft has donated her personal
collection of gardening books to the
Bexley library and the library is going
to add the established the Hope Taff
library at the Bexley Library so we're
really excited about that and um so
we'll be announcing that as well and
then um will she be honored that day
sort hope half day yeah kind of good
kind of yeah great I'll have to
definitely I didn't really you know what
I mean I'll I'll work on that good but I
think that's a great suggestion um so
anyway we're really excited about our
programs um should I go ahead and talk
about Amy yes Amy Stewart comes in April
she wrote the drunken botanist which was
also a New York Times bestseller and she
um also wrote the tree collectors about
people who collect trees and it's really
a great book it's um she did all the
illustrations herself she'll be here on
April
23 um we're working on a possible
fundraiser the night before with her to
uh support the Bexley beautification
fund at the Community Foundation so that
should be a lot of fun so we have been
very busy and we're looking forward to
our programs kicking off um I'll move on
to the Community Gardens I just wanted
to let everyone know that registration
had opened up for new gardeners and
we've got 13 new gardeners joining us
this year so um that'll be fun for them
and we'll have a kickoff meeting in
March so does that mean all the plots
are taken now then they are did you sign
for a plot M we still have a waiting
list I have not me neither okay well you
better get on the list if you want to
get in is there waiting there is a
waiting how many are uh I don't remember
but it it changes you know because
people come in later in the year and
sign up and some people leave mid year
but it's going to be a good good season
so that's all I have okay all right any
questions for Mary Mary what's the date
of the I know I had the January February
but the other two were new add-ons uh
January 22nd March 12th I February 12th
and March 5th at 1:15 and April 23rd at
um I forget the time on that one it'll
be on the libraries website where you
can register under the
events so I'm mindful of what Jim had
said last time is that these
presentations have been the most popular
programs that the library has hosted
amongst well you know we we'll just look
at it with a slightly different point of
view how to say so let's just say I get
P praise sent for them twice good good
well I mean what should we say we don't
want to overstate this but both Amy and
Zoe are New York Times bestselling
authors and they're right here in our
little community and it doesn't cost a
thing to come so I I hope you do pretty
great thank you pretty great okay so uh
the Bexley Community Foundation sent me
um some uh kind of almost end of year
information on the trees for Bexley
campaign right now we're at $
37,6
188 and we have $124 or $24 donors and
the average is
$34 a donation $34 nice that's the good
news the bad news is that we have um a
core of maybe eight to 10 donors who
have not given this year a couple $1,500
donors and a couple $500 donors and
four5 250 donors so uh we're working on
that I shared the list with Jim and
maybe he has some insights maybe he
knows some of those people I do know
some of them okay so we'll we'll see if
we can uh the the camping really goes
through the end of January so we might
be able to pick up a few
more and then I also wanted to announce
that we have some uh Community
presidents in our midst Sheila is the
new chair of the Bexley Community
Foundation a two-year commitment so good
for her Jim is the new chair of the
Bexley Public Library good for him good
for us the mayor is still the Secretary
of morsy which I think leads him towards
the chair of that at some future point
or once his um minutes are legible maybe
maybe that's what happens and Professor
Markham do you have a new position at
U yeah but thankfully it's not president
of
anything you want I have asked people
what your new position is and it seems
to be a little obtuse so maybe you could
share it with us it's very obtuse well
it'll still be obus after I tell you but
I I really loved my old job but you know
it conflicted with tree commission I
know it so I had to go it did have to go
I quit I quit okay now uh my new
position is um I am a program manager
for one of the scholars programs at Ohio
State University so there are 16
Scholars programs and they take freshmen
and sophomores and they create cohorts
uh and they build uh programs around
them social academic and Community
programs and uh so they put me in charge
of of one of those and my program is
called Aces if you have any uh if you
have
any incoming freshmen in the next year
or so you can direct them to my program
and I'll be happy to I'm sure a stands
for something it does it's advocacy for
community and Educational Services yay y
well it sounds like all of those
wonderful and curious students should
attend the tree commission meeting well
we might be involved with some stuff
here okay because that's the sort of
thing that uh you know we're interested
in doing and getting students involved
in we'll probably have them interacting
with some elected official officials
will'll probably have them interacting
with some community services and
organizations and things like that so
the students select the program that
they want to be in so they do select the
program because they are interested in
those things about half of my students
are education Majors so they're uh
future teachers um but the rest can be a
lot of have a lot of health services and
and things like that as well okay I
remember it was a few years ago I think
a couple students from o who took the
bus and made their way to Bexley to fill
out their requirement for attending a
public meeting yes right great someone
like me that made him do that I hope so
I hope so so Professor Mark now that
you're not into biology or botany or
pathology do you have any tutorial you'd
like to share with us today did bring
some you did
okay my daughter um she got accepted
she'll be a freshman at Ohio State
Columbus campus oh
congratulations yes have her apply for
the scholarship program she is
scholarship with h so you so that's a
great question they're they're grouped
together it's honors and
Scholars uh honors program is a little
bit more weighted toward academics and
the requirements so you have to be
accepted into either program but you can
apply for both and so students often
will choose to be in the honors program
or the Scholars Program or they'll apply
for the honors program if they're not
accepting the honors program then they
may choose to enroll in the Scholars
Program yeah very similar programs and
they both have some of the same benefits
but um and there are some academic
requirements for Scholars Program as
well but not as heavily weighted in
academics as H
or maybe they can all come out to be a
member of the Bloomers I think that'd be
great that's a great some of the uh
previous uh activities were involved
with Franklin Park
Conservatory doing some work
over see if I got my
glasses do you need glasses he's got
glasses oh okay I got
them one I got six of these perfect we
can
share so I thought I would keep it super
light and fun this time well you're
always light and fun no sometimes I have
like some really interesting heavy stuff
but oh my God I I was looking at
interesting trees and I came across this
one okay it it's called the dragon's
blood tree it's called a few different
names but I thought it was super
interesting because um as you know my
interest in science is also rooted in
evolution and so you see these
adaptations and so this tree has a
couple interesting adaptations and it's
called dragon's blood because the sap is
this deep Crimson uh sap that looks like
blood and one of the problems that the
tree has is it's uh it's facing
extinction because it's so heavily
harvested because the sap is so
beautiful that they use it for this you
know for a Lac or or finish on wood it's
also used for medicinal purposes but one
of the more interesting things about it
is if you look at the picture of it it
almost looks a little bit like it's
upside down right and they sometimes
call it the umbrella tree because it's
leaves it grows in a very Aid dry
environment and the adaptation that it
has which is fairly unique is that the
leaves will actually collect rainwater
and siphon that water downward through
the tree to the to the rest of the uh
tree and the root system and I was very
busy today season so I did not have time
to research this but I would be super
interested in seeing how that works in
terms of a vascular system because most
tree vascular systems work by
transpiration which means the water
moves upward because it evaporates into
the air and it draws it up through um
through uh well cohesion or whatever but
I don't know how the water is drawn
downward through this tree whether
there's a separate uh system or not so I
did not have time to research that so
you know maybe you can assign that or
maybe we can gravity I don't think that
would work it could be though maybe that
possible part two maybe this is an
ongoing series of unusual trees so do
you think this tree would be in the
United States no well tropics I mean it
Flor Now it's 12 it's very special it's
environment and I think that it's it's
like I said it's it's becoming harder
and harder to
find um do the similar they have similar
adaptations the seoa oh is that right oh
okay they do but just I mean just by
virtue of the fact that they had to
water so far yeah over time to be able
the Environ as well mostly just because
there's less water coming down from the
sky and more just yeah a there it's like
guess backup system really is what it is
you know but it is fascinating it's very
interesting trees of course are amazing
organisms uh and you see that they will
do and get these adaptations to survive
in places where they couldn't possibly
survive you know and you're probably
familiar with Joshua tree that sends its
roots down just so insanely deep you
know to be able to live in those
environments as wellert I am not a bnst
but I just so enjoy seeing all the
different varieties of plant adaptations
and how some of these plants flourish
like that it's insane research we need a
field triu well we were just saying that
yeah this looks pretty pretty fantastic
it's a yemenese
island and the Arabian Sea off the coast
of Yemen closer a little bit to Somalia
so what could go wrong there there I
think I know that I know we have many
world hikers in this
do F trip yeah okay contact Council yeah
yeah well there was that great movie
about what was it fishing in Yemen or
salmon in Yemen I don't know yeah s
fishing in Yemen yeah yeah that's a
great movie um let's see mayor you
missed the announcement of of Sheila
being the president new president of
comme Foundation which are you yes
and Jim president of the library board
which you know yes and mayor Kesler is
still the ongoing Secretary of morsy um
I mean if we're gonna add you know
honoraries or whatever hon I chair the
Columbus
Regional energy efficient special
improvement district he said that's my
real claim right there that's my resume
okay could you say that again for Jordan
because it was a little bit slurred at
Columbus Regional Eid the pace district
for the Columbus region okay energy it's
one of my nerd your nerd activities nerd
activities yes so one of your other nerd
activities Is Your Love of
words and since you and Grant are seated
next to each other today I thought I'd
ask you if you knew the meaning of this
word are you ready now
pogonophile well somebody who really
loves pgan pogan file
so it has something to do with you and
Grant sitting next to each other and
your new look do you
okay yeah oh beard beard yes it's an
affinity for
beards file what how do you spell that
well it's kind of it sounds p o g o n o
yeah so we got three O's P go n o then
file Latin I guess yeah so there we go
knowing you like words and pronouns I
think we need to check your Searcher
history
now well I did come up with some other
appreciation what so really the pagop
files you guys you get to appreciate our
beard get I
saidil we appreciate you allowing us to
exercise our passion that's great well
from there do we have any other
announcements or small victories no all
right Street trees on the reming or on
the street trees that were planted over
by the school no they're going to be the
fall planting I
think well that would be Grant's report
yeah okay Grant this is a great way to
segue to your report so let's go to
staff reports Grant Archer Urban
Forester okay what was the
question the new trees that were put in
at
mantras there were a few Lyons planted
on ring but this was the committee's uh
homework to on winter break to drive
through there and discuss the plan that
we had discussed in December right
forest pansy and the forest pansy the
the Smoke Tree
and I don't have that information I well
adro pull it up okay the Smoke Tree and
then uh something on um uh Mound Street
other than the horse chestnut other than
the horse chestnut horse
chest well that was getting
removed the well do you have smoke bush
Smoke Tree on on Mound as
well roing well the two that I said you
might have updated it I I probably did I
didn't come prepared on R for Wildfire
black guns right at the entrance and
then smoke trees cotinus and then on
Mound it smoke trees or I said some sort
of dogwood
hybrid and then Mantra side was
for possibly a th honey
lusia and then
Forest so a couple people weren't here
in December so a would you be able to
you and Grant be able to send that list
to
everybody okay because I know Mary
wasn't here um Ellen wasn't here Barb
wasn't
here okay yeah
um yeah I'll send that out to everybody
that'd be great thank you
grant uh also right now you know we're
just keeping the parks clean of the snow
parking lots and we are working on
removals right now so you will see a
contractor out removing the larger wow
and then the
we're also stump grinding as
well do with the stump grind material
take them to
mulch so um in a email conversation I
have with Grant I asked if he would
share the locations where the new trees
went in this year and then the trees
came out and he kindly did that and so
um and then he has a separate list for
the contractor that's taking out large
trees voyd Brothers got some larger
trees so you want to look at this the
good news about if you look at where all
the trees are planted to Grants pointed
throughout the entire community so wow
been out walking to see any new
trees okay sidewalks are pretty
treacherous yeah you have you have to
walk in the I am a a warm weather aile
you know smart let's see warm weather
let's see what would that be in
Latin Greek
panile
Bas all
right sorry I'll send that down so um
are you done with your report do you
have some other things Grant no that's
that's what we're doing right now okay
so are there questions for
Grant are we seen much damage to trees
from the snow it's not been icy so I
would assume not but no we have not
no and how about deer not as of lately
well that's scary well it is hunting
season not in Bexley is it or don't we
want to know that it's not in Bexley no
okay how many hunting permits have we
approved in Bexley this year zero okay
okay about deer is that what de what
about the Beavers Gardens we to request
back in the
day back in the day or even before Mary
come on to uh invoke the Native American
right to hunt anywhere and try to to
have somebody hunt deer in the South
Gardens you remember that was a dying
goer
Innovation
yeah well I mean there there are those
treaties
so it's a Sticky Wicket to get into so
no questions for Grant it's a lot of
great work on these sheets thank you
thermopile thermophile someone who likes
warm
weather
okay okay a Frieza file someone who
likes
cold F Freo fre sure that makes sense
all right mayor let's Freo to you or
freefall to you and have you uh give us
your staff report
you told me you liked it when I left it
blank so I left the okay I think I wrote
down someone um Council uh this is
almost a Troy it's kind of a Troy uh I
guess Troy it's Joint Council passed the
administratively suggested budget uh so
there is funding for tree commission
next this year uh we also have enhanced
funding for tree planting so we added
another $20,000 for additional tree
plant more than normal for tree planting
this year um and I think that those will
be taking place primarily in the
fall yeah Grant mentioned in the email
that he's not going to do any spring
planting so right so uh I saw that
Drexel wall Rehabilitation the Stanberry
pillar uh
deification and uh we do have some we do
have funding for the wall Rec
Construction in North Cassidy at delmare
U good so those are all included delmare
is actually a previously encumbered
funds for that that are just being
carried forward so that's the budget
update so we are starting our year in
Earnest um you know we have several
Parks projects that are continuing um
including the skate park which is um
about to go to bid the bridge also about
to go to bid at Alm Creek um we we're
going to be entering the Jeffrey Park um
playground planning process here pretty
soon we're scoping out Main Street
design guidelines update which will be
commercial design guidelines update um
we are slated to do a public art and
placemaking plan it was supposed to
happen last year but everything got kind
of pushed off because of land use
strategy uh taking a little bit longer
um so we'll be working on that so lots
lots keeping us busy right now okay so I
thought you might want to share kind of
your Staffing report of how the the
administrative staff will be coming or
not coming to monthly meetings yeah so
I've been promising um Susan for a while
that I we're gonna try to come up with a
more balanced schedule for different
staff so I am going to be coming to tree
Commission on an every other meeting
basis alternating months uh starting
with this month so it'll my next
appearance with you guys will be Mar
March um Matt Clinger will be here when
there are applications typically uh I
know today we don't have any
applications what we are talking
about and whenever he wants to we we do
have some updates uh so but um the
commitment is that he will definitely be
here to Shepherd through applications um
as will our
forthcoming uh soon to be identified uh
landscape design consultant um or staff
reviewer whatever we want to call that
position Grant will be here at all times
as your Chief
arborist uh Spencer will be here um
twice a year uh to kind of give an
update on some of the more Arboretum
focused activities this is kind of his
his Bailey Wick with Commonwealth and
and uh Jeffrey any sort of
communications updates he's been doing a
great job continuing to maintain our ARB
burum uh social media channel so
probably I think like what we say like
March and August maybe
um I think those are the general kind of
Staff cadences and I think twice a year
if our new if our new staff consultant
is not the same as our landscape
inspector then twice a year we'll also
have a landscape inspector here to sort
of report on code issues you know
General code issues so we're going to
try to map we have a rough map we're
going to have that map mapped out for
the year so that you know who's coming
and can prepare agendas
accordingly so it will be interesting if
we evaluate that at the end of the year
and find that we missed continuous
presence or we're really happy but every
other month I was me to once a quarter
if you want yeah I was kind of scoping
out your attendance mayor and I figured
it'd be of course January March May and
July but we don't meet in July so you're
going to have to have you know some sort
of make a session for that a it would
it'll just skip to August okay good good
August there's a check mark on the Okay
calendar uh do you want to talk a little
bit about our um our meeting to come up
with some framework for the review of
the ordinances and history of the treat
commission yeah uh do you want to wait I
can do that now
yes so we
um we uh as you know we've been talking
about updating the tree commission
ordinances um we met last week to
discuss that Susan and Jim and myself
and Monique and Matt
Matt over soup true and uh I think we're
gonna have a a group that Susan I are
gonna coach um Jim is going to be part
of that I believe Grant is going to be
part of it Troy Alex Silverman and Sam
Marcelina to get that right as the as
Council committee chairs of the various
kind of committees that overlap with
true commission um but yet avoid a
quorum of council so just shy of a
quorum and then um Mark FAL will be
pulled in as as as needed uh to discuss
where we are today with the ordinances
we're going to start with a history of
the tree commission we are as told by
our
native our native perennial right uh and
then go through what the actual
ordinances say today what we want them
to say talk about tree protections talk
about the art of the possible yeah we
hope to wrap this up in six months we
hope that by month four we have a draft
ordinance yes or we start drafting the
ordinance I think by well we may we've
already drafted the ordinance and then
the rest is just know cream on top but
no tree commission will be the client
kind of client number one or 1B with
Council probably client 1 a I'm not sure
how you want to look at that but tree
commission will be the first board to
kind of take a look at that and provide
feedback we'll continue to hone and then
ultimately bring it to council right
so um and Matt is also on the uh study
group yes sorry I keep on leaving you
out yeah so so figure always at things
you know so mayor one beard yeah if
you're not a pgan
file so mayor uh you don't like that
word I wish it was something a little
bit more you know it brench you know
where it just flowed but very learned
yeah I yes um would those meetings be
open to the public I'm not sure how
those kind of study groups work are they
advertised is it internal is it whatever
you want it to be yeah because the the
group itself is not a decision-making
body it's not technically open to the
public do contain a quorum of anybody
but I mean we're not like we're not
typically closed off no no I know that I
just didn't know what listen they're not
they don't we we aren't required to go
through the kind of public notice
process or
the sunshine loss okay so questions for
the mayor I mean you're not going to see
him for two months so this is it is is
I've said this a couple years now I keep
on getting dragged into me so we'll see
well to our benefit so Sheila I had a
question I've had a few people ask me if
there's been any more um conversation
about the development on the corner on
the other side of Main Street where the
parking lot is right what we call
Gateway South pardon me Gateway South uh
the parking lot yeah the parking lot um
you know there's been conversations
about it being such and such and such is
there any news for
2025 yeah um we just met uh our whole
team just met recently with the property
owner
um they are coming to board of zoning
and planning this month this month W
that's not for new development so they
have a
temporary variant variance or special
permit to be a parking lot I think it's
variance variance it's a it was a or
conditional use conditional use use uh
they had a one-year conditional
use
from 200
N was even before that I think we'll say
2009 I think it was like 07 or something
whatever uh they had a one year and they
were supposed to come to back to
Planning Commission at the time Main
Street uh commission they didn't um so
we've been kind of talking to them about
needing to do that so they're coming
back uh they are working with the
potential developer they continue to be
tied up with property ownership issues
so there's two owners um but I think
that's about to get resolved and the the
pro the issue the two owners that
weren't agreeing on how to move forward
with development um and at the same time
I believe capital is interested in
potentially disposing of adjacent assets
to the South and so we're really
interested in seeing what happens to
that as a bigger
picture thank you yeah to come yeah
other
questions
no oh Jim I should know this since I'm a
member but um is there a schedule for
land use strategy to have a report and
we'll there'll be discussion of that by
the commissions yeah we're we're Doe uh
we need to update commission land use
strategy commission members there's a
draft um that's kind of what no it's
good I hav I'm I need to do some of my
homework too so we're uh there there is
a early there's some early drafting
happening right now and it Megan's been
doing a great job Megan's doing most of
the work right now so um we are uh
probably getting we're probably a month
out from a rough draft to go to land
strategy commission but we'll send out
an email updating once that's been done
I think land strategy feel good about it
it would be good to circulate out
to um you
know the our planning boards since tree
commission certainly would if you guys
wish to take a bite at that Apple that'd
be great um prior to going to council
for
adoption um that leads me back to a
question I was going to ask so um the
commercial guidelines for the Main
Street guidelines does any of that
include right of way yes okay so are we
going to be part of that discussion yes
and when does that happen don't know
we're scoping it right now we're going
to be I think we're you know I think
I've
uh vacillate I I have vacillated and
thinking that maybe this is more of an
internal exercise I'm sort of leaning
more towards um going to Market to get
quotes on the full thing um so we're
gonna we're scoping it right now like
that we're getting bids on it okay we're
GNA see what we get back from whom and
start talking about what the committee
structure looks like okay I think I
misheard I thought it was already in
process I thought it was already going
dra we've drafted scope okay then we
have to go to market to right pricing
and then determine whether we're not GNA
gonna go that right or not okay Linda
EMP parking lot thing is um it what is
it zone for right now and it will zoning
have to change for whatever might come
or zon mixed use commercial okay so it
would not need to change it it was it's
a good question it was owned campus
planning district until about a year or
two ago Matt Kingler Council introduced
an ordinance to change
design in a strategic
coup when he was Ring the MCH and
realized it was actually I think that
was 2009 because I remember John Brennan
was mayor then and part of
the ordinance or the edict was that
there to be a line of taxes in front of
the parking lot on Sheridan and Maine
and I don't think that ever
happened yeah um now I'm gonna now I
just gotta know so I'm gonna look that
look at that but uh the one thing to one
thing to note to you guys have a couple
to that
point it expired in 09 dated 2007 okay
was the so we're both right we're both
right look at that
political
situation oh dear okay so we have one of
the things that has really sted that is
is the failing landscape and really
nothing has thrived there our city trees
are not doing well um you guys are gonna
delighted to see a proposal coming
across the way soon to put a
um mixed use bike pedestrian path on the
south side of Main Street between
Sheridan and park viiew to connect the
bike Boulevard we're building to provide
a safe passage between Sheridan and then
going up on Park View that would uh we
already haveing trees in that area so
kind of it would be a reimagination of
what happens right there um we've also
asked for permission to um we don't
really need there's some rideway but
some private property but to re-envision
the landscaping that's going on there
even as we're waiting for new
development to occur um where the taxes
is was
is kind of behind the sidewalk behind
the sidewalk and they've given us yep
permission very kindly given us
permission to improve their property so
uh we'll be looking at that um this
year you know there's a long time ago
there's also some interest by Bexley
people um of changing the cross
crosswalk or cross bike lane from Kroger
to alen Creek to bringing it up Park
View going across there then going back
over the bridge and then connecting
again as a safer yeah I mean I I know
that's Columbus but still so we receive
funds as part of our of the link us Levy
yeah or tax issue to
um W not widen the bridge but
reconfigure the bridge so that we have
better pedestrian bike and it should be
on both sides I think um unfortunately a
lesson learned from the Ohio State Bank
building is the pinch point that was
created there does not make it good for
cyclists on the north side so I think
we're gon have to focus more on the
anybody what that yeah I mean it's a
pinch point for Walkers deer
well we could lose a tree I know sounds
sacriligious but that one last tree well
is what is is where the biggest p is the
biggest thing yeah well there's course
there's territory to
North is it there yeah there's place
there's place to plant right we could
prove that Matt I see you standing up so
I'm gonna call on you thank you I have
to leave in about two minutes all right
well here how about a two-minute update
on your great work on the cohatch tree
um making lemonade out of lemons yes
they will be writing a check to trees
for Bexley um it will be I I confirmed
with Grant the caliper 24 inches uh is
what needs between those two trees there
um we said $100 a caliper so I I spoke
to the representative from cohatch and
it will be at least that much is what he
said so we're hoping for more and we
made to trees for Bexley and um it will
be turned over to the Bexley Community
Foundation right that's what they have
the they have the grant for that yeah so
it was good um I know it wasn't it
didn't it didn't go the way that we at
the city would hope you know from
protecting the trees but um them
stepping forward and and writing a
donation will will help um and then the
other thing I wanted to update I did get
your email Mary um we I did have Dave
her liard code enforcement officer Reach
Out to the contractor um yep and the
homeowner and said if there's any it's
it's there's a dumpster in the driveway
but there's no real driveway Improvement
but the contractor did pull up into the
yard so we um ask that they get uh tree
protection around that tree if they're
going to be driving around it off of the
driveway um
nothing no no but sometimes um you know
they do it anyway
so they're doing at this house so but um
thank you no thank you for the email we
appreciate you all reaching out and all
of our residents reaching out to us uh
when we see code violations so again to
the cohatch I think it's a great model a
great outcome from you know a bad
situation so congratulations to you guys
and thank you and than yep thank you for
letting me know as soon as I was hired
you know as jump on it yeah Charlie I
would have to you know stick in a little
bit of a contrary view you know would
say there's there's no replacement of
the canopy we're getting new trees we're
getting money but we're not replacing
you know a 12-in canopy but at least
we're going to have something that will
hopefully Thrive so hopefully they won't
die right you get the money
and yeah well that that would be unusual
thank you seven and9 yes thank you Matt
Matt okay anything else under other in
Old business all right oh l
when we or any somebody reports it how
do we have things like a code
enforcement person or people that can
pick that up so that it doesn't have to
just depend on somebody's wisdom knowing
that this is it wrong I don't
know like hiring another code person
Yeah just something going on I think
that's our job well everyone's looking
we are staff is constantly finding
things so feeling that like you see
something oh my gosh staff didn't see
that actually often I call in stuff and
they've already been on top of it so
staff is constantly seeing it sometimes
they don't see everything there's lots
of room isuse that app but I've noticed
lately that it's not working right and
is it just me I don't know Bexley Bas
yeah check that out Troy I getemail all
the
time disorderly Behavior there's also a
process involved just because you see
something there's a it might take two to
three weeks to get it resolved or month
sometimes could enforcement a lot longer
than I've always had a good response
whenever I whenever I've complained
about something gotten I'll double make
sure so Jim did asking a question I was
no gonna make a comment that okay you
know with my interactions with matth is
very open to hearing about U potential
code violations and and I think he's you
know doing a good job managing his
department so that they become have a
higher level of awareness and then you
know once we complete the process of
hiring a new landscape consultant we'll
be back in the game hopefully of of
inspecting previous installations so I
think that things are moving in the
right direction I
agree yeah so if there's no other old
business let's go on to new business and
as you already know we're looking at
goals for the for the season um uh
Charlie was going to lead us in a
discussion of Ming moving from my
cultures to a limited variety of species
per Street um he's not here so we could
table that till February or Jim would
you like to move forward with that um I
do not have a PhD like Charlie does and
so I think it would U probably be ill
advised I mean I I will I mean maybe
it's a sigue to the next item which is
our our um planning and maintenance plan
um I don't know that this commission's
actually acted on it but at least my
sense of our conversation in terms of
monocultures was that we would as part
of our plan identify a street or streets
where we would depart from the single
species planning and then evaluate over
time both the you know the environmental
impact of it but also the aesthetic
impact of having more than one species
so
um I would call that proceeding with all
deliberate speed um to change what's
been right Charlie Jim and I met with
Charlie last um Friday and uh we talked
a little bit about you know moving from
monocultures to a more
Diversified um look and and in and uh
installations and he was going to
share suggestions for some streets so
this was what you know Dawson would look
like or this is what uh delmare would
look like and and look at two three
streets in each of our Geographic areas
and see how we felt about that so we're
a little bit you know listing without
him here to to go through that with
us so are there questions about that
not yet not yet okay all right so Jim
why don't you go on to the planning and
maintenance okay um so um let me start
by um a confessional statement I think
last January we started this process and
I assured you all that we'd be done by
April or so of last year and Susan very
politely
laugh at that notion and um so we did
meet um pretty much till late summer
early fall and then we had you'll recall
a conversation about monocultures as as
part of a sort of special meeting before
our
meeting um and then we sort of had the
intersection of the conversation um that
we talked about a few minutes ago with
where you know Grant and the mayor and
um and Matt and then three council
members and Susan and I will be looking
at all of our ordinances and that which
is probably broader than the immediate
issue of plannings behind the sidewalk
but we know that that's a big issue is
what we do behind the sidewalk so um
talking about with sus it seemed like
maybe the best thing to do was rather
than for us to call back together our
small working group to try to take the
draft as we had it and share it with you
I think that there's a lot of this that
um at least our working group I think
was largely had consensus around um but
there certainly this is a draft and the
reason to bring it to you is to get your
feedback I realized I just sent it last
night so I don't expect everyone to have
studied it thoroughly but I thought what
I would do is sort of take you through
it and then um we can answer questions
that you have now and then um next month
we can see if we're ready to approve it
or whether we want to have another
meeting to further understand it and
refine it but try to move it along so
within the next couple months we
actually adopt a plan um which um
ironically um maybe the ordinances say
we're supposed to have had all along and
probably there is someone a plan
somewhere in the bows of City Hall but
um maybe the old
city
yeah um but and I would say that I think
we can approve sections mean if we're
we're not there yet just leave that but
let's just say the preamble tree and
care planting plan does that say what we
want to say I mean I'm going to have you
lead this but but if that's fine then we
don't have to go back and word Smith
that sure so I'll just take you through
this so the introduction in scope is
really just a restatement of what the
ordinance say that we're supposed to do
in terms of offering uh an a a plan or
adopting a plan the next section um
Provisions regarding plannings in the
tree laon I would sort of call an a a
finger in the Dy section while we work
through what we're going to do about um
um resident concerns with plantings
behind the sidewalk versus our desire to
fully plant the canopy so you know um a
lot of it is just restating what's in
our ordinances but not always seen and
I'll just sort of take you through the
bullets um that no trees can be planted
in the tree lawn or public streets or
public places without um the approval of
the tree and public garden commission
with the exception of trees planted by
the city obviously one of the areas of
un unclarity is City versus commission
particularly in plannings behind the
sidewalk but I think it's relatively
clear and everyone agrees that on the
street side of the sidewalk our list of
approved trees is what's supposed to be
planted and Grant regularly comes back
to us when there needs to be an
exception to that and so this really um
is just really intended to to um cover
that the next bullet um because I'm
compulsive identifies all the streets
where there are uh there's more than
five feet of RightWay behind the
sidewalk and it and you know the intent
of this is really to say for now while
we're studying what the city wants to do
with those kind of streets residents
shouldn't be planting their own trees
behind there we'll we'll have a Hiatus
to that and then I think it says um um
um in the next bullet that the city can
still plant on that side of the sidewalk
but um U somewhere here and I apologize
it's somewhere I think it's down under
targets for tree replacement we make it
clear that behind the sidewalk um we're
not going to plant if the resident
doesn't agree and that may be how the
process ends up or may may end up
somewhere else but until we've resolved
that issue We're Not Gonna We're not
gonna ask Grant to go in there under
Fire and plant behind the sidewalk oh
Grant um although you know his beard is
a pretty good cover I think but um
because he could say it was the mayor
that was actually
there or Mike Price Right
um um next well it just says no
prohibited species should be planted in
those areas that's kind of obvious but
you know I thought needed to be said um
and that is actually if you want to
get this is a bad F in the weeds um the
strange thing and I think this is
something that will probably get
resolved in this process currently
shrubs are prohibited species So
currently if you want to read the
ordinances literally we there shouldn't
be any trubs planted in any of the tree
blond so um that's something I think
that'll be part of this conversation
that that um that Troy and the mayor and
everyone else will be part of um but but
Jim also um doesn't this segue to a list
of prohibited trees in species that's in
the ordinances and if you think it's
helpful I can site the ordinance I think
I don't know I what do you guys think I
think it'd be helpful yeah I mean it's
kind of like link right this was written
before computers and there were links so
that would be nice so last year we I
think it was last year that we came up
with an updated list of prohibitive
species has it been updated or is that
yet to I don't think that ever became
part of the ordinances so I think we
that should be um we can get that back
out and
um I mean I would think probably
um temporarily that with could be be
made part of this plan um I don't to be
honest with you I don't remember what
the changes were I don't either off the
top of my head but I think there were a
couple species that had been deemed
invasive since the last time the LI was
done yeah it would have been based on
what the state has shown for their
invasive species so well and then what
is on their kind of watch list for five
years from now right so um also I had a
question um so under bullet too um you
say that you know you have to receive
the prior approval to to do any kind of
planting do we need to say
why because I was just kind of curious
myself why it is it because of the fact
that it's five feet Beyond or is it
because city property
yeah do people I mean do people realize
that well I think if you get down to
education at the end of this yeah I I
mean my perspective is that um
in part because of my own lack of
knowledge till I joined the tree
commission I think that people really
don't understand what the right of way
is in fact I think if you surveyed like
a 100 Beckley residents more than 50%
would say that they owned everything up
to this curve yeah
yeah is there a reason that all these
particular places have that is it
because there are Utilities in there
that or is what I mean REM there used to
be a trolley yeah well didn't there used
to be one on Dawson too Dawson and we
own clear up to the front door on Dawson
really but should that should we think
about changing it so that the people
really do have their property up to the
sidewalk versus listing all these
streets and and saying you know it's our
property I mean I think that's a debate
that the this working group is going to
have to have the flip side of all that
is that that was dedicated for the
public good when those those plats were
laid out out in the history of the city
and um you know since those lines are no
longer active and you know what I mean
it's it's like does it really make sense
to continue well I mean that that would
mean on some streets that we would have
no right plant trees because there is no
face to plan on the other side of the
side I'm not sure you can do away with
the city's right of away no so we could
move the sidewalk back if we wanted to
put a new water line in if we wanted to
widen the street I mean it gives us the
opportunity I mean it's it's but ask a
real estate person but you know it's
part of the property the Deeds right oh
so you couldn't change that I mean I
think that's an
issue a whole legality that we're not
interested in going there know we
certainly don't have the right to do it
in our plan and maintenance the however
the group decides to proceed and
ultimately city
council I think you know I I don't know
we need Mark here to say but I suppose
you can abandon part of your right away
to the property owner but I don't yeah
they need we've done it they have to
take they have to agree to it obviously
you can't voice property on people so it
has it's like a contract you know that
doesn't affect property taxes does it
could the but I mean in theory yes in
practicality minimally so you gave all
your front yard to the city you would
have to taxes on it I have like 20 feet
so yeah sure you can give it to us we'll
take it for free is there a minimum
amount of uh of space between the
sidewalk and the um RightWay like no
does some rways go right to the sidewalk
sometimes the RightWay goes right to the
resident side of the sidewalk and then
the the list here is just the streets
where there's more than five feet of
rideway on the resident side of the
sidewalk so Troy I Would S I would
suggest that every right of weight
condition that you can imagine is
available in Bexley oh yeah I don't I
don't doubt it I I just I obviously I
mean we encounter them all the time with
with stuff and and it's none 60
feet that's all oh I found the typ in
case you care uh you can give it to me
offline how's that right don't I
continue to March through um so then the
next section is kind of our targets for
tree placement and um there's still a
few gaps in this but you know to
actually put into our plan this goal by
uh I think 2029 of filling the available
spaces um stump removal is I think as an
issue that we need talk about one of our
members Luke who then got a new job and
had to leave us was of the view that
stumps could be ground more than we do I
think Grant sees some difficulties with
that so I think that's one issue that we
should devote some time to conversation
about there's obviously an expense to
grinding stops and there and I think
Grant said that in some streets there's
just not the space to grind them any
more deeply than we normally do so um
that's sort of an area for conversation
Jim I want to go back to the last bullet
point on um the second one about removal
or demish tree plant tree public St
plant which important do we need to put
in that section what the liability is
the cost for
CER so $100 that's not right no the city
of Columbus moved it up to $200 that
would require change in the ordinance I
mean I think that's the uh contemplation
for the the ordinance group for the stud
group okay but this is really just
restating what's in there now because I
don't think we had the right to go
beyond the existing ordinances
now oh I
do no well I think then we should put
question marks you know right well I I'd
be happy to go through it and sort of
identify where the questions are that
might okay that's fair May referred to
the ordinance group uh this was really
more intended to remind people okay all
uh the folks that we're now happy with
who were earlier on our agenda that you
know it is you know um
the the or one thing the ordinances are
absolutely clear about is that it's
prohibited to damage trees and there's a
you know there's fines for it and that
sort of stuff so okay that include
hanging signs on
trees by private people yes I mean well
if you nail it I I mean if
you has to cause significant damage to
kill the
tree how do you know I mean
okay but like a nail
do I assume we just ask them to remove
it and hopefully they just comply
usually messes up
our
yeah oh a nail in there
did we answer your question yes yes sir
so then section three is the tree
replacement coverage stump removal
replanting I would say that this is
largely
um ambitious um and will require us to
work with Grant to set more specific
goals but it didn't seem to make sense
to to try to like identify which streets
were going to be planted when I mean as
you I mean Grant's done a great job this
p past fall and I think there's always
going to have to be some room for Grants
judgment as to what the best streets are
given weather conditions and what's
available from the nurseries and all of
those variables
and um so but that's the the intent of
that section um species selection and
climate change gets into our favorite
subject
monocultures um you know it does provide
more guidance about species selection
the monocultures as I alluded to earlier
what we've what we're recommending and I
think there's been some conversation
around this is to find one or more
streets where we would test several tree
plantings identify what might be
complimentary species and try that and
then the rest of this section is sort of
some criteria for what we're looking at
when we decide um to to look at our
street list and replace
um an existing species on there as
climate changes or as Nursery stock
becomes unavailable all those
variables um and it's also to some
extent talks about the benefits of trees
which we can never do often
enough next section five is tree
planting standards and um I think Grant
um was involved in our conversations
about this I think largely correct me if
I'm wrong WR what we've done is um taken
the Ohio nursery standards to the extent
they're applicable to the type of trees
that we purchase for planting in Bexley
and we've kind of adopted those so we
have clear planting standards um and um
you know Grant will obviously want to
make sure that we've done that right but
hopefully this get gets us all on the
same page as to what our planning
standards
are
um some places where it just was too
that came up in our group that were
difficult again to decide like what's a
standard like staking if you're on if
you're like at the top of
the sixth page I think it is we want we
think staking is important but it was
difficult to decide when staking is
important and we've got Grant so staking
should be done when the city Forester
deems necessary if folks think we need
more standards than that we can discuss
that as we proceed but that's sort of
where I went kind of and here's where I
really was just pulling a rabbit or deer
out of the Hat on deer
protection I mean well I didn't I we
could add DE deer and beaver protection
here I just thought my perception was
that like most of the deer that would
damage trees would be in the Allen Creek
vicinity and I randomly chose three
blocks from alen Creek Grant may say
that's not the right area Others May say
hey I mean I've had deers in my backyard
and I'm way more than that but they
never hang around long enough to damage
my trees but that's another area that in
cander bre block seemed as good a number
to me but if that's not the right number
we should discuss that um what do you
think's the right number grant I think
that's a great
starting
um that then and then pruning um again
really intended to you know encourage
development of resources to um be
pruning our trees and then the last
section um is sort of resource
assessment we're just encouraging that
we have a regular process to kind of
Benchmark ourselves against other
communities that we identify that have a
similar love for trees and similar
resources to what Bexley has so that we
are you know remaining at the top of the
game there and doing that on kind of a I
think I I threw in a
threee basis I think is what I said um
yeah at least every three years and that
was again there's no magic to three
except doing it every year is burdensome
and timec consuming and uh doing it Le
you know Le less often than that didn't
seem like we're staying on top of things
so
uh and then public education at one
point we had this great aspiration to
have a detailed public education plan
but in the interest of getting this to
you all I've funded that so that we can
create a new group to but I do actually
appoo the question earlier about ride of
way appropo of our ongoing conversations
about um Mulch and mulch
volcanos I mean I think there's real
opportunity for us to be sponsoring more
education for the community um you know
I think one thing that Mary's shown in
terms of the stuff that she's done with
the library is there's real interests in
our community in these things and so um
I think there's an opportunity for us to
do more there so kind of the overview
and I'll give it back to yous to figure
out how we deal with this how we deal
with this so I think that's a good
commission discussion would you like to
take this home and
review
it right and I apologize not to get it
ear I think it's very well done Jim and
a lot of time was spent in very
thoughtful time so greatly appreciated
and and are there things that should be
in it that we don't or that we
have we have not remembered to put in it
or we have not flushed out
enough let's see Mary you just finished
a tree course you finished your
landscape design degree are there
materials that you have that we should
consult pretty thorough to me I mean
Grant what did
you anything or not or uh I need to read
over
again technique look good the
and audre gets the award I sent this out
at at about 9 o'clock last night and
before 7 am. today I gave me suggested
change
yeah yeah she just suggested that in
terms of planning standards tags should
be added oh yeah I saw that that was um
because volcano mulching now has its own
Ordinance do you think we should
reference the fact that if somebody
volcano mulches a city
tree that it's you
know um against yeah let me think about
where that might fit in I mean certainly
we should educate people about it but
maybe there's also a place
um we
can also included in the
plan and you also had that a stump Ral
on private property right ordinance that
you did a few years ago yeah more than a
few yeah I mean there is a there is that
ordinance and I think that is um we I
mean I
think we require our residents to grind
their stumps more quickly than we do as
a city but then we also grind a lot more
stumps as a city than any residents do
so that's just a question out there what
and that's where I left that blank is
what should our what's the realistic
timing for that given the resources we
have for stump grinding and you know if
you're grinding stumps you're not doing
something else um I
think this plan
so so is that a good plan then to home
with you yes we'll come back to it in
February yes and uh if you have um you
know you're looking for some reading
material and you're reading this between
now and the next meeting uh and find
things you'd like to add or at least
discuss uh if you'd send that
information to Jim so we can get it on
the agenda that' be great and perhaps 10
days before our next meeting I can send
it out again yes that'd be
great thank thank you Jim thank you for
continuing with this you know we we only
win when we keep persevering
right
um you're having
fun good excellent excellent excellent
especially I love red lines where I can
just accept the
change okay
so so you know
what that's one I
least okay how about adding esss to
Garden I did no not all that's all right
I did you did some replace all okay
replace all you did okay so number three
our third goal uh as as a draft is
developing programs to bring residents
on board of tree plantings perhaps that
could be a wider goal um developing
education programs
students well just students but
residents I think we're talking about
residents uh Celeste had sent me uh some
goals which were more focused on
education and to have education as part
of ongoing Series in Bexley so uh uh the
mayor had suggested that we look at
maybe partnering with the library maybe
we create a a tree course like Mary and
uh Cindy how took a 10 session tree
commission Academy course course through
odr was that Master garders Master
Gardeners um then you come away with
certificate and we'll plan a tree for
you I mean I I'm making it up Jim but so
Linda's comment I mean if you could get
the schools to do something about trees
that actually require the parents to
help with the
homework I mean you do reach a lot of
people that way if you do something in
the schools and the kids get full
enthusiastic and bring home something
and then you know they
annoy their parents like we're not
supposed to do that we need to do this I
they get the one thing I asked Megan
this morning Theo came home and said I
want to plant a tree would you plant a
tree right you know one of the things
that we found trying to work with the
schools is that you know they have their
schedule and they have to account for
every minute in every program um I think
Elizabeth has done well with the
environmental sustainability stuff and I
know how that happened but certainly
that's you know I think she's been able
to work that into the curriculum has she
not isn't she going at like third or
fourth
grades fourth grade and seventh grade
okay fourth grade and seventh grade and
how often does she go to each classroom
do you have any sense of
that sure okay right so we did talk a
little bit this morning about trying to
start that with the preschool kids at
Jeffrey because we might have more
ability to you know kind of uh ease into
their
curriculum than we might with the high
school or the middle school I mean I get
what you're saying Linda but I think
it's a uphill struggle we'd actually
bought many year some years ago a
program that the teachers could just
adopt and it last don't even apply te I
mean have the teacher talk about it and
then but you can't well again you know
probably the best thing is partnering
with the school athletic boosters on the
mulch volcano right grant where all
those bags of mulch and we try and give
them some instruction yeah we sent that
out last year with the stale but yeah
right um but but so so let's just talk
about education programs if we were
going to develop something how what can
you see that how could you see that
education program for the community
be I mean something once a month that
you sign up for a course or you just
sign up for every discreet unit if
you're interested in it that you set a
limit of like eight to 10 people and you
actually what should I say you have an
ongoing group that moves through it much
like maybe mayor the police commission
Academy
that's yes yeah but but I mean that's a
cohort of people and they stick together
throughout it all they also get pizza
every time but yeah but regardless I
mean I
think but I think that's I I mean I
think that has certainly had staying
power right that's right but I think
fire guns too you guys should what they
fire
guns right could plant a tree yeah yeah
I mean then at the end you could of
plant a tree and it's your tree yeah I
mean you're getting 80 some people come
to these gatherings that that that's
pretty much all the people want to do I
mean they're going to come to the one
o00 and be there for an hour and a half
two hours to hand out information asking
for commitment or something that it's an
ongoing thing I think it's a different
group of people yeah there yeah yeah but
but Mary is there any way that um of
course uh aler has a program and so does
the Master Gardeners I'm sure Columbus
State does instead of us creating one if
we just bought the person and the
program if that would be more efficient
what's your ultimate
goal um education and then kind of
profits you know because like I like I
mentioned before um you know I look out
my my back door and I look down my alley
and I I saw a gorgeous Oak cut down
needlessly I saw a walnut taken down
I've seen another large tree within my
block and then we lost two Street trees
as well so we lost a lot of caliper in a
summer and I don't see people replacing
which the city replaced thankfully but I
don't see people replacing in their
backyards and to me that's a missed
opportunity and it's like how do you
encourage people to plant in their
backyard you don't have to plant you
know a massive Oak you could plant
something that's smaller and easier to
maintain can we encourage people to do
that and obviously by educating them of
their options is one way um you know
bribing children is another
way rep
so yeah so would you suggest discrete
units would be more perhaps interesting
more accessible than a than a 10-week
commitment what would you do try
I mean I I guess when I think about
things that would be effective I would
be a little bit more modest maybe and
work with maybe scouting groups uh you
know they usually have requirements that
they need to fulfill uh and align your
goals in the community with you know
those Scouts who would be maybe assigned
to do some sort of community work with
trees with their neighbors or something
like that I mean you know and that would
include
some education but they would also
include some actionable items that they
would do you know and then you know
you're you're plant you know you're
planting the seed there with the younger
you know it's knowledge than that what
about um something some kind of
partnership with your group at Ohio
State where U you know we plant certain
trees and can do research on them or
could we become research site for um got
we've got labor
residents that are willing to
participate in a tree study or something
but as as a participant you put the tree
in your backyard for sure yeah you know
I don't know I mean just thinking
outside the box I guess no I mean I
think we we all have to I I I think
there's there are two different goals
that we kind of talked about you know
creating some understanding and
education with children so that it
becomes a lifelong passion wouldn't that
be great um and but then educating adult
so that trees are planted now you know
so they know enough how to plant trees
now you know with the like The Scouting
thing I I think like that sort of
educational component I would think you
might teach them how to spot health and
disease problems in trees like for
instance right uh you know trees that
you know need F you know need
nutritional supplementation or something
like that and you'd be then you'd be
going into the private properties
because they would be working with their
neighbors and their friends and things
like that and you
know again it's it's it's it's a modest
thing it's you're not doing gigantic
things but you're doing you know here
and there or whatever and you know once
you get something like that that's
successful and it's used with with I'm
still just thinking about like a
scouting program it gets used and reused
again because it's this becomes a
successful model for them to use in the
program see mayor are you working with
troop 220 for maple
syrup or 166 when when
um yeah when a homeowner takes a big
tree down does the vendor are do we
require that the vendor do a permit or
no okay I was just thinking if we did
then that would be a way to educate that
particular homeowner about the value of
planting something at Tre
replacement um because you know it's
it's a sensitive subject we certainly
are here for the mission of what trees
bring to our value of our community but
in some
cases you know they have that right to
take that tree down
absolutely says the easiest way to get
people to plant more trees is to give
them a tree what happened with that was
it just because it was Catal so grant
grant oh my go I know you want to leave
now people say they want a tree and then
you show up with that tree and then they
no longer want that tree it happened
once it happened every time we show
up at a resident's house and they're
like oh we don't want it anymore so do
you think if it had been a red
maple uh they just decid that they
didn't want it but most of the time
they're just like I don't want it
anymore even though we're the hole and
planting it for them just
like and I did not have that
experience that was just everybody there
was like a ticker tape
Paretti so that was different you guys
were dropping trees off at residential's
houses that they may or may not have
been there correct and then walking away
ex I've been keeping tabs on those trees
pretty good Grant what if we got rid of
difficult residents and replaced them
with three that would be a good program
right how many people would be left
right
so yeah oh all all all three commissions
yeah so Grant do you have um residents
who call and say are there tree programs
are there education programs you don't
okay I know that when we have done tree
planning seminars a decade ago we did
not have many
people there's an infrastructure as you
know through Franklin swolling water too
like we could just fund they have it
already you know that would be another
they they have a tree education course
yep so they do the they do the backyards
program we fund the um rain barrel rain
barrel and um composting part and and we
haven't funded the tree other
program but we could do that it's like a
rebate off of a tree I think Oakland
Nursery yeah or okay I was talking about
education program right so in order to
do it you have to complete the education
program and then you get like a $100
certificate or
something could we bring them over and
do a program with them do you know I
think that's what he's saying okay yeah
I mean they have a they have like one
that they just do in other cities that
could do for us or they would tailor
something have you have you seen that
Grant I have I've actually used it to
plant trees in my own yard okay but I
mean we're I you I thought you'd said
you did an online course yeah so it is
all online okay well I want something in
person I they'll do in person they'll do
in person okay well we could try that
what do we have to lose and they could
maybe partner with the library money
just money well that's a great Grant
opportunity do they offer trees to plant
as well or would that be something we
could provide so what you do is you take
the class and then after after the video
you get a voucher to go to Acorn Farms
or Oakland Nursery and then you go pick
whatever tree you want you can choose to
have plant it or you can plant it
yourself and then you purchase the tree
and if a since Acorn Farms is part of
the program they rebate it right then
and there now if you choose another
Nursery that's not part of the program
you have to send in seat and then you
get a check for the $100 that was given
so is there do you have a contact there
I used to gone who was that she was a
Master Guard Sarah Ern okay mayor Grant
do you have a Tex there that
call right I don't know but I can just
you can just call just call
okay because if we um I think the
library's calendar is only out for like
December January February or Jan
February March so if we did that we
could doesn't mean there aren't things
booked beyond that no no true true but
we could maybe get that
ARB Grant I don't want to exclude you
from teaching a
course or teaching courses so my
question to you would be is that
something you'd like to do it would not
I think there are better public speakers
out there better with the public than I
would be okay but I'd be happy to sit
and help design a program that might
work well good that would be great be
great then we have coopted so is that an
okay Next Step everybody Frank conone
water see if we
can family and then the people they know
you know late 40s early 50s I mean
they're not home ever and to think about
them going someplace daytime would be
really well maybe daytime more than
evening because they're always running
around and and for they look around and
it's like we have a lot of trees this
place is great they're maintained and
they're taken care of I it's just not a
concern I guess of them but when we we
see things like trees coming down in the
neighbors because they're doing the
addition they're doing this that's only
going to be changed by information that
they get when they permit for the
addition by taking down this tree you
are eliminating such we would
recommend replacing it with a three
different kinds which the problem
problem with permitting is the homeowner
is not going to get that it'll be the
cont tractor that's doing the work or
whoever does the
yeah I think we should assault other
pathetic communities and plant trees in
their areas you know well to that point
um one of the donors to the Community
Foundation funded the planting of trees
on Gould North abroad yeah and I what
was it seven oak trees are on the east
side of the yeah there was more on the
Columbus side than than there was on the
Bexley side and if you drive up Gould
you will see those trees and they're
doing pretty well very well actually
right so but again we have a donor
that'd be very interested in the
geographic areas that are contiguous to
Bexley to
plant maybe a tree ambassador program to
other
communities resources and plant trees
there always always interested in being
a tree Ambassador yeah well that's what
we always are of course yeah how did um
The Mulch education The Mulch pamphlet
work would it be beneficial to do like
here's why should plant more trees in
your yard here are some species like
what are the basics we could drill it
down to and would it be beneficial to do
like a door
theer I mean did you get a lot of
traction with your mulch no okay no
again you know and mayor will argue with
me but I mean a lot of the contractors
are doing that kind of work and if if
we're not getting to them which we've
tried to many years you know if you have
you have to pull permit then we
explained to you about the mulch
volcanoes the homeowner isn't the one
out there throwing down the mulch
causing the issue but pretty deep mul
they love it yeah but they think they're
hiring someone that knows what they're
doing yeah did we
do am I disagreeing with you about a lot
of people you think there's more
residents who maintain their own yard
versus contractors no I agree with you
about the
mle but we could put the understand did
we do a a pamplet or something or we do
we have a door hanger
okay the those contractors are supposed
to be registered yeah we're in the first
year of that we're going to be a little
bit more stringent going into the second
year that right what if we walk downs
and put the door hanger on door
CRA let said no soliciting don't do it
then okay do we need
tags please
escort you're just dropping you don't
need okay if you're trying to sell them
something they select okay yeah we could
try it on a couple
streets couple in each
section sorry are we talking about buch
we're talking about putting we're
talking about us or a greater group
putting the door tags about Mulch on
on doors okay and maybe you already this
but I was thinking I mean if we want
people more trees and we're talking
about education why don't we develop
some sort of door hanger that involves
here's why you should plant trees here's
a couple to consider here's how easy it
is to care for a new little tree you
know I I don't you know what are the
barriers to people I mean if if we're
looking at education is there a small
step that we can take versus this like
huge lift to have somebody come to class
which few people are going to do or an
educational program you know is there
some small thing that people might be
interested in I think we should try all
things and I love the idea of a door
hanger or pamphlet that you do you're
going to do that I think you need to
kind of Market
it as like like a resource that a
resident could use right like hey we
will come to your house and plant a tree
for you or something like that right
that would
get I don't think well that's that's
what Grant did yeah they don't want it
and they didn't want it yeah 30 30 of
the 35 trees they didn't want
right how much cash
give them an option and give you know
give various sizes you can't just offer
you know a large tree if they don't have
the space like I don't have any room in
my backyard for a big tree so I have
dogwoods so offer you know smaller trees
like that or you know say hey would you
like some help planting a tree here's
what we can do for you and then another
thing we could do is um give them a
little sign to put in their front yard
like we do with the Sentry homes you
know friend of the arum or something
like that you know just a new Arbor
member there you go always said need
more sence that that yes I yeah Neon the
issue with I mean we have to think about
our goal is is it tree canopy or is it
enhancing the landscape of your house I
think it's both because the smaller the
tree usually the more expensive it's
going to be I mean everybody will take a
Japanese maple oh no I bought a think
that's the goal of tree planting and
backyards I bought a beautiful um it's a
big flowered dog WG for 35 bucks last
year so I mean you know I don't think
it's a huge expense but obviously I was
out there watering it a lot last year
too but um again I I think if people
come to us and want to do it I think
there's a better chance of it actually
happening and that they'll actually take
care of it and see the benefits of it
and I think there's a lot of beautiful
native flowering trees that we could
suggest that aren't massive and you know
people may be surprised by spring what
they see and say hey I really like this
and maybe the neighbor sees it you know
what I
mean so let's go back to A's thought
about doing a flyer sort ask question
yes I mean what do you see I mean we're
piing around some idea is do any of
these seem like things that the
residents grab or would have success or
I don't know it's hard to tell we have a
lot of flyers for a lot of things like
so when we plan A tree in your front
yard we put a flyer on there how to
maintain it how to water it that went
South really quickly because the price
of water in Bexley
everywh
[Laughter]
everywhere water is not more expensive
than other water well I'm not saying it
isn't I'm just these are the emails and
Facebook went crazy well well water's
cheaper and um and then we do the
mulching one we do uh plant
maintenance one there's water bill door
hangers there's I mean we got door
hangers all kinds of door hangers I
don't know if it works or not I mean
I've
never did a study on if a resident is
pulling it and reading it the Scout
didn't the Scout who were helped with us
with this didn't didn't they hang all
those door your your friend yeah he put
it in the this happened beex magazine
but that was a a targeted area right it
wasn't he only did it's like Central
Bexley I think yeah okay yeah what was
his name
Ken I mean you got to think you the
thing we keep learning is you got to
communicate over and over and over and
over and over again till it starts to to
kind of penetrate and also you know
Grant and I I'm joking about the things
we just we agree about a lot of things
we agree about a lot of things um I do
feel like we can many minutes make this
planting program like more exciting I
think we can provide more choice when it
comes to the different species that
people might have especially if we
accept that ornamental trees are okay
the plant you know it's okay hard as an
option I know but if we do that yeah I
think you might find that you have a
higher success rate of people accepting
what they've said they wanted and every
now and then you're gonna get a mighty
Yol you know in the mix so I think
um I just think we keep keep moving
forward and learning and having fun I'd
like to see more social media presence
because I I think Spencer does a great
job on Instagram but it's not on
Facebook and I feel like that should be
on Facebook too as part of you know
something the city should the city
should have an official Arboretum
Facebook page maybe or I know you're not
a fan but let's face it
that's I I thought people your age used
Instagram yeah we're not supposed to be
yeah or Tik Tock Tik
Tok problems because I mean one you want
a pretty tree also you want a fast
growing tree because nobody wants a tree
that's going to take 50 years to so is
you know if we want to know let's offer
a redo and teaching the the girls two
feet a year you know is it I mean I
think there's some education may be done
that could be done that could give
people more interested in trees like I
don't know there's so many different
things that could be maybe we give
everybody a copy of Doug talmy's
book it's because it's so small yeah
right but I mean it seems like there are
some opportunities I agree we could make
it a little more sexy and people could
be more interested in
it but it seems like there's problems we
could
solve okay so may said I mean we need to
just keep keep at it not give up because
it's not working the first seven years
okay so so may no you go ahead man maybe
we do a Bexley version of the Franklin
Soil and Water where it's um you come to
a you come to a very short but fun
little lecture about how to care for
your tree and if you still want it after
you've signed up you know then you get
one and if you don't then maybe we go to
a waiting list or something and you know
we we're just a little more intentional
on the front end right to bring people
in so any good journalist who what where
when and why so we're kind of all over
on the
education aspects of this so let's kind
of narrow it down
inside City what will the city do about
an educa education programs and then
what will we do or what will we do
together so or maybe we do it and come
back to you and say here's what we want
to do and then you you do it darn it oh
no I don't mean it like that I just mean
will do the work for you and then
present it and you can decide if that's
what you think okay or you know what I'm
saying yeah I think
that's I mean the basis of this
committee really should be anyway part
of it I would like the mayor and Grant
to formulate a tree giveaway program
that Grant feels has some viability and
that and that means it has to be a
program
of it could be just four trees that we
give away to those um homeowners on
Sheridan May or that you and Grant saw
in your joy
ride um or whatever it is that you just
would feel would work that that Grant
feels is worth his time and and we know
we have funding for it we know we can
get funding for we could incorporate um
the offering at our new um homeowners
Gathering that is coming up is there one
coming um I think the
chamber yeah um you know encouraging
them um giving them a little information
about the fact that we are an AR burum
the value of what a tree brings to your
real estate um and and encourage them to
sign up at the event and um you know I'm
thinking in terms of the average person
doesn't really have
um a lot of imagination as far as
Landscaping you just have to drive down
any Street and um it's not always
something people think of you know they
go in their garage and go out their door
and that kind of thing so um what we do
in the city we create this umbrella of
beauty and we want them to embrace it um
but we have to softly you know work
through it um to be sensitive to those
that may embrace it um and I think that
may be one Avenue you know so those are
my are you g to have tables there again
like you've done before for a different
organization
okay okay February 23rd
Sunday okay
we had had Bloomers the last I don't
think there was one last year at least
okay nobody there it' be good to for
homeowners to know you know if they're
when they buy the house they're looking
at demoing the tree put the addition on
and stuff that what they're going to
lose as far as not just yard but City
will how about Okay so so the
mayor if the talk about a tree giveaway
program Mary you're going to call
Franklin
County audra's going to come up with a
little is it door hanger Audra uh a
pamphlet I will give you the uh mulch
one so you have it I've got one at
home um what else I think that's a great
Avenue I really do I think it's a soft
touch and it speaks to them
as people what we're all about
um okay sheilan how about if if you and
Linda maybe help staff the table on the
ABS because we're gonna have both
Bloomers I hope if Bloomers are invited
as well as free commission okay so the
four and Jim be working on your
antitrust case I might be there who
knows who knows okay I'll be there to
talk to them about their RightWay and
what they're right
that's important okay all right
um really quickly because Jim was
reminding me about the time uh we've had
a brief uh organizational meeting today
about the the uh individual activities
are going to do for uh promote the Arbor
Day Arbor ROM in April and I'm going to
put together a little governing
committee that sounds a little bit uous
doesn't it kind of scary kind of scary a
little conial group to talk about all
the individual activities one thing that
we talked about today adding was a movie
at the Drexel called Giants Rising it's
a story about the sequa and Redwood in
California an hour and 40 minutes long
they offer this to communities I think
at no charge uh so we're I got some tips
from Jim on how to go about seeing if
the drugs would be
interested so and what's his name again
ma Mac
okay uh and then a lot of things that
we've done before Governor's residence
fairy Village the ARB Day author
Landmark tree program on and on so I'll
we'll be in touch okay please be
thinking of your favorite Beach tree for
2025 that's what the mayor chose it yes
well that's probably why yes yes you did
last year you said beach trees in 2025
so we may
you're okay well so you're happy with
your
choice I think next okay Sycamore is
last
year they are gonna be harder I know
where my favorite is do
you no h Hamburg
Island sanbury
right
BNB that's
fine Sheila yes ma'am how about if it's
a B&B the mayor suggesting beaches and
birches oh sure
absolutely as long
as I know I know
we
bch I think that's
great well why not
many how many virch there's Grant
is to be because which what yeah Beach
have you all seen it which one what I
didn't hear what you
said no I don't believe it do
no are
we are is this a tree that has to
already exist in me yes when you
round it's a huge round
thing there's an enormous
what no no no no there are a couple of
really nice specimens in oval they have
multiple fall colors they have a really
interesting Leaf can you spell can you
spell the first name fagas oh fagas okay
Asia it's the Burnley Beach Burnley
I'm do get
big oh thanks a lot and then if anybody
wants to do a beach walk through a beach
Forest Jim and I will lead that hike out
at Rocket Fork
sure
beauti
yeah know where to see the best
beaches Newport Rhode Island oh wow
another field trip once we're done with
the okay Professor Markham what would
you like to talk about
today uh nothing well that's not
acceptable so city council met last
night uh it's a bunch of boring Finance
stuff on the agenda so no so um are you
gonna come up with any goals for the
year for goals for city council or for
me here or well yeah well of course I
have them personally how many books are
you gonna read year right working my way
through the books yeah okay so there's
no no takeaways or feedback from City
Council on
priorities nothing comes to mind okay
okay is any anything else for the good
of the order bad of the order or just
the order okay may can you put us on
your calendar for April
23rd at
um I'll give I'm have to confirm the
time I can't remember if it's 1 or 1:30
I think it's I haven't seen that
information we maybe you would be
interested in introducing um Amy Stewart
our speaker for Arbor
Day
she I can okay I'll send you the time
and date you know just so you have it I
got to confirm the time okay so we
will 22 and
23rd yes
potentially
when Town's doability study speaking at
some
point okay so
okay it's either 1 or 1:30 I can't
remember well on the 22nd we're having a
drunken botanist event as a fundraiser
with Amy Stewart so
yeah six
well that's probably they're probably
the perfect
Target
yeah yeah
okay got L hour wow that's great okay so
we are gonna journ until Wednesday
February 19 thank you all for coming
thank you