e
jeez I didn't even get anywhere with it
yet I could have e
the August 21st 2024 meeting of the
Bexley Tre public garden commission and
I will follow the role Sheil estra here
Linda Z here Mar here celest here sus is
excused
Wilson and I'm here in her place um and
um we have some
new
alternates
and Audrey young Dr and then we have
barer I'm gonna ask actually uh Charlie
as an alternate if you would take
Susan's
spot
and and so we have a forum present we've
appointed Al
um I would like to take a moment because
we have some new faes in addition audre
and Charlie uh we have our what's your
technical title Matt director of
director building and
Zoning plan
planning
okay and other duties as assigned former
as a member of city council and I think
now former member of
app is that right Matt you're not
allowed to be on app right correct yes
oh thank you that was very subtle that
subtle doesn't work on me Matt um yeah
I'm former member of Bap former council
member um former member of cic a lot of
other groups um happy to be here in my
capacity with you all thank you for your
service to our city and audre we've met
you before but you would want to say a
little bit about yourself well I met
Susan a few months ago and uh she told
me a lot about the tree commission I've
uh graduated one senior I have another
senior uh was heavily involved in the
school district still I am um a lot of
advocacy groups and such and then went
back to school for a landscape design
degree and just finished that
may great
welcome and uh Charlie we've met you
before because you came to talk to us
about Elms if I'm remembering correctly
but want to tell us a little remind us
about yourself I guess is the right yep
so Forest ecologist with the USDA forest
service out of Delware Ohio um so I do
R&D and we do Pest and pathogen kind of
resistance development in
trees
welcome um so uh we have um you should
have received by email and it's posted
on the website the minutes of our June
26 2024 meeting which seems like it was
about three years ago um is are there
any corrections to the minutes from that
meeting not is is there a motion to
approve the minutes of the June 26 2024
meeting so moved Sheila St moves is
there a second second second Mary mcmun
seconds any discussion all those in
favor of approving the minutes say I I
the motion carries um uh you also have
in front of you an agenda uh um I have
one deletion from the agenda um that is
um Professor Markham our city uh Council
liaison unfortunately had to attend to
his day job so he will not be with us
and we but he has promised us an
extraordinarily exciting presentation in
September um but with that modification
does anyone have any additions to the
agenda hearing none is there a motion to
approve the agenda I approve that we
move to accept the agenda celest moves
to approve the agenda she
reversing roles seconds uh all those in
favor of approving the agenda say I I I
opposed we have an agenda um our first
uh item of business um you may recall
we've we've sort of moved applications
UPF front in our meeting out of respect
to our residents and um those that are
presenting the plans as well as as staff
and we have an application
TP gc2 24 -4 which is uh 202 South
Columbia uh you should have have the
materials um online I apologize I didn't
realize until about 3:30 today that
because we no longer have Elena no one
emailed this to everyone but I hope
everyone was able to to get the
application and pull it up this is
um um this is actually an application to
modify a landscape plan that we
approved um last year at some point and
I think those materials were also on the
website and I think that's what you're
seeing is the plan that we
approved um and so um um I'm going to
just review our ground rules for review
of the application and then I think
maybe we because we don't have a staff
consultant we may want to give the
applicant a little bit more time than
normal to explain how the plan has
changed um but just as a reminder um to
everyone that um our meetings are
videotaped and will be available on the
Bexley org website within a few days um
and that website can be accessed by
anyone anywhere um uh so remember that
in your comments and questions um as
commission members we do not comment or
discuss findings of other commissions
nor do we comment on subjects under
review uh from other City Comm
commissions as a commission we will not
be a party to negative or disparaging
comments about City staff elected
officials appointed officials or city
Consultants or other commission members
um comments today should be Germaine to
the subject at hand so you know I always
remind everyone to stay on topic um and
then um yeah I think it's unlikely but
if in the chair's view there's any
presentation that's uh trending towards
inflammatory we'll take a recess and
return when we can deliberate more
calmly um so um we typically start with
a staff presentation um but as we'll
hear from the mayor in his presentation
that search is still going on um we do
have the benefit of Karen Boker and um
Grant as always and Matt for any
questions that that might be
appropriately directed to them but we
don't have the benefit that we've had
for a long time of Ellen's specific
review of the plan so we'll have to work
I would suggest that while we normally
give the applicant 10 minutes um in
light of the fact that we don't have a
staff review that if the applicant feels
they need a little bit longer to explain
how the plan has changed we give a
little bit of leeway uh in that today um
then um as usual if there is anyone here
that wants to testify against the
modification of the plan we'll hear
those individuals for up to three
minutes uh if there's anyone here that
wants to offer comments and support of
the plan likewise we'll give them up to
three minutes if that actually occurs
then we'll um we'll uh give the
applicant a chance to respond to any
comments that have been made then I will
remind us we're g to we're g to divide
our discussion where we're going to
begin with questions to the applicant or
staff and then we move on to discussion
I know it's very tempting to insert
comments into questions but we're going
to try to keep those separate and you
guys are doing so much better on that so
uh we'll we'll try to do it that way so
um if we could have the applicant uh
come forward and um we uh make sure your
mic is on please uh you make sure the
green there you go you're good uh and if
you can just introduce yourself tell us
uh
so I was brought
in year
and you know kind of want to go through
kind of back history then simple
description of changes that were made to
the existing landsape plan um for a
little bit of back history you know
before I was brought in the homeowner
with um the help of some arborus kind of
implemented um a pretty serious
preservation program you know on the
property so I think as many existing
trees were were kept and maintained you
know as possible with several very large
oak trees you know dozens of spruce and
pine trees several other you know
smaller decision trees you know every
care you know was taken to maintain as
you know as many existing trees as
possible um as as far as changes you
know I I did not design the original
design nursery so these are kind of the
changes as I see them um um the initial
design was kind of very simple very
linear um so we you know we kind of
redesigned it um primary difference
between the original design new is a
greater density of shrubs ornamental
trees the original plan is relatively
simple linear organization the new
design uses a far greater quantity of
shrubs and trees and also more complex
for linear
pattern um the kind of primary changes
to the front landscape you know kind
what we're looking at right now um kind
of complicated to interwoven box with
part interspersed with you flowering
cherry trees and small you know other
Evergreen elements um also you know
series of you know ground cover elements
in Black Pathways allow to kind both
side front Foundation the front walkway
was very simple was kind of you know
simple rectangle so the new Hardscape
also follows kind ofar pattern and
Landscape responds to the new
heartscape uh um the rear you know Auto
Port landscape just you know for the
sake of available space is is somewhat
similar although there there is more
focus on Cur linear elements more
ornamental trees and a more you know
focus on layering of GRE elements rather
than just
simple along the um the south side of
the landscape s of space the chair
driveway
back um this simple just kind of
maximize the about between the Shar
driveway and the landscape and there was
an addition of a water feature um just
off of the small patio space which is
going to be a simple very low
rectangular
water um the hardcap materials um
overall I think The Hardscape you know
overall layout for footage has not
changed uh I'm not sure what the
materials were in the original design
the new design is going to be limestone
black Zone um it was actually sourced
from the same as the facade of the house
um so it should you should look great
and complimentary each other um and that
will be on a concrete conrete
Bas um the amount of La space for all
intensive purposes is pretty much the
same so no no major changes there um and
I think you know U I think the H is open
if we you know we needed to add more
tree cover I think we we certainly have
room that we could add
um let me go through the formality is
there anyone that wants to speak against
the plan from the audience I don't see
anyone anyone that wants to speak in
favor of the plan I don't see anyone so
I don't probably nothing for you to R
but does any of the staff members want
to make any comments before we turn it
over to questions just just one um the
from a from a building zoning
perspective the only major change was
the addition of the water feature in the
front that's going to be no deeper than
18 in so it doesn't require a pool
permit the only permit that would be
required is an electric permit for the
bubbler for the fountain so from a
building and Zoning perspective all good
there uh are do members of the
commission have questions of the
applicant I'm interested in your green
space uh where you might be having some
play areas in there that are open are
there three different areas two what
what do you see what do we see there um
primarily two so in the main La panel
facing to the West towards the street
that's you be the main lawn panel kept
open for you know for playing activities
and then a small you know a small lawn
panel to the South that kind of connects
the two properties across the Shar Drive
um because there will be movement back
and forth between the two properties so
we want to keep that as open as
possible thank you
uh Mary do you have any
questions me I'm still thank okay
Charlie Linda no
okay
Sheila um well while we're waiting to
come back to Mary I do I do have a
couple questions um so I think you
indicated that there the plan has a
number of box Woods as part of it are
the species going to be resistant to the
various plagues that have attacked
boxwoods in recent
years in our
experience velvet have been relatively
resistant ultimately you know I don't
think anything be 100% resistant there
are some new box varieties they're
claiming are more resistant those are
Rel test
that so I think yes
AB okay and then
um the I think your drawing shows this
the front hedge part of it was removed
for construction access um the old
drawings essentially showed it
essentially being restored to its
original condition this drawing to my
uneducated eye looks a little bit
different is are are the the replacement
plants uh I is it taxis I can't
remember um are they going to be of
similar size to the existing hedge yes
yeah
show myself know
quing okay and then um um my sense from
your description is that there you're
there actually is going to be more
canopy provided by this plan than the
previous plan and is this in terms of
the neighbors is there going to be
similar screening to what existed under
the old plan
yes okay and then one final question and
then we can go back and see if Mary has
any um will the the trees and shrubs be
planted in accordance with the Ohio
nursery guidelines okay so the burlap
and wire caging will be removed or at
least cut down and no rope around the
the uh the trunks will be remaining
that that's somewhat contradictory to
your um guidelines that you share with
your customers has that position changed
recently if you ask my boss potentially
I I would prefer to follow the industry
standard um you want to get into that
debate with John
Riner I'm just saying I know what you're
I know what Oakland says with regard to
how they tell you to plant trees and
they tell you not to remove the wire
cage but yet it's been proven that it's
detrimental to the long-term health of a
tree I think there certainly to be made
for leaving the burlap in King i' be
happy to go into that debate with you
you you want I I don't know if the
property owners here I would simply say
that um in our own study we fairly
strongly believe in removing at least
the top two-thirds of the wire cage and
have a pretty significant concern that
um in some uh tree balls artificial
burlap that doesn't Decay with time is
being used and that creates a real
problem if it's not
removed
so follow
stand and we we really detest mulch
volcanoes too so we detest mulch volcano
mulch volcanoes too so you know just FYI
you know they're not they're not good
for the trees either
so well when you put it up against the
trunk of the tree to
but yeah soim you asked what I wanted to
ask so thanks thank you Linda do you
have a question there is I since I don't
have the original plot anything there is
irrigation and warranty for all the
plant material
Yes
trees
okay any other questions Celeste so in
uh parallel to Jim's question about uh
the change of of tree canopy do you know
what that is off hand I haven't
looked yes how many you removed how many
you're putting
back since we've been on site we you
know we have removed no trees um you
know I I know as few trees as possible
were
removed two two trees were removed so
good I mean from my you know from my
experience the amount of trees that were
preserved is you know I've never seen
that amount of attentional paid to
maintain thank
you any other questions great well I
think we're ready to move on to any
discussion that the commission may have
any any internal discussion are we ready
to move to a motion I would be curious
Charlie based on your experience um are
you seeing improved varieties of boxwood
come out I haven't really checked the
Horticultural boxwood trade so to speak
um yeah can't speak to that there's
there's one that I'm Weare of again it's
so well I mean the boxwoods really have
taken a beating that's why wondering you
what what's your alternative you reced
something one time you asked me too
quick that's all right I'll think of it
but um there are um people are coming up
with Alternatives like winterbear and um
there was another one that we had
recommended to uh someone else in in Le
of the boxwoods because of the problems
that they're experiencing so I think a
lot of to what we've seen with box is
also there's been obviously FAL issues
also just our weather
patterns you know and I think that's
honestly probably maybe a larger concern
than FAL issues is just where we get
really warm spells and everywhere Box
start growing that new growth doesn't
have the time to harden off sure and
then it gets whole again you know so I
think that's you know that in my
experience
it's are we ready to move to a motion
sure may I add one more thing you may uh
I appreciate the curval linear Edition
because such a beautiful massive home
and it's stone that the curval linear
adds grace to the the the street
presence thank you
um I haven't heard any suggestions for
modification of the plan so is there a
motion to move to approve the plan as
presented so last moves to approve the
plan is presented and I shall second it
Shea seconds beautiful plan thank you
any further discussion before we vote
all those in favor of approving the plan
as presented say I I I opposed your plan
is approved
than fun watching it building all the
time I I love it I
love well don't get the idea that it's
going to be this easy to do plans
without our consultant in
future uh you did Karen we've never had
such a concise consultant report in our
whole
existence um all right we're ready um
and just so you know I've told Matt that
he's welcome to stay as long or as
briefly as possible I think Matt's going
to be with us at least for appli
patients uh until heure that we can
behave ourselves uh so uh uh I'll try to
come to all the meetings uh regard and
we hope to have a staff consultant on
board in September uh that's the goal um
I think the deadline might be September
one or August 31st it might get extended
depending on how many people we have but
I'll stay today until about 10 after 5
thanks for having um so some updates
Barb Giller Bexley and
Bloom well two two things and I don't
want to steal anything Mary says but I
just think the mansion looks great
Bloomers have just done an outstanding
job and a summer of terrible
heat yeah really terrible heat and I
also uh want to compliment I don't know
Grant who is watering the baskets but
the baskets look
outstanding and who would think in this
hot weather they would just be like
withered and they look wonderful so you
great job great job many years of
research on those and figured it out so
thank you well it's paid off they're
actually plastic and we St water that's
that's the research he's not that' be
great so we'll see them next year same
time that was a joke for the rec yeah
that was they're they're beautiful
anything else from you Barb I don't
think so thanks well I looked at the
beex and blue it's the same as it was
the last time so there won't be any
changes until maybe toward the end of
the year we always get a little money
before you know December 31st which case
I'll report on that then well this
should certainly be a year where people
think they got their money's worth that
donated for this year yes for sure for
sure Mary um with regard to the Bexley
Bloomers thank you uh Barb for that
lovely compliment um we' put in about
497 hours so far this summer um and we
um did some advertising with the chamber
who was hosting local banks so we're
going to Target um perhaps the
commercial um groups in this community
who might be looking for an opportunity
to provide a community care type day for
their staff and and management so we'll
see how that goes uh with regard to the
Community Gardens I wait can I interject
on that um I I I I did get six stitches
in my Bloomer experiences by a lack of
depth perception as to how far the Hedge
Clipper was from my thumb but typical of
Mary and Susan they've told me I have to
come back next Thursday to do makeup
time so if I hadn't cut my thumb you'd
be over 500 hours so oh I had you is
coming tomorrow you're coming next
Thursday that's what I told Susan uh oh
oops well ignore that in the in the
email I just sent out oh okay okay um
and with regard to the uh beex Community
Gardens I just wanted to um let you know
that so far this year we've donated 871
pounds of produce to the food pantry so
that's very exciting and then um coming
back around to Jim again I want to just
give him a public shout out for doing
such a fabulous job um there were 60
Master Gardeners from across the state
that were at the Becky Public Library
two weeks ago and Jim did a tremendous
job of telling them about be Arboretum
and its history and you inspired several
and it was a great great uh presentation
so thank you well if you ever get the
chance to speak to Master Gardeners they
are the best audience you could
possibly
thanks um and we do not have Professor
Markham so we're ready to move on to um
well conversations with residents and
visitors I think will be short um I
think um Grant that takes us to you yeah
uh currently we're still working on the
tree crews are working on um requests
from residents uh uh pruning and and
removals as such and then uh
the watering we've been doing a lot of
watering this year and uh weed control
the grass hasn't been such an issue but
that's what we've been doing so far
uh Mr Mayor
um hi everybody happy Wednesday um I am
to update you on our staff consultant
and City projects we have posted uh the
staff landscape landscape design
consultant position to our website and
have been doing some proactive Outreach
um with uh folks who we have worked with
or know of um didn't have success with
Kyle but still still work on it sorry um
so we are uh we' left it open until the
end of this month if it needs a little
more time I might give another two weeks
um and we keep you priced we can find
that on the city website if we want to
share it with potential candidates yeah
it's under um the drop down menu on our
main page
is events and
news and under that you find bids and
rfqs
the Rhymes but the title of the actual
page is bids and rfps just to keep
people on their feet but it's right it's
right at the top of that
okay I just would encourage all of you
that might know some potential
candidates to you know send this that
this that work send this to them uh just
uh as you could we got I think we got
lucky on our application this month um
that we were able to get through it
without a consultant but it great to get
someone board yep um could have jump I
will
email a couple uh just some landscape
internal landscape design project
updates um we did get approval to move
forward on the contract for the skate
park uh and so we are working on a
landscape design to go and tandem with
that um we've already seen like a first
draft of that and our and our honing
that we'll be bring bringing that um to
you all uh in the coming months probably
looking at a spring install um for the
skate park uh
and you know some of that Landscaping
would then be spring or or fall of next
year um Beckle pool parking lot is going
to be redone next year and as part of
that we hope to really reimagine that
space and so we had some initial kickoff
with the engineer this week to just get
the Baseline survey and Engineering work
done and we'll be working on design
around that um Commonwealth FES are
close to completion if you haven't
checked them out recently you should
they are awesome um and so soon after
that we will begin the process of the
Baseline unification of Commonwealth
Park East and West and are still working
on concepts for the design of the
Interior to then bring back to you guys
to brain storm you and the
rboard
um and I know I just spoke with the
director Library I think we're hoping to
bid that outdoor reading room later this
fall
hopefully I guess we are on the
libraryies timeline can cannot interfere
with the 100y Year
celebration by the way there's a huge
hundredy Year celebration partycar show
coming up on
September 6 should I make that up
sometime in September I'll get that date
for you guys it is the 6 I think six
there it is Library bash and National
Road car show they're trying to get
car in the car show from every decade of
their 100 years
represented so Jim bring your
Rolls-Royce for that okay um and
then uh we are continuing to move
forward with the bridge at Schneider uh
the landscape for that will Co coales
with the landscape for the skat park
because they're going to be um basically
co-located they're right next to each
other um the beavers have been eating
The Birches at the Birch Walk So anybody
have any Beaver advice we've hired a
beaver person other than that Charlie
you look like you looked very knowing
about that did you have something to do
with this
yeah do they like prefer Beach Beaver
sorry they prefer Birches or something
do they really why is that flexible
Burns
easily I think that wearing a beaver hat
around town might discouraged yeah or
just yeah hang some pelts in the area as
a warning along the banks of the creek
uh I have plenty more to update you on
but that's sort of what some stuff that
pops up in the front of my thoughts and
happy to answer your
questions skunks
uh yeah y yep skunks are uh prolific if
you so we actually do offer help um with
skunk control because we view it as a
public nuisance that extends Beyond
anyone's one property so if you U are
having a hard time with skunks or you
know somebody who is they can reach out
to our Animal control officer it's the
only Wildlife that we uh will will
officially
intervene with for
C officially are questions for the mayor
that never moved cor mayor do you do you
have any sense when um we're going see a
plan from from cic or the Andor the city
for the corner down here um I don't uh
we had a kickoff meeting I haven't seen
any designs back from that yet so I
don't have a timeline yet a lot of the
focus has been on getting this easement
um finalized which has still not
happened but I would you know I would
think that in the coming months we would
have something we are due to see a first
first draft from Edge it's I assume it's
not I mean it's not going to get
executed till the near the very end of
the project so that's
correct okay any other questions for the
mayor well we are gonna set a record
short meeting you guys are doing great
keep it
up all right um fall planting I think um
in past conversations we've talked about
um working to infill tree vacancies on
rod and Park View this fall Grant I
don't know if you have um had the
opportunity yet given everything going
on this summer to think about how that
might be implemented or uh yeah so we
are currently working on our fall uh
tree planting list we did do a spring
planting I don't know if people remember
that or not so it will be less well it
won't be less numbers because we are
getting a grant or fall tree planting
from the beex beautification fund um but
yes uh we are currently working so the
removals that we did in 2022 and 2023
will be on this list and then we'll be
adding Park View and Broad
Street um so am I right grant that the
on south of broad on Park View the um
the street tree is a maple is that
right correct yeah and are we
comfortable that that species of maple
is we should continue to PL uh I don't
know what the variety is I'm assuming
it's
a circulated yeah red sheet um um
somewhere here it
is yeah I mean I I it's it's an average
Street tree you get 25 years out of
you're lucky to get 25 years out of so
is it uh I say green Norway maple is
that right
it's not no that's North right yeah
North par um sugar maple is what yeah
green velvet it should if you keep going
it should give you the species Green
Mountain Green Mountain
yeah um so yeah I mean tree species also
falls into what the nurseries are
actually growing for us I mean it's
almost like uh they're playing the
lottery because the trees are we're were
picking out today were put in the ground
10 years ago so they got a hope to think
that we're still growing and want those
species so I mean it it's it's what's
available and what we can get so
um again you know changing the species
on that street might be a good idea I
don't know that you know that's up to
this commission to
decide um how soon would you we need to
make a decision about that for you to be
able to include that in a fall
planning um this year it's too late okay
but next year would be something so we
would have until September of next year
um but are we but we're going to do
plantings of sugar Maples on Park View
and then Oaks on Broad okay but we feel
reasonably confident that these Su the
the Green Mountain is not the most at
risk of M is that fair that's fair I
mean it all depends on how the weather
goes Russia takes over or something I
think we're
good okay geopolitical risk I'm more
concerned by about repeated sum like the
one we just had no h yeah I can't
guarantee you that but you know they're
the
they're a pretty healthy vibrant species
of Maples Sugar Maples okay
what
[Music]
about got
no natural water is it ever possibleuse
put bags on those trees
when it is we water those
weekly we water the trees on Drexel and
Broad Street weekly um so yeah it's it
just recently
some of them are I mean it's been a
tough summer but we are doing our best
to keep them watered and and stuff and
you know it happens we'll be swapping
them this fall right the dead ones will
be replaced on
yeah um well I think that's sort oh I'm
sorry Celeste
on Broad Street yes
100% 100% of the ones that have been run
over have been killed pretty sure there
are zero of The Originals
left yeah none there might be one come
on it'll look a couple okay we 75
they're doing we've had less hits though
ever since the recently since we put the
lights on the curbs we've had a lot less
hits
well there you go lesson learned let
focus a re
spot yeah never been
hit
um there's a the tree species on Drexel
the Big Trees were I think sugar Maples
right yeah so we have red Maples between
the curb and sidewalk and uh the Green
Mountains behind the sidewalk because we
always try to keep not have that mono
culture so you're going I don't know
what's on Colombia then we're going with
three Mountain it's all dependent of
tree commission so I plant what the tree
commission tells me
to isn't Columbia the uh paper bark
Colombia are American beach trees oh
yeah I made that up cool what's the
paper barking thing on col right um yeah
paper bark maple is South Pap bark
Maples are on South Columbia on
the east side on the west side it's an
oak
tree so on North Columbia it's American
beach in fact I sent you all yes list so
and this is maybe a good segue to um
that and just a bit of background as you
all know we're a small group of us are
working on a tree planting and
maintenance plan Mr chair before you
move on there's one more infill thing
that I haven't actually talked to Grant
about yet it's going to kill me okay but
um sorry sorry in advance I want to make
sure I say this before your next Tre
commission me which is that um we didn't
have great luck with the uh tree
giveaway in the spring the
katalpa um selection was not super
popular with uh people who are wanting
smaller more ornamental trees it seems
like Grant's finding that generally so I
spoke with the Community Foundation uh
this week they we I I offered that we
could do another fall round
with a more ornamental tree if they
would be up for it that Grant Fields
would be more popular um to make up for
the fact that we only had to think like
four takers ultimately could help us so
um we'll be advertising that as long as
Grant doesn't murder me in the parking
lot after this meeting and uh I want to
make sure you guys need that that'll be
forthcoming in
Communications I think we we received a
grant for 30 30 of them and so it would
be you know up to
26 yep that'll be like in September or
October what whenever Grant thinks it
should be planted he thinks October is a
good time I do have to say the goal
behind that was canopy covered Y and
small ornamental trees do not provide
that we addressed that uh concern to
make sure that they knew that that was
if they were okay with it so I think
Al's going to get back to me on
that okay
great uh um so then moving on to the the
planning and uh maintenance plan I think
you you all know a small group of us are
working on that plan we're making good
progress um Charlie would graciously
stepped in um when Luke had to resign
because of a job change um so um one of
the significant pieces of that is a
discussion about our species selection
um we've had conversations from time to
time about are there species that are no
longer working for us are there species
uh where we or generally speaking should
we continue to follow the philosophy of
a single species on a street or on a
side of the street or do we want to um
create more variety there um we
discussed this not at our meeting this
week but at our previous meeting and we
thought overall that um and perhaps we
didn't predict well the agenda for today
but we thought maybe having a special
meeting where we just focus in on
species selection would be a good idea
and so one of the things I'd like us to
do is is sort of look at calendars today
and see when people might be available
for that but we wanted to give some
background um so that you could think
before that and um I
circulated what Grant had uh sent me
which is our current spreadsheet showing
our our species selection and Grant I
don't know if you wanted to um comment
further on that I know you have some
lines that are highlighted and may maybe
explain um some about that oh the
highlighted ones are the new changes
we've made in the last few years I think
we've added Cherry to some of them um
you know I don't I'm not sure that the
species selection is not horrible I just
think maybe we need to start rotating
streets um with the new program that we
have uh we could potentially come up
with a percentage of what we want on
each Street and then once we reach that
percentage we have a discussion of maybe
changing the species of that that
street and
um but yeah I mean it's it's going to be
it's really up to the nurseries what
what trees and the numbers that we plant
of what we're going to be able to to get
I mean we would all love to plant a
bunch of native stuff but it's it's hard
to get that in and the numbers that we
plant trees in and in the local
nurseries that we
have um you know the other um um I think
Charlie circulated to us some additional
resources to think about in terms of the
discussion about species selection and I
don't know Charlie if you wanted to give
us a little bit more explanation before
we um in our own time dive into the H
and yeah absolutely so I said I
aroundus
focus Charlie Good J so I I circulated
two different species selections
associated with the climate change tree
Atlas from the USDA um one of them is is
urban focused and represents you know
selections that would be appropriate for
Columbus um and then the other one is
just kind of a an Ohio Collective um and
so it's kind of a convoluted grid and I
could walk you through it offline or
later on but um you know basically what
you're looking for is material that
would be Li listed on the side from like
a shift 45 or a shift 85 um recommended
for infilling um or you're interested in
the the material that has capability 45
or capability 85 as as good or very good
um so basically they run climate change
simulations and and drip it through the
forest inventory an um and Analysis
database and come up with the
recommendations for either what's there
and what's succeeding or what's going to
be associated with the future projected
climate so um so a lot of the material
there is kind of um represented on
Grant's um current recommended species
list but there's a couple you know tree
selections that you could add in if you
know if we wanted to or or if we wanted
to diversify but you know it's kind of
you know more or less what the position
of you know the commission is on you
know how far south we would want to
Source material from and it's not
necessarily always that material needs
to come or we need different species per
se you could just use selections that
are or more adapted to different
climates right so I work with Elm and so
I'll just throw Elm out but like there's
Elms all over the United States and
there's no reason we need to like grab
Ohio Elms we could get like Tennessee
Elms or you know Elms from Kentucky that
would be climate change adapted for a
future climate so um and and certainly
you know nurseries further south have
Vari of selections that we might might
be interested in up here okay
um so my suggestion would be that we
each in advance of this special meeting
take some time and compare sort of our
existing spreadsheet with what Charlie's
provided us and I also I think sent a
link in the email to something that Luke
had provided to us before he changed
jobs um a Cornell website um on tree
species that's kind of useful
information there um you know some of
the things that we've discussed in our
little working group are you know what
are the criteria there's the obvious
criteria of whether a tree will survive
on the street such as salt tolerance and
you know its ability to handle um its
roots ability to handle the stresses of
being in the right of way but then you
know we've heard from for instance um
green Bexley or the sustainability
committee May or I may have not have the
the title exactly right but works um um
the concern about are we looking at the
carbon sequest sequestration
capabilities of the species that we
select so I think all those are sort of
on the table for this meeting um um I
don't um um I'm nervous about trying to
select a time uh amongst uh this so
maybe a doodle pole would be the best
way to do it um um is that sound like an
appropriate is it possible just to move
it into late fall after Garden
season um when's Garden season
over
oob end of October um so you're
suggesting November um what let me
discuss that with Susan and I know that
that this is a busy time of year um for
not only for gardeners but for other
people uh we do you'll be sh to know we
have other parts of the plan that we're
still working on so we could probably uh
defer it but I do think it's it's
probably the most useful part of the
plan to have the whole group discuss in
depth before we try to put something
together so um let me confer with Susan
and um and then um uh mayor could Jordan
or Natalie help us with the doodle PS
umie okay
all right you need you want to email her
about that is I can email her
yeah um okay anything else so anyone
wants to discuss about practical to like
meet early on a regular meeting day I
mean come earlier or is that too much in
one
day uh it works most of the time for me
um um I think we could include that
option in a doodle poll okay um I mean I
think everyone can if we do our homework
I think we could probably have the
conversation in an hour and so meet at
3: instead of 4 okay that works for
people but you know I think it's best to
do it in a doodle poll but that that's
an option okay
okay all right um well um the last piece
of business that I have for the agenda
is the election of a chair and vice
chair for 20 202 2425 so beginning in
September through next August um Susan
and I are suggesting that the two of us
would be willing to stay in our current
positions um but as well I am a
parliamentarian in another life we do
have to open the floor to are there
other
nominations uh I hearing none is there a
motion to close nominations and elect
Susan and myself I make a motion to
close nominations and elect Jim and
Susan immediately
i s second all right there's a motion a
second any further discussion all those
in
favor I'm grateful for Susan's
willingness to stay on and the
leadership that she's provided this
commission for
so yes I just follow where I'm told so
well you're a good team um any other
business we should take up today so last
yes I'm uh I was going to be here in
June and then we got changed with our
schedule M so I reviewed the um the very
busy uh recording that you did last for
last June there was a comment that was
made and I'd like to understand more
about it that there was a that the City
attorney was saying that we as
um uh tree commissioner members need to
go in tandem to all these
sites and I want to know where we were
you where that's going to go from here
so I I think I can speak for the mayor
in that I think that the objective is to
actually get the commission some
training on this what happened was that
um um Mark the City attorney said that
it could be a a violation of Ohio law
for one of us to go to a site and then
come back and essentially tell the
commission what the conditions were on
that site um because the um when we're
in our capacity of hearing applications
just to be clear it's only in that
capacity it's not if we want to have a
discussion about you know other roles
plannings on the RightWay that sort of
thing we are a Quai administrative body
I think is the technical term and so we
have to follow certain Ohio rules I
think Mar I think Mark will probably
come and do some training on that the
the shortterm answer is in the past
we've sometimes suggested we'll go past
that applicant's site and see what you
think um um I think we need to exercise
caution in that regard if we really feel
like we need to see a site to make
decisions about it we can always go as
part of our meeting and visit the site
um and actually back when I was first on
tree commission we fairly frequently did
that we sort of dropped that when we
started meeting in City Hall but we
could we could do that we just need to
be cautious because we would be
potentially interfering with the rights
of the applicant if we as individual
members of the commission bring evidence
from viewing a site to our to our work
is that fair
mayor I'm not an attorney so it's that
sounds like an accurate representation
of what I've heard I
think the specific activity that was
really causing concern was when there
with a separate case separate board uh
there were members who were meeting with
um representatives of the applicant and
touring a property and therefore getting
some information that wasn't otherwise
being presented to them um it's
different and I think Mark back pedal
this and I some more clarifications is
required it's different just driving
past a property that's public
information that anyone can get it's not
like you're getting any special insight
into the property um you know I think
one of the things that makes you strong
board members is you have a strong sense
of context so that you know you know oh
I know what it feels like on Columbia
and and here's what some of the
adjacencies look like those are public
that's publicly available information so
refreshing your memory or W driving past
a site to to you know understand the
context of the canopy or or whatever it
is is okay and I think he did back off
of that a little bit I think it's you
know exclusive tours of the site
gathering information above and beyond
what you could do just walking down the
sidewalk or just being a member of the
public is uh where it becomes a concern
because in your quasit digital capacity
you're considering evidence that's being
presented before you that should be the
same evidence that everyone else has
access to and I did I think he said that
if if the consultant for our commission
wanted to visit our site or we wanted to
ask the consultant because the
application didn't give us enough
information that's always fine you can
do that you can also schedule an entire
tree commmission site visit where
everybody has access to it it's
technically a public meeting and so
anyone could come to it but that's
another way to handle if you needed some
more
context does that answer your question
celese anything else we should do before
we adjourn I just have a quick question
does the city have um any uh right to
remove a known invasive species that's
growing in the alley is there a right
away in the
alley no there there's not there's an
easement and that easement is controlled
by the resident and we have the right to
have code enforcement come through and
make sure we have a clear easement but
we don't
remove uh invasive species unless it's a
bamboo I think we have something
specific to Bamboo but that's about it
okay I think there's a section that that
has prohibited species right next to the
bamboo one but I think what has to I
don't think the city can remove them I
think the code officer has to inspect it
Mak
that's
correct there's a little small asteris
to what he just said it's mostly
correct uh but Matt loves code
enforcement we're very
excited to have Matt and code
enforcement oh actually on on that um on
that subject um you know Monette is
going to continue to do inspections for
us she will be reporting those to Matt
we may have her come occasionally just
to give us a large overview but um I
think that we feel like the appropriate
process is for Monet if she feels like
something hasn't been installed properly
to report that through code enforcement
and the appropriate steps to be taken in
in that way that makes me think of one
more question what if that was not my
intent I'm sorry but what if the um the
homeowner has done you know what they
said they were going to do and
everything that they planed is now
did um well I think that depends on a
couple of things in the commercial areas
they have an obligation to maintain it
or get permission to change it is my
understanding of our code in in areas
owned
commercial with respect
to um residents from time to time we've
put um condition that things be
maintained
uh uh uh um but that's you know I think
that's something that maybe might be a
further conversation with Matt and um
also with our um zoning attorney as to
what steps we can take to sort of assure
that the work we do do gets continued
and doesn't just dissipate but I think
we um I think what Matt brings to us is
a is good structure around how we do our
work and so I think it'd be good for us
to understand both from that and from um
um our our zoning attorney what the best
way is to ensure that we that our plans
get carried out and then
preserved
many weather so I just uh I don't know
what you know there's it's certainly
can't penalize somebody that doesn't
water their plants doesn't seem like I
mean you know what I mean I just don't
see
how that they might not have an
irrigation system or they might not I
don't know what it is but I but wouldn't
that negate the point of even coming
before the commission if everything that
we approved that they installed has
died what about just regular people that
they don't come before the commission
that it's just their yard that no I'm
just curious if if they haven't come
before the commission and they don't
have any obligation to come before the
commission then we don't have any
jurisdiction is is my view and I'd be
surprised if we were advised otherwise
by anyone I think it's only when we do
the work of reviewing an application and
you know from my perspective and we can
talk about this um with our zoning
attorney and Matt but my view would be
that we um you know um for instance on a
new build if it's something that's
really integral like the screening from
a neighbor we to me from my perspective
there ought to be some obligation to
preserve that and not tear that out a
couple months after we've approved it
but if it's you know they planted some
aelas that just the soil is not right
for them and they replace them with
something that's more appropriate that
doesn't seem to me like something that
we need to be concerned about um so I I
I do think it's probably useful and the
mayor's talked to us overall about sort
of developing More Design guidelines so
that when residents come before us they
sort of know what the shape of the table
is when they're presenting something to
us and this this could also be part of
that
process I'm going to ask really quickly
are there any more questions if not is
there a motion to aurn no move second
second all in favor I we journ excellent
meeting Mr Vice chair people are just
dying about this I mean everybody's
planting these