not a
color you're by the drink she can be by
the drink the crayons too yeah yeah
you're G to get get those Spencer's got
way too many over there he need here I
need you actually I
need
okay
we got what do we got you tell us when
Natalie oh I have I have stuff
my we will so Grant are you ready then
okay we're all ready is everybody ready
ready okay let's go
I'd like to call the Monday December 18
2023 monthly meeting of the Bexley tree
and public gens commission to order and
then call the role oh we could just go
down go go down the way right okay yeah
celest Williams here Linda zck here
alternate Barb Giller here Sheila Str
here Susan quintens here Jim Wilson here
uh then we'll call Mary mcmun not here
Dave wakan not here we have Quorum uh
Mrs Giller would you like to fill in for
Mr Wakeman for now all right and then
we'll go on to staff Monette freedlander
here an Spencer Martin here Elena Andrew
staff consultant here Urban Forester
Grant
Archer okay and city council is in
laurianne FIB here good mayor Kesler
will be with us
momentarily okay
so we have exciting meeting end of year
stuff all great um I am looking for
approval of the minutes of October
18th uh let's see I have to ask my um
antitrust counselor here should can we
do all the minutes at once or do we need
to do them individually think unless
there's objection by commissioner we can
do the all right I will take a motion
for approval of the minutes of October
18th 2023 November 15 2023 November 17
2023 three so moved second a second is
there any discussion they were long they
were long uh Jordan uh did an
exceptional job did and I'm sure that
she may had helped from staff
transcribing them and we appreciate any
help that she was given and we
appreciate the great work that she did
and I know that Jim has read them I have
read them and Jordan has read them so uh
if there's no discussion all those in
favor of approving the minutes of
October 18th November 15th November 27th
2023 say I I oppose same sign any
extensions motion carries uh would the
minutes please show that Mary mcmun is
here we now have seven including Mrs
Giller who's uh alternative has been
appointed for Mr wakan um are there any
additions to the
agenda uh I I'm just going to to enlarge
our um uh what topic number two requests
from residents Alis Reynolds our ODNR
Urban Forester is with us today so I'm
going to just say requests um or
conversations from residents and
visitors so we'll slot Alis in there so
we'll go on to announcements small
victories I just wanted to call your
attention to the first meeting of 20
oops 2024 it's January
17th and then we'll send out a whole SCH
of meetings for the coming year um I
also want to extend iners
congratulations to Celeste a tree
commissioning commission Academy
graduate so Alistair I'm assuming that
she pass you know you know Suma Kumi or
fantastic good good and I asked Celeste
if she would name one or two of her
favorite highlights of the tree
commission Academy which is a year-long
program yes um favorites well I got to
meet Alistair and he's really awesome he
does such a great job for our state and
our department for Street and what
you've done and what um Stephanie has
done to build that program which is
unique mostly unique to United States of
America oh wow have this in Ohio and
what they're teaching is
extraordinary um and I the one part that
I think is important from my perspective
is that an undergraduate work when I was
in um in forestry I took forestry but
natural resources and then graduate
school landscape architecture when I was
in that program the architecture
Department was in competition with the
botney Department because they one
didn't know how to take care of the
other person's things the
recommendation but when I got to the
tree commission Academy I realized all
that was secondary information what's
really important is that we pick the
right tree for the right place that we
plant it correctly and we maintain it
that is really the the the gripping of
it this is the roots system of and what
we're doing here and so I am I'm so
impressed I'm very humbled by the work
that you have taught me and what your
organization your you know department is
doing to help others to help our
community
so Celeste the you're your stien is the
same whether you're a tree commission
Academy graduate or not yeah but right
oh because I said so much things well
it's just I'm really awe yeah humbled
and in awe yeah but we're thrilled that
you did the program I hope all of us
have a chance sometime to do it yeah and
that um you are now even more educated
than you were before I know where to
find
information that's good so Mary mcmun
were you going to do an end of year
Bexley Bloomers report I am I apologize
for being late um uh first of all I want
to um update some information on the Bey
Community Gardens um I had reported some
hours and poundage previously and I just
want to update it to reflect your end
numbers the garden had 1197 hours of
volunteer time throughout this season
and we donated
8336 pounds of produce to the Broad
Street Presbyterian church so very
excited about it's a lot of uh greens so
and then we were honored with a
proclamation by the city of Bexley uh in
honor of the be Bexley bloomers and the
Bloomers contributed about 993 hours
worth of volunteer time this year we
expanded our Outreach and um wound up
working at havenswood a few times and we
helped out the Community Gardens both
the North and South we were h honed to
have Sheila take care of the Historical
Society grounds and outside of the
Community Foundation so thank you for
that uh thank you to Celeste for all
your help with the fairy garden it looks
amazing of course and we appreciate your
efforts there we um had some fabulous
celebrity Bloomers this year um and we
were really excited that the Bexley High
School girls soccer team joined us they
were a lot of fun and they plan to be
back next year which is great um we also
had St Charles uh boys come over and
help us remove honeysuckle one Saturday
morning and that was a lot of fun and
they did a great job so that is my
report for the 2023 Bloomers so I think
maybe some of you remember that our goal
this year was a thousand hours of
volunteer hours so we're seven hours
Short we had 993 hours so I remember
sheling snow
maybe maybe just put on your Bloomer
shirt
um so the interesting thing is as you
may remember the Bexley High SCH girl
soccer team helped us out and they have
reup for next year so which is terrific
and I had an email today from the
captain of this year's soccer team
asking if she could come back next year
and help out because it was so much fun
even though she wasn't going to be on
the soccer team so uh so we're growing
future blue say yes and Celeste did you
have any updates on the fairy Ville
were there any photos loaded on that
there were not huh
okay okay no I I'm not that I
could is this before all the kids
visited or well I I thought there
was they weren't moded okay I don't see
them
okay well everything
the um the last three in installations
are really are visited often and are in
good
shape uh I go there once a week to check
things out and sometimes believe things
there for the next children and
um it's all maint being maintained well
as in it's it is in good shape
considering I mean it's mostly in the
same shape as when it was placed so I'm
happy about that and um it's fun to see
kids be inside the tree yeah yeah it's
all fun it's all fun and our weather's
been so temperate this fall that it's
been fun to see them continue to play
down there so yeah and thanks to Grant
and or whomever Spencer Monette Ellena
who reinstalled the little Free Library
it was in a different location than we
chatted about but it's good to have it
back home yeah we we talked with um Mike
Price and Natalie Mullins and that was a
location that they were good with good
so good all right at least it's in it is
in and I just wanted to give you an
update on the trees for Beckley
um uh what she I should say status at
this point although it seems that I need
to find my records and I will get to
those and come back to you um let's see
one other thing is as you might see
there are some wrap books by your place
if you could color those and put some
stickers on them during our meeting
Sheila is then going to put them wearing
the Bexley triador costume into the
little free
libraries and uh there'll be gifts for
children for you know the time that
they're out of school and the books are
Curious George plants a tree or curious
JS plants a seed so um it could be that
they're lots of pencils and things if
you need more down there
Mary yes will good okay oh this is even
a better box so um are there any other
announcements or small victories so
let's go on to our conversations with
residents Adra do you w to do you want
to talk at all
today yes if you come to the podium if
You' reintroduce yourself and give your
residence location okay um my name is
Audrey young I live at 844 Chelsea um I
have with my husband for 20 years and uh
we have two children a senior and um boy
and a daughter who's a junior um during
covid I went back to I decided to go
back to school at Cola State and get a
degree in landscape design and
management and as a part of that I'm
finishing that up in May um and as a
part of that I became interested in what
was going on and Bexley I've kind of
always been interested um in that and
ran into Spencer as they were cutting
down our three a few weeks ago and we
got to talking along with um Paul and I
think Mike was there too and um just had
a great conversation that started it
just as a busy mom I wasn't able to like
pull things off before that but it was a
great starter he told me about the tree
commission and then a friend of mine
Cecil G introduced me to Susan and we
had a lovely conversation the other day
um about the commission just the history
had to close the coffee shop we might be
there exactly um so yeah so I'm just
here to learn see what's going on and
meet all of you and I really thank you
for your work here it's great I'm
excited about it glad to have you yeah
thanks M well okay and Elser if you'd
like to come forward and say the same
thing your name your occup yeah so uh my
year interview for Beckley um I had the
urban forestry fall conference over at
Capital again in 2023 that was in
October and we gave out over 200 credit
hours of Isa cus to arus and urban
Foresters in central Ohio and we
scheduled the venue again for next year
so it'll be a capital again next year so
um I've had it this will be the third
time that I do it a capital it's easy to
do it there they have one a large space
we do it the week that the kids are gone
so there's ample parking and then they
have everything there that we need in
terms of like catering and it support
and AV Equipment so it just makes sense
to do it there um and I and it's close
to my house too so a personal bias there
um so yeah that happened uh I got your
Tre City USA application for 2023 from
Grant he sent that over to me last week
that's great we'll get that
uploaded um what else have I done in
Beckley I helped out at the governor's
residence um and I've also been helping
at Jeffrey Mansion with the the upgrades
that they're doing there and they look
at the Jeffrey woods and making made
some recommendations for management over
there uh Garden Club of America came to
town I helped with that Celeste helped
with that too maybe couple of us of you
helped with that as well um so yeah I
think that's everything that I've done
in Bexley this year so um I have a
question for you you the US Department
of Agriculture has revised planting
zones right yeah for Ohio and so um I'm
going to ask if you know what planting
zone we are now yeah so Ohio's in a
couple different planting zones
historically we're we're in
5B um with a with a touch of six in the
southern part of the state um well I say
historically like the first plant
hardiness map came out in the
1970s and then it wasn't it wasn't
updated for like 30 years and so in 201
I think 13 they updated it or USDA
updated it and they decided now that
with our changing climate that they
would update it more frequently so now
they're doing 10 year updates instead of
30-y year so for a long time we're in
six five I'm sorry 5B primarily in 5B
and that's from that original assessment
in the 1970s that wasn't changed until
until 2013 so now we had a 10-year
update again and so now the majority of
Ohio is in uh six
B includ including Bexley including
Bexley um with I'm sorry 6A 6A 6 B 6A 6A
and then there's big chunks of 6B um and
then there's some 7A in the very
southern part of the state so like
historically like that have been like
Tennessee would have been like 7A um and
then there's a tiny little dot of 5B
left in Knox County I'm not sure exactly
what that area is but little
microclimate there but yeah so there's
just one tiny little speack of 5B left
so we are gradually getting warmer um
the Silver Lining to that is that we got
a little
slightly slightly larger plant pallet
that we'll be able to plant in Ohio I
mean I love my native plants but I also
like Southern plants too um so some
examples of that
would
for that species and you might consider
that a near native as well so a near
native is a species that historically
hasn't existed here but neighboring
states have them and in those States
they provide a benefit to Wildlife and
we have that same Wildlife here so if we
bring that plant to Ohio it will provide
a benefit to our Wildlife so we call
that like a near native species does
that mean they're native to that other
state yes so native to to a different
state that have same Wildlife that we do
so do you have a listing of or a group
of those near natives near natives so
I've started to develop one okay I have
yeah okay and and I I'll share that with
you okay and are there any trees species
that you're concerned about that you
would be hesitant about planting um
going forward so um yeah
um there's one Crate Myrtle more
familiar with crate mytle can we grow
them now so I went to the Ohio turf
grass Foundation the Ohio turf grass
Foundation had their uh they had their
convention last week or the week before
and I went to that and uh they had the
crate mytle trials here in Ohio and
they've been assessing them to see if
they'll survive and right now with those
being in that slightly warmer plant
hardness zone is is get it's looking
more promising for them especially if
you're in an urban area that has a heat
island effect so if you have a heat
island effect then you can grow crep
Myrtle in Ohio now in fact at the German
Village at the St Mary's Church a
several years ago two of them were
planted in the front and they're doing
really well so I have crep myle shrubs I
planted last year yeah and a close out
from Lowe's and they did great this
summer and they they bloom for two
months they didn't Bloom till July they
bloom in the summer and they're
beautiful yeah July and August the
reason why I'm hesitant with that
species is in the South they call them C
mytle because people are like addicted
to them and they plant them absolutely
everywhere every street is flying with
them like people just love CRP modles so
so they call
them so I can see it being very trendy
like boxwood is trendy like corn beam is
trendy it'll become a favorite amongst
the Landscape Architects for sure um and
our climate is at a point where it's
going to be able to support them now
they do have scale problems everywhere
that has them has scales and the scales
are pretty bad on them scales are an
insect that suck the zp out of them and
they drop like a honeydew it's a sticky
substance and then mold grows on that um
and so yeah there was a downside to them
and that is more pests uh another update
if you do have boxwoods we have a
boxwood moth now it's a new boxwood pass
we have so many boxwoods so now we got
boxwood Leaf miners boxwood blight now
there's like this moth as well so is
that about the tenth potential disease
that a boxit could have right yeah it
just completely defoliates them it eats
all the leaves
so I would wait until you see it to
treat
it so uh I mean I guess you could
but yeah yeah I yeah and I'd wait to see
i' I'd wait for a confirmation that
they're even in the county before I did
anything or in Bexley Because treatment
without diagnosis is malpractice so yeah
there's that when will there be a
honeysuckle blight yeah that would be
lovely there was a there was a virus
that was looking promising like 10 years
ago and I don't know what ever happened
to the research on the virus but yeah so
aler I was just wanted to transition
back to the question of which species
the trees would you be hesitant about
planting now considering the the trend
towards warmer warmer Zone yeah so the
the problem that we have in Ohio we are
getting warmer but we still get the
polar vortexes and the really cold
winter
and usually the limiting factor with
plants is not typically heat it's cold
as you move north and so even the crepe
myrtles or the Silver Bells they have
that there is the potential there that
they would get winter snapped so I would
be hesitant to plant any of them until I
see more conclusive research and trials
where they've actually been really
successful you think the Buckeyes will
be okay the Buckey I think the Buckeyes
will be okay um and the maples are the
species of concern especially sugar
maple right now it's predicted in black
maple it's predicted that they won't be
regenerating in Ohio in 50 years it just
be too hot for them they're they're a
northern cold climate species and we're
kind of on the edge of their their
growing range and so it's predicted that
we won't we won't be regenerating sugar
maple in the near future well I think
Grant you have found that in your
takedowns haven't you this year the the
number the highest percentage right of
takedowns is Maples yeah sugar Maples
that's also the largest number of trees
we have sure right and the reason why we
have so many Maples in Ohio is because
we had the Dutch elm disease that went
through in like the
1960s and all the maples were
recommended as species to replant with
after that disease went through
especially the silver maple because it
was hearty it could grow in really poor
soil conditions and it was fairly fast
growing and so it was one of the highly
recommended species to replant Urban are
with after after all the elm trees died
and so now those trees are reaching you
know maturity and you know they don't
compartmentalize well they don't heal or
seal over their wounds very well um and
they're just kind of we call them rock
stars where they live hard and die young
um so I mean that's that's the reality
of it is they're faing they're at that
age now where they're going to be
phasing out so it makes sense that that
would one that you'd have a lot of them
that you're removing them now so any
questions
F there were three different varieties
of boxwood now that are being developed
that will be uh resist to the BL are you
is that s sort more of a marketing Thing
versus actuality or yeah I'm not sure
what kind of Trials or how long those
trials were I'd have to read into that
more but yeah we have boxw blight in
Ohio oh um so there's actually other
states that don't have it and they won't
even buy boxwoods from Ohio because we
have the blight the blight lives in the
soil and so even if you lose one plant
to if you plant another one it will get
it as well and all the adjacent plants
will get it um so you have to actually
remove the soil if you get boxwood
blight but then we also have the boxwood
Leaf Miners and now also a moth so even
if we get these boxwoods that are
resistant to the blight you still have
the other pest that you have to worry
about so and do you do you
would you replace a that with a
different recommendations yeah I would I
would replace with like Arbor VY or youu
or like a dwarf Holly or you know some
other kind of evergreen shrub so you get
that winter interest but not the
pests and usually those other like the
uh what Tater hot Arbor VES uh they're a
lot cheaper than box box was like a
hundred bucks a piece and some of those
alternatives are a third of that so I
would go with those any other questions
for
Alistair well it was great to have you
as a visitor today um we do have an
assignment for you the mayor announced
at our Bloomer lunch that an anonymous
donor had given funds uh to plant three
trees in Jeffrey Woods okay in honor of
the founders of the Bloomers so um we
all need to work together to figure out
which trees are going to work the best
in the woods for I don't know for the
next 60 years I guess greatt great
myrtles Silver Bells Silver Bells so
there's the question that's out there
aler we'll get back to you after the New
Year all right thank you all right thank
you thanks for coming today all right
let's review of landscape applications
Elena you have good news for us there
are none
y that is good news although I do miss
not having an audience here to um to
learn from them and for them to learn
from us so Grant let's go on to your end
of your staff
report yes uh so just to give you an
update of what we did this year so we
pruned over about 240
trees um we did focus a lot on the
lindens this year um because they we
they needed it and so we did a lot of
structural pruning on those um removals
um we contracted out about 60 of the
large removals and then we have another
about 40 removals that we're doing in in
house so that's about 100 removals
throughout the city um we planted over
200 trees this year um would that
include the trees on the medians on
Drexel or not yes includes
the the trees on Park View the trees in
on Drexel throughout the city I mean the
Schneider Park
Commonwealth so um a lot of the trees
were a lot of our funds were focused on
the parks this year which they really
really needed it and I don't know if
you've walked them yet this year but
they all look amazing
so um stumps stumps are still out there
we're still working on them uh but
that's about it and then I have Spencer
here to give an arboretum website
update are you able to go on to the arbm
website itself um from the
computer yeah yeah
okay so Spencer you could start sharing
with us while they find the
website yeah so this is just a can you
pull the yeah pull the microphone closer
to so for the since summer kind of I've
been for those who don't know working on
the website in my spare time and also
the uh Instagram new we started a new
Instagram for the
Bexley uh that's all going well and um
so yeah basically you know I
started with the introduction on the
website and I kind of changed the
wording and switched Focus to just being
about the trees in our community and
with kind of the
um with the visitors in mind because
hopefully you know as as years go on I
hope I'm hoping to kind of draw in our
burum tourism so you know I want just
people who don't even know about Bexley
to uh be educated on what we got going
on over here
and then we um Grant and I have been
working to we have embedded the tree
plotter which is um on a different page
there if you're watching but um so
that's just a that provides public
access to our tree
inventory and we also Grant help to put
the utility shape file on the tree
plotter and we're actively working
trying to get the right way see if
that's possible that shape file as
well um the husky link has been
installed on the AR Breeden website
which um offers residents to see
quantitative data of how beex compares
to our Urban Forest around the world to
different communities around the world
which is a kind of a cool
platform uh have you done that yet
Spencer yeah that's that's embedded and
there's a um a button on um on the
website there if it's on trees of the
Arboretum if you're looking for that now
Grant um in addition to that we have the
pl Planet Geo canopy study on the
website so one of my goals was just to
help kind of make as much data about our
AR bedom accessible to the residents and
um people interested in what we have
going on here with our
trees I've also split up some of the
pages on the website to kind of have a
more defined focus and to make make
navigating our website
easier um tree walks got at tree walks
they got their own page there and um so
I felt like that was just an easy way to
simplify the arum sections and just help
it easier to find expedite that
information because I think that those
should be utilized
more uh put more blog update blog posts
on there including one Mary mcmun helped
me with um so if you're one to about
Willow Oaks you should check that out
she did a good job and that's on our
website updated a new narrative for our
uh to complement the landmark tree
map um and Sheila I have some pictures
that Sheila helped source for our
Landmark trees which is great to have
current trees and photos of our
arum you have
thatass the one on Pleasant Ridge
yeah that's a great tree yeah it is a fa
tree um also I um on our about page
there I've included kind of a brief
history of how we became arrum I know a
lot of people they are aware that we are
an arrum but they're not necessarily
sure with kind of the qualifications
that we've met and I thought that was
kind of pertinent information to include
on the
website and on the um highlight page now
we have Bexley Park sub section just
because um for visitors or residents who
aren't aware I wanted there to be a
resource so that they can find all the
public green spaces in our
city and I've also just been kind of
eliminating redundancies and editing
phrasing and putting hyperlinks
throughout the website to kind of make
uh navigating our website uh easier as
well as just kind of promoting site
engagement and yeah just kind of
refining you know a lot of the language
there's still more work to be done but I
think it's headed in a good direction
for uh promoting our
herum
so so um alist given tours at the uh
Ohio Governor's residence last year for
Arbor Day I don't know if Mary will do
that again this year certainly was well
received but then um the Ohio Governor's
residents did share and aler Mar the
species from there so I think you have
those listed too yeah I have a um I've
on our on the trees section there the
Trees of arum I have kind of reduced
that to only being the tree plotter um
and our uh kind of a glossery of the
trees and
Bexley that process takes a long time
because I kind of include well to
include every species and also I have
like a link I Outsource additional data
so residents can learn about the tree
that they have on their property um and
that just takes time but um yeah so if
you have I'm assuming suggestions for
yeah suggestions yeah it's still a work
in progress for sure you know spring was
really busy for us so I do this just on
the side when we're not uh responding to
storm damage and um pruning and
otherwise there's other responsibilities
but yeah I'm definitely open to you can
email me with any opinions you have
about what want included on the website
that's great well you know this is uh
what you say always a work of progress
but certainly definely progress has been
made yes yeah I've had more time in the
last few weeks to focus on this
and progress so I would suggest that
when you're awake at one o'clock in the
morning that you get on the um computer
and look at the arbor redom website
really is fascinating and the upgrades
that Spencer's done and bring back
suggestions of things you'd like to see
or that you were looking for and need
some help finding because sometimes uh
you know the wayf farer is is obvious to
the originator but not so much to the
reader so I don't know if this is
something that would interest you um
we're bringing in U virtually Dr Andrea
Brennan from Morton Arboretum um she's
going to talk about arbet and she's
goingon to talk about um arborita from
around the world is that something that
would interest you as far as putting it
on that website or
uh I haven't really established like a
current events page on the website I
think uh my first reaction would be
maybe to
um put that information on the Instagram
that kind of is a as a live feed of what
we have going on in the moment and I
Mass a small following of uh interested
Bexley residents so I think we could if
you send me some of that information I
can put that on there okay January 17th
pardon me
yeah it's gonna be over at the library
so we're definitely promoting it but I
will do that yeah I think maybe send it
to all of us yeah great definitely all
right thanks any questions for
Spencer great yeah thanks very much
Spencer so mayor Kesler first of all for
the minutes mayor Kesler is
here and that's why he can give a report
so mayor Kesler your turn and therefore
and therefore here robotic oh man look
at that strategic
plan good work there it is I was going
to talk about that but before I talk
about that I want to tell you that the
budget passed Council last week which is
very
exciting and in it we have several
things that I think will Delight our
tree and public gardens Commissioners
some you may know about some you might
not even know about some Grant might not
even know about so we uh I want I don't
want to bury the lead never said that
before am I using this right I don't
want to vary the lead we have hired
we're going to hire two new grounds crew
people that will yes it's exciting so it
will help um in a couple different ways
um but the most I think the most
impactful what we're perhaps most
excited about is that those those folks
will help kind of be a force multiplier
for our tree crew especially in the
offseason when they're busy with
removals and stump grinding and such um
and so it's a way for us to catch up on
some of those um items that have been
kind of piling on and then free up our
tree Crews to do some more proactive
pruning programming and that sort of
thing so um also uh we'll take over some
of our landscape contracts you know we
every year we do something different the
way we contract things out just because
Grant likes that stuff it keeps him
keeps him coming to work every day and
excited that right
grant yeah
okay um we also have funds for uh
redoing the Cassidy Gateway wall which
does need to move as part of the Cassidy
project that Columbus is doing and so we
put some money aside for that in the
budget um don't have any defended plans
yet for that obviously but it's it's
anticipated is there a timetable for I
don't no yes that's I'm thinking it
might you know they're in the
acquisition phase right now it's
possible it kicks off in 24 just in case
we put it in the budget I don't really
want to jump the gun with that wall I
think it makes sense for all of it to
happen kind of at once but um we'll
we'll know more once Columbus has
finalized their acquisition okay um
Jeffrey Woods we have put money in the
budget
for um two different items invad
invasive species removal as well as
native habitat restoration area sort of
a sample section for that kind of
anticipating that as part of our uh
Jeffrey Park master plan process have a
placeholder for both of
those um so can is there can you expand
on the no okay not
yet um I'm wait I mean we're waiting for
the plan to be finalized but uh we just
know that from those
conversations and in in fact there's an
asterisk on both of those items to say
we are we would seek grant funding to
assist the scope is not yet determined
um it's just coming out of the
conversations we have a rough idea of
what the budget might need to be for
removal of invasives throughout the park
and
um kind of a trial native habitat
regation area that the numbers I have in
the budget might all be off but they
were based upon some expert expert
estimation from who what was that who
was that do you remember who was at our
meeting was it I can't remember anyway
doesn't matter there's it's a dollar
figure that does have a basis
somewhere was it there we go I thought
so I didn't want to put you on the spot
though
um and then um of course we have a
standing sort of allotment for the tree
commission it's also in the budget um is
it the same as last year I think it is
the same as last year and then we have
uh funds set aside for the launch of the
Main Street design guidelines process in
24 that hasn't been scoped out yet um
but it does dovetail with my next thing
to talk about which is that we have
hired and um Council has confirmed a new
director of uh Administration and
development Megan Meyer Megan is coming
from whiteall most recently where she
was she's the acting City administrator
she was the assistant City
administrator um she worked for a bit in
Glenco the village of Glenco in Chicago
and she's worked up ring
and
um she didn't she hasn't worked in all
these places because she's skipping
around jobs her husband relocated to
Chicago for a little bit she followed
him and then came back here afterwards
so um all that to say she has a really
excellent background in development
Communications Community Affairs and
City Administration and so she's gon be
helping out with a lot and one of the
things I'm gonna ask her to do is help
steer the Main Street design guidelines
process um which is good news for all of
you because she's very systematic and
focused and u i we'll ensure that things
get kicked off in 24 on that so we'll be
coming up with the process for that
together um and cooperatively with all
of you of course and those those who are
interested Finance director uh we have
pride this doesn't matter a whole lot to
you guys but we're about to appoint a
new Finance director with beer having
announced that he's retiring um in the
first quarter of next year our leag
pickup is almost finished we're in round
three should go
quickly and uh land use strategy is
going to start meeting again in Jan
January and our strategic plan passed
which is what Grant had pulled up
reading my mind Grant how did you know I
was going to go
there um so you guys have seen this
before we added um some verbiage about
tree canopy into the sustainability
goals section um which is near the end
if you wanted to go to it
Grant um as with yes you have to scroll
you have to actually
just keep go faster faster faster you
got this yeah it's kind of you want to
go real fancy hit command and arrow down
I'll go page Downs try it you'll love it
oh NOP
that's well
um page 51 is that said
yeah just again with many of the
objectives here this is outlining
aspirations not dictating exactly how it
happens but just talk talking about
continuing to grow the be arum infill
and maintenance of Street
trees um focusing on carb sequestration
which will also end up showing up um in
our climate action plan as I think is
alluded to somewhere in our agenda here
but um you otherwise it's very similar
some some some tweaking some typos and
another objective added in another
section based upon feedback I think in
the Development Goal section but fairly
consistent happy to answer any
questions yep Bas on what Alistar was
suggesting that we would be having these
new um what did you call them near
native trees should we be bringing that
into our vocabulary and put that on
there so what Native Ohio trees may not
apply in five years so mayor i' I'd like
to take that little blurb and have us
discuss it in like a I think Jim had it
for new business maybe old business but
it was business because um you know
although we suggested it the tree
commission itself hasn't had a chance to
kind of vet
it so if that if that's okay if the you
know if the Strategic plan is more
Dynamic than static could
be certainly a discussion
topic uh yeah certainly Health uh
certainly stat Dynamic not static um and
uh if you know the Strategic plan is
like a is a inspirational document that
pushes us in a certain direction um if
for
example we would find that street trees
and trees in the Parks should not be
focused on Native Ohio trees or they
should be focused on near natives near
natives or we should
intersperse uh additional species in
order to bolster the arum educational
piece that I don't think any of that is
inconsistent with this language but I'm
happy to discuss it yeah
and Mary mcmun made me write that final
sentence so that's a I'm just kidding
she didn't have any input in that that's
all straight from me no okay but no but
I I think it's a it's a I'm I'm thrilled
that we're in the Strategic plan um and
I I think that it's the basis of a good
discussion lots of good words in there
and lots of additional words that could
be added love it I love words so all
right mayor are there other things you'd
like to share with us today uh I would
just say that as it pertains to the
Strategic plan one of the found founding
principles of that is that it is
incorpora other strategies and so for
example if the tree commission would
come up with a planting
strategy then we could incorporate that
into as an easy revision into the plan
the plan's not really designed to delve
into some of the details you're talking
about so that might be a good way to
incorporate a deeper Phil philosophical
expression of what we're looking for
okay
I'm just wondering whether you disclose
to our new development director that our
ordinances say that she's a um ex
officio member of the tree
commission I tried to hire her Jim I
wasn't trying to drive her away just
kidding I didn't disclose that but
that's I'm sure she'll I in fact did not
uh recall that so I'm sure she'll be
excited to know that any other questions
for the
mayor okay so let's go on to the staff
report of Ellena and Monette for year
the parks and installation
reviews okay so my my portion I took
just a couple of photographs I don't
know who um has been out there I wanted
to show the PDFs of the pictures the
pretty pictures um yep on that one the
Commonwealth Park is probably 9
95% completed so these are just a
handful of pictures that um have been
taken over the last week or two now that
the pond has been actually filled so so
as we go you can see um on this one I'm
standing on kind of the southeast corner
of the pond looking across in so this is
the shallow end and so this the shallow
end where you see those steppers is
probably literally only about 10 inches
12 inches of water and there are those
little stepping stones that go across
and then the bridge that is the mid Pond
um while that looks solid it actually is
on concrete peers that will allow any
kind of Aquatic Life that might go in
there to actually you know swim through
there and take it as a a place of Refuge
that Center Island is going to have a um
Japanese a Bloodgood Japanese Maple in
the center of that and the idea is that
you know so we have a tree island that
is kind of the Center focus and it will
be replaced once the commission statue
of Grant Archer is
completed are
funds yes we are currently accepting
donations um we've got a GoFundMe page
um and so
so if you keep going so there are um
this is a more recent picture so there
is a um the decomposed granal pathway
has changed now the design changed
slightly from what was approved simply
because the pond when we were out there
and staking it out with actually having
all the leaves on the trees because as
you know we started this I think in May
um working closely with Grant and
Spencer to make sure that we were
avoiding all of those Oaks as as much as
we possibly could so it changed slightly
in terms of because trunks sometimes
obviously you know we have the trunks on
the plant but not necessarily the full
spread of the canopy so the the the pond
shifted a little bit and we also made it
bigger um because the proportions that
had in that space just felt relatively
teeny so um we worked with that and then
we now have the the paths are being
installed the line that you see there
that still needs to be cut out and then
that decomposed Granite will fill up to
the side of the stone wall where it's
adjacent to the wall and the rest of the
material on the other side is actually
going to have lawn going right up to
it so again just a couple of different
views of
this and then now you can kind of see
that path so you're saying there's not
gonna be plantings to the right of that
path to the right of that path yes
there's going to be a little bed to the
right of that path not all the way along
but yeah a little bit beyond
yep and then just a couple of um looks
at the kind of the bridges that go
across the um the bridge in the center
that was actually specifically designed
so that people who are potentially a
little bit who want to have an
experience of crossing the pond but are
maybe a little bit not quite as shore on
their feet have that's about a three
foot wide pathway that goes across and
those stones are kind of canal levered
off um on these concrete peers that you
really can't see when you're looking at
it so it does look like they're somewhat
floating but rest assur that they are
dialed into into concrete that is down
into the ground with steel you know
reinforcement and so those you know
they're really they're not going
anywhere we keep
going um the edges are then completed
the um there's one on the opposite side
of two um that I didn't get a picture of
my apologies but the opposite side also
has there's a circle that has the
Dogwood Circle the dogwoods are all
installed in that as well these Corner
elements are um going to have have um
the annuals that you see throughout the
city installed so the idea is that
Drexel Circle will be connected to all
of our different parks and so the same
type of material and plants that we use
there for annuals will be here just so
people start to make a visual connection
oh that's a city that's a city park the
next one are a couple of images in terms
of Schneider Park muddy muddy muddy
muddy muddy but I show that the steps
have been installed we still need to
seat it there's still some Boulders that
are coming but this is where the old um
the old wood steps used to kind of go
down on that path we have regraded that
hill so there's not really much of a
kind of like a hump anymore so it's a
much more kind of a gradual grade we
keep going um this is now looking at the
Birch Walk where the stones will be
installed where there's the Gazebo and
then the fire pit and if we keep going
there a little bit more close-ups this
is then at the base of the hill this is
where the start of that Birch Walk is
going to be so basically you in general
kind of meander in between The Birches
where the stones are going to go um you
can see um the L at the base where there
is just gross mud that will in theory
all be lawn we keep going looking out at
the fire pit to be able to have a little
bit more of a view point overlooking
Alum Creek there still needs to be
there's going to be a steel liner that's
in the center of that that will help
protect those stones those are um
antique um barnstone Sandstone that were
from foundations of old you know barns
that you see throughout Columbus and
Central Ohio another view of the fire
pit
area more of the trees there are a lot
of trees whole bunch of trees and then
just a small detail of this is a rebuild
of that Center um kind of turnabout
where we have the boulder walls and then
these are all native plant materials and
so this is basically going to be a
native perennial garden um and then
based on one of the conversations that
we had had from the tree commission
saying you know we we had a couple we
had a couple of box with in there we
took them out the idea is that this is a
full perennial garden and the winter
interest is with the stone and the
boulders but you can see in the back a
little bit um we've added an evergreen
you can see the small red twig dogwoods
there are some you know kind of there is
some interest um as those get bigger
hopefully they will you know provide a
little bit more of a presence along and
through there so there still needs to be
um benches that will be installed along
here we're looking at options for chest
tables along in through here update all
of the garbage cans to make sure that
they all kind of work together so I just
wanted I didn't know if people had been
to these parks and walked through them
just wanted to share a couple of images
of what they're doing but I do encourage
everyone to walk through them they're
they're starting to finally take shape
in
December so questions for Elena question
for either Ellena or Ben I a couple of
my friends asked me about the the pond
and they wondered is it a named is it
and how's itun funded I I didn't have
answer Pond is um so the pond is
internally mostly funded through a
Community Foundation Grant
um and it has not been named uh naming
rights are still open to individual
donors I think our naming rights policy
suggests at least a 50% contribution to
cost which is currently around
$350,000 or with 50% of that so the
zupnik pond 17 a checkbook for you um
you have to you know you have to survive
a social media search just to make sure
that there's no isn't there something in
there about uh I'm making jokes right
now so sorry um and also uh commission
members uh council members board members
are invited to our First Commonwealth
Pond Polar Plunge which is happening on
boxing day at 11: am socome but the
mayor has a stipulation if you come you
have to go in that's right you hang on
this is not for observation no right and
if you if you you come having heard that
still thinking you're GNA observe then
you will observe from the water so
yes and do have you had people sign up
or are they just considering checking
the weather uh I've signed up I think
Mike Price has signed up Grant Archer I
think gonna
[Laughter]
be
stay right there oh laurian we'll get
you in there we'll get you in there so
Alistair and Adra the invitation is open
to anybody
so there you go yeah so uh questions for
Elena I have a question about the PO
Bear Plunge yeah okay what part are we
the waiting part does that count no the
plunge is from the bridge the middle
bridge to the island
back it's not a big distance but you can
definitely swim it's got the depth to
swim so you're G to what what's that
maybe 30 feet 20 feet maybe 20 feet
probably maybe 20 or 30
feet de this will be on video right
someone be observ the camera is not
allowed
toer fiser this would be a great
fundraiser this is a judgment free zone
um no cameras thanks okay well Elena
thank you thank you this I mean the year
of the parks is not only a victory for
the residents but it's courageous I mean
really it was courageous to start out
and get as far as we did and you know
with um we have more to come de the
parks is a spirit and that Spirit lasts
into
2024 yeah I mean you might have take
that Spirit onto other things right yes
yeah so thank
you yeah so there are actually um there
are small steppers that are buried about
18 inches below the surface that lead
from the East the West End of the uh
Pond into the island that you could go
out and service it but it's G be
interesting to see how we get that tree
there little be baby
guy out put somewhere
pute thee out there well we have
barges we're have a robo and actually
the way it is really
cleverly designed that wearing waiters
you can easily work in the island and
service it like it's pretty impressive
the way it's was thought
through yeah okay
yeah so Monette on to H landscape
installation reviews yes I passed around
hopefully everyone received a copy get
your microphone a little closer to yes
thank
you hopefully everyone has a copy y okay
just a updated um project list and Lori
would you like one thank you sure so um
I just highlighted the the changes in
Gray so they stand out a little easier
so I've been able to get
to four
properties which aren't many but in the
midst of of going through this process
on those four properties we' worked out
quite a few bugs so and in making our
own process things should be going
faster from here on out and um
thankfully looking forward I have two
weeks off of work the rest of this year
so I will be able to commit a little bit
more time to getting through this list
because my original goal was to complete
the residential list reviews by the end
of this calendar year I'll be close so
it'll be
good um there were there was one
inspection
approval which was tpg
20-31 189 North Merkel um so I've
uploaded those to the Viewpoint website
and my notes from from my visit and um
the plan as as it was approved so that
was nice
um then I also was able to get to 20
7:30 East
Broad uh which is tpg
22-2 and uh was able to provide a list
for Mr
CH on the the missing plants that he
needs to Pro provide before he's able to
continue continue work on his garage
because I heard that he's looking to
start some work on his garage
so um the
next application after that was tpg 23-1
which was 2540 Maryland
Avenue um that was an incomplete
installation and we checked in with the
applicant and it's incomplete because
the plant material wasn't available so
the homeowner opted to wait until spring
for the plant material to become
available and he'll alert us again when
he's able to get everything in and then
I can come by and inspect that
one and the next one is tpg 23-6 2831
Dale Avenue it was also incomplete for
the plan I've checked in with the
applicant to see if um they are complete
and would like to resubmit or if they
still have work to do I'm waiting to
hear
back okay any questions for
Monette so is the process different than
you
anticipated uh or is
it the it's not too much different no I
mean it's just getting used to the we're
trying to make everything digital so
getting used to the platform to make
make sure everything's digital so that
everyone has access to it at all times
is the goal so and I think just as just
to let you all know in terms of one of
the things that um would Monette and I
have been walking and looking at the
sites a lot of times things and this
just happens in general construction
both with architecture as well as
landscape things change in the field
right and so sometimes things might not
fit things might not be measured
correctly trees might be in the middle
of you know driveways instead of
actually on a sight line you know we'
we've come across that before but in
general what our approach has been is
that if there's a landscape installation
and it is it's going to fit with the
overall design intent and in general it
has the majority of the plans there we
will most likely probably approve it
right there was one particular property
that we looked at that had way more
plants than they originally said that
they were going to put in we're like
fantastic that looks great right if a
resident has chosen to do that we felt
that it was probably not necessary for
them or for you all to then review the
plan right and so there are more plants
here are you guys okay with that odds
are most of the people I think of the
commission would say yes when there is
an applicant where um plants are missing
and they're not actually there and
they're not planning on it that's then
when we are giving them the opportunity
hey this is missing you know it's
missing is it coming back if not you
need to come back to the tree commission
so some of that is kind of like how how
do we want to approach this and make
sense in terms of understanding that
there might be something that it wasn't
available sometimes oftentimes there you
know a landscape designer might pick
plants that like this is fantastic and a
contractor can't find it anywhere
because um you know for instance right
now um white dogwoods super hard to find
right and you know people are just
having a very difficult time with that
so contractors often times will say can
we substitute this and um if there's a
substitution for a plant material if
there was supposed to be a hydranga
there and it's a viburnum odds are Monet
and I are gonna be like that's fine
there needed to be a shrub there there's
a shrub there but when things are just
blatantly missing and things are not
installed that's when we're going to
flag it and then kind of take it onto
the next thing so part of it is also not
only taking the time to review the plans
but deciding what is the best pro
procedure to move forward to kind of
Remedy that situation does that make
sense makes good sense good sense it
sounds like forward movement regardless
so thanks wette for being on board and
for your your great relationship
long-term relationship you've had with
Ela you know benefit to all of us yes we
recently counted how many years that was
and we don't like the number you don't
need to tell this is not Truth or
Consequences so we're okay okay so if
there's nothing else for Monette let's
go on to Old business um Jim has trees
trees trees he has as the first second
and third topics here so Mr Wilson why
don't you to take it away um thank you
um so most of this is stuff we've
touched on before but wanted to give
some indication of forward movement um
tree plotter um you heard from Spencer
but I'm not sure if everyone followed um
one of the things after we implemented
tree plotter we realized was missing is
the property lines um and so we've been
uh Spencer indicated we already have the
utilities in there which is useful when
we do our March through Beckley and
figure out where we could plant more
trees but um it's useful also because
property lines are so different from
Street to street we have that um we're
figuring out or more precisely Grant and
the mayor and Spencer are figuring out
how to get that loaded what we have as a
file but it would reload all of the
trees that are already in there which
would would make us look like we had 80%
canopy but that might not be good um but
so we're working out that technical
difficulty um so hopefully when the new
year comes we'll be able to fully
utilize tree plotter and you know when
it's 10 below we'll send you out to
figure out where we should be planting
trees this would have been a good day
for a walk yeah um
so um that's the update on on tree
plotter canopy measurements I may have
mentioned mention this before but I
can't remember because the last three
meetings we've had are a blur to me um
um you all remember that um the last
canopy assessment we did was based on
2019 data we got it in
2021 when we were meeting remotely um
but it's um it's somewhat dated and so
we've started the process of finding out
how least expensively and most ongoingly
we could would have an update of our
canopy um the initial suggestion um from
planet Geo is a subscription u based
canopy study um we're trying to analyze
whether that makes sense cost wise or
paying for another one and then paying
for another one in four years so we're
analyzing the economics of that and
we'll we'll get back to you I we'll say
and this is sort of preliminary to
something I think going talked about we
did um we did meet with the
sustainability committee who also is
very interested in our tree canopy
because of the carbon offset and trying
to understand um as we try to become at
least more carbon neutral um what our
trees are doing in terms of carbon
offset so they're also interested in
that um um and we'll keep them posted so
that we make sure that whatever we do is
useful to them as well so uh happy to
answer any questions about those two
pieces um so I was going to ask aliser
when we did the planet Geo study in um
and got the results I think it was 2021
right grant yes it was based on 2019 US
Department of Agriculture flyovers right
and then they interpret that data is the
USDA doing their flyovers more often now
with drones because it's you know it's
not quite as difficult these days to do
those and so yeah there's a couple
different organizations that do
flyovers um like uh OD do does them
routinely for Highway Maintenance uh
they I mean they do aerial imagery of
their freeways every year so you might
be able to find that and then uh GEOS
survey also do them but I'd be curious
what kind of imagery that planet Geo was
using they may have been using Google
imagery a lot of them run Google uh in
the background that's the imagery that
they use and that I'm not sure how often
I think it's every three years Google
updates their imagery so I'm not sure
which data set planet Geo was using we
can dig that out and I would ask it
would be a good question as them um if
you're looking for cheaper alternatives
to doing a canopy study there's always
it tree which I'm sure grants Spenser uh
that you can do in house and if you have
an inventory you can upload your
inventory into I Tre and it will
calculate all those benefits like the
carbon sequestration and the carbon
offset and water mitigation it will
calculate that for you and then you can
also do your canopy study based on that
as well they have I tree canopy on there
um I do those all the time they usually
do at least a thousand points and you
can get your canopy coverage but I don't
suspect that your tree canopy coverage
has changed hardly at all in three years
two or three years it takes a decade or
so for that really to make it for that
to change much at all you might have
like a a minor increase but it wouldn't
be anything significant well we actually
think um that Co changed it okay with
all the building yeah and the
renovations and additions on homes
usually yeah that's yeah big
developments can make an impact and then
of course storm events can make an
impact as well and it can to be covered
but if not much has changed and uh on
the landscape then I wouldn't expect
much to change in the canopy cover
either um I think a more important
metric to look at a lot of the time uh
isn't so much tree canopy coverage but
stocking levels
so uh like the city of Columbus I use
them for instance so they only have like
22% tree canopy coverage um that's what
that's a metric that they're stuck on
right now but the real metric for them
is actually that they only have 56%
stocking so for every hundred tree for
every hundred sites that could support a
tree they only have trees and 56 of them
right so so you can see that there is
room for improvement there um and so I
think for Backle especially if you have
an inventory that's fair Fairly current
I'd be looking at stocking levels and
trying to get as close to 100% as you
can yeah that's I think you'll be
getting an email from
me so try to figure out you know how
many total planning sites you have or
how many sites could support a tree and
then how many of those sites actually
have a tree in them and that would be
your stocking level yeah that's what
we're working on yeah okay thanks Alis
very welcome okay so you want to go on
to number three to then yeah which is
somewhat related to the last comment
which is um you may all remember that um
when I did our review of our our tree
ordinances we discovered that our
actually um or section three of the
actual ordinance that creates the tree
commission says we should um have a tree
maintenance and planting plan now we've
had effectively that we do uh Tree City
USA application we have a lot of data
but um I think we've talked about a few
times just putting that in one place um
both sort of existing programs plans and
perhaps Visions for the future that
might tie in not to get ahead of us but
to the the Strategic plans goal for
increased canopy coverage or however
we're going to measure that um so um I
understood Celeste agreed to be part of
the group uh given her degree yeah yes
so um and I think Susan is willing to
serve um with the commission's
permission I think what we will do then
is invite some folks that aren't regular
members of the commission to be part of
that process to get a broader
perspective also we have some concern
that if there are four of us from the
commission on this we actually have to
do everything in public meetings um
which is fine but not efficient probably
in terms of some of of the nuts and
bolts kind of stuff so um you know we'll
we'll bring drafts back to you so
there'll be plenty of opportunities for
input if you have any suggestions for
folks that aren't members of the tree
commission that might be interested in a
project like this we would welcome those
um and um we've sort of put out to grant
that he and Spencer should be involved
however they think they can most
efficiently participate in the process
so um that's the update okay question
for
Jim okay so if you have suggestions of
people you think would be good on the
group I'm sure Jim would be interested
in that um Jim has a goal of of uh
finishing this by April but I Susan
laughed at me well considering he's
going to be gone for six weeks in March
and the first part of April it did seem
to be six weeks no
I'm didn't you see I give you the wrong
dates yeah I think so I'm going to New
Zealand but only for two weeks okay well
it look like you're leaving the end of
February and coming back no no I'm
leaving March 29th and coming back oh
okay all right well I think you said I
would not miss a tree commission meeting
just for New Zealand
okay well such great priorities such
great priorities thank you Jim okay
let's go on to Mary mcmun do you have
any updates on invasives no I do not
okay um I Jim and I talked a little bit
about whether invasive should be part
part of the written plan for municipal
care and his uh wish was that it be a
separate study group so therefore we're
going to um just urge that you know if
you could be done at the end of April
when Jim's going to be done now that
he's not gone six weeks that' be good
time would that be possible probably not
probably not okay well why don't you
consider when you could be done and then
we can incorporate that okay okay
anything else under old
business okay Bexley strategic plan tree
canopy coverage goal how do we make this
happen so the mayor talked a little bit
about um the the Strategic plan and the
uh notation there about our growing our
canopy coverage um we did talk about
whether or not we should have the
percentage of growth that we wanted to
attain mayor so again I'm I'm thinking
instead of working through that here
maybe we should just do it between or
among ourselves um so I I yeah and I
think that can be also worked into the
climate action plan I mean I think
that's that's a good way to get more
specific and Technical with that right
but certainly that which is you know
still going to go on through the first
half at least of next year right in
development and I think it looks like
you're about to get right and we hadn't
been able to um uh to see the detail or
to see the I guess the narrative for
this on the Strategic plan regarding
growing the ARB burum so I'm also
thoughtful that there are a lot of
advantages to Growing our tree canopy
cover in addition to carbon
sequestration that's one but we have
storm water run off and so I I would be
thoughtful about you know adding all of
them or not adding
any adding all of what of water yeah I
mean you know is it just I mean if you
had to take a choice would it be carbon
would it be water runoff or should it be
both or should it be all the benefits of
trees well so for the strap plan it says
the strap plan strategic plan says
um if I'm opening the right version here
where is it it talks about sequestration
clean air cooling
home uh absorbing storm water providing
habitat for urban floor and fauna so all
those things are listed as
benefits in all the above all of the
above okay y in the Strategic plan in
the Strategic plan okay but within the
climate action plan it's not just about
carbon it's about in general and it's
going to be an an environmental plan so
all of those things intersect right so
are there any any questions does anybody
want to um you know kind of noodle with
the narrative on the Strategic plan you
know we can do that offline with a with
a group email looking at words you might
want to include knowing that as the
mayor said it's more of a road map than
a definitive this is it and only it well
and I think like when it comes to
benchmarking like you're talking about
percentages um more specifics those
those should live in the climate action
plan okay now the Strategic plan just
says we want more trees we want more
trees okay yeah say exactly how many
yeah which is very similar like you know
we talk about a small engine phase out
we don't talk about how to get there
right so the climate action plan is is
top more topic okay so in climate change
plan um is that up did that get attached
Grant that's under that's the that's one
of our plans it's currently under
creation it's kind of like a land use
strategy but it's a climate action plan
right right we do have I think the
questions that they ask us to consider
right um when Jim and I met with
Elizabeth and Rachel we talked about the
questions that having to do with trees
and um she forwarded the plan which I
thought I'd forward and was going to be
attached so that we could ask for tree
commission feedback um two of the
questions had to do with kind of
opinions do you feel that we should have
more trees than to had to do about
change agents would you change your
behavior for more trees I mean it was
kind of those things
so
uh that is that's the year in review
that we're looking at now climate survey
it's under here you can easily oh there
you go way to do
it so we're just GNA look at those
um brainstorm is barnstorming I don't
know what that is about
me oh typo barnstorming nope no can't
read I think that the that first
question was one that they wanted us to
Noodle whether it was phrased here that
that the second one down Grant if you go
back down okay on city property the city
should prioritize planting and
preserving the tree canopy to maximize
carbon removal through the lens of a
well-rounded
Arboretum I mean that's you know kind of
yes or no or to what degree would you
agree with that well my understanding
was that these these questions are sort
of intended almost to
give them a sense of the responders
demographic so if they support this
stronger strongly then the rest of their
questions have um are measured according
to how they feel about this if they're
if they're like opposed to this which
very few people are probably um that
that then that their their views might
be seen differently than if they
strongly supported or are in the middle
on it I think that what they were look
what the committee was looking for is
whether we've phrased that question or
theyve phrased that question in a way
that we think it should be phrased and
it's really just to measure people's
attitude so that when you get to other
questions about priorities it's helpful
right I mean this this is more opinion
attitude versus uh what you would do
what you'd be willing to do to um you
know kind of make this move forward I
think there's an opportunity to um a
little bit to to tweak this more so in
terms of how it reads in the Strategic
plan my my concern with that type of
question is that it is so focused on
carbon removal and there's so many other
benefits of having a large tree canopy
not not for like just even just like
Aesthetics right I mean bexley's known
for its big trees that if it is proposed
to people and it's like trees are
beneficial for a carbon REM you know
removal and you know sequestration that
people would be like I don't really know
about that I don't really care about
that right so I think that unless there
are other questions within the survey
that talk about the benefits of trees
within our city that are not only
specific to the you know and I don't I
don't say buzzword in a disparaging way
at all but of as it's relating to a
climate action plan carbon sequestration
sounds like it should go to a climate
action plan I think this climate action
plan can be expanded a little bit in
terms of what some of the goals of the
tree commission have and so to me this
feels somewhat of a leading question
that that is the only thing that trees
are good for within the city and there's
so many other
benefits that I think that either unless
there are other questions that are there
that need to be added or if that can be
Wordsmith to include what the other
benefits are you might I think if you
click on it it shows the little smaller
print below um and I think you might be
able just to end it put the comma after
tree canopy because it the the smaller
print actually describes more of what
trees do there might be something that
we want to add to that but I I agree
with you that sort of putting in the
bold print to maximize carbon removal
sort of frames it in a narrow way or you
could say preserving the tree canopy
through the lens of a well-rounded
Arboretum yeah just take that out and
then the other information is down in
the small print below
yeah now there was a second question on
there that had to do with more
individual action now I I don't know if
we can get to it or not I don't know if
we can remember
it it's under the what Lifestyle Changes
yeah continue down this page Grant
thanks let's see uh PL no go back up
let's
see
oh
yeah right yep okay so this again is
more what you would do not your opinion
but but if you're called to
action so what does that say twice
annually the city or plant preserve
trees on my private
property that's our goal
we do it in the spring and we were
hoping to do it in the fall planting or
preserving planting I think they were
concerned about having access to free
trees yeah I think I mean I think there
was also some our reaction to this just
Susan and I was well maybe the question
should be broader in terms of things
you'd be willing to accept in order to
preserve trees on private property I
mean would you ordinance that limited
how many trees you could take down when
you did an addition um you know if
you're it's a more provocative question
but it would be useful I think to know
people's attitudes if 90% of the folks
in Beckley support that that's a diff
that makes it a different question for
city council than if 30% support it so I
also think you know I would I would be
curious I mean if this is going out to
the larger Community I would be curious
to see if people would support a um
either a caliper per caliper replacement
and or a dollar fee that is you know
leveraged against the removal of trees
on a property right because I think
that I I don't imagine that many private
residents are going to say you can tell
me what I can and can't do with the
Trees of my property if I want to do a
new build right but can we do something
that says if you are taking trees down
you either need to find other areas on
your property that you can do you know
either a like for like or a percentage
replacement or do you put into a general
fund for you know the trees for Bexley
or whatever um to see what what the I'd
be curious to see what the Greater
Community thinks about that because
there are Worthington as one um
Westerville is one Dublin is one where
they have very strict in terms of what
you can and can't replace and if you
can't if you physically can't do it you
have to pay a fee into a general fund
that will help plant trees elsewhere in
the community so I think using this as a
gauge to kind of test the community to
see if they would support that or not
would be I'd be I'd be curious about
that the way that I read this it seems
that plan and preserve trees on my
property twice annually the City offers
that that seems like oh Bexley is
goingon to start taking care of my trees
for me fantastic right I mean I think
that that that reads a little confusing
to me I mean if I read that and I didn't
know anything be like oh I don't have to
take care of any private trees in my
property because the city's going to
come and take care of it so um I think
Elizabeth had said their goal was April
to maybe have this um online so we have
some time to Tinker with a little bit
and I think I'll get together with her
and talk about you know some of these
additional layers that we've talked
about does anybody else have anything
they'd like to add or um endorse uh
ellena's
Direction I I like ellena's Direction I
mean and I guess I would even I just saw
today the article about Columbus
adopting an ordinance and I'm not I
haven't really studied it well enough to
know whether it's like more permissive
than Dublin or the same but it would you
know to the extent that would give us
space it would be useful to have sort of
a spectrum I'd be willing to do this I'd
be willing to do this plus that you know
what how much are our residents willing
to have restrictions on what they can do
with their trees on
private so we'll just continue the
conversation come back to you in January
so are is are people confused at all
about what this is and Susan did we get
this l no okay they are we get this and
then we should be thinking if you go to
the meeting site through the city
there's actually it says survey
something survey was climate survey and
there's a link in that document that'll
take you to it okay thank you I have a
question I mean if if yours describing
other cities have done that put
restrictions prior to somebody coming in
with the plan to you know put a
mcmansion somewhere and take down half
their
trees um if that was done because they
put out a survey first or did they just
Council their Council just did it uh you
know why wouldn't we just do it and not
ask what council should do kind of
thing I have no
idea that's my official my
off I we Haven we haven't studied has
increased um strength of their tree
Protection Program yet and U and I'm no
longer familiar with Dublin and
Westerville we certainly work when we
first started so I think it all bears a
little bit of you know education
education investigation maybe even
chatting with them
so1 that's been the standard although I
know like in Alexander Virginia now
they're $300 $400 as trees have become
more expensive
$100 yeah I hear they also have a hard
time um they don't yeah enforcing it so
it's tough I mean you can have all the
ordinances in the world but if you can't
enforce them they're really not yeah
yeah Linda I don't think I understood
your question what was the
about the survey I didn't understand the
question
Linda about the survey you had said well
just you referring to the fact that
other cities have pass have ordinances
that have something established where if
that you you can't go ahead and put up a
something because you're reming removing
too many trees if that's already
established then why didn't why don't we
do it kind of thing as opposed to
surveying first if we should do it I
think she was saying would this survey
provide the foundation for future
ordinances rather than just doing the
ordinance Sy yeah I don't think I
wouldn't say that if there's a
compelling reason to have that ordinance
in place that you wait for the climate
action plan if that's what you're saying
okay
but anything else or onig
go I think the mayor pretty much um
updated us on the uh Main Street
guidelines for 2024 Mr Wilson right okay
so um I can just say it's that time of
year to look at forming our Arbor Day
committee so I will be in touch with
those of you who've served before the
Bexley Community Foundation did award
the Arbor Day Earth Day Bexley fairy
Village day which I call Planet Bexley
but I think there's another term we're
using um
$4500 is for our events this year with
also the availability to tap some of the
donor advise funds so um we're raring to
go and we'll set something up for
January now um is there anything else
under new business otherwise we'll go to
miss F and she is serving her
last month as the leaz on between city
council and the tree commission hasn't
she demanded that she continue
in haven't you demanded to continue
that how's that working
out so so very much
you not only about how important it is
to take time
to every
landscape each person's home to take
time to make it as creative and
wonderful as we Poss can also it
is I all that and I you for
all my
city it
seriously gu my last request would be
that
pleaseee know that my ears are open um
so I want to and everywh I possibly can
be able
to okay so Jord make sure that's in the
minutes thank
youan
okay yes we will we will for you you
pull up our year review as you know we
do this uh every year and I try to help
organize it because I can't remember all
the great things we did so I divided
topic areas so here is our year review
in the regulatory we got the mulch book
this all of this is in collaboration
with our staff Consultants with Grant
with the mayor with city council Spencer
Monette so I when I say we I meant the
general Wii so the MCH volcano ordinance
was passed and Jim compiled all the Ord
es pertaining to the Tree Mission um we
also approved time limit for the
landscape installations and planting in
front of the fenses is was a substantial
discussion topic I was looking for an
adjective that was neutral but important
so substantial discussion topic and I
think ongoing uh we reviewed the current
state of formerly approved landscape
plans and that continues through the
initial work of Ellen now transitioning
to Monette and discuss spacing forri
installations near stop signs which I
think is also an ongoing sort sort right
especially if you move houses to and
also substantial yeah and also
substantial right in the Urban Tree
Forest um there is the installation of
60 plus Persian islandwood on Park View
and uh Grant partnered with Aspen for
the removal of Park the Park View
declining trees which certainly a help
to the iren Forestry Department and uh
bringing the tree plotter program on
board with additional maintenance and
planning tools and approving our 40%
tree canopy goal and continued Bexley
Landmark tree PL tree program plus the
Drone footage photos of all of the 203
Landmark trees so you've got all the
four seasons of all the land right we go
into Partnerships we partner with the
Earth Day and fairy Village um we
partner with the public library on Joan
Malo founder of the old growth forest
Network work I partner with the Bloomers
to install Gator bags on the Persian
Ironwood and then remove the gator bags
install protective fencing and bad bad
spelling there partner with the Bexley
Community Foundation they've been a
tremendous partner as so was giving us
funds raised over
$54,000 um in
22 and then partnered with the senior
center for the Bexley Landmark treed
tour via golf carts which was a sight to
behold
it was a lot of positive energy it was
fun yeah it was fun and then on the
landscape application review We tidied
up our procedure for reviewing landscape
applications um worked collegially with
Community Builders and pod design on the
North Cassidy there's a large focus on
reviewing plans for 2200 East Main
additional new build landscape reviews
lots of plannings and bread
offenses and then uh celebrating Arbor
Day all of April we did planning at
Jeffrey triador city council and on and
on and on that went so in number six
what could we have done better were we
welcoming in civil to our applicants and
what of our disappointments so what
could we have done
better anything come to mind you know
this is kind of like a Relentless
inventory of our own
liabilities we could have had better
snacks at our meeting we that some
snacks any snacks other than just just a
drinking water yeah I think everyone did
a great job and um I'm honored and
thrilled to be with all of you and
learning and keeping it going keep
that's um I'm not sure if this is
appropriate or not but I'm gonna go
ahead and say it um you know having got
my first year under my belt um I I've
enjoyed very much thing um um and I you
know this is just geared towards myself
probably more than any as a homeowner
like to know if there was problems with
the plant that I'm not aware of it's
they lies yeah we've dropped that hint a
few times well I'm I'm just gonna jump
in I think as part of the discussion and
I think it is a good discussion we
should have but there's gonna there's a
difference between that we're reviewing
plans that the people have already hired
a designer and it's the designer's
responsibility to educate their client
in terms of that and so we're not the
client we're not paying the designer for
that so there's certain things that I
think if it's like a city property that
we're looking at I think we can
definitely yeah we hate dayes I mean I
personally don't hate dayes but I think
they have a bad WP but I mean I think
that that's something that the tree
commission needs to decide in terms of
to what level and it might vary in terms
of residential versus commercial in
terms of how much input should the tree
commission have on that right so if it's
a tree and a tree is proposed you might
hate the tree you think the tree is
horrible it might be a sweet gum but
someone might like the sweet gum they
might like the fall color of that right
so I think that's something that should
definitely be part of that decision
because I think that that is a challenge
for both staff to review as well as the
commission members so I think if we can
have clarification on that it's going to
be easier all the way around perhaps
more from the standpoint um of saying we
recommend that you reconsider this
particular plant because of the fact
that it does tend to have invasive um it
has invasive Tendencies I should say I
think if it's invasive that is a
different thing right so like dayes are
not invasive no I'm talking about truly
but yeah so I think that things that are
truly invasive and I think that that
then ties into what we were talking
about with you know having that little
separate study group of like how do how
does Bexley want to address invasive
plants because then that can certainly
trickle down I mean if it's listed as
invasive then I think definitely it's
within our right to be like you
shouldn't plant that yeah I mean I I
mostly agree with Elena but I don't
think I don't think all landscaper
designers are created equal no no um
none are as good as Alena we know that I
mean so I
thinke difference and I do think even
though like the architecture code says
specifically that the ARB isn't to
substitute its personal taste for the
architectural design I think we have to
apply that standard so I think we have
to ask oursel are we substituting our
personal preferences for the applicants
versus are we offering um limitations
that are good for the city as a whole so
that that would be sort of my response
to Mary's suggestion I did have another
comment on on how well we're doing I
mean I think I think we've had a very
good year but we've you know sort of
spent a huge amount of our fall dealing
with landscape designs which I think has
set us back in terms of our other
responsibilities in terms of thinking
strategically for the city how we
increase our canopy doing things like um
what I think we'll be doing next year in
terms of what's our preferred ground
cover and should we change our preferred
ground cover those kind of things I
think have gotten sort of pushed to the
side because so much of our energy has
been put on landscape reviews so um uh
mayor when um Mary mentioned that she's
finishing her first year and so you know
she doesn't look too bad for having gone
through one year doing great yeah but it
did make me think um when I saw in the
blast that appointments are coming for
some of the commissions that have uh
that need new members because people
rotated off that it might be good if
people had a training session I I know
that some of us felt that we weren't
necessarily at full speed for some of
our reviews as far as legalities and
responsibilities to the to the City
versus say our own opinions versus
what's good for the city I'm wondering
if there maybe should be one you know uh
information session for new uh
commission members um and I have to
admit we've done
those started about four or five years
ago with arbn Bap but we don't typically
with tree commission partially because
that that sort of review role has become
more and more prevalent so it's it it's
just a blind spot so I think that would
be really helpful for new members I also
think it would be good to have a special
training for tree commmission in general
with our zoning attorney just to I agree
talk because pre-commission is a unique
set of issues between you know every
commission and board has that so that'll
be really good we we can only do better
I think you guys are great I will I will
if I can have a second you asked a
question up I don't it disappeared so I
don't know you know what can we do
better what can we do better you can't
possibly do better you guys are the best
but um I think you had there's something
else some
other the highlights the the attachment
it's fine um so one of the questions was
we welcome in civil disappointments I'm
I I think that this is true of all of
our boards and commissions that
sometimes we get in critical mode
and sort of forget that there are I'm
don't want to put this on you guys but
that they're human beings at the elect
turn and and often it's um somebody's
private home that they' put a lot of
time pouring into plans or even if it's
a commercial property they're
professionals that have taken time to
develop that plan so I think we always
have to remind ourselves like what is
the what is the spirit with which we are
which we're you know uh meeting people
and I think that I Aspire that our
boards and commissions have a friendly
approachable voice and that even if we
can disagree with things and say you
know I personally don't love the choice
of
um I think that we
should or or even if it's a much more
emotional topic about removals like that
that that can be had in a way that's
constructive and but still we don't lose
that sort of approachable voice like we
should Aspire I think always to be
friendly to be engaging um in our at our
best moments and I we all fall short of
it so I it's just a constant sort of
um hope uh that that as we approach all
these things that we can bring our best
selves and you guys are doing a great
job I'm not saying you're not I just
think it's a thing to remember in all of
our boards and commissions so Amore tols
wrote this book rules its ability so
today when I was doing this the
highlights I thought oh I'll just Google
this book and find out what the five or
10 rules are well they don't seem to be
five or ten rules but I'm going to keep
looking and see if we can find out where
the rules of stability are January will
we'll do those I think that I'd just
like to Second what what uh Ben said
because just in the choice of words and
uh you know when you're talking with
somebody it it you know it is their
house they've gone to a long trouble and
a lot of times um you know it's it's not
so great you know and uh some people
don't have such a great opinion of
commissions in general because they a
lot of times they tell them things that
they don't want to hear so um I just
think we need to really think about that
very seriously every time people come in
yeah I agree I think that Pro part of
you know maybe educating people when
they come in with a plan because they've
hired a landscape person then the
landscape person probably has a budget
so they're looking at a certain amount
of money they can spend and if we can
encourage them to um you know try other
options that might not be cost much more
but would probably enhance their design
I think that we should at that point
offer that um and not just go with and I
remember and in college we always talked
about the difference between a
Horticultural uh and a landscape
architect which Architects typically
have commercial properties and they're
limited to certain amount of you know
what they can put in so if you're
looking horticulturally you can probably
offer something more unique um and it's
not to say that it's incorrect but I
think it just is can be better and we
would as a city would want to be better
we wouldn't want to be like every other
community anyway so any other
thoughts okay Madam chair I do want you
to know we we do have doors coming not
now right right we said quarter quarter
to six was our know the Future No the
doors that we're gonna get actually get
doors again when you said the doors I
thought
do okay okay again okay all right a
recommendation I have an improvement
would be that if you're going to approve
landscape designs uh that you provide
the Landscape Architects and the
contractors with the most current tree
planting standards because if you're
trying to get to 40% tree canopy
coverage then you need all of these
trees to survive um an example would be
at St Charles so you guys approved the
landscape designs it's on the sheet that
you passed around and when I looked at
them all those trees still have the
burlap on them the wire baskets on them
the wine is still on them one of them
still had a ribbon at the top of it um
so like those trees are not going to be
successful they'll linger for a couple
of years and then they'll die and have
to be replaced so you just lost several
years of growth from those trees and
when you have goals of reading 40% tree
canopy coverage so you know it'd be good
to provide those Landscape Architects
with standards that you can
enforce thank you so onette I hope you
wrote that down I do think that on our
plans those are usually
usually no they're not so um Mark Riner
is a beu resident he is very adamant
about how he plants his trees and I've
had discussion with him about it and he
he's pretty adamant how he does well I
do we do know that there are standards
and we have the latest standards in uh I
think Spencer you and I have also talked
about that too there's uh planting the
not only the depth but then the baskets
and the burlaps and and all the above so
I think is when Jim moves into his uh
you know hyperactivity stage in uh
January February March that that should
be um part of the planting and
maintenance plan so I think maybe that
then shows what we need to improve on is
enforcement I mean now that we have you
know somebody looking at plans but code
enforcement definitely needs to be impr
okay any any other any other things so
again I would like to have you um you
know put your books give your books to
Sheila that you've uh kind of decorated
you can put on there who is it from is
your first name like from Jim and just
write Gus George ages three through
seven and then I'm going to leave you
with this little quote that I got out of
the book The Cal choir concert about the
difference that everybody makes okay so
anyone who thinks that they are Susan
I'm sorry your mic isn't on your mic
isn't
on okay the difference that everybody
makes are we ready Sheila Barb this is
The Parting comment for 2023 anyone who
thinks they are too small to make a
difference has never tried to fall
asleep with a mosquito in the room so
with that we'll adjourn and say happy
Christmas merry New Year on we
go
per