ASHLAND TREE COMMISSION

MINUTES

April 5, 2007

CALL TO ORDER –Chair Mary Pritchard called the Ashland Tree Commission meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. on April 5, 2007 in the Siskiyou Room in the Community Development and Engineering Services Building located at 51 Winburn Way, Ashland, OR.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Sager/Cruser m/s to approve the minutes of February 8, 2007. Voice vote:  all AYES, Motion passed.  The minutes of February 8, 2007 were approved as presented. 

PUBLIC FORUM

None present

PUBLIC HEARINGS

No Public Hearings

ACTION ITEMS

Earth Day Event – Set up is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. at Science Works.  Sager will work from 10:00am to 1:00p.m., Pritchard will work 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Siewert will work the entire day.   Sager is going to check with past Tree Commissioners to see if any of them would be interested in helping work a shift.

Siewert volunteered to bring a round from a tree showing the growth rings and as an activity the kids can guess the age of the tree. Siewert would like to focus on proper planting and be available for questions.  He will bring an example and offer the planting guides.  It was decided to bring pictures of the previous Trees of the Year for display.  Angela will put all the information and supplies together for the event so that Sager can pick it up on Friday. 

New Chair & Vice Chair positions – This is Pritchard’s last meeting.  Sager volunteered to Chair for the next three months and Siewert will be Vice Chair. 

DISCUSSION ITEMS

Goals -The Heritage Tree program, Education and revision of the Street Tree Guide are the three goals the Commissioners previously decided on.

Heritage Tree Program – A Heritage Tree is one that deserves a special status due to distinctive form, size, age, location, species, unique qualities or historical significance.  When the home owner nominates their tree they will describe what the qualities are that makes it a Heritage Tree. Because this program seems to only have risks and no benefit to the home owner, after much discussion, the Commissioners decided to table this topic until Guiley is present at the meeting.  Guiley was previously interested in working on the Heritage Tree Program.

Education and Outreach – The Commissioners agreed that the backpage articles in the Daily Tidings are both informative and interesting.  Their goal is to publish one article each quarter.  Two suggested topics for upcoming articles are Common Tree Problems & Spring Flowering Trees. 

Revision of Street Tree Guide – Pritchard volunteered to help with the revision of the Street Tree Guide even though she will no longer be on the Commission.  The money that pays for the reprinting of the guide is out of the General Fund not the Commissions money.  The Commissions goal is to come up with ways to make it more user friendly and update the tree list. 

NEW ITEMS

Arbor Day Membership – The Commissioners agreed they did not have enough money left in the fund to pay for the membership renewal. 

Angela handed out Commission vacancy flyers so that the Commissioners could help put them around town.

Current Balance – $4.35

ADJOURNMENT - Commissioner Pritchard adjourned the meeting at 7:50 p.m.

The Commissioners thanked Mary Pritchard for her years of service on the Commission and expressed how much they will miss her. 

Respectfully submitted by Carolyn Schwendener, Account Clerk