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TREE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
MINUTES
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TREE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
DECEMBER 18, 2007
ATTENDANCE: Don Nelson, Chairman
ABSENT: David Tracy
Richard Whitehead
Maribeth Becker
Peter Viteretto
STAFF: Hal Alvord, Tree Warden
Paul Sotnik, Deputy Tree Warden
Dilene Byrd, Secretary
NORWALK TREE ALLIANCE: Dick Aime
NEIGHBORHOOD TREE LIAISONS: Dianne Witkowsky, Spring Hill/Hospital
Association
Gay McCloud, West Norwalk Association
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chairman Nelson called the meeting to order at 6:10PM
2. APPROVE MINUTES OF THE TREE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING OF NOVEMBER 27,
2007
Approval of meeting minutes was tabled until next months meeting due to a
lack of a quorum.
3. APPROVE THE SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2008
Chairman Nelson said that he had a conflict on February 26, 2008. Mr. Alvord
said he would need to designate someone on his behalf to chair the meeting.
Mr. Alvord said he would forward the calendar as presented to the City Clerk.
4. REPORT-INCIDENTS OF ILLEGAL CUTTING
Mr. Sotnik had no illegal cuttings to report.
a. Bonnie Doone Lane
Mr. Alvord said the trees that the State had cut were either on the State’s
property or extremely close to being on private property. He said that the
property line is five feet off the edge of the sidewalk and said he thinks
the tree stumps are within the five feet and either himself or Mr. Sotnik
would go out and measure. He said that he suggests using the tree-planting
program to replant the trees. He said he would like to speak with the Director
of Mental Health and Retardation Facility to be sure that once the trees are
replanted that they would not be cut down again.
5. TREE PLANTING PROGRAM
a. Spring Hill
Ms. Witkowsky said that she had received the map and she has labeled where
she thinks the plantings should be placed. She said she would like the opinion
of the Committee regarding the water department property. Mr. Alvord said
the next step is that he, Mr. Sotnik and Mr. Nelson will go out to the locations
and make a determination as to whether or not the species of trees being requested
will fit in that area. He also said that he would speak with John Hiscock,
of the Second District Water Department, but said he does not think there
will be any issue unless they have any capital plans for that area. Ms. Witkowsky
said that the water department property is the only area that she did not
get permission slips or tree types for.
b. Guidebook for volunteers
Mr. Alvord said there has been no change in status at this time.
6. INFORMATION COPIES
a. Mr. Alvord distributed a letter from the Diocese of Bridgeport that stated they were very appreciative of the trees being planted and the curbing being placed on Broad Street and that they would be replacing the fence.
7. UPDATE-TREE REPLACEMENTS ON CALF PASTURE BEACH ROAD
Mr. Alvord said that he will contact the president of the Charles Cove Condominium Association to inquire when their next Board meeting will be held and get some potential dates for a meeting and forward those dates to the members of the committee and the tree liaisons.
8. REPORT-LIBERTY ELM TREE PLANTING
Chairman Nelson said that the ceremony had gone well. He said that a bronze plaque had been placed at the bottom of the tree in which the Boy scouts would be locating a cement base for. He said that members of Boy Scout Troop number 20 attended the ceremony and had read a poem and that Mayor Moccia also had given a speech. He said that approximetly twenty-five people attended the ceremony. Mr. Alvord said that Senator Duff also had given a speech. Mr. Aime asked where at City Hall the tree had been planted. Mr. Alvord said along Sunset Hill Avenue.
9. REPORT-TREE AND SHRUBS LISTS FOR UPCOMING TREE PLANTING RFP
Mr. Alvord said he had hoped to have a proposed list for tonight’s
meeting but was unable to complete it due to snow issues with the Board of
Education. He said that Mr. Sotnik had sent a list to all the committee members
of which species have been planted under the program along with the percentages.
He said he will take a list of the current contract species for both trees
and shrubs and will mark off those that staff feels should be removed from
the list and said if anyone on the committee wishes to send input on what
they think should be on the list he would incorporate that. He said that after
he makes the changes he will forward the list to members of the committee
and if no comments are received that is the list he would use.
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10. REPORT-TREE CITY USA RE-CERTIFICATION AND GROWTH AWARD
Mr. Aime said with the great assistance of Mr. Alvord and Mr. Sotnik the applications
were completed today. Mr. Alvord said the application was sent out via overnight
mail to Chris Donnelly today. He said that he would like to compliment Mr.
Aime on gathering all the back up materials and performing the research for
the applications. He said that Norwalk has well exceeded the requirements
in 2007 for both the re-certification and growth awards and is confident that
we would be able to qualify for the growth award again next year.
11. DISCUSSION-2008 AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE FOR COMMUNITY TREES-US
CONFERENCE OF MAYORS AND HOME DEPOT FOUNDATION
Mr. Alvord said that he had contacted Deann Fordham and after speaking with
her, his estimation is that after putting a lot of time and effort into this
application that Norwalk would probably not have a chance of receiving the
award. He said not because our program does not beat other programs around
the county, but because they are trying to spread the word of the program
around by recognizing other communities. He said therefore, he did not submit
the on-line application, and it is his recommendation that they focus on next
year’s application (2009) and said he feels that it would have a tremendous
expansion of our tree program during the next year.
12. DISCUSSION-NEIGHBORHOOD ACTIVITIES
Mr. Alvord said that the December CNNA meeting was canceled.
13. DISCUSSION-NTA ACTIVITES
Mr. Aime said the Norwalk tree Alliance has been on holiday recess.
14. NEW BUSINESS
Ms. McCloud said that on Old Rock Lane and Weed Avenue there have been significant trimmings being done by CL&P. She said they had tagged the trees and she looked at them and they appeared to be mostly dead. She said they did the trimmings on those trees, but also cut some healthy trees. Mr. Alvord said that CL&P has an arborist that is quite knowledgeable and he has been cooperative to work with. He said that he and Mr. Sotnik have been encouraging the power company to remove trees that are growing directly below the power lines because eventually they will grow into the power lines and would rather have them remove those trees and perform a better job of trimming those trees that are not directly under the power lines. Ms. McCloud asked if the trees are healthy but are an obsticle would they be removed. Mr. Alvord said it depends on what the potential damage to the tree will be.
Ms. McCloud said that the West Norwalk Association held their holiday event and that over two hundred people attended and some of them had signed up and pledged money.
Ms. Witkowsky asked if the Telephone Company can use trees to run telephone lines. Mr. Alvord said absolutely not. Ms. Witkowsky requested that Mr. Alvord look on Armstrong Place. She said that all utilities are underground and that they are attaching the lines from tree to tree. Mr. Sotnik asked if the lines are running from pole to pole through tree branches or are they actually attaching the line to the trees. She said she does not know if the lines are stapled but they are being looped to the tree. Mr. Alvord asked if she knew if it was telephone or cable lines. She said that her neighbor had told her that she had been informed that it was ATT running the lines. Mr. Alvord said he would research it.
15. ADJOURNMENT
** CHAIRMAN NELSON MOVED TO ADJOURN
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY
The meeting adjourned at 6:45PM
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