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MARCH 22, 2005

ATTENDANCE: Donald Nelson, Chairman; Laurel Lindstrom; Hal Alvord; Paul Sotnik; David Tracy; Dan Brookshire; Richard Whitehead; Peter Viteretto

TREE LIAISON:

OTHERS PRESENT: Karen Doyle Lyons; Oak Hills Park - Joe Tamburri, Chairman, Vince Grillo, Manager, Larry Andronaco, Chairman Grounds & Building Cmte and Glen Dube, Superintendent

CALL TO ORDER

Chairman Nelson called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m.

APPROVE MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 22, 2005

The following corrections were made:

On page 2 under Tree and Shrub List, line 3 – delete the word “other”. Amend the fifth sentence to “Mr. Viteretto commented that the list would be prepared alphabetically by genus and species.” Also, delete the word “etc.” at the end of the paragraph.

On page 3 under Neighborhood Liaisons, first paragraph line 2 – change “East Avenue” to “East Norwalk”. In the second paragraph line 5 – it was Mr. Alvord not Ms. Lindstrom that would amend the wording and distribute during orientation.

On page 3 under Wall Street Trees, line 3 – change “liaison or neighborhood” to “business or merchants”

** MR. VITERETTO MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 22, 2005 AS AMENDED.
** MS. LINDSTROM SECONDED THE MOTION.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

DISCUSSION

Oak Hills Park Authority Tree Management

Mr. Tamburri introduced “staff” personnel, and said that in the past the Authority had a few problems, primarily due to lack of communication, which he felt have been resolved. Chairman Nelson said he, Ms. Lindstrom, Mr. Tracy and others were concerned that several trees had been removed from the golf course, and the Park Authority did not notify anyone from either the TAC or the NTA. Speaking on his own behalf and that of others, Chairman Nelson said it would be prudent to have the Park Authority put together a tree inventory and tree management plan to prevent this from happening in the future. He said the TAC is working with a volunteer group called the Norwalk Tree Alliance who is responsible to inventory public trees throughout the entire City. Street trees would be addressed first but eventually all park trees would be included in the inventory.

Mr. Tamburri explained that a few trees were removed to allow more sunlight to shine on the greens. He asked if the same type of request had been or would be made of other parks, saying he didn’t feel it was appropriate that Oak Hills Park be singled out. He said the Authority is already overburdened with a limited budget and lack of help but understood the importance of having the inventory and associated management plan. He said that Oak Hills was different from other parks because it was the only one in the City that had a golf course in it, and trees that cause an adverse impact to functionality would require removal. He assured the Committee that there were no random cuts; public meetings were held first, followed by extensive discussion before a decision was made. Chairman Nelson asked if the Authority followed a planting program, or if it had a management strategy for tree replacement long term. Mr. Tamburri said that many of the trees were not properly maintained over the years and as a result, became safety hazards or problematic to the irrigation system. He said that most of the tree cutting is finished. Mr. Dube said many of the trees were improperly placed initially. The Authority is trying to create a master plan with assistance from a golf course architect but no formal program for the future has been developed. It was his intent to keep the trees maintained so that they would not become damaged and need to be cut. He asked to meet with someone from the TAC or the NTA to discuss a few trees that would soon require attention, saying again there were communication mix-ups in the past and he did not want them to continue.

Mr. Whitehead said he advised Mr. Dube of Norwalk’s tree ordinance. Mr. Dube said the decisions are made within, and then estimates are received from tree cutting contractors. Chairman Nelson requested that the Authority proceed with a tree management program. Mr. Alvord agreed that there are communication issues. He also agreed that the Authority did not have the resources available to put together a management plan. He said they were exempt from the City’s fee for tree cutting and permit requirements. He suggested there should be a means of the public or the neighborhoods to express their concerns. He suggested that the Authority utilize the City’s website to invite people to come to meetings to increase their awareness and understanding.
Ms. Lindstrom felt strongly that there should be a link between the Authority and the TAC, but wasn’t sure what would be most effective. Chairman Nelson requested that Mr. Tamburri advise the TAC if tree issues were on the Authority’s agenda to be discussed. Mr. Tamburri said he would make minutes of their meeting available. Mr. Andronaco said that November is usually the month when the Authority makes its decisions regarding trees. He said he would attend the November meeting of the TAC. Mr. Tamburri said the Authority would do its best to keep the TAC informed.

Mr. Brookshire said he understood the Authority could not easily put together a management plan but said it was important for people to see a replacement plan to help them understand why certain trees were slated for removal. Mr. Alvord agreed, and said the public needed to understand that management of a park with a golf course was different than managing one without. Mr. Andronaco said the information would be contained in their master plan; he would push to have it completed this year. He said that for 25+ years there was no program in place; the Authority was playing “catch up.” He said he tries to create a balance between what he does for the City and for the Authority.

Mr. Tamburri said ice caused extensive damage to seven greens a few winters ago; three greens were totally lost. Mr. Alvord said the Authority was self-sustaining since its inception; no taxpayer money was allocated to the Authority.

Mr. Andronaco said trees are cut during a two-week window in the winter to decrease safety hazards. The stump is completely ground out and filled in after the tree is cut and wood chips were placed on top of the fill material.

Chairman Nelson thanked Mr. Tamburri and others from the Authority for providing insight, and said they would be invited again to other TAC meetings as the year progressed. He reiterated that if the Authority needed assistance they should contact him or others members of the Committee. He suggested the Authority make a presentation to the news media.

Status of Tree and Shrub RFP

Mr. Alvord said the RFP was sent out and responses were due on April 5th. He said he was certain of at least three firms that would submit a response. The RFP was prepared alphabetically by genus and species; he thanked Mr. Viteretto for his assistance in preparation of the RFP.

Wall Street Trees

Mr. Viteretto had a montage of tree photographs available for the Committee members to view. Mr. Alvord said he walked the entire area and noticed six trees in particular that required immediate attention. He said he would ask Mr. Tergis to place an order with Princeton Nursery for one tree to replace the one that was not doing well. Mr. Viteretto said the three Linden and two Norway maple trees were doing fine and suggested they remain. Ms. Lindstrom agreed. Mr. Alvord said that five trees at the east end of Wall Street currently have pebbles covering their root structure. This would be cleared out and replaced with mulch.

Mr. Viteretto said the developer and/or someone from the development team for the Wall Street area should be asked to meet with the TAC; Mr. Alvord said he would take care of this. He said the approach to the developer would be that the Committee is willing to coordinate activities so that both parties are in sync with each other. He said he would also invite Mr. Discala to attend the Committee’s April 26th meeting. Mr. Viteretto wondered if the developer would use the recommendation of the TAC regarding ground cover for the new plantings or at minimum, keep them mulched. He added that planting beds near curb area must be durable, and wanted to have this completed soon. Mr. Sotnik said that a standard should be developed that could be used everywhere in the City. Mr. Viteretto said that he agreed in principle but also understood that certain areas were unique. There was a discussion concerning the installation of plantings and metal knee-high decorative fencing around the planting beds.

Ms. Lindstrom said the East Norwalk neighborhood association would meet on April 6th at 7:30 in City Hall and Mr. Discala would attend to present the planned developments for the Wall Street Area. The presentation would include Smith Street and the former site of Gibbs College. She said she felt the TAC was focusing too much attention on the Wall Street area and other areas of the City required attention, as well.

Mr. Alvord spoke about the wine barrels, saying DPW personnel would distribute flyers to merchants that the barrels would be removed and taken to the dump. He said everyone would be kept informed.

Update on Tree City Application

Ms. Lindstrom said the matter was no longer her responsibility; she submitted the application to the Mayor’s office. Mr. Alvord said he heard from someone that Norwalk’s was the best application submitted through the entire State.

April 30 City-wide Cleanup

Mr. Nelson said that Mr. Shockley contacted all neighborhood associations to enlist their assistance with the clean up, and it was unfortunate that large items would not be able to get picked up. Mr. Alvord said he also didn’t know how many neighborhood associations would help, but commitments were received from SONO and the Wall Street area. He said there were sufficient donations of supplies, i.e., trash bags, gloves, so that everyone would have what they needed.

Neighborhood Liaisons

Mr. Nelson said there were ten established neighborhood liaisons. The first orientation session was scheduled for April 7th at 7:30 p.m. Mr. Alvord distributed and explained the agenda for the orientation. He said each liaison should be equipped with a bound packet of information to be used as a temporary reference. It would explain the expectation of the liaison, and include tree statutes and the tree ordinance, and a list of contacts. There would be extra booklets available, and some would be placed in the DPW library. He said the session would last approximately two hours and would include examples and photographs. Mr. Sotnik said he would arrange to have a large room for the session, since it was not known exactly how many attendees there would be. Mr. Brookshire said he would be the liaison for his neighborhood.

Lockwood-Mathews Spring Garden Show

Chairman Nelson said the show would be held April 29, 30 and 31, and would be held at the same time as the city-wide cleanup.

NEW BUSINESS

Arbor Day Activities

Chairman Nelson said he had already started to set up plans for Arbor Day. Mr. Brookshire said he would be at Tracey School on March 29th, where there would be a tree planting. About 480 students and teachers would be there, and a brief presentation would be made to inform the student body about the importance of trees and what it meant to be a “tree city.” The Mayor would present a proclamation. Mr. Brookshire said there would be posters placed in City Hall and in the school. Each student would receive a seedling. Mr. Alvord said that a unique site should be chosen for the tree planting, and he would check with Mr. Moccaie from Parks and Rec. Specifically regarding Arbor Day, Ms. Lindstrom said she wanted to be sure the presentation included mention of the tree ordinance, the Tree Advisory Committee and the tree city application. Mr. Brookshire said the group would hold another meeting before the Day arrived. He suggested that notice be made in The Stamford Advocate and The Norwalk Hour. Mr. Alvord said it was wise to have a press release; Chairman Nelson said he would handle this.

Awsome Tree Contest

Mr. Tracy provided a status update on the awesome tree contest, which he said was modeled on the event that had been held in Vermont on Arbor Day for the past seven years. The contest would be launched at the Lockwood Mathews garden show. He said there were five categories in the contest, and anticipated that it would be a lot of fun.

Public Input And Comment

Ms. Lyons, of 58 Spring Hill Avenue, said she was a member of the Spring Hill Association. She asked if the Norway maple tree on her property belonged to the City. Mr. Sotnik said he would review the property lines and advise. He said that if Ms. Lyons had a property survey it would be helpful. Ms. Lyons said the tree was in a “butchered” state when the property was purchased, and she wanted to be sure that it received proper maintenance so it would not be lost. She asked if anyone was aware of the tree trimming schedule that CL&P followed, so that she could make arrangements to be home when her tree was being trimmed. Mr. Alvord said he would meet with CL&P soon to discuss their schedule; DPW had not received one in the past and he wasn’t sure if there was a formal schedule because to his knowledge, there was no formal contract. To this point, there were only verbal guideline agreements. He said the City did not have a legal basis to request the schedule, but trimming should be done within parameters set by the City. He said that CL&P should give a three-week notice of the scheduled date for trimming or cutting, and all tree cutting contractors were required to post a bond. Mr. Viteretto said there was no established timeframe, but the utility company was supposed to meet with DPW staff to provide a strategy.

Ms. Lyons said that a trash barrel should be placed at the Roger Stevens House, #27.

ADJOURNMENT

Chairman Nelson said the next meeting of the Tree Advisory Committee was scheduled for Tuesday, April 26th.

** MS. LINDSTROM MOVED TO ADJOURN.
** MR. BROOKSHIRE SECONDED THE MOTION.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:40 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Carol A. Graham for
Telesco Secretarial Services