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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBTB mins 5_31_06Bozeman Tree Advisory Board Meeting Minutes May 31, 2006 Noon to 1:05 pm City Hall conference room Bozeman, Montana Meeting Participants Board members: Shelly Engler, Anne Foster (secretary), Liz Galli-Noble (chair), and Gene Keith. Others present: Ryon Stover, Bozeman Forestry Department. Meeting Minutes Approval A motion was made and seconded to approve the March 29th, 2006 meeting minutes with minor edits. The motion passed unanimously. Another motion was made and seconded to approve the April 6th, 2006 meeting minutes as written. The motion passed unanimously. Board Membership Liz announced that she had been informed by the City of Bozeman that Danielle Nicholas Fisher our new Board member. Liz went to the Clerk of the Commission’s office just before this meeting to confirm that information. She was given Danielle’s contact information at that time, but unfortunately that was too late to invite Danielle to this meeting. Liz also reported that Shelly Engler and Liz are both up for Board reappointment on June 30, 2006, and Anne Foster, Gene Keith, and Danielle will be up for reappointment on June 30, 2007. Liz announced that she will ask to be reappointed to the Board for another term. Shelly said that she is still thinking about whether or not to do another term. Liz announced that the new City Clerk is Brit Fontenot and Board members can contact him with questions or Board information (meeting minutes, agendas, etc.) by e-mailing to: agenda@bozeman.net Review of the 2006 Arbor Day Event (April 28, 2006) Liz passed around a Thank You Letter to the Tree Advisory Board that she received from the Principal of the Irving School. He thanked the Board for hosting his school tree planting project as the 2006 Arbor Day event. Liz went on to report that the Monday after the Arbor Day planting, May 1, Aida Murga and she returned to the school to give eight 15-minute tree presentations to all of the classes that had missed the Arbor Day presentation. One of the teachers then asked Liz to come back to take her 4th grade class on a tree identification tour in the neighborhood. Liz asked the other Board members if they could join her, and she thanked Ryon Stover for doing so. It was fun and very well received. Note: Aida Murga also made a suggestion for next year’s Arbor Day project: tree planting in the boulevards at Beall Park. She pointed out that at present only the boulevards along N. Bozeman are planted. Everyone agreed that this could well be a great project—very visible and only two blocks from down town. It was also suggested that some of the local homeowners may want to pitch in and do cost-share tree plantings as well. Ryon said that he will look into why trees have not been planted in the boulevards in the past and will report back to the Board. New Tree Brochure Gene Keith had volunteered at the last meeting to take on the writing of the draft of the brochure. He mentioned at this meeting that he was not sure what to include, however. The following discussion followed: Liz: We should include as much as we think appropriate and then simply cut what does not work. We should include the legal responsibilities of individual homeowners; many people would do the right thing when it comes to planting trees and trimming their hedges, if they were given a clear explanation of what is required of them and how it should be done. Shelly: We should gear the pamphlet toward recommendations under the City ordinance (for example the site triangle); but it should not be a how-to on tree planting and care. For recommended plantings, we can simply cite the other brochures that focus on that information. The ordinance provides guides to species, hedges, why certain species are appropriate. Other Comments: We could use the “why not” approach. Use photos to help illustrate our points. Tree permits, as part of the cost-share program, are important. Tree Board Logo The Tree Board approved Jennifer’s logo at our last meeting. The Board members asked Liz to contact Jennifer and remind her that she had committed to tweeking the logo slightly to make it easier to read (bigger and bolder font) and to put it into a more usable format (jpeg). Agenda Items Held Over from Previous Meetings: Tree permit approval—could all the requirements be incorporated in one permit? DRC permits could be streamlined. The present process is confusing and time consuming. Discussion: In the permit process, the Forestry Department reviews plans for boulevard plantings and for single family homes and duplexes, not for subdivisions. For fourplexes and up, permitting falls under the DRC’s (City planning staff) jurisdiction, although Ryon can comment on any and all plantings. Shelly: At some point there will be a median up-date inventory. The City has a budget for implementing a city-wide inventory. Ryon: New GIS/GPS inventory equipment/capability is now available and an inventory will be started this year. Does the Forestry Department have guidelines for city owned trees? What species are encouraged? Discussion: Shelly: For our next brochure, I would like the Board to encourage diversity and flexibility when it comes to tree planting in the City; flexibility on the part of the City. The City should give broad guidelines, possibly as a modification of the UDO. At present, design decisions seem to be arbitrary and do not always make sense for the landscape designer (required to mix species within a planting design even when cluster plantings are perfectly fine and look more appealing). Oftentimes, the developer puts in the planting requirements for a new subdivision in the small print of a contract, which do not even comply with the City requirements and are often do not get caught in the review process. Liz: Suggested that this issue be tabled and that the Board devote an entire meeting to it in the future. She also suggested that the Board focus on the first brochure and then address this issue. Others agreed. Continuing Issues not Addressed at this Meeting: Street Tree Master Plan—produced by the Tree Board. Gallatin Valley water issue. History of the Board: we need to put together a packet that could be shared with new, incoming Board members. Summer Board Meetings Liz polled the Board members about summer Board meetings. She mentioned that for Shelly, Gene and Ryon this is a very busy time of the year. Should the Board skip a couple summer meetings? Ryon: We have a momentum, let’s keep going and meet every month. Gene: Agreed. No one else commented. Liz then asked Gene to bring what he has completed on the brochure to the next meeting and we can work on it together. The next three Tree Board meeting are scheduled for: Wednesdays, June 14, July 12 and August 9, 2006 at noon in the City Hall conference room.