HomeMy Public PortalAbout06-20-2018 Minutes Tree Board Regular MeetingPage 1 of 2
Minutes
Tree Board
9 a.m. June 20, 2018
Town Barn, 101 E. Orange St.
Present: Vice Chair Frances Harris, Casey Collins, Tim Logue, Phyllis Simon, Liz Waters, and
Greg Yavelak (ex officio)
Absent: Chair Andrea Lewis and Bryan Stuart
Staff: Public Space Manager Stephanie Trueblood
Guests: Rick Pearce
Item 1: Call to order, roll call, and confirmation of quorum
Vice Chair Frances Harris called the meeting to order at 9:04 a.m. Public Space Manager
Stephanie Trueblood called the roll and confirmed the presence of a quorum.
Item 2: Additions to the agenda and agenda adjustment
There were no changes or adjustments.
Item 3: Approval of minutes from May 16, 2018, meeting
Motion: Member Phyllis Simon moved to approve the minutes as presented. Member Liz
Waters seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
Item 4: Receive information on emerald ash borer prevention strategies from Rick Pearce of
Carolina Tree Care
Pearce said that the emerald ash borer is present in the area and rapidly killing ash trees. He
described treatments, including trunk injection, which a licensed professional can use.
Trueblood said the town does not usually use pesticides, but there are special situations when
pesticides could be considered. The town does not have a budget large enough to treat all the
trees, but the Tree Board could consider treating some of the trees.
Pearce said the pesticide ArborMectin is detected in the pollen of a treated tree and could
harm pollinators in areas where the ash trees bloom early in the blooming season. In
Hillsborough, many other plants and trees are in bloom when the ash blooms, Pearce said.
Pearce said there are some dead ash trees along the Riverwalk greenway already. He said the
emerald ash borer also kills white fringe trees and a few other kinds of trees.
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Board members thanked Pearce for speaking. The board then expressed interest in identifying
where some of the most prominent ash trees are located.
Trueblood said that she would not choose to inject a pesticide into the trees but encouraged
the Tree Board to do its own research and come to its own decision.
Item 5: Hear proposal from Stephanie Trueblood to plant weeping willow tree on
Hillsborough Avenue
Trueblood committed to watering the new tree, should the Tree Board approve the planting.
Motion: Member Tim Logue moved to approve the planting of the weeping willow.
Waters seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
Item 6: Update on Bee City 2018 initiatives:
• Meet the Garden at Cates Creek Park event on June 16, 2018
Board members said it was fun. Board Member Casey Collins said she answered a lot of
questions about why the plants are packed into the flower beds. She noted the plants are
packed intentionally so that the plants support one another and crowd out the weeds.
• Local nurseries outreach
Waters reported that she has spoken with the owner of Gro-Smart several times. She said the
owner is interested in selling plants that are native to the United States but native to North
Carolina is too restrictive.
Item 6: Updates
• Hillsborough Garden Club:
Harris said club members are watering planters and flower beds around town as planned.
• Staff updates — Trueblood reported that:
○ A few dead pines were removed from the Town Hall Campus.
○ There is a dead tree at the new Town Annex that will be removed.
○ She has taken a photo of the crape myrtle chosen to be the Treasure Tree. The photo
will accompany the article that will be printed in The News of Orange County. Board
members informally approved the photo.
Item 8: Adjourn
Harris adjourned the meeting at 9:58 a.m.