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Home My Public Portal About09-15-2021 Minutes Tree Board Regular Meeting 101 E. Orange St., PO Box 429, Hillsborough, NC 27278 919-732-1270 | www.hillsboroughnc.gov | @HillsboroughGov TREE BOARD MINUTES | 1 of 4 Minutes TREE BOARD Remote regular meeting 9 a.m. Sept. 15, 2021 Virtual meeting via YouTube Live Town of Hillsborough YouTube channel Present: Chair Andrea Lewis, Sharon Billings, Casey Collins, Tim Logue, Linda Paynter, Liz Waters and Gregory Yavelak Staff: Public Space and Sustainability Manager Stephanie Trueblood 1. Call to order, roll call and confirmation of quorum Chair Andrea Lewis called the meeting to order at 9 a.m. Public Space and Sustainability Manager Stephanie Trueblood called the roll and confirmed the presence of a quorum. 2. Agenda changes and approval Trueblood added discussion about the recent invasive plant species talk on the Riverwalk greenway led by Johnny Randall, director of conservation programs at the North Carolina Botanical Garden. Motion: Member Liz Waters moved to approve the amended agenda. Member Casey Collins seconded. Vote: 7-0. Ayes: Members Sharon Billings, Collins, Lewis, Tim Logue, Linda Paynter, Waters and Greg Yavelak. Nays: None. 3. Minutes review and approval Minutes from regular meeting on Aug. 18, 2021 Motion: Logue moved approval of the Aug. 18, 2021, minutes as submitted. Paynter seconded. Vote: 7-0. Ayes: Billings, Collins, Lewis, Logue, Paynter, Waters and Yavelak. Nays: None. 4. Presentations Canopy Growth Proposal Trueblood introduced Will Spoon. Spoon has expertise in tree conservation, lives in Hillsborough and serves on the Historic District Commission. He created the canopy growth proposal. Spoon reviewed his criteria for choosing focus areas: • Equitable/underserved communities • Contribution to urban heat • High volume of use, largest public benefit • Public/private collaboration opportunity • Minimal utility presence • Site verification that there are not plantings that could dramatically increase canopy TREE BOARD MINUTES | 2 of 4 He used the following tools: • Orange County GIS • USDA i-Tree Canopy • USDA i-Tree Landscape • Landsat-8 thermal infrared sensor data Spoon recommended the Tree Board consider planting trees along: • Nash Street in front of the gravel parking lot on the corner of Nash and Calvin streets. • Eno Street at First Community Baptist Church. • West Union Street at Mt. Bright Missionary Baptist Church. • South Hassel Street at the Whitted Human Services Center. There was brief discussion that young trees are planted in new neighborhoods, so the canopy in the Waterstone and Collins Ridge neighborhoods, for instance, is expected to grow as the young trees become established. There was discussion that the Tree Board historically has planted trees in town rights of way or town property. There is now interest among the board members in exploring planting trees for the public good on private property with the property owner’s consent. Paynter expressed interest in exploring places to plant trees in the Fairview community and in other places in West Hillsborough. 5. Action items Request by Tom Magnuson on behalf of Orange County Historical Museum to prune trees that overhang the museum Magnuson was not present. Trueblood explained the building where the museum is located is owned by the town and leased by the museum’s board. The museum is responsible for maintenance and receives a maintenance allowance from the town. There are some low-hanging branches that the museum feels are too close to the building’s new roof. The museum board is seeking permission to prune the branches. Motion: Billings moved to approve the pruning. Yavelak seconded. Trueblood called the roll for voting. Vote: 7-0. Ayes: Billings, Collins, Lewis, Logue, Paynter, Waters and Yavelak. Nays: None. 6. Discussion items A. FY22 plantings and Arbor Day discussion (continued) Trueblood noted the board can consider moving forward with tree plantings in the areas Spoon recommended in addition to areas discussed last month. She reported that she had started conversations with the people who lease the Nash Street parking lot from the North Carolina Railroad and they are amenable to tree plantings. Trueblood also suggested the board could consider planting the grass island at the entrance to Gold Park. She asked the board to prioritize the plantings. TREE BOARD MINUTES | 3 of 4 Logue asked for a cost estimate for pollinator plants at Hillsborough Heights Park and an estimate for the cost of purchasing and planting one tree. Trueblood said the cost per tree can vary depending on what needs to be done to prepare for the planting but a tree is estimated to be around $200. She noted there is $5,600 available for plantings. Collins advocated for planting a strip along the Nast Street parking lot because it is bare and hot and the public would notice the difference that trees would make. She noted this could open a door to other public/private tree planting partnerships. Trueblood noted an area along Calvin Street that looks like it can be planted cannot due to utilities. The only place along the Nash Street parking lot is on N.C. Railroad property. She asked for clarification on the board means by public/private partnership. Board members said they were thinking the private contribution would be consent to use of the land for plantings. The board did not intend to ask for financial contribution. Trueblood asked for the board’s thoughts on a tree and a location for an Arbor Day planting. The board decided the location would be the grass island at Gold Park. It was agreed that Yavelak and Collins will identify some planting options that will be presented at the next meeting. Trueblood summarized: • Trueblood will keep exploring along the Nash Street parking lot. • A tree will be planted at Gold Park as part of an Arbor Day celebration. • Trueblood will get estimates for pollinator plants for Hillsborough Heights Pollinator Garden. • Trueblood will contact Mt. Bright Missionary Baptist Church to gauge interest in future plantings. • The board is interested in adding trees along Riverwalk if there’s enough money. B. Video planning: “Leave the Leaves” Collins said that she is prepared to create the video soon. C. Ivy removal update Logue reported that he and former member Frances Harris removed ivy from some cedars at the Town Hall Campus. While they were working the Public Information Office took photos and wrote a news release about the removal efforts. A UNC student then wrote an article for The Daily Tar Heel. D. Annual election of officers Logue nominated Collins to serve as chair. Waters nominated Logue to serve as vice chair. Motion: Billings moved to elect Collins as chair and Logue as vice chair. Waters seconded. Vote: 7-0. Ayes: Billings, Collins, Lewis, Logue, Paynter, Waters and Yavelak. Nays: None. E. Added item – invasive plants Trueblood thanked Billings for writing a summary of what was learned on the recent walk along Riverwalk with Randall. Logue said the walk and conversation mostly focused on ways to remove Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) and Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima). There also was a suggestion to try replacing Japanese stiltgrass with plugs of a competitor plant in a small area and observe whether that works. TREE BOARD MINUTES | 4 of 4 The board briefly discussed next steps for removing invasive plants. Volunteers could be asked to haul brush away, but a very limited number of people would be allowed to cut plants on town property. Trueblood said she would be comfortable giving Logue permission to remove privet. Yavelak left the meeting at 10:35 a.m. Waters expressed interest in learning the costs of having a contractor remove privet and ailanthus along Riverwalk. 7. Updates A. Garden Club No report. B. Bee City Subcommittee No report. C. Staff Trueblood said contractors cleared the northern property line at the Old Town Cemetery and a dead pine tree was removed from the right of way on Barracks Road. 8. Adjournment Motion: Logue moved to adjourn at 10:40 a.m. Billings seconded. Vote: 7-0. Ayes: Billings, Collins, Lewis, Logue, Paynter, Waters and Yavelak. Nays: None. Respectfully submitted, Stephanie Trueblood Public Space and Sustainability Manager Staff support to the Tree Board Approved: Oct. 20, 2021