Tree and Storm Water Advisory Board on April 12, 2023

Agenda

7:00 pm

City Council Chambers, 1 Quail Creek Circle, North Liberty, Iowa

1. Call to Order
2. Approval of Minutes
   1. February 1, 2023
3. Public Comment
4. Tree Reports
   1. Tree City USA 2022 (27 years)
   2. MidAmerican 2023 Trees Please Grant Awarded $1000
   3. Tree pruning (When and when not to prune trees)
   4. Arbor Day Proclamation April 28^th
   5. Other tree topics not listed
5. Report – Muddy Creek & Trail clean-up was held on April 8^th
6. Storm Water Report
   1. Storm water mapping in North Liberty
   2. Home and Garden Show April 21-23^rd
   3. Native Plant Symposium April 29^th
   4. Remarkable rigs event May 13^th Centennial Park
   5. Storm Water cost share funding 2023
   6. Controlled prairie burn (Centennial Park)
7. Old Business
8. New Business
9. Next Meeting
   1. July 12, 2023, at 7:00pm.
10. Adjournment

Minutes

Minutes from North Liberty Tree and Storm Water Advisory Board Meeting

February 1, 2023, 7:00 pm

Call to Order by Abdouramane Bila-Chair person. Board members present: Darice Baxter, Kevin McGrane, Doris Vaske, and Michael Burrill. Guy Goldsmith-Parks Director, Mike Wolfe-Stormwater Coordinator

Approval of Minutes for July 2022 meeting. Motion by Michael Burrill, second by Darice Baxter. Motion carried.

Abdouramane Bila opened the floor for Public Comment. No public comment.

Gu Goldsmith provided an update that the Tree City USA 2023 application was submitted and approved by the DNR.

Guy Goldsmith provided an update that the MidAmerican 2023 Trees Please Grant application was submitted.

Guy Goldsmith provided an update on the 2022 DNR Community Forestry Grant Program $9800.00 that the payment has been received and put towards the trees that have already been planted.

Guy Goldsmith states that he and city staff are still looking into a program which could provide financial assistance to members of the community needing to remove an affected Ash trees as they can become a safety hazard. This program would be formatted similarly to stormwater grants which have been available for several years to improve water quality. The idea is well received but unsure where funding would come from.

Abdouramane Bila asks if there would be possible outside funding such as grants for tree removal related to Emerald Ash Borer. Guy Goldsmith states that he has inquired about this and that there is no funding available and likely will not be.

Darice Baxter asks if this would be funding for one-to-one replacement. Guy Goldsmith states that the funding would be for tree removal only as a means to entice owners to remove trees which will become a hazard.

Michael Burrill asks Guy Goldsmith how much tree removal costs generally. Guy states that depending on variables such as size and surrounding hazards the cost can be around $1,000 for a 14 inch tree.

Doris Vaske asks if there could be assistance from power companies who often trim trees around power lines. Guy Goldsmith states that it is possible, but the company is unlikely to remove the whole tree as they only clear the tree from the power lines.

Kevin McGrane asks Guy Goldsmith if this would be for the next fiscal year. Guy states that it would depend on the priority of the issues and any available funding.

Abdouramane Bila asks if it would be helpful to tell council members who would be working on the budget. Guy Goldsmith states that it wouldn’t hurt, however, the tree removal is ultimately up to the homeowner since it is on private property.

Videos

Attachments

Information Packet