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Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=GGmbEVbIp8o

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Right. I'd like to welcome everyone to the Tree Advisory Commission and call to order the 4M on Thursday, July 2nd, tree commission meeting. First item on the agenda is our roll call. Joe, you want to start us off? >> Sure. Joe Sim, state the engineer.

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>> Lee Kenoff, commissioner. >> Jordi Vite, commissioner. >> Miriam Waldner, commissioner. >> Joey Schugle, park and recreation director. All right, thank you. And we do have some guests today and uh we'll get to talk to them here in a little bit. Uh first item on the agenda then is

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the approval of our agenda for the July 2nd meeting. >> I make a motion to approve the agenda for the uh July 2nd meeting. >> I'll second. >> Okay, we have a motion in second to approve the agenda for the July 2nd, 2026 meeting. Any other questions or

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discussion? All in favor say I. I >> opposed. Motion carries. Second item on the agenda, item 4.1, is the approval of our minutes from the May 7th, 2026 meeting. Um, anybody have any

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comments or changes? Otherwise, I'd be looking for a motion. >> I'll approve. >> I'll second. A motion in second to approve the meeting minutes from the May 7th, 2026 meeting. Um, any other questions or discussion?

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All in favor say I. >> I. >> I. >> Opposed. Motion carries. Next on our agenda under old business is item 5.1, the city reimbursement programs in budget updates. Joe. >> All right. Thank you, Mr. Chair and commissioners. Uh just quick run through

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what we have left in our uh budget for the year. Um major item in there is our unused amounts into the diseased tree and boulevard planting programs for reimbursements. That's approximately 85,500.

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Uh we have had quite a few reimbursements come in for removals. So we do have some of those carryovers um from the first half of the year that we're going to send that actually will go out uh this week um for the second half reimbursements and that's about

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$3,500. Uh to date we've had eight tree plantings that we've reimbured and 55 removals uh disease removals um that have been re reimbursed. And as of June 22nd there's 215 Boulevard ash trees

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left um or estimated left within the city. >> Thank you. Um any other questions or discussion? All right, with that then we will move on to item 5.2 um park and recck department updates.

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>> Mr. Chair, commissioners, uh couple of the big tree true related items with the park and recck department uh is we've had um eight ashtree removals in various parks. Those parks, Riverside had one right by the observation deck that was a

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dead ashtree that was too close for comfort um that came down recently. um we had taken down recently. South German Park by the dog park sign was removed. We have uh behind Miller Park off of the bike trail uh is scheduled to be removed

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as well. Uh two from German Park on the PA walkway and uh two on the community center boulevard will be removed as well and uh and then uh a limb removal at North Park as well. Uh so that will

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that's seven ash and um that are removed and with that uh we have seven new plantings coming as well. Uh the majority of those will go in German park. Uh we have some of the the PA walkway where we had some removals

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earlier this this spring by our department and then contracted out some recently. So we'll have some added there. And then if anyone knows what the black forest is at German Park, that is on the south end of the park uh kind of by the the power plant there, we'll put

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some uh spruce trees or uh similar species in there. So, we have those uh getting worked up now. So, I anticipate in the next month we'll have those planted in in German Park. Um, and then we anticipate more ash removals

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in uh as we go into fall and and over the winter depending on conditions. Uh, we do have numerous more in Riverside Park. Uh, but those are generally not in areas where people congre congregate. So, um, those will be uh either our

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staffer or contracted work as well. So, any questions? >> All right. Thank you for that update. Um, do we have anything for public works update item 5.3? >> Mr. Chair, commissioners, I uh Mr. Huffman was unable to attend, but he did

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uh uh fill me in with, you know, they're busy with uh street reconstruct and and uh um various uh projects this summer, but they are uh filling in stump removal still. So, at this point this year, they're have taken 52 stumps, but they

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have a a pretty long list to to continue to go uh in addition to some of our park stumps as well. So, that that's ongoing. Um, but 52 so far in 2026. >> Okay, sounds good. Thank you for that. Um, item 5.4, private tree service

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update. Tony's not here. Um, do we have anything that >> No, not nothing from Tony. >> All right. Okay. Then we will jump down to item 5.5 then our emerald ashbor update. >> Really no update Mr. Chair. >> Yeah and one uh one thing commissioners

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and and Mr. Stoddheim that uh the DNR continues to offer uh I' I have seen some publications that they will be opening their uh their grant cycle again for ashtree removals and their program. However, when you go on to the site um

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it is still the 2025. bill. Um, so I think that's coming soon, but we don't have an exact date and anticipate that we would send a um, application in again and bring that before the commission as well. >> Okay. Yeah, that would be great if we

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could get that and kind of clean up the rest of some of those trees. Um, although the competition is getting more with more communities dealing with it the last few years. So, all right. Then moving on to item 5.6, six, our big tree contest. Looks like

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we've had eight submissions to date. >> Yes. Uh at this point, uh Mr. Chair and commissioners, eight submissions, which is a is a pretty good number uh to this point. We anticipate more will will come in over this month yet. Uh and and then there's some work to do uh once those

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submissions are in. So, um we can work with all of you on on setting those up u following the deadline. >> Sounds good. All right. Um, next item then is item 5.7. We've talked a little bit about this the last meeting for

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sure, maybe even the one before about the bike trail plantings um that the bike group recently did earlier this spring. Um, again, just as a re reminder, those were 50 trees that were planted along the bike trail from approximately about 12th North to 17th

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north on the riverside there by the bike group and some other volunteers. Um, he had some pictures included in your packet um, which Joey is showing now. So, some of the volunteers and some of the other pictures of the trees. Um,

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they were all again mulched and some fencing put up around them. As of when we were out there earlier this week giving them some water cuz I did not think the we'd get as much rain as we did. Um, we are down to only one tree that has not leafed out out of that 50.

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So, Yep. Yeah. So, it was pretty pretty good. So, yeah. So, they're doing really well with that. Um, I guess other questions or >> what kind are they planting? >> Uh, 25 hackberry and 25 oaks. So, they kind of alternate

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>> between the two in that area. So, >> yep. And they're set back further. There's some trees, some of the ones that I think shells had planted in some other kind of volunteer trees that are a bit closer to the trail at this at this time. So, these are back a little bit further.

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>> Yeah, I see. >> Yeah. Mhm. >> Is that out close to Schugals or M&R or >> this would it would be further south on the trail? Yep. So by Yeah. kind of by back towards Minnesota Valley Testing

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Lab. Not quite that far south, but in that area. >> Yep. So >> Yep. >> So again, thanks to the volunteers and Joey and other staff that helped to make that happen. So greatly appreciated. Any

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other questions or discussion? Um, also I guess I'll throw in there just too to give them credit. Um, they've been allowing us to use the watering cart that they use for the downtown flowers for watering. Um, so that's been helpful instead of Yeah.

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having to um get water down there all the time. So the last couple weeks have been kind of a nice break from that. So >> Yep. So all right. Uh moving on then to new business item 6.1 our 2026 walkabout

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program. Um so we had done this back in 2025 in late spring early summer um with the League of Women Voters. Um I guess I will ask Joey if you have anything you want to add before >> Yeah. Thank you, Mr. Chair, commissioners. Yes. So, this uh to the

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three of you, this is not new information, but uh this is on new business cuz uh we're talking about 2026. Uh at your last meeting, we just we we talked we we touched on this and we we talked about bringing it back uh for potential um if the commission so

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chooses a potential fall walks this year as as would be a little different from last year. So, so really before you is um kind of the same outline as was followed last year. Uh and again, this commission has um the opportunity to uh

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offer this program again if it so chooses um or um other ideas, options or to um maybe not offer it this year. So, so those are so those are the thing, but I I think last year the it was pretty well received um for the different

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options. Um and there was a nice variety. Uh but again, there is there's uh we want this to feel like it's your program if if this is something the commission wants to choose. So, and I know we have some guests here, too. If they want to speak on anything, they

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certainly could. We can >> go ahead and >> No, Ruth Anne Webster. I'm part with the League of Women Voters. We've got this little uh uh environmental committee and we're just trying to um you know, do things to get the public to understand

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uh well, first with this tree commission, you know, what the what our city is uh doing to uh take care of trees and that sort of thing. No, LA we were real one of the things that we'll be looking at is um I think we had four

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in uh four last year and two were were well attended and two were not very well attended. So, we're going to if if we'll be working with the individual commissioners who are willing to help us trying to say, okay, what's the best time? What's the what's when are we

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going to get uh people people out? And uh we'd appreciate your support. Um the two I went to were both wonderful. U there's always there's always something to learn about trees. So um well especially in the fall things are think

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with any luck we'll have beautiful color and all sorts of things and good questions. That's what I remember about the two walks that I was on. So we appreciate your support and please vote yes. >> Um I'm assuming you wanted to kind of about the same length as last year. Do

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you feel that that worked? >> Yes, I thought that worked. I mean, uh, I think I think didn't we sort of try to keep it, uh, the walk about a mile, >> if I'm remembering correctly, >> I think so. Yeah. >> You know, and, uh, and I think we set up a date and then we had maybe a rain

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date, although we were really lucky about lucky with the weather. >> But, uh, like I said, we'll have to be flexible. See how see how it goes. See how people have time. And I know that um our group has already made some contact uh with uh with the commissioners and we

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we've appreciated it's a good program. >> We'll uh you know discuss some future dates maybe when the leaves start falling and and uh I think it could be a good discussion issue with the different types of leaves and and uh

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>> yeah. So, do we which you said two were well attended and what two weren't as well. Do you remember which two were well attended? >> I'm wondering too. >> I think the two that were the most the best attended were this one on Saturday. >> Okay. Okay. The one on Saturday was the most well attended and the one at the

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college and I think that I think it was a matter of time and place but more I think we can't change the we can't we can't change the place although I suppose theoretically we could go back to the college but um >> Nells Park was a good >> Yeah. >> Oh yes. Yeah. Okay.

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>> Nice wide path. It was I attended the Nells Park one as well and that was that was well >> attended. Okay. >> Well that's a place thing. Good. I'd forgotten about that one >> one I was on a Saturday and I think we started with five or six people there if

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I remember right but we also on mine had a couple people come out as we went by >> their houses so we got some more discussion >> right >> that way. So, >> right. >> Yeah. >> And and so commissioners and and I think um you know and feel free to um adjust

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or or not, but I think today would be looking for a yes or a no to do this in 2026. I don't know if we need to dial in dates today, but maybe allow um the League of Women Voters to come up with some dates as well and then communicate

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that to myself and and to all of you on some options and all of you would feel good about that as well. Um there's probably there is an opportunity for some non-commissioner-led walks too. We have some former commissioners who might be interested as well. >> Yes. Yes.

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>> And he said that he would be willing to >> um >> a couple former commissioners potentially who might be interested. >> So >> Mhm. >> Yeah. >> Well, should we I would make a motion that we do another >> second

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>> all walk. Yeah. have a motion in second to do another tree walk this fall. Um, any other questions or discussion, I guess, just to kind of help us with a timeline like by what date do we want to

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have, you know, dates and that stuff set? >> Oh, I think I think I think that by the middle of August, we'll have dates set. Okay. You right before >> I would say too. Well, everybody's calendar fills up pretty fast, you know. So, that that would be my goal and our

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goal, I think. >> Okay. But I know our next meeting will be in September, so that would work out really well, >> right? >> You know, and um we do have some good pictures from last year as well, so maybe um we can get something put in the journal prior to the walk to um talk

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about the program a little more and I'm happy to contact them and then park and recote the events as well. >> Good. Thank you. >> And kids kids like to do leaf projects. I mean, it might >> Right. >> This might be a better time of year, >> right?

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>> Right. >> Okay. >> Good. Any other questions or discussion? All right. So, we have a motion to continue our tree walks for fall of 2026. All in favor say I. >> I.

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>> Opposed? Motion carries. All right. So, thank you. Um, so we'll continue with those and you'll hear more about getting um locations and dates and that stuff set up in the future. Okay. Um, I guess

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any other comments or discussion before we move on. All right. Um, then we are already down to the date of our next meeting item 7.1. So our next meeting is September 3rd, 2026.

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Um otherwise with no further business we are journed. >> Okay. Easy.