Minutes of a meeting of
The Old Lyme Tree Commission
March 19, 2009
Attendance:
Regular members present: Joanne DiCamillo, Anne Bing, Gerry Foster, Adela Wilmerding, Emily Griswold
Alternate members: Pat Moll
Members absent: Tom Degnan (ex-officio), Joan Flynn (alternate)
Guest: Sarah McCracken
A quorum being present, Chairman Joanne DiCamillo called the meeting to order at 4:00 PM.
Sarah McCracken – Church Corner Construction Committee
Sarah McCracken brought a copy of the Church Corner construction plans, and identified the trees to be protected during the construction project. The fifteen trees to be protected are listed on the plans and will be marked with individual “Protect this Tree” signs. Tree protection is included in the specifications of the construction contract package. There was a discussion about requesting a Clerk of the Works to oversee the project. Ms. McCracken felt that the Commission should write a letter. Mrs. DiCamillo suggested that cost may be a factor in the Construction Committee’s decision.
The project bids will be ready for contractors to pick up at Town Hall on Friday, March 20.
Tree Commission members will work with Ms. McCracken to post the protected trees at a date to be determined.
REPORTS
Clerk’s Report
The minutes of the 2/19/09 meeting were reviewed. Gerry Foster requested a correction under Member Reports, Tree Inventory: Guilford performed an infrastructure (bridges and culverts, etc.) inventory, not a tree inventory. Pat Moll moved to accept the minutes as corrected. Adela Wilmerding seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
Budget Report
Mrs. DiCamillo reported that the balance in the General Fund (Tree Commission and Public Works) was $19,046.82 as of 3-17-09. An accounting error of $225.25 was corrected and the amount added to the balance. The carryover balance was also corrected and is $3,895. The recent tree work on Sill Lane and Mile Creek Road was deducted previously from the carryover balance.
OLD BUSINESS
Bids
Town Hall –Wilcox Tree Experts trimmed the trees at Town Hall on Wednesday, March 18.
At the February meeting, members had mixed reactions about whether to remove or trim the white birch growing close to the northeast side of Town Hall. One of the trunks was tied back more than a year ago during construction of the new wing to prevent damage to the tree. The arborist doing the work suggested cutting it down because of its close proximity to the building. Mrs. DiCamillo asked Mr. Degnan to make the decision. She did not hear from him so she made the choice to trim the tree on the morning the work was to take place.
Pruning (24) young trees throughout town – Wilcox Tree Experts trimmed the trees on Wednesday, March 18.
NEW BUSINESS
Town Hall – John Forbis - request for watering schedule for newly installed plantings
John Forbis cannot water the Town Hall plantings as frequently as he did last year and asked Mrs. DiCamillo to prepare a watering schedule.
Mrs. DiCamillo discussed her plan with the members to suggest soaker hoses and timers be used to water the plantings. Everyone agreed that this would be the best course to follow. Mrs. DiCamillo will meet with Mr. Forbis. The plants need about 1” of water per week, rainfall will be monitored and the plantings will be watered as needed.
MEMBER REPORTS
Tree Inventory- Gerry Foster
Gerry Foster spoke to Doug Glowicki of CT’s Homeland Security Department regarding the FEMA Tree Inventory (not the same as a Town Tree Inventory which is for trees on town-owned property only). FEMA requires that towns have a tree inventory in order to qualify for funds to replace trees destroyed in a storm. Old Lyme is sixth on the list now. FEMA will pay for the survey which will be performed by experienced CCSU students who will survey a 6% sample of the area in Old Lyme, according to GIS maps, near the shoreline and elsewhere in town. Then the data will be extrapolated to evaluate the number and kind of trees in town. The survey will likely take place in May, and will take a few days. The surveyors should be accompanied by the Tree Warden or other town employee who knows the roads in town. The Selectmen and the
town constable should also be notified. Mrs. DiCamillo will speak with Mr. Griswold about the possibility of presenting the information at an upcoming Selectmen’s meeting. Gerry Foster also spoke to Melissa LeVongaie, a Trees
New England consulting arborist, about the Town Tree Inventory. She recommended Kenerson Group software, which is compatible with the town’s ArcView system. In her experience the Kenerson software works smoothly and is a good value. Handheld GPS units can be rented.
OTHER BUSINESS
Change in Membership status – Pat Moll, Gerry Foster
Pat Moll’s request to become an Alternate member of the Tree Commission was approved by the Selectmen, she was sworn in today.
Gerry Foster’s appointment as a Regular member of the Tree Commission was approved by the Selectmen, but she has not received the confirmation letter yet.
Emily Griswold will check on her membership status, her name was not included in the last two Annual Town Reports as a member of the Tree Commission.
Park & Rec Request for Trimming & Removals – Cross Lane baseball field
Mrs. DiCamillo is waiting to hear from Mr. Degnan about using an herbicide on the stumps to prevent regrowth, and whether it is safe to use near a wetland and in an area used by children.
Care of Trees - fertilizing proposal - Town Hall Elm trees
The Care of Trees fertilizing proposal for two elm trees at Town Hall was for $109.
Care of Trees also uses the Dutch Trig process to protect the elms against Dutch elm disease. Dutch Trig is injected, using a needle, into the trees and is more expensive but less toxic than Fungisol.
Wilcox - fertilizing proposal Town Elm trees
The Wilcox Tree Experts fertilizing proposal for six town elm trees was $900. Wilcox uses Fungisol to prevent Dutch elm disease.
The members discussed the two treatments and agreed the less toxic treatment, Dutch Trig, was the best one, although it would be more expensive. At a workshop the commission members attended recently, Chris Donnelly, CT DEP Urban Forestry Educator, recommended Dutch Trig as the preferred preventative treatment for elm trees.
Pest Alert – Asian Long-horned beetle
Joanne DiCamillo passed out information on the Asian Longhorned Beetle and reported that Worcester, Mass. has an infestation of the beetle. Many trees have been taken down and the wood destroyed to prevent the infestation from spreading. No wood is allowed to be removed from a 60 mile quarantined area. Members are asked to be on the lookout for the beetles, which are ¾” to 1 ¼” long, black with white spots. Hardwood trees are hosts for the beetles.
Sightings should be reported to the CT Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven.
Tree Mulching List
Joanne DiCamillo handed out a list of trees that will need mulching this spring and asked the members to check their trees and to e-mail her if they need mulch with the amount. She will place an order with Old Lyme Landscape. The members divided up the trees as follows:
Joan Flynn: 1 Kousa Dogwood (Rogers Lake Park)
Joanne DiCamillo:
1 Weeping cherry (Sill Lane & Saunders Hollow Rd. green)
1 Sugar maple (Sill Lane)
1 Sugar maple (80-1 Lyme St.)
2 ornamental pears (Lyme St.)
Pat Moll:
2 Kousa dogwoods (Lyme St. Firehouse)
1 Weeping cherry (Lyme St. OLCLC)
Gerry Foster:
1 Franklinia (Lyme St. Center School)
1 Japanese Tree Lilac (Town Hall)
1 Sugar maple (Lyme St. south of Ice Cream Shoppe)
Anne Bing:
2 Weeping cherries (Lyme Regis)
3 Honeylocusts (McCurdy Rd & Rte. 156)
Emily Griswold:
3 Kousa dogwoods (McCurdy Rd. & Johnnycake Hill Rd)
1 Red maple (Old Shore Rd. & Buttonball Rd.)
Adela Wilmerding:
2 Red maples (110 Mile Creek Rd.)
2 Ornamental cherries (Cross Lane Firehouse)
1 Ornamental cherry (Rte. 156 Police Station)
Colony Collapse update- UCONN Extension Center
Martha Hansen reported that the insecticide Imidacloprid, the active ingredient in Merit (commonly used on hemlocks to treat the woolly adelgid) has been implicated in Honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder. Imidacloprid is a systemic insecticide which gets into a plant’s pollen and weakens the bees. The insecticide has been banned in France.
REMINDER
Next Meeting
Next scheduled meeting is on Thursday, April 16, 2009 at 4 PM at the Town Hall.
ADJOURNMENT
Anne Bing moved to adjourn the meeting at 5:50PM; Emily Griswold seconded the motion, which was approved.
Respectfully Submitted
Martha Hansen
Clerk
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