MINUTES OF AN
OLD LYME TREE COMMISSION
SCHEDULED MEETING, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2018
TOWN HALL MEZZANINE CONFERENCE ROOM
52 LYME STREET
4:00 PM
ATTENDANCE
Members present: Joanne DiCamillo (regular), Anne Bing (regular), Michael Gaffey (regular) Joan Flynn (regular)
Members absent: Emily Griswold (regular)
Ex-officio members absent: Thomas Degnan, Tree Warden
CALL TO ORDER
Chairman Joanne DiCamillo called the meeting to order at 4:02 P.M.
CLERK’S REPORT
A motion was made by Anne Bing to approve the July 19, 2018 minutes as presented; second by Joan Flynn. All present voted in favor. Motion approved
BUDGET REPORT
Balance remaining 9/4/18 - $13,854.28 in the total budget
Expenditure - $95.72 mulch
OLD BUSINESS
Police Station ornamental cherry, Lyme Street maple, Ferry Road hornbeam
Mrs. DiCamillo visited the sites and thanked member Michael Gaffey for purchasing mulch and applying it around the cherry, hornbeam and maple.
List of young trees - pruning, fertilizing and mulching
The chairman will contact Bartlett Tree about fertilizing and pruning. Michael Gaffey volunteered to mulch the trees on the list, beginning with the four young trees at Town Woods Park.
NEW BUSINESS
Communications from Town Hall
Tree planting on Ferry Road - Mrs. DiCamillo responded to the resident at 10 Ferry Road who requested new tree planting at #11 and #12 Ferry Road. She explained the process for tree planting; the residents must agree to planting and commit to watering for a minimum of two years.
She clarified the tree warden’s position that he is not inclined to replant large shade trees under overhead wires. The commission would be willing to plant ornamental trees after he selects the sites and approves the species.
22 Buttonball Road - resident reported concern about safety of tree trimming in neighborhood by Lucas Tree Svc. The selectman’s office received several additional calls about the tree trimming on Buttonball Road by the contractor for Eversource
24 Lyme Street, 57 Lyme Street, 50 Grassy Hill Road, Town Hall dogwoods
Bartlett Tree Experts will be pruning the trees by the end of the first week in October.
Hartford Avenue – new tree plantings report from Selectwoman Nosal
Mary Jo Nosal, member of the Sound View Improvements Committee, emailed the chairman with information concerning an inspection on Aug. 2 by the DOT and a request for final work from the contractor, B&W, on the six new trees. The inspection fulfilled a DOT requirement for a report 1-year post planting. Following completion of the work, the trees will become the town’s responsibility.
Mrs. DiCamillo visited the site, inspected the trees and responded to Mrs. Nosal with her comments, noting that the trees, with a few exceptions, were overall in good condition, and took photos of all of them. The new trees can be added to the list of trees that the commission maintains but she advised Mrs. Nosal that the commission cannot be responsible for watering them in the future.
Mrs. DiCamillo requested further information on an item that was recorded in the SVIC’s 5-4-17 minutes involving black coverings on the root balls, asking if the covering was removed when the trees were planted and if the trees were consistently watered in summer 2017 and 2018. Selectwoman Nosal responded that she was unsure if the black coverings were removed and that some trees were supplied with gator bags.
Mrs. DiCamillo followed up with a request for confirmation from the contractor on both questions as the three honey locusts showed die back, possibly caused by drought last year.
Mrs. Nosal forwarded the questions on 8-17-18 and copied the chairman.
There have been no responses to the questions from any of the parties above. Mrs. DiCamillo reported all of the information to the tree warden.
There was a discussion among the commission members. Mr. Gaffey stated that the coverings should have been removed. All members agreed. They will visit Hartford Avenue to see the trees.
MEMBERS REPORTS
GENERAL DISCUSSION
Mrs. DiCamillo proposed a new project to the members. It would be modeled on a much smaller scale to the Newport, R.I. Tree Conservancy’s Tree Planting Programs. In her view, planting more trees, community participation and education should be a goal of the commission and shared some of the information on trees that she downloaded from online web sites, suggesting that some of the links could be added to the Tree Commission’s page on the town web site. Dr. Flynn and Mrs. Bing shared ideas. The chairman will send the links to the members.
ADJOURNMENT
Joan Flynn made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 5:18 P.M.; second by Michael Gaffey.
All present voted in favor. Motion approved.
Next scheduled meeting will be held OCTOBER 18, 2018 at 4:00 P.M. in Old Lyme Town Hall
Respectfully submitted,
Joanne DiCamillo, Acting Clerk
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