Minutes of a meeting of
The Old Lyme Tree Commission
Thursday, November 15, 2018
ATTENDANCE
Regular Members present: Joanne DiCamillo, Michel Gaffey, Joan Flynn, Anne Bing
Members absent: Emily Griswold (regular),
Ex-officio members absent: Thomas Degnan, Tree Warden
Guests: Bob Cooper, Mary Jo Nosal
CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Joanne DiCamillo called the meeting to order at 3:44 pm due to the impending snowstorm.
CLERK’S REPORT
Approval of September 20, 2018 meeting minutes: Joan Flynn made a motion to approve the minutes as written, seconded by Michael Gaffey, all present voted in favor. Motion approved.
BUDGET REPORT
Balance remaining: Mrs. DiCamillo reported that as of November 13, 2018 there was a balance of $13,259 in the Tree Commission budget.
Expenditure: $695 for tree trimming.
2018-2019 review budget proposal: The budget was discussed and the members agreed to present a budget of $13,950 for FY2019/2020, the same as FY2018/2019.
Joan Flynn made a motion, seconded by Anne Bing, to approve the FY2019/2020 Tree Commission proposed budget in the amount of $13,950, all present voted in favor. Motion approved.
OLD BUSINESS
Memorial cherry tree at the police station - mulch
Michael Gaffey removed some of the mulch and put the excess around the dogwood at Hains Park and the young trees at Town Woods Park.
List of young trees - pruning, fertilizing and mulching
Bartlett will prune the trees and treat them with a slow release fertilizer.
Hartford Avenue new trees - state inspection
The state inspected and approved the tree plantings in September. When the trees were planted in 2017, the landscaping contractor had folded back the root ball covering leaving it in the hole, and backfilled with new soil. Water-filled Gator Bags were used for a while after the trees were planted. The landscapers did everything that was required by the contract. Michael Gaffey stated that the honey locust has a tap root and any kind of covering left under the tree could interfere with the root. Mary Jo Nosal stated that an inspector was on site every day when the trees were being planted. She showed a photo taken of the trees planted in the holes. When Mrs. DiCamillo checked the trees this past August she noticed that there was some die-back of branches, more noticeable on the honey locusts, which probably was the result
of the prolonged drought at the end of the 2017 summer. The abundant rain fall in the spring and late summer of this year helped the trees to recover. Almost all of the work done in Sound View was paid for by a state grant. The Tree Commission will be responsible for the fertilizing and pruning of the trees in the future. Mrs. DiCamillo asked Selectwoman Nosal to advise the Sound View Improvements Committee and the Sound View Commission that the Tree Commission cannot assume responsibility for watering them. She recommended purchasing gator bags and finding a water source near the trees.
Mrs. Nosal asked for comments about the strings of lights that a resident wrapped around the branches of two of the trees last year. Mrs. DiCamillo stated, in her opinion, that lights should not be wrapped around young trees because they could undermine their growth. Once settled, young trees grow rapidly and anything attached to them does not move as the tree grows and expands. This could mean that the bark would grow and encompass the string which can harm the tree and result in decline. She also expressed concern about monitoring and the possibility of storms and strong winds causing the strings to loosen and break.
50 Grassy Hill Road: The chairman confirmed that the oak tree was pruned.
Town Hall dogwoods – the dogwoods were lightly pruned recently and look great.
The linden tree at 24 Lyme Street is growing well. The canopy was pruned a bit so that branches do not obscure the E.F. Watermelon sign.
NEW BUSINESS
2017-2018 Chairman’s Annual report: Mrs. DiCamillo submitted the report and emailed it to the Tree Commission members. Many Connecticut trees have been killed or damaged by gypsy moth caterpillars and the emerald ash borer.
2019 Tree Commission Meeting Calendar: Mrs. DiCamillo prepared the meeting calendar and will file it with the Town Clerk. The calendar was emailed to Tree Commission members.
Communications from Town Hall
9/24 126 Whippoorwill Road resident reported a large tree branch leaning on the wire of a utility pole
9/27 letter from 50 Grassy Hill Road resident - re: red oak tree pruning report, pruning work was completed October 4.
10/2 letter from 2 Moss Point Trail resident - re: damage to vehicles from falling oak tree limb from across the road. Jason Wilcox inspected the tree and found that it was sound. Tree warden Tom Degnan followed up and checked the tree.
10/5 - 44 Center Beach Avenue resident reported that an oak tree trimmed recently still has low-hanging branches that are being damaged by school buses and cars.
10/10 - 166 Mile Creek Road resident requested removal of a dying tree on her property by Eversource. The tree warden inspected the tree many years ago and gave approval to the resident to have it removed if she wanted to.
10/16 - 22 Library Lane resident is concerned about a tree at the front of his property on the corner of Dunn’s Lane. The tree warden inspected the tree and did not see any problems.
10/29 - 126 Sill Lane resident reported that three trees on the town’s right-of-way may be in danger of falling. One lost a huge limb a few weeks ago. This was reported to the tree warden.
Mailbox
9/20 – a letter was received from an Islanda Court East Lyme property owner - re: tree removal by Eversource. The property owner does not want any of her trees cut down. Mrs. DiCamillo called the owner and directed her to call the number on the Eversource form and to visit the Selectman’s office in East Lyme’s town hall. The property owner was very grateful and reported back with a message that she resolved the situation.
10/3 - 169 Mile Creek Road resident sent an Eversource form to the tree warden requesting modification of Lucas’s proposed work on a maple tree. The resident wants the large dead maple tree located a few feet from the power lines to be removed.
10/17 – A letter from a 155 Mile Creek Road resident reporting a hazardous tree was mailed to the tree warden.
10/15 - Permit Application request - 1 Academy Lane resident requesting removal of a dying dogwood tree on the town’s right-of-way. The tree is very close to the road. The owner would like a new tree planted next to the road, outside the fence, but the tree warden is not likely to allow it to be planted there as the dogwood was too close to the street. The Tree Commission members agreed that it’s not a good idea to plant between the road and the fence and feel the new tree should be planted inside the fence.
OTHER BUSINESS
Bob Cooper of 61 Grassy Hill Road reported a maple tree on town right-of-way that has been losing limbs. He brought photos of the tree. Mrs. DiCamillo will report it to the Tree Warden so that he can evaluate it.
Reappointments: Mrs. DiCamillo thanked Anne Bing, Joan Flynn and Emily Griswold who have agreed to stay on the tree commission for another term.
ADJOURNMENT Joan Flynn made a motion, seconded Michael Gaffey, to adjourn the meeting at 4:55 P.M. Motion passed.
Next scheduled meeting will be held December 20, 2018 at 4:00 P.M. in Old Lyme Town Hall
Respectfully submitted,
Martha Hansen, Clerk
| 
