Minutes of a meeting of
The Old Lyme Tree Commission
June 19, 2008
Attendance:
Regular members present: Joanne DiCamillo, Emily Griswold, Adela Wilmerding
Alternate members: Joan Flynn
Members absent: Pat Moll (regular), Anne Bing (regular), Gerry Foster (alternate), Tom Degnan (ex-officio)
A quorum being present, Chairman Joanne DiCamillo called the meeting to order at 4:10 PM.
Joan Flynn was authorized to vote for Anne Bing.
REPORTS
Clerk’s Report
The minutes of the 05/15/08 meeting were reviewed. Adela Wilmerding moved to accept the minutes as presented, Joan Flynn seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
Treasurer’s Report
Joanne DiCamillo reported that the balance remaining in the General Fund was $15,756.43 for the period of July 2007 – May 2008. The (approximately $5,000) carryover from FY 2007-2008 has been used. The charges for the Ferry Road project will be applied to the balance.
OLD BUSINESS
Ferry Road & Route 156 – update on project
· Fence installation: The split rail fence was installed by the Public Works Dept.; they also fixed the silt fence.
· Gate: The posts for the gate have been installed. The Public Works Dept. will be installing a double gate with a padlock and a “No Parking, Fire Well” sign. There will be a space between the gate and the fence to allow pedestrian access.
· Top soil: The landscaper spread twelve yards of loam. Joanne DiCamillo spent four days onsite helping to prepare the area for planting, cutting exposed roots, raking, pulling out invasives and vines and cleaning up the remaining debris and trash. The Public Works Dept. hauled it away.
· Planting: Emily Griswold developed a basic design plan. It was expanded to include the additional shrubs. Adela Wilmerding helped to place the shrubs along the fence for planting. A total of 69 shrubs, ferns, grasses and perennials have been planted by the fence, on the river bank and the small “peninsula”. Many more are needed. Plantings are: Rosa virginiana, azalea viscosum, spirea japonica, inkberry, American cranberry bush, highbush blueberry, elderberry, spicebush, fothergilla, lady fern, switch grass, panicum grass, sambucus and swamp milkweed. With one exception, all of the plants are natives.
· Mulch: The Public Works Dept. delivered six yards of mulch from the Town Landfill to the site. It was spread on the riverbank and along the fence and will be raked onto the bank by Ferry Road. Mrs. DiCamillo cleaned up the area around the crabapple tree in front of the new fence; cutting exposed roots, pulling vines, weeding and edging. CIRO landscapers mulched around the tree.
· Shrubs purchased: Joanne DiCamillo purchased 20 additional shrubs and grasses from Summerhill Wholesale Nursery in Madison and Judges Farm Wholesale Nursery in Old Lyme. Town of Old Lyme accounts have been opened at both nurseries. More perennials (grasses, cinnamon and lady fern, Joe Pye weed, Asclepia, lobelia, blue flag) will be purchased and planted next week. Members are encouraged to contact Joanne to help with planting them.
· Adela Wilmerding expressed concern about watering the plants during a drought period. Joanne DiCamillo reported that she had contacted Wilcox Tree Experts for a quote. Mr. Wilcox has watered newly planted trees several times in the past for the commission. He quoted a price of $200 (minimum) for each visit. After a discussion about prices, Joan Flynn moved to approve a contract for watering plants at the Ferry Road site for less than $200 each time. Adela Wilmerding seconded the motion, which was unanimously approved. Mrs. DiCamillo will ask for a quote from CIRO Landscapers.
Neighbors in the Ferry Road area have stopped by to see the work in progress and have enthusiastically endorsed the project. They thanked the Tree Commission for improving the site that had been overgrown, unsightly with trash and litter and neglected for decades. Robin Sedgwick, the adjoining property owner, is delighted with the outcome.
The members have mulched all of their assigned trees, except for the Tree Lilac at Town Hall and the Franklinia at Center School. Emily Griswold volunteered to mulch them. Joanne DiCamillo ordered 11 bags of mulch from Old Lyme Landscape, and has 3 bags left.
NEW BUSINESS
Town Hall Landscape installation & swale
The DEP has required that a swale be installed under the parking lot and in front of and behind the elm tree to filter runoff before it goes into the wetlands and the Lieutenant River. John Forbis informed Mrs. DiCamillo that the swale behind the elm tree will be hand dug by the town crew at a distance of approximately 6 ft. This will certainly disturb the roots resulting in stress to the tree.
John Flynn, owner of a Hartford based landscape company, was selected by the Netsch Company for Town Hall. The members present at the meeting expressed their disapproval of the choice. They are aware of the poor quality of Flynn’s job at Christ the King Church from discussions in the past. Joan Flynn stated that a local landscaper should have been considered. Adela Wilmerding commented that the Tree Commission should have been consulted for suggestions. Mrs. DiCamillo expressed her concerns and disappointment to John Forbis. She suggested contacting Stephen Wing, the landscape architect for the Town Hall expansion who was also the landscape architect for Christ the King Church. Mr. Forbis asked her to speak with Bob Sullivan, Clerk of the Works, and to develop a list of specifications for Flynn to follow. Bob
Sullivan submitted these specs to Mr. Forbis. Stephen Wing has defined a list of specifications for the site preparation (removal of concrete waste, addition of 6-12” of topsoil and removal of Japanese knotweed, etc.).
It will be the Tree Commission’s responsibility to maintain all of the new plantings after the warranty period ends. Joanne DiCamillo attended a Town Hall expansion committee meeting where she recommended that an irrigation system be installed to make certain that all of the new plants are watered thoroughly and in a timely manner.
MEMBER REPORTS
Care of Trees – fertilize Town Hall elms
Adela Wilmerding reported that the elms were fertilized within a few days after she contacted Care of Trees. As of this date, a bill has not been received for the services.
OTHER BUSINESS
Nursery Watering
All of the plants are doing well. First Selectman Tim Griswold questioned the charge for moving the plants into their present location from the nursery.
The watering schedule is:
· June 15 – 28 – Adela Wilmerding
· June 29 – July 12- Anne Bing
· July 13- August 6 – Gerry Foster
· August 7- August 16 – Adela Wilmerding
· August 17- August 30 - Joan Flynn
· August 31- September 13 –Anne Bing
· September 14- September 27 – Pat Moll
REMINDER
Next scheduled meeting is on Thursday, July 17, 2008 at 4 PM at the Senior Center.
ADJOURNMENT
Adela Wilmerding moved to adjourn the meeting at 5:25 P.M.; Joan Flynn seconded the motion which was unanimously approved.
Submitted by:
Martha Hansen, Clerk
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