Shade Tree Commission reports tree-guard installs, 15 pear removals and parks work; meeting lacked quorum

The Shade Tree Commission opened the meeting without a quorum and announced that no formal votes would be taken and that approval of last month's minutes would be postponed to the next meeting. Commissioners reported recent maintenance and planting activity: volunteers installed tree guards at Hiawatha Park and Arrow (Arrow Foundation Park) using a mix of heavier-duty round guards and newly purchased flat guards; members said they plan to purchase more round guards going forward because they are sturdier. Commissioners reported 15 Bradford pear trees removed so far this year as part of an invasive-removal effort and said replacements will be native or pollinator-friendly trees where site conditions allow. "We want to use native pollinators as much as we can," a commission member said. Staff described constraints under power lines and right-of-way that sometimes limit species choices. The commission said removed trees are typically dug and overwintered and then planted in the following spring; speakers described a one-year replacement timeline contingent on availability and budget. A commission member said single contractors had historically planted about 60 trees and that one volunteer (Sarah) increased to about 70 last year; the commission said they may add another person to the planting contractor list depending on next year's budget. Parks projects discussed included: - Memorial Park: Commissioners said ball fields will be removed after the season for a redesign; some trees may be removed and, if merchantable, sold as timber to offset costs; sidewalks and a central concession area are planned and tree plantings are intended along new walkways outside infiltration zones. - Sequoias: The commission said sequoia plantings are pending an engineering fence permit; staff is awaiting engineering confirmation before planting inside any fence. - Heartland Commerce Park (private development): The commission said the Area Development Foundation funded roughly 180 trees to be planted this fall; the city will water those trees in the first year as part of a public-private partnership. Commissioners discussed volunteer opportunities for certified naturalists and community groups, including maintenance of the Field Of Discovery pollinator area and scheduled maintenance days for invasive removal and guard maintenance; the commission said supervised volunteer events could be organized and that Shade Tree Commission members would provide oversight. Although a motion was moved and seconded late in the meeting, commissioners had opened the session without a quorum and earlier stated they would not take formal votes; the meeting record shows the minutes approval will be pushed to the next meeting and that staff will follow up on permits, tree orders and volunteer scheduling.