Mount Vernon Shade Tree Commission advances planting and maintenance plans but cannot vote without quorum

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio — City staff and Shade Tree Commission volunteers met to review near-term tree-planting and maintenance work, including a Friday survey of unfinished sites, plans to buy tree guards and fertilizer, and a proposal to publish an annual tree-planting map online; the group did not take any formal votes because a quorum was not present.

The discussion covered operations and outreach across several projects: finishing late plantings from a grant in the West End, installing tree guards for recent plantings at Arrow Foundation Park and Hiawatha Park, pruning street trees on a multi-block stretch, preparing a planting plan for the Delaware Field of Discovery, and laying groundwork for sequoia plantings once a protective fence is installed. Participants also outlined a public-facing online map to show yearly planting progress.

Why it matters: Mount Vernon’s urban forestry efforts are tied to a stated canopy target; participants cited a current tree canopy of about 19% and set a longer-term goal of roughly 30% in 10 years. The items discussed affect public park plantings, street trees, and neighborhood greening; several planned actions require staff work, vendor contracts or coordination with other departments and private property owners.

Key items discussed and next steps

- Quorum and formal action: The meeting did not reach the number of members required to take votes. Commission participants repeatedly noted “we don’t have members to vote,” and treated the session as informational and planning-only.

- Site survey and unfinished plantings: Staff said they will do a field survey on Friday at 8:00 a.m. to inspect outstanding grant plantings and trees that underperformed after last year’s drought. Brian Wade (city staff) confirmed the West End grant plantings are “all in” as far as the team knows and that there are about 20 remaining sites to review.

- Tree watering, fertilizer and water truck: The group discussed the performance of the city water truck and continued tree-watering operations. One participant proposed ordering an initial 500 pounds of fertilizer for use with the water truck; staff agreed to follow up to calculate quantities and ordering logistics. Participants noted the water-truck retrofit and hose reels have improved fuel efficiency and watering control.

- Tree guards purchase: Staff proposed buying plastic grid-style tree guards in bulk to protect recent plantings from deer. The proposal called for roughly 150 guards (three lots of 50) to cover trees at Arrow Foundation Park, Hiawatha Park and other recent sites; the estimated unit price mentioned in the discussion was about $3.75 each (approximate). Participants said installation would likely be done by staff or volunteers.

- Pruning and line-clearance training: Commissioners and staff reviewed a recent pruning quote that would cover several blocks from Mackenzie to Norton and said the work was estimated as two days of contractor labor. Tom Hinkle’s two-week line-clearance training for staff was described as useful for utility-related trimming but distinct from professional arborist pruning standards.

- Sequoias and protective fence: A contractor bid for a fence to protect a sequoia planting area was discussed; staff said the fence installation likely will wait until July or August, with sequoia planting planned for the fall after the fence is in place. Saplings were described as about 2 inches in caliper.

- Public projects and outreach: The group reviewed a kiosk graphic for the Public Square Arboretum (being produced by a vendor called Good Impressions) and discussed targeted mailers. Participants also agreed to hold Arbor Day plantings at the Salvation Army site and to plant trees around the career center as part of outreach.

- Mapping and transparency: Staff proposed building a Mount Vernon urban forestry web page and an interactive map showing tree inventories and annual planting progress. The commission discussed showing yearly layers so residents could track where trees have been planted; staff said they have an inventory of city-owned trees (~1,637 previously inventoried) and will continue annual surveys to populate the online tool going forward.

- Project timelines and coordination: Participants noted several street projects that include tree plans: West Gambier/Gambier Street, Sandusky Street (planning to start in 2026 and likely finish in 2027), and West End residential planting phases that were described as a two-year effort. Staff cautioned that planting in streets without tree lawn or with underground utilities is possible but costly; they are asking new developments to include tree pits when feasible.

Quotes from the meeting

“We don’t have members to vote,” a staff member said repeatedly to explain why no formal actions were taken.

“We’re only 19% canopy here at this point,” a participant said while framing the longer-term canopy goal.

“We got a quote today to take care of all the street trees … it was quoted at two days of work,” a participant said when summarizing the pruning bid for a large block-area prune.

Ending

Commission members and staff agreed to follow up on procurement and fieldwork items: finalize fertilizer quantities and ordering, confirm the purchase and delivery plan for tree guards, and conduct a site survey on Friday to close out outstanding grant plantings. Because quorum was not achieved, the group deferred any formal votes or official approvals to a future meeting when enough members are present.