Garden City panel approves commemorative tree program, keeps ginkgo on species list

Garden City Parks and Recreation Commissioners on June 24 approved a commemorative tree program and a list of preapproved tree species, voting 8-0 to adopt the program and keep the ginkgo on the species list.

The decision formalizes two donation pathways: a city-managed, "hassle-free" package proposed at about $1,000 to cover an established-size tree, delivery and planting; and a lower-cost, donor-driven option in which a donor supplies the tree, pays a modest administrative fee, and agrees to post-plant care and city approval of species and placement.

Erica, Parks and Recreation director, presented the proposal and materials. She told commissioners she had circulated a species list and handout in advance and recommended keeping a broader set of primarily native trees available to donors. "I did email some information and gave you a handout," Erica said during the discussion. She warned that the department had removed the program from the website because donor costs and staff time had made the prior approach unsustainable.

Commissioners discussed the ginkgo, a nonnative species that can produce foul-smelling seeds from female trees. Some commissioners urged removing it from the approved list because buyers cannot always tell the tree's sex…