Ceres council approves planting 1,300 trees; council and residents discuss siting and maintenance

The Ceres City Council on Dec. 8 approved a set of contracts to plant 1,300 trees across the city, with Vice Mayor Martinez saying 1,000 trees will be planted by the city's contractor and 300 will be donated to the school district for distribution to schools.

An emailed public commenter, Alvaro Franco, had asked whether planting locations were determined and whether there would be public input. "Have those locations been determined already? If not, will there be an opportunity for public input?" Franco asked in an email read into the record. He also flagged apparent inconsistencies in contract language that referenced 1,000 trees while a Department of Forestry and Fire Protection grant called for 300 trees.

Vice Mayor Martinez clarified during the meeting: "1,300 trees were ordered. The thousand is going to be planted throughout the city. 300 are being donated to the school district to distribute to the schools in the city." Council and several public commenters urged careful siting to avoid creating visibility problems for traffic signs and to ensure planted trees receive proper monitoring and maintenance. John Warren urged planners to consider long-term sight-line issues, noting an existing tree that obscures a stop sign at Northbound Ninth Street at Magnolia.

Council members said they expect community involvement on tree location selections, and staff said an arborist (Kenny Vaughn) and park supervisors will survey the city to determine appropriate planting sites after contract award. One council member also referenced an urban forestry master plan and community meetings described in contract documents as additional opportunities for public input.

The council's action on the related consent items carried on a 5-0 roll call.