Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Urban Forestry topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rochelle Park committee introduces Shade Tree Commission, seeks state urban‑forestry grants
Summary
The Township Committee introduced an ordinance to establish a Shade Tree Commission and heard arborist testimony that a state Community Forestry Management Plan and a $15,000 street‑tree inventory grant could improve grant competitiveness and support future plantings.
The Rochelle Park Township Committee on Feb. 12 introduced an ordinance (1218‑25) to establish a Shade Tree Commission and set a public hearing for Feb. 26, 2025.
Michael Warren, chair of the town’s Shade Tree Committee, told the committee the commission would help the township compete for state urban‑forestry grants and better organize volunteers and DPW coordination. “We thought it was in the best interest of the public to just come and … talk a little bit about the grant,” Warren said, urging the committee to move forward with the ordinance introduction.
Liz Stewart, identified in the record as the town arborist, described the Community Forestry Management Plan that the state requires and the accompanying inventory. “This is your first plan, which is a five‑year plan with the state of New Jersey,” Stewart said. She said a typical grant can provide about $15,000 for a townwide street‑tree inventory and noted that municipalities with a formal management plan have an advantage when applying for planting and related grants.
Stewart and Warren emphasized practical benefits beyond grant competitiveness: clearer roles for volunteers, a regular meeting schedule, and an ability to document priorities and hazardous trees for DPW follow‑up. Stewart also noted a statutory liability‑immunity benefit that can accompany a commission under state law, which she said can help with insurance classifications.
Committee members asked how the commission would interact with the existing environmental commission and whether the shade‑tree ordinance should be aligned with a new tree‑protection ordinance. The committee’s discussion focused on statutory limits (public trees vs. private trees), avoiding overlap, and ensuring the commission’s authorities are consistent with recently passed local ordinances.
The committee voted to introduce the Shade Tree Commission ordinance by resolution; a public hearing was scheduled for Feb. 26, 2025. The introduction was procedural only; no final grant commitments were made at the Feb. 12 meeting.
What’s next: the committee will hold the Feb. 26 public hearing and may revise the ordinance language to align with the township’s tree‑protection ordinance and any attorney guidance before adoption.
