Meeting Minutes February 5, 2014

Preservation Station, Bonnie Anderson, presiding, 6:30 PM

Board Member Attendance:

Term ending August 2014		Term ending August 2015
Anderson, Bonnie	x	Bloom, Greg
Boyd, Joe	x	Carson, Ann	x
Fink, Zoey	x	Grassel, Kathy
Gonzalez, Moisés	x	McGivern, Elaine	x
Grant, Steve		Neutra, Greg & Joni
Spittler, Lee	x	Thornton, Karla
		Trefethen, Salley

Minutes from the January meeting were read and approved.

Neighbors attending:  Matt, Jackie, Dave, Ben, and Gordon

Easter Egg Hunt—Ann Carson announced that a neighborhood realtor, Lauren Austin, has offered to sponsor the annual neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt in the amount of $400.  The event will be held on Saturday morning, April 19, and Jackie Smee and Tom Coe volunteered to help Lauren and her daughter, Marina, with preparations.

Re-Tree Project—David Day and Fernando Delgado gave us a status report on the project to re-tree our neighborhood.  This all-volunteer project has completed the mapping of existing trees.  Our city councilor, Isaac Benton, has promised $25,000 out of his set-aside for the project and our state representative, Rick Miera, is attempting to match that amount with state funds. David and the audience identified some of the next steps in the project:

• Complete compilation of mapping data for Huning’s 47 blocks, 175 acres, 2600 trees.
• Produce the Re-Tree Plan report with mapping data, block phasing, species selection, process for planting, benefits, and the purpose/ impact of this civic-minded action:
  • Increase historic preservation by restoring our traditional tree canopy;
  • Increase aesthetics of entire neighborhood (which leads directly to next point);
  • 10-20% increase in property value;
  • $100 water rebate;
  • reduced energy use in house cooling;
  • reduced heat island effect of urban dwelling by shading neighborhood;
  • reduction in wind and air pollution;
  • increased health benefits
• Confirm the city and state funds available for the project.
• Identify a dozen neighborhood leaders to lead neighbors to receive trees, meet to review the Plan and benefits of trees, and review/sign the City’s written agreement of water and care for a tree(s) planted in the City-owned parkway strip between sidewalk and curb.
• Determine the street blocks to receive trees depending on the interest in each area of the neighborhood (as evidenced by the signed agreements).
• Gather the leaders to make decisions about which species to plant on each block (choosing from a list of about 15 appropriate street trees for our climate and area), and verify with the newly appointed City Forester.
• Get estimates for how much it would cost to remove any dead trees/stumps, in the targeted blocks
• Decide how much of the available funds to spend on removal and how much to spend on new trees in the targeted areas
• Recruit volunteers who would be willing to dig (and refill) about 100 holes (estimate only) this summer at mapped locations to accommodate large trees to be planted this fall
• Schedule the tree planting day and plan to have volunteers “reopen” their tree holes
• On the planting day, a boom truck will deliver trees to each planting hole on the targeted blocks

Other Topics—Ann displayed and distributed free copies of a book she got from the Forest Service about urban gardening to interested members of the audience.

Bonnie mentioned the EDO effort to consolidate parole reporting with the upcoming move of the Corrections Department to 2^nd and Lomas.

Meeting adjourned at 7:30. Next meeting is Wed., March 5, 2014.