Delaware Shade Tree Commission Meeting - November 26, 2025

Note: The agenda listed the meeting date as November 25, 2025, at 6:30 PM, but the provided timestamp indicates the meeting occurred on November 26, 2025, at 3:45 PM UTC. This summary reflects the content of the transcript.

The Shade Tree Commission held a regular meeting to review the city arborist’s year-end report, discuss a landscape plan for Primrose School of Delaware, share community outreach ideas, and plan for upcoming officer elections. No public comments were received.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Motion Summary: The commission unanimously approved the motion summary from the July 22, 2024, meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were submitted or presented.

Staff Comments and Update

City Arborist Dave presented the year-to-date statistics for tree planting, pruning, removals, and service requests:

• Tree planting: 132 trees planted (26 in-house, 106 by contractors). In-house plantings will fill the ravines of Old Fatange Tree Preserve; contractor plantings are right-of-way street tree replacements.
• Pruning: 1,571 total (1,081 in-house, 490 contracted), with an additional 1700 total after recent pruning.
• Tree removals: 77 (60 in-house, 17 contracted).
• Stump grinding: 165 (153 in-house, 12 contracted).
• Service requests: 349 completed in-house, about 80–90 more than the previous two years. The arborist attributed the increase to drought and seasonal leaf-drop inquiries, not to clearance-related pruning.

Discussion Items

Plan Review: Primrose School of Delaware

• The commission reviewed a landscape and canopy management plan for the school (no street trees).
• Commissioners discussed tree species listed in the plan, noting that the “Frontier” elm is a hybrid, not a true American elm, and has a much smaller mature size (25 ft tall, 15 ft crown spread) compared to American elm (49 ft crown spread). The commission suggested clarifying the species and considering Jefferson or New Horizon elms for canopy needs.
• A commissioner expressed concern about the inclusion of Chinese fountain grass, an invasive species, and recommended replacing it with native grasses like Shenandoah switchgrass or big bluestem.
• The commission also noted that the site was recently annexed and that the planting plan appeared appropriate for a school with enclosed play areas.

Commissioner Comments and Outreach Ideas

• A commissioner proposed that the Shade Tree Commission participate in the O Bishopbackers Day event (February 14, 2026) as a tabling opportunity to educate families about tree care, mulching, and invasive species like spotted lanternflies. The event could count as a meeting for Tree City USA requirements.
• The commission discussed possible activities, such as identifying oak pruning windows, demonstrating proper mulching, and providing information on lanternfly egg masses. No formal decision was made; the item will be revisited at the January 2026 meeting.

Key Outcomes

• The commission approved the motion summary from July 22, 2024.
• The arborist will inform the plan submitter about the species misidentification and native grass suggestions for the Primrose School plan.
• The commission will consider tabling at O Bishopbackers Day in January 2026, along with officer elections (chairperson and vice chair).
• The meeting adjourned with no further business.