Can we move that up on the agenda?

Well, if we could uh end dots here and if we could have them first.

Um, we're there on two.

Uh they're the first on the agenda.

Okay.

Um, and we still got a minor two, but uh just so everybody knows it is recording now.

I I do.

You didn't get one.

Is it right there?

Yes.

I can see that.

I don't think that's it for them, but it's at the door.

Do you take pictures of the agenda on the door?

No, I don't.

I would also do that too.

Yeah, certainly.

This is a record.

Okay.

I've been through the court case before, so far.

Not worth it.

You should take take pictures of on the door.

Oh shit, I do do that.

So smart out like Indianapolis lawyers, that's a good point.

And then how do you prove held the meeting?

It's a lot harder to prove.

You can prove it, but it's also we keep adding things to the requirements for postings, do.

Now you have to list the board members on the back of the agendas.

And when we were pointed to buy who it's all there, yeah.

Are we ready to get started?

Yeah, I think maybe we still have them.

Oh, it is nine o'clock corner of the year.

Okay.

I'm sorry.

I'll take a broken for the meeting.

We'll pass them down now.

No, Paul will not be here and Chris will not be here.

Oh, could I have the go that way?

Oh, yeah.

Oh, okay, thank you.

Move for approval of that.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Um, so we started the meeting.

It is May 7th, 2026, 9 p.m.

9 a.m.

9 a.m.

Um Mike has made a motion to request request approval of the minutes.

I'll second.

Gina seconded it.

Um all those in favor say aye.

Aye.

All those opposed.

All right, and then we have um a request to remove and replace trees on the Lloyd Expressway from Rosenberger to St.

Joseph.

First up on our agenda, and we have some visitors this morning if you can state your name.

Good morning, Emily Sprinkle with the Indiana Department of Transportation.

Um so as part of the last phase of the Lloyd for You project, we are going to do an interchange modification at Barker Avenue, and so in order to do that, we need to remove some trees along there as well as some areas that might be trimmed back a little bit on the ramp approaches.

I have a copy for myself.

Okay, thank you.

So how many trees are being removed?

Um we don't have an exact account right now.

Um we have about an acre is what we've kind of figured of area that may need to be removed.

Um they're outlined on the drawing that you guys have here, um, but we don't know exactly how much room the contractor's gonna need in order to be able to effectively do their job and safely do their job.

Um so there's a really good possibility that the areas that we have outlined we may end up replanting more than we actually end up removing.

Can end out a commit to typically we commit to two one, we have an end on the pass, and they don't have to be all right there.

You got I mean, this is a mammoth gargantuan project, so you've got plenty of areas.

Um we we do, you know, the the wall bash median on up the leg had more trees in it.

Yes, uh and those were removed for a prior project.

We didn't replant them because we knew this was coming.

I know this is a little bit further to the east, but it can end up committed to two to one.

Um so we would like to request if we can maybe replant due to canopy.

Um we're kind of limited on space, especially for this project of where we have right of way, um, that's not already have buildings all the way there.

Um we were kind of looking at that grassy area there next to the parking lot by the new pedestrian bridge at St.

Joe area to possibly be able to replant by canopy.

We actually did have this discussion before we met and and uh perfect, yeah.

But I mean the the media and will still be there.

Some of the media and closer to wall bash, I would encourage that as well.

Okay, I think a lot of that is probably going might be concrete.

I don't know off the top of my head exactly what that uh median width is going to be, so I'm not sure it's wide gonna be wide enough now to support trees.

Okay, but anyway, it sounds like you're committing to let's say two for one, if it's not two for one, you'll get back with the arborist.

Is that or two for one canopy?

Pardon me?

Two for one canopy, yeah.

What does that mean?

In other words, the um in the past, there have been some cases in the past that we've approved where we replace canopy instead of individual trees, and how you do that is you um you take the maximum potential canopy spread of a tree of a certain species, and the accumulation of of those individual trees, the canopies of those individual trees would be uh added up to uh replace the canopy that's being lost.

Okay.

That's consistent with our canopy initially.

Sure.

I I would make that motion that we approve this removal as part of the uh Lloyd for You project, and uh with NDOT understanding NDOT will plant and a canopy base is two for one.

Is that okay, Madam Chairman?

That sounds good.

Okay, all right.

So um Mike has made a motion to approve this request to remove the trees on the Lloyd Expressway in this spot with the understanding that NDOT will do two for one canopy.

I'm not gonna put in there that it has to be where we said, but the record will record notes were like they expect it to be in the St.

Joe area by that cross the new crosswalk, which is a good location.

Can we get a second?

I'll second that.

Gina seconded it.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye, all those opposed, all right.

And I would imagine in that area, there's probably a lot of um this isn't a well-cultivated area either, is it?

That little area right there.

There's probably a lot of tree of heaven and mulberry and who knows what.

In that area, and this area here is pretty decent.

Uh, this area here is a lot of invasive.

Okay.

And that area there too.

Um, there's a nice, nice big open area here for for trees too.

So that's about where the crosswalk will be.

Uh, crosswalk will be closer to oh, yeah, it's in the paved area, sorry.

Yeah, over here, but this is really nice area for trees.

And that we actually wanted to plant trees there uh a year or two ago for Hillcrest, but we couldn't because of this project because we don't know where the boundary is going to be.

So yeah, I agree.

It would be nice to reestablish some trees there.

Um, gives a little bit of a barrier for that neighborhood to the to the north.

Well, we'll work through that later.

It's not in our motion.

Uh, the reason I would favor the crosswalk and we leave that to the arbors is because we're canoping concrete there, so anytime we can canopy concrete under that's always an advantage over canopy green space.

I hate to say that, but well, harder for them to grow in as there is uh well, thank you.

Yep, thank you.

When do you think the project will this project be done by this um the end of next summer, you think?

I wish.

No, um, we should start seeing tree clearing efforts commence this fall, and then uh complete completed area for the whole angle to walbash should be 2028, late 2028.

Do you think another two years?

Yeah.

Do you know about when the project will likely end in 2028?

Uh probably more towards the back end of 2028 when you'll see most of those barrels and stuff come off.

I know we'll have some cleanup and things to do early in 2029, but most of the construction uh maintenance traffic items will be up.

If at all possible, if if somehow the trees could be planted between November 1st and let's say May 1st, that would be the ideal planting time.

So if there's some way that that could be arranged in some way, those are backside of the contract matter, so yeah, that's an easy change order.

Um, and whether they put the trees in or they do the trees separately, they're in the contract.

Most of the contractors are will accommodate, you'll accommodate that too.

Yeah, and this particular section here around Barker, it may be done earlier.

Um I haven't got the schedule from the contractor yet exactly how they're gonna go about the work, but was it awarded?

It was awarded.

Um EMB and Regal.

Okay, so same as out on the far west side.

Okay, all right.

Thank you.

That's good.

Yeah, so thank you very much.

Thank you.

Um, and then you wanted to bring up next, Mike.

The resolution, yeah.

Um, last month, one of reaffirm uh a resolution.

I think I misstated the intersection, is uh at Indiana and Crosspoint, and I think I had misstated it, and that's where the new roundabout will go in as part of the again the void for you project.

So this is a city project, being done by with city tax dollars, but they're coordinating because it's all kind of in the same area, and Aaron has sent us a resolution, everybody received I've given uh comments that excellent draftsmanship, and um uh I I would move that we reaffirm what we did last month and the resolution that was provided to us uh and send that uh to the city engineer and area planning commission office and see if we can't set a precedent for how we do roundabouts for the record in case someone wasn't at the other meeting.

This is for the roundabouts to have some landscaping structure, preferably some height in the middle of them to get uh in most of us have been to Hamilton County, which is sort of the roundabout capital of the world.

Theirs are certainly landscaped and almost I haven't seen one that wasn't mounted, and then they've also gone to the level of their areas for art, so they and some of them they'll have structures that are 20-30 foot tall, uh commissioned art.

We're not an art commission, we're tree tree board, so I'm not putting that forward, but this would certainly be able to accommodate what Aaron's drafted.

So I just for the record that people understand that, and then we were talking for the meeting.

I also again we're not a safety board, but it does provide safety where there is height to those uh roundabouts.

Adds cost, no doubt it adds cost, but uh this is um um you know this is our uh gateway to Evansville from uh most of the populated areas of Indiana, so uh we're looking just so you know, we're looking at gateway projects as part of I 69.

Um key evidence of beautiful is working.

I think the tree board will be involved on gateways as I 69 the new bridge come in.

So this is all you know all comes together.

Um much like again I point out on I-69, we have those are more entry portals that you see all up and down I-69.

It's not just an interchange anymore, it's it it adds to the quality of life.

I see they're putting lighting in, that's gonna be really good too.

Um, so anyway, I am then the motion of last month us to firm the resolution and that it's the intersection of Indiana and crosspoint.

I should go through that.

Okay.

Alright, so um, and and this is to approve this resolution, is that correct?

This is this, okay.

So uh Mike has made the motion, Sean's seconded to accept this um resolution um in coordination um with the city arborist about roundabout construction projects.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye, all those opposed.

All right, there we have it.

Um next up on the agenda, we've got a request to remove um some park trees uh via Paul Balsman.

Yeah, Paul Bowsman's not here, but I'm aware of all these.

I've looked at these and I'm I'm actually one that provide the pictures, so um the uh Swander Ice Rinks did.

Haney's corner is it's hard to tell from the pictures, but the trees just structurally ruined it had some dieback issues, and there's no way correct way to prune it.

And uh how wetlands we had one tree that was damaged from a storm, and the and we while we were there, we found another one near it that is a molding that's deteriorated.

Um I would make the motion to approve these removals.

I'll second.

Sarah made the motion.

Um Jean seconded it.

All those in favor say aye.

I all those opposed.

Right.

And now we've got a request approval to remove street trees.

Sean, have the neighborhoods all been neighborhood associations and no, they haven't, but I will make sure that we do that before any of these are removed.

But the property owners have all been no five.

So I'm just now getting caught up.

All right.

Does anyone have any questions about the trees in this batch?

All of you reviewed them all.

I did, yeah.

Sorry.

I make a motion to remove the street trees.

I'll second it.

Um Jean made the motion to remove the street trees.

Sarah seconded it.

All those in favor say aye.

This is collectively aid today.

Yes, collectively aided.

Yes, yes, all those opposed.

All right, and just to note that n nearly all of these are dead or dying, and one is structurally weak.

So they are.

Several of them are ash trees, by the way.

So emerald ash core is taking its effect.

Um old business on our agenda, tree canopy goal initiative.

Well, I guess this was probably the appropriate time to talk about Arbor Day, and with thanks to Center Point and Keep and Little Beautiful.

We had an outstanding Arbor Day event.

We had over 220 trees that we gave away to the public.

Um, some of those uh were uh dedicated for neighborhoods.

Um I think we had at least 30 that were dedicated for neighborhoods out of those trees that went into Evansville neighborhoods uh for um planting projects.

Excuse me.

Um all the trees except for seven sweet gums were taken.

Poor sweet gums.

Poor, but we found a place for those sweet gums.

Okay in addition to that, we had 50 trees that were planted in Westman Park along the new road, thanks to Key Films Little Beautiful.

And um that happened on Arbor Day um right after the the giveaway event.

And in addition to that, um we had uh excuse me, 30 trees that were given to us through the second, excuse me, through the uh uh pear tree replacement program through the soil water conservation district, which we've planted in Roberts Park along the new road where trees were taken out a couple years ago.

So um, you know, we we planted 80 trees um just in the last month, and in addition to giving out 220 trees, many of which went in Evansville.

I'm still getting the numbers on those uh as to where they went um and before that, in the month of March, February, we planted at least several two or three hundred trees and parks and boulevards.

And so far, this and it's just spring.

We've already planted five or six hundred trees.

So that's some major canopy.

Yeah, it's great.

Yeah, Sean, I will add, I mean, I think the event is well coordinated now.

I mean, you know, the first couple years we've all been a part of it.

It was kind of frantic.

And now people show up, they go sign in, they get their tag, they stand by their tree.

I think it everything's kind of in sequence now, so uh good job kind of coordinating and getting some more direction for it.

I thought the last couple years it went well, yeah.

So it's suck record, it's first one I've missed, and maybe in ever.

Uh, and you're glad you guys it went really well.

I do the stuck record is I do think at some point we need to follow those lists, which we've done for the last few years and do a spot on it, you know, but pick 30 of them, call them, take pictures of the trees, or know the tree perished, or I don't know, um just to see what our success rate is.

I agree, yeah.

Um, my success rate so far is one hundred percent.

So I've I've gotten a tree, I've gotten four trees through this giveaway, and they are all um doing well despite squirrels last year trying to do one in.

I got one that survived the squirrel I just saw last night, uh the shingle or whatever the boat with the shingle bar, whatever bark oak and squirrels are at it.

They killed the other ones, so they're just in my neighborhood, they're just I don't know that they've got a big enough trunk on them, and I've done everything, sprayed them, wrapped them, I don't know what it is.

I think I planted one of your trees, so if it survived, that means it's a really really good tree.

Yeah, really resilient trees.

Yeah, you planted too.

Yeah, that's true.

I found out with maples that if they do survive it, then they're gonna be honestly.

They they they took a long time to leaf out this year in oak and a maple.

It was it's like they were the last to leaf out and and then now there they go.

So, yeah.

So I don't know how we do the audit.

You know, obviously it's a busy time of the year, but it's something that needs to stay on, and I know you we don't have enough you don't have enough staff to and I think if we just did 25 random, uh Sean, I'd be willing to volunteer for that if you can share that information with me.

I can send out um sort of a mass email, blind CCing everyone on it, so we can't, yeah.

Um and see if I get any results from that.

We want pictures, yeah.

Yeah, I'll get the information to you.

Okay, that'd be really wonderful also to get pictures put on our urban forestry Facebook page.

Yep.

How was the city council meeting?

Yeah, great.

We seem to be well received, um, yeah.

Any questions or comments from council members?

I don't think there were there.

Uh I think there's one question, but it was pretty positive and um we mentioned the RV day event, of course.

I was always trying to schedule it so it's right before the RV event, and um, all positive as far as I can remember.

Um moving on, um, in dot coordination and dead trees.

Let me just say for the record, in dot coordination.

That was witnessed today.

Legally, they do not have to come here, and we've asked them.

They they know the school corporation, levy authority, several other uh entities have voluntarily signed, and we have a memorandum of understanding with them.

And I would never sign, and that's consistent with all the state of Indiana, and we've tried with keeping Napolis beautiful and others.

You know, we tried the legislative route.

But anyway, when they do what they did today, that's ideal.

So I I say that reflects our meetings.

We meet with them with Keep Evansville Beautiful at least every two months.

We have the round table, which um that's weird.

The computers, we have the round table, which um Sean is a big part of every year with NDOT.

So, I I just emphasize that that shows a good partnership.

Um, okay, ongoing removal planting of trees on public properties.

We've already gone into quite a bit of that when we were uh rounding up the or summing up the Harbor Day initiative, but as Sean said earlier, we've what done about 600 trees so far this year.

Five or six hundred?

Yeah, it's been wonderful.

I mean, and fall, like I said, you know, fall's coming, and we will plan on planting uh hopefully an equal number.

Um you know, um course we don't have a a giveaway, tree giveaway in the fall, but um hopefully we'll plant the equal number of trees or more that that we planted in parks and other areas, and I'm hoping that we'll have some other planting opportunities coming as well.

One area in particular is this.

I didn't I don't know the east side that much as much as I probably should, but I didn't realize that cross point here had so much boulevard space here.

So I'm gonna look at this area and see how we might be able to plant trees along this boulevard if if there's enough space.

I think you got a developer that'll take care of that.

I would encourage you to go to Green River Road rather than Cross Point.

I think that I'm I would not be concerned about the buttons.

This is not an honest picture because that area is the greenest shopping center, more about more so than Target, so they've done a great job.

So I I would go elsewhere.

We can get that media done.

That developer will, and you know, to understand this is so old, Vogel's completely tree lined all the way through now by that developer.

So I would go to Green River where we have the Hodge Podge, it's more difficult, but I think we need to really focus on Green River.

Or Burkhardt.

Burkhardt's trickier.

I have communicated with uh Nick from Keep Evansville Beautiful about Green River too.

Yeah, and and so there's talk about um potentially doing some planting projects on Green River.

I I would focus your effort there.

You don't you don't need it here.

This will this will get taken care of by itself by the developer.

And it is again this picture must be I don't know the date on it.

It's 2022.

Um this road here is finished now.

Right here.

No, it it's the plantings since 2022 there is astronomical.

If I had your I could show to show the mouse, there's been no area of greater planting than that.

I would suggest on the east side, so there you go.

Huh?

So I I would say hundreds and hundreds, if not thousands of trees.

Yeah.

Okay, the variation just in that three year period.

So I emphasize if everyone that this doesn't do it justice, if everyone would do anything like what Costco did.

Yeah.

Target's close, but not nearly what Costco's done, but the but Vogel is, you know, pretty impressive.

So I have been a little Mike, you drive by it every day too.

The um sidewalk there, the trail they're putting in there along the state hospital, right up next to those trees that are fairly new.

Do we feel pretty confident that they're gonna get that is some of the wettest area I'm not worried whatsoever.

The roots are gonna go east, ma'am.

Okay.

Good to know.

If there's one area that they're okay in, it's that one.

Okay.

And the other trees, you know, those were two trees we planted up at Lincoln.

Those Sean has said over and over to have done really well.

And I'm saying to you, done really well because there is so much moisture in the soil there.

So next time you're at Green River and driving down Lincoln, the Green River, setting up the light look, that's an obluvial.

We geologists would call that an alluvial plain.

And there are lakes there as you know, and the reason for that, or the same thing at Bakey.

So Green River Bakey, you'll just see that's a you're right off on the edge of you and I live on the edge of what was probably uh a swamp.

Definitely was a swamp uh when the east side was developed, I'm told.

So trees like swampy, former swampy land.

All right, let's move on to item number four invasive plant pest and disease update.

We have a meeting uh Emerald adopt an ash meeting today at three.

So um we um will probably be discussing the uh twilight tour that we'll plan on doing this fall, and as well as um where we're at with adoptions, but I don't I don't have anything else to report um then other uh business and upcoming events.

We have the tree tree pruners licensing seminar May 12th at the CK Newsom Center.

Additionally after summer, we've got August 11th.

Well, I guess August is still summer, August 11th and November 10th at Wesselman Woods Nature Center for those later ones.

This one coming up on the 12th will be at the CK Newsom Center.

Anything else this month?

Um I feel like I forget some, but we plant a lot of trees.

And we've been um lucky with storms this year so far.

No, no, it's not true.

It was not set in the record.

Move for adjournment prior to the second.

Uh Mike moved to adjourn.

Uh Gene seconded.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

All those opposed.

See you next month.

Remember that?

We don't.

Oh, I am at school too.

It's just like you have some child who's had a rough, you know, having a good week and on one