Yeah, we should be rolling.

Alright, welcome to the City of Evansville Tree Advisory Board.

It's June 4th, 2026.

I'm sorry we're a few minutes late this morning.

Can we get an approval of the minutes from May, real quick?

Move for approval.

Mike made the approval or made the motion.

12 hours seconded it.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

All those opposed.

Alright, on our new business.

First up, we've got Evansville Forest Task Force grant and IU Environmental Resilience Institute cohort program initiative.

So do we have some folks here today to talk with us about that?

Okay.

Yeah, Bia, Jess, you want to come with the microphone?

Come on up.

So Bia Burton is here on behalf of IU University.

There has graciously granted us through the cohort program for Bia to be here to help us update our Urban Forestry Master Plan and Management Plan.

And so she is going to explain what she's doing with that.

I'll let you talk first.

Thanks, John.

He summed it up pretty well, but yeah, I was I'm here from a grant from the Environmental Resilience Institute, and I'll be here until July 31st.

Um I'm trying to grab together a task force of community members, and we're meeting three times this well until I leave July 31st.

And I'm just trying to get their perspective on the urban forestry in Evansville, like how it's been in the past, how it is currently, and how we want it to be moving forward and using all that information and some research I've been doing online, making a master plan so that the city of Evansville and the urban forestry department has a set planned with background research and community like uh perspectives to move forward.

So yeah, that's my job this summer.

Really happy to be here.

Thank you.

Awesome.

Thank you, Bia.

And Jessica Head uh is here on behalf of Westman Woods.

The grant that we have through them.

Uh she's helping us update our tree inventory.

So uh Jess, you want to spike to the board.

Yeah, hello.

Um, yeah, I'm just helping update the tree inventory around Evansville.

I just go to like urban areas in Evansville and parks, and I collect tree data, like species, DBH, canopy with tree height, all that good stuff, and assess the health of it.

And then when I'm not out doing that, I'm um updating our ArcGIS database and inputting all the data for that.

And hopefully, once we get all of that finished, I'll be able to hand over that data to B uh to assist in the master plan.

So uh Bia and Jess are both working from the urban forestry office, and um we've also got a part-time seasonal watering person who's watering all the trees we planted this last spring.

That's awesome.

So we have a pretty full office right now.

Um, and we're very thankful for for them to be here.

Uh they're doing some pretty outstanding work so far.

Um, if anybody has any questions for them, is this following up kind of what Larson was doing?

Yes, sort of.

Um he helped us uh update our or he helped us get a uh uh canopy assessment uh through the same IU cohort program.

Okay, and I want to say I'm kind of like building on top of what Larson has done, so yeah, in a way, and we are like uh funded like through the same grant, but yeah, I'm building off of what he has done.

Excellent.

Well, we're happy to see that continue.

That's a great.

So you've got a task force.

How do you come up with the names for the task force and is anyone on this circle since we're the governance body of all the public trees in Evansville?

Um, okay.

So I came up with the task force um with Sean's help.

He gave me a list of 40 people that he thought uh might be fit for this task force, and I went about emailing them, and I got just quite a few responses.

Uh I might, I don't think I I emailed Jean about it, but she's pretty busy this summer.

Um, and yeah, so right now I have about 11 people on the list.

Uh I had about six people that responded yes, they wanted to be a part of it, which was like very few out of the 40 that I reached out to.

Um, but I went to the forest alliance meeting yesterday with Sean and had a lot of interested people just from Wesselman Woods and uh community members that wanted to be a part of that, and so now the number is like about 11 to 12, and the first meeting is next week.

But if any of you guys are interested in being on it, like I'd re be really more than happy to have your perspective.

It's just a two-hour commitment um three times this summer, and I can give my email to Sean to give to you guys after this.

Um, but I'll be heading out a little bit early, so yeah, I won't be able to talk to you, but I'll give you um my email.

What about neighborhood association, Sarah?

Have you uh is a list of the 40?

Sean, is it populated with some neighborhood association?

Or uh Susan Harp will be coming on behalf of the United Neighborhoods to uh the meeting.

Uh it might be a little too cumbersome to have everybody come from every neighborhood.

So, I understand that.

Is Jennifer Roll involved?

She is.

I'm sorry.

Jennifer Roll?

Yeah.

She is as a history.

Okay, excellent.

Because she's definitely if you could share with us that list, that would that would be helpful.

Yeah.

And then it I think we should enlist someone from the board.

Okay.

Um I think it's pretty important because ultimately we have to adopt whatever you recommend.

So it would might be better to have someone in that process because if we don't adopt it, it's not right, Aaron, it's ineffective.

Yeah.

So it'd be better to.

I mean, I think Sarah would be very good on that group.

Yeah, no, I will definitely email you after the meeting.

Yeah, I love that.

So she covers the neighborhood associations, obviously holds a gavel.

Do you have any interest?

Sure.

Yeah.

Is he on the list of 40?

Uh I'll make sure it happens.

Okay.

Yeah, so you get a couple.

Okay.

Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah.

I'm really hoping through through Bia's efforts that we are able to bridge some gaps between us and some other not-for-profits and groups and departments to come together to have a more comprehensive plan that will include everyone and just uh work out for the better.

Do you do you envision that there'll be amendments to our ordinance that'll be needed?

Would you say do I vision what do you envision amendments to our ordinance that may be needed?

Amendments to your ordinance, yeah.

So the governance of our public trees is by virtue of this body and the ordinance that controls the controlling legislation.

All tree boards and every jurisdiction.

So we can say we're gonna do grandiose things, but if we don't have them plugged into the legal framework, then it's just pie.

I don't know, I mean, I don't want to be pie in the sky.

I want it to be something.

I mean, Jennifer's worked with us for a long time, she knows.

So, but I think it have a couple board members would be very beneficial.

Yeah, um, there's not really an ordinance, yeah, that's going along with that.

If that's answering your question, it's I guess the idea with the task force is to get their perspectives, number one, but then also to create like an obligation from them to help be a part of continuing the plan because they helped create it.

And so, yeah, that's the idea of like why we got different people from the community to bring in, yeah, or to keep them the plan like accountable and they can.

I would think that you might discover some of those through this process too.

If there were changes needed to be made, it might be discovered through these conversations.

I get that, but but um, you know, the point that it was just mentioned is you want to be able to have follow-through on it, so I always hate when we do these things, and then there's we frustrate it.

I'll use the planting sampling story I use all the time.

We frustrate people because they patent samplings and they and they die, and then they get frustrated.

Well, we can't we can't grow trees, and it's you know, so I don't want us to do something that that would frustrate people.

I want us to do something that again really advances that canopy.

Um, so on your study, um, Jessica, on the study.

Uh how how what are the geographic areas you're looking at?

Um, so we we currently have an inventory that's probably outdated, right?

Yeah.

Are you and it's impossible for you to do the entire city?

Are you just sort of picking some segments around the city or where are you concentrated to uh amend that and fix that inventory?

Sure.

Um so far I've been doing the area around Wesselman Woods and those like park areas.

So I'm doing a lot of like urban inventory, so like long streets, planting strips, parking lots, stuff like that.

And yeah, I'm starting over there on bogey and then I'll be moving uh yeah, like further that way.

Okay, but I'm uh I guess where my question is to make sure we're geographically spread out with some north side, some west side, um, some east side, you know, because our our jurisdiction here is you know, the city limits.

Will you be going into the county or will you stay strictly in the city limits?

Just the city limits.

Okay, great.

Well, that's my suggestion is if we can look as well on on we're a city of really three sides.

We really don't, I guess we sort of have a south side, but it's mainly the river.

But I hope we can do that.

You know, through uh Via's efforts.

Um hopefully we will have some good recommendations for some changes that need to be made.

Uh, not only to the ordinance, but uh some of our policies and procedures, um, and through you know Jess's efforts, uh Jessica's efforts to do the inventory.

The inventory is over 15 years old, which is very outdated.

So um both of them are going to be instrumental to the functioning of our department, and hopefully even getting um better canopy in the near future because of that.

Thank you for your time.

Anyway, all right.

Um item on the agenda next item is tree and sidewalk conflicts.

Hello, hi I'm Brian Mundy, and the relatively new city engineer.

Um in the past week or so we received a complaint on Lincoln Avenue between the 400 and 500 block of a from a handicapped individual in a wheelchair about a um sidewalk that's been lifted up by tree roots.

Um I got some photos here if I could hand those out so you can see what we've got.

Didn't you give them to us?

I think we've got them.

Yeah, we got them around.

Uh we've seen them.

I didn't bring enough.

I didn't expect this many people on the board.

Anyway, um I contacted Sean about this and uh he suggested that I come here and discuss it with the board.

So um I guess I'm looking for a solution.

Uh this lady's having to um go into the yard during uh dry weather, during wet weather, she actually has to go out into Lincoln Avenue to get around this obstruction.

I thank you for being here and and welcome to the city too.

Um Brian is the uh new city engineer, if I didn't know.

Um, you know, we we've always struggled to figure out what to do with sidewalk and tree conflicts in the past, and my recommendation has always been to um if sidewalks are at a point where they can't be fixed through slab jacking or creating uh asphalt ramps or other alternative methods.

My advice has always been to pull up the sidewalk panels carefully without damaging tree roots and to put chat rock down.

Chat rock is a very highly compactable type of rock substrate that um again is easily compacted uh similar to concrete.

Um it may not look the same, but it's it does work, you know.

The question is, well, is that acceptable to ADA for ADA compliance?

Um yes, the tree roots might kind of poke up through that over time, but more could always be added and recompacted later, which would be a lot cheaper than doing concrete work.

Um there's been some discussion as to whether anything could be used other than concrete according to ADA compliance standards, which I'm still a little confused about.

Uh my understanding is that concrete doesn't have to be used but is recommended.

Um, the ADA requirements are stable, firm, and slip resistant, and I could find no communities that allow gravel.

As a matter of fact, most say loose gravel, sand and dirt are prohibited.

Um the problem I see with that is there's no way you can clean that adequately in the winter during snow events where someone could get a wheelchair through it.

So is the intent to cut down the tree?

And we're when this is an area where we have a lack of trees.

I've I serve on the Indiana Housing Authority and I'm a past president of the rehab center, deals with handicap in disabled individuals.

So I'm very sympathetic to all sides on this.

We have a housing authority that's put in uh new properties, none of which have trees.

So we're very we're down to very few canopy trees left in that area.

So a question's gonna be you have to remove the tree, you gotta remove those two or three panels that are lift up.

You're gonna have to remove those, right?

Yes, and the intent is to reconcrete that, yes.

Why couldn't you just is that housing authority property, 400 500 block?

Is it a public entity or is it a private property?

I couldn't tell you that.

I think it's I think it's public property and a housing authority entity.

I'll Aaron and I will lend our legal work to work on that.

But couldn't you just take the side, you know, take out the sidewalk that's bad.

You're gonna be putting in new sidewalk anyway, right?

Yes, and just curve it out around and make that a curve right there.

Well, and then you can do both worlds, you got your concrete and you got your trees surviving.

It would be a little bit more um involved in that because there are um alignment change requirements, so it would be a lot longer, it would require more sidewalks if we tried to jockey around it.

Also, require right-of-way acquisition, whether who it's from, it would be an expense to the city for that.

Um, not saying it's not an option, uh, but this is an issue.

This is one of several that we've seen.

And um, this has been in front of the board a million times, and I understand the general view of engineers I understand is remove it.

Um and so we're it's our first dance together.

Yes, and so like you're saying you're gonna you're then we're gonna come back and remove how many more of these.

Are we gonna have a program where we replace the trees in the area?

We we're lacking a canopy in these areas.

I think that would be a good plan to replace the trees, but not in between the sidewalk and the street.

Um I've got another similar situation where I'm getting ready to pave Cherry Street downtown, just uh past uh Riverside, there's a big tree that's grown out into the street we're gonna have to deal with here in the next few weeks.

Um it's probably sticking a foot or so out in the into the road, pop the pavement up.

There's no way that we can um we can go through there and repave that street with that tree out in the road.

So um there's a lot of these issues in the city, and it seems like we don't have a policy to handle them.

And we just keep going.

I mean, for my and I'm first guy, you know, this is my first time, but I've seen the the um the the I guess uh records in my office.

I mean, this is this has come up many times, and uh, you know, I would just like to know what to do in these situations.

When trees have grown over curves, we have agreed to remove trees.

When trees have grown over sidewalks so much that they um that they're that they become ADA uncompliant because of lack of of width, we have removed trees in those cases too.

Just recently, a month or two ago, we approved one of those trees uh on Cherry Street.

Um that trees on our removal is because that sidewalk is not ADA compliance because there's not enough patchable area there.

Um but this is a little bit different.

Um, we have to deal with them on a case-by-case approach.

But if you know, when we encounter these um and we in maybe we should come up with a policy that you know um we make an inventory of these areas where we expect these problems and start planting trees now so that when they become problems, it's not such a I'd like to see if we can set up a special meeting between uh several of the board members and in your office to see if we can come to that.

Because yeah, I mean, I'm not don't give me I'm not coming in here saying we should cut down all the trees by any means.

I'm just saying we've got an issue here with safety, and we have a handicapped lady that's being forced out on the Lincoln Avenue because of this issue, and I just want to fix it for her and for anyone else that uses a sidewalk.

If um, even a healthy person, that's a trip hazard and a liability to the city.

So, that's all on your input, Aaron.

Um I mean to me the alternative is build and go around it.

I understand sometimes the rightfully the right-of-way problems an issue, but it's not an obstacle.

I mean, we can do that, and yeah, there's some added cost, but there's added cost to the community when we lose canopy.

Yeah, and I was gonna just suggest that it sounds like you get exactly what you should do, reach out to Sean, and then Sean goes out and looks at it, kind of like with any other public tree when there's a complaint, you go out and look at it and see if it's really dead, takes photos, he'd go out and probably measure it, confirm if it's not, if it looks like the width is too narrow, so you can make a determination there.

The question is in the scenarios where we think that we could do this pack rock, do we establish a policy that says, you know, there's some sort of framework.

If it's a really big tree that's X number of years old, we want to try to save the tree, so we try to in those scenarios go around.

But if it's a newer tree, maybe we try to replant it or something like that.

But it sounds like we need to kind of cut get the two groups together.

But I think it would be a collaboration of you reaching out to.

Yeah, and I think um who, you know, there's when we find out who that right-away is, and then we can ask them, and they may donate the right-of-way, so there may be no issue on the right-of-way.

There is what you said the added cost, and are you saying you're not willing to pay the added cost to go around the tree?

No, I'm not saying that at all.

Um, if if I may, uh I I've gotten thank you for being here today.

Sure.

Um I've got an example of a real-world solution uh to this problem that exists just 10 miles from here or less in it's it's in the town of Newburgh.

Uh it's been about 10 or 15 years ago that they replaced a lot of sidewalks downtown and they went over mature canopy routes in that city, and they used a granular rubber material which laid like a sidewalk, it's actually resilient underfoot, and it seems to have held up really well.

Uh it's pervious, so it lets uh water go through it to the tree roots, and one of the issues with tree roots and concrete is that in compacted soils, tree roots cannot reach oxygen.

So a lot of times we compact soils in our urban landscapes severely, and the tree is forced to grow in the space between the concrete and this and the gravel substrate, which is put down as a base for it.

And the tree roots actually seek the zone because that's where oxygen is, and they actually lift sidewalks because they don't have another alternative.

So two things.

If you could look at in your city engineering standards, and when you're working around public areas where we want trees is to look at structural soil mixes, a lot of these were developed by Cornell University in the urban uh in Institute of Urban Horticulture, and these are combined soil aggregate mixes that can be compacted, and the aggregate inside it forms a lattice which allows the soil in between the spaces not to be uh compressed.

And I'll send uh links to this uh in a follow-up email, but if you could look at a proactive stance on including structural soils and city specifications, and then secondly, uh potentially go out to Newburgh and walk that trail, and um and it's a sidewalk on the north side of the main street in there, and they fixed it in several places, and the trees are still there.

Uh and the sidewalk is still in good condition.

I uh it's like said it's rubber and it it's resilient, and but it it's held up remarkable remarkably well.

Where is that again specifically?

It's in downtown Newburgh, and I don't know if it went in about the same time as that river town trail did.

Uh so I don't know if it was partially funded through that.

I don't know the cost associated with it, but it seems like a good solution.

Um and I haven't I just haven't had time to research it myself, but it's out there, and I always like to find a real world solution and study it and see if there's something that can be applied.

So that's all I had on that one.

Sure.

Sure.

I'll I'll look into that.

Um, because you know, I won't do I just want to find a solution that's that's in compliance with ADA, and um you know, fixes the problems out there.

So I'm not uh advocating taking down all the trees by any means.

Um will the ramping work you're limited to five percent grade, and if we put concrete back over those roots, they're just gonna continue to lift them up, lift it up in a matter of time before we're dealing with the same uh issue.

What is the minimum ADA compliant width of a passable area for a wheelchair?

Three feet, three feet, so but that one's wider than that, right?

That's I that's a yeah, I haven't measured it at four to five, our standards five.

Yeah, I thought it was a traditional five.

Yes, six for two wheelchairs to pass.

Okay, well, the reason why I was asking because uh the root is growing over the edge of the sidewalk, but it's just barely like this, so um I didn't know what the uh minimum requirement for a passable area for a wheelchair is for a for a sidewalk in a case like that.

Um I mean, most sidewalks are not six foot wide.

I don't know, no, no, six foot wide, and you don't have to provide it's three feet is the minimum, and then you need to have a passing area, which in urban areas the driveways count as a passing area.

I see.

And this is a map of the area, so there's a pretty big driveway right there, which is right here.

This these are those uh I can't remember what the name of the apartments are, Lincoln apartments or uh Aaron.

That's probably like that's Evansville Housing Authority.

We've we've raised with the Indiana Housing Authority the issue of if you go the next block over, they built everything there, not one tree.

And that's not fair to residents, shouldn't have to live without trees.

We're losing so we we've adopted a canopy plan for the city.

This is one of the areas we're losing the canopy because those oaks have lived their life out, so probably you know, and this may be one of those oaks.

Is it an oak?

Look like it was, yeah, that may be you know getting towards the center of the life anyway.

So I'm not saying we won't come back.

So what if we um talk to the the housing authority, say is responsible for that?

Is that right?

Aaron, can you reach out to I mean can we talk to the city attorney here planting new trees?

Uh we're talking to them right now.

Um, but but let's deal with the immediate problem.

The them planting trees, we've been talking to them for a year on that, we're not getting anywhere.

Um, the the immediate immediately um any changes would would need to go as a minimum to the Board of Public Works, possibly to the city council because our sidewalk standards are concrete.

I understand, but you a sidewalk can go around the tree, you don't have to go right change any standards on that.

If you get the right-of-way approved, right, but we're talking months down that path too.

Oh, oh, so here listen to what you just said.

I can cut the tree down quicker, so let's cut the tree down.

That's what I just heard.

No, I'm saying it's gonna take months to get right of way.

No, no, it won't.

I do it all the time.

It won't take months to get right away.

Okay.

Uh I mean.

If they've now it does if we got to take it forcefully, but if they say we'll give it to you to allow for this sidewalk to be moved out there, and in the yeah, in the meantime, I'll tell this lady she can continue to be in Lincoln Avenue with her wheelchair.

That's my issue.

Yeah.

No, that's not what we're telling you.

But that's my issue.

I mean, she can't get through there until I till we fix the sidewalk.

And she goes to the Dollar General daily.

Right now she can get through because who's gonna go to the tree?

Huh?

Who's gonna remove the tree?

Um I assume you, the board.

Um, you know, it would be lower on our priority list because we have dead trees or hanging.

If I look at uh much higher priority, the tree board the tree board uh ordinance three point three oh point one zero zero four item G says the tree board may recommend to be removed any public tree or part thereof, which is in an unsafe condition or is affected with any injurious fungus, insect, or other pest, or which by reason of its nature is injurious to sewers, electric power lines, gas lines, water lines, or other public improvements.

I understand that.

Well I'm saying is is that regardless of whether even if we do take the tree down, it's gonna be lower on our priority list because we have a lot of trees on our list right now that are in much, much more dangerous positions that we have to get down first.

Well, let me ask you this, Mr.

Mondi.

We we sent to you a resolution we passed a couple months ago.

So our first introduction is not you know, we sent you an ask.

You're you're doing the new roundabout.

It's in process and we've asked for it to be lifted with some landscaping, preferably trees and that.

Well, have you had a chance to look at that with the Board of Public Works and what's your viewpoint on that?

Um I put Sean in touch with the engineering firm, they told him what was acceptable.

Yeah, so we are we are working on putting trees in there.

Are you gonna help us in induce that to happen?

You have a say in that, of course.

Yeah, after construction, yes, I'm not gonna put it into the construction contract.

Why not?

Um we barely have the money to complete the roundabout as it is.

That would be a change order.

We can use our planning processes to plant there, as long as the space is available, and that's where we're trying to make sure space is available.

I make a motion we uh remove the tree that the engineering office and board of public works has asked us to remove this one on Lincoln and we take them on a case-by-pay case basis so we can start off on maybe a better foot with our new city engineer.

Again, I'm not uh I'm not saying we necessarily need to m remove the tree.

Um we can cut the roots, see what happens.

Well, that was uh, that was gonna be my question.

Sean, have you gone out to look at the tree yet?

No, you don't want to cut roots.

You could cause a tree to fall over.

Uh well I'm just curious, have you gone out to look at it?

You looked at it and you agree that yes, this is an ADA compliant.

I mean, I haven't I don't I'm not an expert on ADA.

I think I can look into it and see if I mean if we have an obligation to fix this.

I don't know if we can just put it off because it's lower on.

Yeah, I'm accepting his commentary because he said the grade is such, and you've got to listen to the engineer on that.

No, yeah, yeah.

I'm accepting everything he's saying.

That's why I made the motion.

So I just want to make sure that Sean had looked at it.

I would like to.

It doesn't seem like there's any interest from the engineering or public works to try and work through this one.

No, I I will go and see what we can do about see if it's even feasible to move the sidewalk around the tree.

I will do that.

Okay.

But if it's not, I'll have to come back.

I mean, like I said, I I will explore that option.

I think that's a good um option to explore.

I can help you with housing, Aaron.

If you make a call and they are resistant to it, I can help walk that through.

I mean, we're talking about very little, and it's all it is is an easement.

Again, it may be more than what you think because we can't just abruptly change the path.

We'll probably have to go back a little bit to try to go around.

So I'll have to look into what those requirements are and then get back with you.

Well, and I think that's our ask as a board all the way around, is I think all parties involved from a citizen standpoint need to do their due diligence, not just what's easy.

I think you know, and I don't know maybe you could tell me more about this, but for immediate concerns of the individual in the wheelchair, is it possible to maybe lay some asphalt over that to make it a smooth passable surface in the temporary while we find out if we can route around the tree into an easement if the tree truly is of age where it just needs to come down instead of knee jerk doing what's easy?

I don't I would defer to I don't think they'd have to probably that'd be considered probably an improvement, so you probably have to go through Board of Public Works to uh to get that approved, and I don't I don't I mean I don't know if that would be.

Yeah, if we do anything to it, it's gotta be ADA compliant.

So I would have to measure grades and things like that to see if we could go up and so we've had a request in our neighborhood for years for access to the state hospital um pass, and the new ones are being put in.

Uh and they've told us to take the circuitous route of going all the way up to van, crossing at the crosswalk, and going around.

I mean, isn't that the instruction we have to give for now?

Is it I assume the uh the other side of the street, the sidewalk.

Yeah, I'm looking at it right now, that she can cross the street, go that way, and then come back and go the dollar general that route, and that's there is a route.

Yeah, uh I mean, yeah, technically we can't let her go in Lincoln.

And what you're saying there brings a good point.

I mean, technically, we should probably close that sidewalk because it is has been identified as unsafe.

So that may be what we do in the interim is close it, but yeah.

Um, again, this is um one area of many, so it'd be nice if we could get together and come up with some sort of policy so we don't have to have these discussions every time.

Absolutely, and I think you're hearing at least from three board members.

Um, Sarah's been pretty quiet, that we'd like to find can we go around first?

And I um I'm a real estate lawyer, so I fully understand what you're on the parameters.

You know how you got to move it further, and and I've done it on this board many times.

I would like to investigate the rubber sidewalks too.

Yeah, the rubber sidewalks, and then I will look into all of those alternatives and I can report back at your next meeting.

Well, do you chairman?

Do you want to set up a committee to work with so that when you come here it's smoother and easier for you that'd be great?

Um we can certainly set up a committee.

How many people do we need to be on that committee?

At least one of us along with Sean.

Okay, um, can't be bold.

I know, too bad.

Um, Christopher's you would you be willing to I would be willing, but I would have to, I'm starting a new job Monday.

So I don't know what my daytime availability would be.

That would be my only limitation.

Well, I'll be happy to help if that's okay.

And uh, you know, given that does raise Aaron and I, you know, type of legal issues that go with it.

So we gotta get a policy to protect the city, right?

Because I don't I don't come with a whole lot of legal knowledge, uh unfortunately.

Um, educator.

I I definitely um the the idea that this is the only route to the Dollar General store is I think is a good point.

It's not, you know, as Mike said, getting to the state hospital safely that you have to go from Lombard down to Van to cross.

I mean, most people most people are risking it to just go across Lincoln Avenue.

Yeah, and I don't know.

I mean, I don't know this person's condition.

I don't mean I've never been in a wheelchair, but I can imagine that it's pretty difficult being.

No, it looks bottomed in a wheelchair.

Like I said, I'm a rehab center past president.

I uh work with the disabled all the time.

You're absolutely right.

So, um, how about this?

I'll look into those other things.

Um, Sean and I can talk and I'll come back to your next meeting and we can time if you set up a task for it.

I think closing the sidewalk is an excellent idea.

Yes, um, and that will, you know, that will, you know, definitely require.

Sean, is there any way you can show the whole block on that?

Yes, uh you only back up then.

I wish we could get rid of this Texas property that's a dominating.

Here it's probably going to uh Google Earth here.

Okay, that's better.

That's a tree right there, this canopy in the street.

All right, yeah, sorry, let me know.

I see, and the crosswalk is um there's not a crosswalk down.

Can you just point to the tree?

It's that one right there, yeah.

So that is a big definitely, you know, a long way out of the way to come back.

So I sympathize with that.

But but see all the sidewalks going up to the residences?

I mean, it would seem to me to be pretty easy.

We're not seeing what I'm saying.

I mean, Aaron, that should not be hard at all to do a diamond there.

Right.

I mean, you could probably use the one walk that's going, looks like to the backyard as part of the pathway, and uh has anyone talked to the neighborhood association?

The museum or anyone?

That would be neighborhood, old degree neighborhood association, wouldn't it?

I'm not sure that that block is within the neighborhood association.

Uh do you know, Sarah?

I really don't know.

Um I know there's a lot of even if there was one there, it doesn't mean that it is currently active, there are a number of inactive neighborhood associations.

So on Dollar General, because of the angled Garvin Street, she's still got a circuitous route.

I so it's the same issue our neighborhood association has where they've said that you got to go to the corner.

Yeah, so okay, um, yeah.

Let's see if we can work something out, Aaron.

If we can make a call and if I was a good call.

That you come to the tree board, notified us, we put together a task force.

We're looking into some other options.

We're gonna shut down the sidewalk for now, and then uh hopefully by next meeting we'll know Sean kind of look at it too.

Because the other concern I have looking at that tree since it's so close to the street.

If we have a curve into the street, we're gonna need to make sure that it goes far enough that the roofs don't keep growing, but to your point, if we go in, I'm wondering if we can just connect those, those two sidewalks that go up to the apartments or whatever, just like a connect those so that then you just go in over down and keep going.

Well, I think there's probably angles that because of a wheelchair can't make a 90 degree turn.

Do you think there's any utilities in there?

Hudson, um who knows?

I don't know that uh we'll have to we have to do utility locate no matter what.

I mean, I don't think that they would be that shallow that that would be a problem.

I don't think it would be either.

Um, and you know, and if we did say we were removing this tree, it's it's it's still gonna be months out, probably before it would be removed.

So it's it's not an immediate solution to this lady's problem.

So and we're totally sympathetic with with her plight, and I want her to be able to get to the facilities she needs safely.

If but if we did say we were gonna remove it, I'd just have the street maintenance cut the roots for now and go ahead.

But I understand, and we will see what we can do with it.

Hey, can I change the subject back to um crosspoint and uh is it Indiana?

That's the roundabout.

Yes.

Uh who got the contract?

JBI.

Okay, same people.

So the same as the state, that's good.

That's really good.

So in the specs, is it just open and dirt, or they are they concreting?

It's grass.

It's just grass right now.

Okay, great.

Yeah, and and uh it's a I believe a thirty five foot radius, is that right?

I think it's gotta be smaller because you're dealing with the run.

I don't know.

They gave they gave Sean the specs.

I got the specs from Lock Mueller.

They were the uh designer.

Okay.

And they said what was acceptable for site distance purposes.

So that's good as JBI because then it'll be hooked up with the existing contract.

Yes, make it a lot more efficient.

Yeah.

It's still gonna be difficult.

Oh yeah, I've worked with that one.

I know how difficult that one's gonna be.

Uh have fun.

And we approved all those trees being removed incidentally.

Um what's the timeline on that?

Um, well, we're behind because uh Spectrum and Estown haven't moved out of our way.

Um they're supposed to do that starting this Friday.

Welcome to your world.

Yeah, so um I think right now we're looking at uh early November to mid-November completion date.

Of this year?

Yes.

Well, that's impressive.

Yeah, yeah.

But I figured that's what we want to try and do, because cross that's about cross point schedule, right?

It's about two months behind schedule.

It should have been done um early or late September was the original schedule.

Um, and have fun on the closure of Burkhard.

Yeah, well, I have nothing to do with that.

I know you do, but you're gonna get blamed for it.

It bothers me as much as it bothers everybody else.

Yeah, you're gonna get blamed.

Yeah, well, I don't, yeah, that's why I'm saying this.

It's it for the record, it is that city has nothing to do with Burkhart being closed.

Um, so Mike, I actually I asked them why they couldn't do it at night and make it faster.

But it's still one week though, right?

Yes.

Yeah, that's pretty good.

Doing it overnight though could have been four days.

Well, they would have in Indianapolis, but they don't in Evansville.

That's exactly what I said.

Um, so Mike, are you still um making the motion to approve the removal of this tree on Lincoln?

Uh sounds like I'm not.

Okay.

I would draw it and uh let's see if we can work with something uh quickly and get it and it may be what we conclude we have to remove it.

But I think Aaron, we can I understand there's a little added cost, but there's a cost removing the tree too.

I understand.

Yeah, we'll see what we can do.

Um I definitely want to work with everyone.

I don't want to get sideways over trees.

Um and we'll look into other alternatives.

And please don't cut the roots in the meantime, because that would be.

Well, and while I'm here, that if the roots are cut, it will create a liability.

That tree could just fall over.

That um tree on cherry, we're gonna have to address that because I'm gonna be putting that out for bid here in the next uh month.

We don't have time to handle it right now.

That tree.

I can I can put it in the contract if I need to.

Okay, that'd be greatly appreciated.

Have we approved that one already?

Sorely behind on our work orders.

Have we approved cherry already?

Yes, we have.

Yeah, I thought we already approved its removal.

Oh, you have?

I remember that.

Yeah, all right.

Yeah, that one's yeah.

Well, but to the to their point though, don't uh I know you might want to go out there and chop up the roofs like you said so that people can pass over it, but that then opens us up to liability because it could fall at any moment.

That's isn't that right?

Yes.

So when they approve that, I wouldn't touch the roots until you're actually taking the tree.

Um why doesn't she go?

I mean, I'm looking at that.

It's not a solution.

I understand that legally, but rather than go in the street, that's gotta be difficult.

I I'm not quite sure why she wasn't going up in the yard.

Um she goes out in the street whenever it's raining.

He said when it's muddy, she can't get through the yards.

Yeah, yeah.

All right.

Um so should we um table this for next month?

Is that gonna is that enough time to look into this?

And we'll revisit this.

Yeah.

To that question, like on Bellmead, which I drive every day.

People in some cases the sidewalks right up against the street, and people all the time park on the sidewalk, you know, to move their car uh off the the street, which again for handicapped.

Yes, I mean that that's occurring up and down Bellmead on a daily basis.

So we there are a lot of obstacles that occur for that are just it's maddening in your job.

So all right.

Well I appreciate your time.

Thank you.

Yep, thank you.

Thank you.

We look forward to working with you more in the future.

Okay.

All right.

We've got a request item number three to remove to remove or plant park trees.

Yes.

Uh the first tree uh actually trees uh that were passed out uh this morning were at Goose Town Park.

There's a a clump uh a sycamore uh that was sent to us from the neighborhood uh with a concern there's a two trunked sycamore in one of the trunks is pretty much dead.

Uh and then there is uh an ash tree growing right up next to it.

It looks to me as though there was a shrub there at one point and maybe three seedling or two seedling trees grew up inside the shrub because it's right on the sidewalk.

Um it's it's right on the sidewalk, and um I went and looked at it.

The ash tree is dying back severely and it does not appear to be one that's being treated.

Um my recommendation of the clump of trees.

My recommendation would be to remove that clump of trees.

Uming that the ash is on its way out, the sycamore, half of it is dead, the other might persist for a while, but it it is going to also lift the sidewalk right there where it grew up right next to the sidewalk.

So uh my uh my feeling and my request to the board was to to get permission to remove that and replant uh at appropriate um spacing.

Again on the sycamore, the goose town sycamore, we have trees all around that we have canopy all around.

Yes, there's canopy everywhere, unlike what we just talked about, where we're down the one oak tree.

Absolutely.

Yeah, I would motion to accept the removal of these trees with uh planning for replacing two for one in the future.

Um and then I'd like to um call the uh where the new uh trail went along Van Avenue and the park.

There are a couple trees that didn't look like they're going to need to be removed.

Yes, and I did not get pictures of those for this meeting, but uh if Sean could look at those, they're uh Lyndon's.

Yeah, they're they're I mean they weren't in good shape.

They weren't in great shape, but we were already taking quite a few trees out along there.

So we were trying to leave what we could in in hopes that the newer plants, and you know there have been a lot of trees planted along Band, but in hopes that but there are a couple that didn't make it.

Uh they were they had had severe damage, ice storm damage to start with, but then I think the construction was too much.

Yeah, they leafed out and now they have the leaves are Mike's seen them too, I'm sure.

Um they are clearly not make it through.

I'll take a look.

Okay, yeah, and get a stem stem count or a tree count and just bring maybe bring that next month if you could.

I'd appreciate it.

So I have a question real quick about the goose town sycamore and and the recommendation for two to one.

So would that be just two for the one?

Are we counting that as one tree removal?

We're actually a little bit ahead on Goose Town because we did plant in Goose Town in 2024.

So there are younger trees there.

Uh but I don't see that over the next year or so, it would not be a problem to plant four trees in Goose Town Park.

I just for clarity, yes.

They might be a mixture of canopy and understory trees just because there is a good amount of canopy there.

Well, I to be honest, I think that this clump of trees really should be considered one tree.

Okay.

Um replace my that so I meant amend my motion to um approve the removal of the trees and the parts that the Paul's brought forward to us and for this clump of trees consider it as one tree and replace the trees two for one in future tree plantings.

Okay.

I would second that.

Who who did Sean make the motion?

Yeah, okay.

He doesn't usually make motions.

Sean made the motion.

Uh to approve the true remov tree removals with uh two for one in the replacements in the future and um Chris seconded it.

All those in favor say aye.

I all those opposed.

All right.

There's a few sparse eyes there.

Um and then we've got a request approval to remove street trees.

Um I'll make the motion to approve these because I mean we saw the pictures and I'll second that.

You can see how how hard we're fighting for one tree with the previous discussion.

Um big difference, folks.

Giant, giant maple or oak canopy, of which there's few left in that neighborhood.

So yeah, that's the only reason we're going through the what we just did.

Right.

As a neighborhood association been contacted on these uh five trees.

No, but they will before we were second the motion, all right.

Sarah made the motion, Mike seconded it.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye, aye, all those opposed.

All right.

Um our old business tree canopy goal initiative.

Just for clarification, Chris, second the motion.

That's okay.

Okay, sorry.

Um tree can't be.

So just let everybody know we uh helped put out a proverbial fire at the fire department this morning.

So this this just recently, the last couple days, they told me that they're going to expand this parking lot right here, and they wanted to take these two trees out.

So I met with the uh uh fire department representative there, and we discussed an alternative to just pave this area between the trees and pave from here to to about here for the new vehicles.

There's poly debris right here is not not there right now, so there's enough room for the vehicles for the parking spaces they won't put in using um like loose asphalt is what I understand, um, which is compactable, and so we're gonna save those trees, those trees were planted.

I believe they were planted on by with thanks from solid waste district uh a while back on when we planted all those trees on the fire department properties.

Good job, Sean.

Thank you.

It's nice to know something that went in fairly recently isn't going to be kind of in dot coordination updates, Mike.

Uh we've met with them um Monday or Tuesday of this week.

Um and they are making some changes that will allow them this winter to help us get ahead on the ash tree um uh death problem we have on a lot of state highway property.

So they're going to be able to so for the last two years they've not been able to get to very many of them, and so they will do that.

That that's um again, you know, working in harmony with us, and as you know, last month or they've come to us on several of their projects and asked for our consent, which they don't have to by law, and that I think shows the coordination.

So, do we have a statewide body of law that says when they do a project they'll plant two for one trees?

We don't, and uh you know, it's kind of the same issue we deal with with any engineering department.

They're they're just kind of their jobs pavement, yeah.

And uh yeah, our jobs trees, and it's uh sometimes we don't mix the best in the best way.

So, all right, number three ongoing removal planting trees on public properties.

Nothing to report at the time.

Okay, we did have a forestry lines meeting uh or forest alliance meeting yesterday just uh with the the grant uh to kind of uh map out uh fall plantings and spring plantings for next year, just guidelines.

Uh uh we pulled together uh people that had helped coordinate volunteers and uh just to try to keep that that rolling.

There is uh there is money uh at Wesselman Woods in the form of that grant to to continue that effort uh through the end of 2027.

So um that would be my only note on that and I will be sending those notes out to um the working group that's setting those those um plantings up and and so there's there should be some volunteer opportunities uh this uh fall and next spring to do some more tree planting excellent and you said 2029 2027 into 2027 thank you I did send they did get an extension on that grant I did send an email out this morning that had all the members of that group and they say I saw that thank you very much all of us no it was to the uh the working group can you send it to us too I can yeah um all right and then uh number four invasive plant pest and disease update nothing to report uh except that um we are planning the um Emerald Ash Bore Task Force is planning on meeting in the next week or two good you know one of the one of the trees I passed by this morning was an ash tree at Bayard Park and that tree succumbed very quickly it had been treated and it succumbed very quickly to ash borers uh but then a secondary fungus came in and the trunk was white in that picture uh so I just would just put out there to the board and in general um as the ash borer really takes its toll here some of these trees are going to decline very quickly and um and need to be removed in a really timely manner so I mean my my thought on it is just take a very proactive um approach with the ash trees uh because there is no question that they are going to succumb so um keeping close eye on them and when they start to sell those signs because they can turn very quickly and then become hazardous you know depending where they are as your last recommendation to our board as esteemed um arborist and all your other outstanding credentials are you recommending that we adopt a policy that um the arborist and the port of public works can remove any dead ash once they consult with the arborist without board approval.

You know that would expedite the process maybe do it at we know as a board what's happening we know we're going to lose these trees some of them uh we're losing some that have been treated we're going to lose all the ones that are not being treated so yes I think as a matter of fact if I would recommend make that recommendation because it gives us a chance as stewards to react quickly to potential hazards that are popping up.

So Sean and then bring those back to the board uh for a ratification so that there is a note that that tree existed and that it had to be removed but yes I would some some form of motion like that.

Can I second Paul's motion Sarah?

Sure so um Paul has made a motion Paul Bowsman's made a motion to about the standard adopt a standard that any dead ash can be removed after consultation only with the arborist not by board approval public tree and then bring it back to the board to report those for ratification although if they're already removed they're gone so and but this is exclusively Paul's saying is if I hear you correctly Paul why we should adopt that policy the quicker we remove um the the better.

I believe so in the terms that they're uh proliferating ash borers.

Right.

Uh they often as in the case of food source there yeah, they're proliferating ash bores, and they're also they can quickly succumb uh ashwood is not terribly rot resistant, it rots quite quickly, and so they can they can start to become hazardous, you know, in terms of if they're over sidewalks, playgrounds, picnic areas, and things like that fairly quickly, you know, and start shedding sizable limbs.

So just being on a proactive stance with those trees because it's a known.

Uh Sean and I met with Larry back in the 90s talking about what the city was going to do about ash borers.

So and it's here now.

You know, there's just that part where we were about 10 years later than we thought we would.

Which is good.

For some reason, we had this little bubble around us, and the bore was everywhere but Evansville, and I I was completely fine with that.

Probably the same bubble that keeps us from getting snow.

It could be, it could be.

But anyway, uh I would I guess uh you seconded my motion.

Yeah, I second the motion, but Paul made the motion, Mike seconded it.

All those in favor, say aye.

All those opposed.

All right.

There's your your legacy, Paul.

Oh, well, thank you.

So um the Ashboard legacy.

Yeah, all about that rough one.

Um, we need anything in writing to give the BPW on that, let them know that they're authorized to contact Sean, and if he approves, yeah, it'd be probably a good idea to put out a uh a notice on that to the par our those who've signed agreements with us or the um parks department, the school corporation, the levy authority.

I'm missing one that we have agreements with that they will bind by the tree board.

Okay, gotcha.

I'll I'll work with Marco and maybe have him present it to the BPW for adoption.

Honestly, I don't think we have to amend.

I think the board has authority to just no, I think it's purely a board, but it should probably be in writing.

Yeah, yeah, it could be just in the minutes how we write it.

Yeah.

I'll let's double check what you put together.

So we've just amended our tree removal policy on ash to you know basically give the arborist authority to act before we vote, but we still vote on them.

Just after the fact, uh basically it's for notice, right?

And that should be shared.

You know, it's important for the inventory that they know where all those are.

So that's another reason to put it in the public record.

Right.

Um, it will fall into our two-for-one goal and obligation, folks.

Okay to understand that all right.

To close out with the other business and upcoming events, we've got um a few more, two more true pe true tree pruners, licensing seminars coming up in August and November.

These are at Welsman Woods Nature Center uh instead of where they usually are at the Carson Carson Center.

Um because they're doing updates at the Carpent Carson Center.

And then um uh I think the board would like to like let Mr.

Bowesman know that his uh membership on this board has been um definitely uh monumental.

Um you've have seen a lot of trees planted with your help.

I know Sean's really appreciated your help uh and not being the only person to be able to suggest trees where they go.

So um uh we will we will grieve your loss, but we know that you're going on to to good things in the future.

I really appreciate that.

Uh serving on this board has been really rewarding working with you to improve the canopy.

I'm I've been very passionate about trees my entire life.

So to have this ability to serve and to be in a position to promote positive change has been very rewarding to me, and I appreciate it.

I don't think I cannot do that.

So I'll say this.

Definitely.

Definitely.

I'll say this for the record.

Um, since I've been hired in 2001, there's never been anybody in parts department that had the knowledge at your capacity for trees.

And I hope I severely hope that Parks Department replaces you with somebody that knows something about trees and can keep the efforts going that you have have done in the last year or two.

It's just been awesome what you've done.

I think he's helped them learn how important it is to have someone on staff with that know-how.

So um it's definitely been beneficial to the parks, it's been beneficial to the city as a whole.

So thank you so much for Roberta Hyman while not of your credentials uh for a decade, serve parks very, very well.

So we could uh I I have so much confidence in Danielle uh to find a suitable replacement and she appreciates green spaces and trees it's not her wheelhouse but that's why she brought me to parks so she can serve I think I think uh I'm very optimistic about the future uh for parks department and uh in uh tree care in the parks all right move for joining Mike's made the motion I'll second Chris has seconded it all those in favor say aye aye all those post thank you for joining us for this very long tree board meeting thank you