Powell Tree Board Meeting - September 14, 2026

The Powell Tree Board met on Monday, September 14, 2026, at 2:01 p.m. in Council Chambers, 47 Hall Street, Powell, Ohio. All six board members and city staff were present. The board approved the August minutes, received an Eagle Scout pollinator garden update, prepared for the annual HOA meeting, discussed tree assessments for the Street and Path Maintenance Program, and reviewed pruning standards. The meeting adjourned at 2:56 p.m.

Consent Calendar

• Lance Austin moved to approve the August 12, 2026 Tree Board minutes; Elliott Schaffer seconded. The motion passed 6-0.

Discussion Items

Eagle Scout Pollinator Project Update

• Melissa Hindman reported that the site for the pollinator garden is at Seldom Seen Park, on the corner path between both sidewalks at the park entry. Irrigation is available, and the park sign is nearby, so the garden will enhance the entry and serve as a wayfinding feature.
• An agreement has been signed: the Scout will perform all work and provide materials, the City will mark utilities and irrigation lines, and once completed, the garden will be turned over to the City for maintenance because the Scout is leaving for college.
• Elliott Schaffer asked when work will start; Hindman said October and agreed to notify board members if help is needed.

Preparation for Annual HOA Meeting

• Assistant City Manager Jeffrey Tyler said the annual HOA meeting is tentatively scheduled for October 22, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall. HOAs will be invited, and staff wanted board input on the agenda. These meetings usually last one to one and a half hours with many questions.
• Public Service Director Charles Dukes said staff want to discuss how trees limit curb-to-curb snow and ice plowing, who is responsible for tree maintenance in HOAs, and what tree heights should be maintained.
• Tyler reported that the City emailed HOAs about tree maintenance responsibility; seven HOAs responded, and all seven said they are responsible for tree maintenance in their areas. Golf Village was among the respondents.
• City Manager Andrew White said there is an informal desire to remove financial constraints from HOAs regarding the public right-of-way, and the board could make an advanced recommendation to City Council.
• Schaffer asked about privately owned trees overhanging sidewalks; Tyler said that is the homeowner's responsibility and that staff may recommend standards. Enforcement would be a City Council policy decision. White noted the City should review existing enforcement authority and avoid the cost and administrative penalty issues of the old sidewalk panel enforcement model.
• Chairman Leif Carlson expressed concern about HOA budgets and resident reactions to City pruning. White said enforcement is a last resort, suggested Golf Village as a good starting point, and recommended a long-term tree canopy goal similar to the pavement condition index.
• Board and staff discussed notification methods, including emails to HOA boards, sandwich signs, door hangers, and online or video communications.
• Keith Gooch suggested identifying short-term, high-impact items such as low limbs 5-6 feet over sidewalks to show community benefit. Jonathan Davis said staff receive and try to address sidewalk clearance complaints, and Lance Austin said staff are tracking pruning work completed across the City.
• Staff noted fall and winter are the best times to prune because many trees are dormant, and about 60% of the current tree removal list has been completed.
• Tyler proposed developing an overall tree policy with the Public Service Director, City Engineer, and Planning Director; it would go through the Tree Board for endorsement, be drafted by the October 22 HOA meeting for input, and then go to City Council.

Street and Path Maintenance Project - Tree Assessment

• City Engineer Aaron Stanford described the Street and Path Maintenance Program. Since 2024, public sidewalks along streets being repaired are evaluated. Removing sidewalk panels can affect tree roots, and decisions on root pruning, removal, or replacement are needed.
• In the first year, the City lacked an arborist and relied on third-party inspection staff. In the second year and current program, contracts require a certified arborist, not the contractor, to make the tree decision.
• Stanford estimated that at least 70% of sidewalk deficiencies are caused by tree roots. Root pruning is the decision point for whether a tree can survive or must be removed and replaced.
• The City now has a certified arborist on staff. Stanford discussed using board or staff expertise for pre-assessments and field calls, while the contractor remains contractually obligated to do the work.
• Carlson asked about the paving contractor Strawser; Stanford said they use a third-party arborist.
• Stanford gave an example along a shared-use path replacement area where an invasive, non-approved species (Callery pear) could be addressed. Lance Austin supported removing pear trees.
• Stanford noted some HOAs enforce street tree condition and replacement, and the City sometimes needs to communicate with HOAs about replacement timing.
• Carlson mentioned the invasive species budget line item of about $10,000 may need to grow. White said the next budget cycle should provide more resources, including new revenue from the OSU hospital, and the board should refine policy requests for budget discussions.

Other Business

• Elliott Schaffer distributed professional tree-care standards on pruning and tree heights. The board had previously discussed raising limbs as an expedient approach.
• Jonathan Davis described staff pruning practice: raise for clearance first, then prune for tree health, then aesthetics. Staff spend more than the minimum time to avoid future issues.
• Carlson said any outside pruning contract should include the same standards, and Charles Dukes emphasized public education on proper pruning.
• Keith Gooch suggested allowing homeowners to pay the contractor an additional amount for aesthetic pruning when the City identifies a tree for raising; this would keep good faith with residents without excessive City subsidy.
• Stanford offered to send the street list electronically. Carlson recommended group inspections rather than sending board members out haphazardly, with staff and Schaffer involved when available. Stanford invited Tree Board members to the City's standing meetings with the contractor.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes approved 6-0.
• The annual HOA meeting is tentatively scheduled for October 22, 2026, at 6:00 p.m.; staff will draft a tree policy for HOA input and later City Council consideration.
• The Tree Board discussed participating in coordinated pre-assessment and field reviews for the Street and Path Maintenance Program, with group inspections to be coordinated with staff.
• The next Tree Board meeting will be October 12, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.