All right. I'm going to call to order the January 20th, 2026 tree board meeting. Um Corey, do a roll call for us. >> Yep. Uh Pearson >> present. Chalto KD >> here. >> Right >> here. >> Bender >> here. >> Sorrella. Canola >> here. >> We have a quorum. Go ahead. >> We have a quorum. All right. Okay. Uh let's do a pledge of allegiance. >> Mike off. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Okay. Did everyone have a chance to review the minutes from last time? I'm going to take the silence as a yes. Um, any changes to the minutes from last time or can I get a motion to approve them as written? >> I make a motion that we um accept the minutes as presented. >> I get a second. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I >> I All opposed. >> The minutes are approved as presented. >> Missed the agenda there. Chair, >> what's up? Missed the agenda. >> I missed the agenda. I've How about the agenda? Can Can I get a motion to approve the agenda as written? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor of moving forward with this agenda as written? >> I I All opposed. >> We will run with this agenda out of order. >> Okay. Uh and then Corey, would you like to do an inter uh introduction for us? Yeah, thank you, chair. Um, uh, just with a former departing member of the tree board, we had an an opening and we had, uh, four initial candidates, uh, from the community that were interested, ultimately did, uh, interviews with two. And, uh, Miss Ray Graph here has been, uh, selected by council and appointed to as your newest uh, collaborative tree board member. >> Looking [applause] forward to it. Excited. >> Thank you for joining us. We're super stoked to have you. All right. Um, item seven on here is open forum. Uh, we do have a member of the public here. Were you here to just observe or did you have something for us? >> Cool. Thank you for coming. Uh, do any of the treeboard members have anything for the open forum? All right, we can move on to uh our treeboard review. So, we'll start with old business and look at the 2026 work plan as presented. >> Chair, I can um I can start with some information on that. >> Please do. >> The [snorts] um Thank you. at our previous meeting which was which is obviously seemed like some time ago. We we talked through this um initial treeboard uh 26 work plan since then and after a final audit we'll say of all the the programs and reporting with our council city council it was asked that the tree board um look at another alternative option uh in replacement of the Scott Carver Buckthornne event uh primarily just because of low participation throughout the community and then um you know some concerns with the physical capabilities of different people to do that event. So, uh we will be looking um for to strike that from this proposed work plan and seeking some engagement from the uh board this evening on alternative options. Uh while just because of the timing of that, don't expect the board to finalize what that will be yet. So, um, be looking for city staff will be looking for some some suggestions, some alternatives, uh, choices that the board could then collaborate on outside of this meeting and come back to the March meeting, uh, with an intended, uh, program that we would like to move forward with that the board would like to move forward. We'll finalize the work plan then and then take it to council after that. So, a little bit um, non-traditional, but I think appropriate in this area. >> Okay. Thank you. So you guys are looking now for some recommendations from us [snorts] uh of what we might work on [clears throat] instead of do in lie of the uh Scott Carver buckthornne removal event. Correct. As the as the board um the tree board we do um look for and as part of uh the responsibilities of our various boards and commissions is to identify areas of community engagement and help support staff and and provide direction. It's it's they're not intended to be a um staff organized and runon only um event. It is intended that the the members of the the various boards and commissions also um participate in that. But you're here for um because all of you uh have a um resource of knowledge in different areas and we want to share that with the community. So, um, while we would be looking for suggestions, we want to ensure that those suggestions are areas that, um, this board would be, um, interested in, um, helping to promote and participate in moving forward. >> For sure. Are you looking for those tonight or is that something you'd like us to come back to you with in March? I think that if we can brainstorm some ideas so at least uh maybe the other members of the of the um board can think about strategize how they might be able to support those different alternative options. We can um certainly send out some supplemental follow-up that identifies what those are. So you don't have to take notes tonight. Okay. Um but then uh think about that. So then at the at the March meeting we are prepared to decide this is we'll probably have continued engagement >> and decide this is the event we decided to pick on. Well, I would then open the floor to any of the treeboard members if there were any input you would like to give at this point about um options of what we could do this fall uh in replacement for the Scott Carver Buckthornne event. >> Well, I kind of liked a little bit what Tim said about the Discovery Center. >> Say more about that, Mike. I think it's a beautiful building that looks like a bunch of weeds growing around. And I think it would really be nice to clean that up and make it look like a a nice place to be as as opposed to a nice building. >> Sure. >> You know, and I think that's something that, you know, I I think we could get public interest in it, too, because there's an awful lot of people that go to that discovery center. So, I think that would be a good possibility. >> Wonderful. Thank you. >> They would need somebody that really knows what they're doing to oversee it, but >> for sure. >> Anybody else have any input for events that they might like to see this fall? is going off of that idea, is there an opportunity to partner with another group who already does something at the Discovery Center, like if there's Boy Scout troops or if we're doing like a citywide 5K that's in the Discovery Center to kind of pair those pieces together, that way people aren't having to commit to multiple things on different weekends. You could definitely look at um come back at next the next meeting with some various potential groups that might be utilizing that space that could potentially be interested in partnering in. We won't confirm with them on that is but we can >> bring some feedback back for that. Uh, one thing that, uh, I think would be really fun to do and would hopefully drive some community engagement would be to work with the members of the community to teach them how to do proper tree pruning. I think that would be fantastic. Um, that's a good falltime thing to do as trees are starting to get ready for dormcancy. um just whether it's like a full-on tree pruning class or or just getting some people involved and having them drag brush while people who know what they're doing do the pruning um might be a good use of resources as well. One thing I also thought of is doing a some kind of a video allied with our tree giveaway because 50 years ago when I planted a tree, I didn't really know how to do it properly. And now I've got a very rootbound tree that's in the process of dying. So it it's a it's a proc it's something you need to learn and quite often office workers like me don't learn it. >> For sure. Yeah. Thank you, Dallas. We had also uh at one point talked about doing maybe some more educational [snorts] events, whether it's a full-on like Saturday morning tree kind of educational thing where we just invite members of the public to come hang out with people who know things about trees and walk through the woods. Um might be a Good way to spend a Saturday morning in October. >> Sounds good. Yeah, we got four good ones there so far. Um clean up uh do some cleanup stuff around the discovery center. More probably plant-based um things like that. I've got a um proper way to prune a tree options, some the educational materials on or options on proper tree planting, and then a tree track event. Certainly got four very reasonable things. Welcome to more. Just summary on that. >> Well, that feels like a good place to start. Um and then I'd say think about it for the next couple of months and we come back together in March. We'll come up with a plan. >> Can I throw one other idea out? >> Absolutely. >> Um, another thought would be getting a table at the farmers market or something like that, whether it's even once a month, and having someone staff it with resources and be there to talk to people about trees. That way we're again meeting the community where they're at and where they're already going to be versus trying to get them to join another thing and put something else on their calendar. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> Wonder if we could pair the the tree trick or some sort of educational thing with things people like to do in the fall. I don't know if we have a budget for these activities, but if we said like come get an apple cider and walk with us through the tree, you know, they they like to go out to apple orchards and pumpkin patches and do that kind of thing. So, if we had even had a a small budget where we could provide drinks or something that >> that might help attract people. >> We have a budget for the tree board for activities and stuff like that. >> Okay. That that might help. >> Yeah. Okay. Well, so we won't be finalizing the work plan today, but [clears throat] that feels like a good place to leave it off for now and then reconvene. So, just for a reminder for the uh board, we will be you encourage you to please think about this plan, those different things that we discussed. Again, we'll have um our amazing administrative assistant help or send that those out there for you guys um once the minutes are finalized so that you'll know what those are and just remember to come to the March meeting with um you know what your capabilities would be I guess to also include engagement on that as well. >> Sure. Thank you, Corey. Well, then the next up on our agenda is the election of a board chair and vice chair for the year. >> Cy, would you help lead us through that? >> I I certainly can. Um, >> you want to share where you're at with things? >> Yeah, so I am getting ready to move. Um, and where is sort of up in the air right now. So whether I will be available to be a treeboard member uh much after the March meeting, I I will almost certainly be here for the March meeting. Uh whether or not I will still be a resident of Oakdale past that point is uh uncertain. So, uh, I feel that it would probably be, uh, I I don't feel it would be a good idea to nominate me for chair again, uh, because I will likely have to step down, uh, here before too awful long. And so, I think that it would be better to have someone else fill the leadership position, at least for this year. Um, that's where I'm at right now. [clears throat] >> Yeah, thank you for that. And uh so certainly that doesn't preclude you from or you would continue to participate in the board just in a different capacity. So with that being said um you know chair and I had a discussion about it before the meeting to see how this process would go. So with that we would be looking for um a nomination of both a chair and a vice chair um seeing our you know a previous outgoing member was sat as the vice chair for the um for the board. So, opening the table up to nominations for uh chair and vice chair. >> Question. Do the members nominated have to be present tonight? >> They would usually accept it. >> Okay. >> You know, we would need them to ensure that they would accept it and they would participate after. >> So, we can't force it on someone not here. Typically, you would want their acceptance of >> you wouldn't want to use that particular wording. I don't think so. >> I said what I said. >> Um, okay. Well, I uh would make a motion to nominate uh Mike Bender for the position of chairperson. I'll second that. Any others? >> Uh any other nominations? >> Well, seeing uh no extra nominations, I I would make a motion. Well, uh so we still need a motion for vice chair. >> We should confirm that there's an acceptance of the nomination. >> Bender, comm board member Bender, are you uh willing to take that role on? Well, I came here thinking it was going to be vice chair, but it's one better. >> I'll accept. >> So, if you want to, you can you can adopt that position now. Um, you know, vote on that position or if you want to collect um nominations for the vice chair at this point, it's up to you. Um, yeah. Let's uh could I get uh a nomination for vice chair? I will make a motion to nominate Laura KD as vice chair. >> I'll second that then. >> Okay. Sure. >> Yeah. Uh well, we've got any uh are there any other nominations? >> Well, hearing none, I would uh make a motion to close the nominations uh for chair and vice chair of the treeboard. >> So moved. >> So because we only have to we do not have to go through the voting process. It's pretty it's pretty self-explanatory. >> Cut and dry. >> Yep. at this point, but technically effective at this point, we [snorts] would uh we would transfer on to our new chair to to chair the remainder of the meeting. >> Mike, I think you got to come sit over here now. >> That's not fun. >> You want me to move down so you can help me? >> Sure. [snorts] You got that gavvel now. It's very exciting. >> Welcome Laura as vice chair. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. Congratulations, Mike. >> I'm excited. >> So, we just wrapped up there. We're on to nine. >> The next thing on our uh agenda is um staff liaison updates. >> Sure. I can start. Um uh I'm going to leave the majority of of this conversation to our resident expert tree um guy, our arborist or our forester uh Tim Melhorn, but um just wanted to uh you know provide some reminders to the board members that when um whether you see it's myself or admin Katie sends out u request for attendance to the comm the diff the board meetings that is it's important for us to get that feedback back so that we can ensure that we have a minimum staff and quorum. So, just a reminder to if if when you do see those, I know they can sometimes get down in our inboxes, but a quick just response to um to her, myself that you will be attending would greatly help um on the administrative side of things for preparing um whether it's documents and paperwork and then be able to get the agenda out and enough with enough notice that uh um we meet our deadlines to get you guys an advanced opportunity to see it. So from our side that would just a little administrative clean up there of of just a friendly reminder to uh you know please go. You obviously not everybody has to attend every single meeting. It is an expectation of the the board to be at the majority of those um and and that's an important aspect um uh request of the council as well um as sitting members that we want to continue we want to be able to have that engagement. Luckily for this board, we don't really um have that with the uh limited numbers of meetings throughout the year. But I just wanted to clarify that and ask for uh some support in that moving forward. And then from there, I'll let uh our forester Melhorn go ahead and give some updates on some various things going on forestry department. >> Thank you, Corey. Um staff updates for us. We've been continuing doing ash removals, both our forestry staff for the city of Oakdale and contractors. Um contractors removed 15 ash trees on boulevards just west of Eagle Point Elementary School um on a few different blocks that were over in there. It went very well. And then we are slowly picking away a boulevard and park trees as well. Um we have a little over 200 remaining in the city. Um we're we constantly are getting in, you know, small clearance pruning for the plow trucks and the trail routes for the snow removal branches that start hanging or split during storms and then are rubbing against our equipment. Um, so we were doing that along with I don't know if I updated um exactly when we finished and updated you guys, but um the forestry staff along with collaborating with parks and so streets were in there involved as well. We finished up the discovery center landscape on the front side of the building. Uh we redid all of that, tore out the old native grasses that were on both sides of the main entrance to the building. Um we did repurpose that and brought it out to the prairie in the nature preserve, so none of it was wasted. And we redid the front with um mainly natives, some not. But yeah, it's cone flowers and um yeah, just a really nice landscape design as as you kind of mentioned earlier, Mike, about how it is such an a nice looking building to clean up that front side and make the entrance very appeasable to the public coming in and and show its value to the to the city as that building is used. As as much as it is and as popular as it is, it it should have a nice front entrance there. Um, we finished that up. That was probably the end of October last week in November maybe it lingered into. And then we are currently working on winter jobs that um require frozen ground or that are along a wetland, ponds, um ice that require ice. If we're going to be felling a tree on to the ice, it's a lot more manageable to remove that tree off the ice than it is out of the water. And also leaving a minimal footprint on properties when we have to access landlocked wetlands that we're going on. Um, we don't tear up the grass and stuff when we have a snow blanket and frost and whatnot. The last update I have here is um the city of Oakdale, we were awarded the community tree planting grant. This was we were approved for $174,543. This is going to be accounting for 114 of our remaining ash trees, which is very nice. A little over half of them. this uh the project the completion date must be by June 30th 2027. So in the next upcoming month or two I'll be working with Corey a lot probably to get this um grant under underway and started. We that one thing to mention too with that is it's a one ratio. So for every removal it will receive a replacement tree which is nice. 109 of those are based on socioeconomic indicators and five are based on elevated land surface temperature. And that's all I have for updates. >> I've got a question. What's what's this? >> Yes, that's the map. Uh is it okay if I go back to that right now and kind of give an update on that? So, you have a two-page map there that is of the nature preserve prairie that is just to the west of the Discovery Center building as you walk down the path, maybe 150 ft. That is an aerial photo of it. And in pink highlighted there is a small if a grid if you will um that I kind of plotted out. So, my idea for the spring planting um this upcoming spring here is to begin the restoration pro process of that prairie. Um it is struggling mightily with small woody plants um continuing to creep in along all 360 degrees of its border and it it has the potential to be a really nice prairie. It's a really nice spot. It does have that one lone oak tree that's down on the let's see southeast end of it. So along with this map and then on the the second page there, I just kind of put in there just some grid planning through uh the DNR what they kind of have laid out to do some different designs. But my plan for that would be to do the spring planting. We would scratch the surface on those that area or even we could expand into different different areas as well. but something along these lines to replant plugs, native plugs in those areas in the hopes that they naturally propagate then throughout the next 3 to 5 years with the proper maintenance. Um, it would be a very big job to just completely start fresh on it. So I think we give it's a good idea and in our best interest to give the natural propagating a chance and by doing it right and at the right time of year and I think this would help out tremendously. Um and I do think it will take off. That is the layout I had there. That's on the north end of the prairie. Um, some plants I kind of highlighted that I would like to and I have availability through a nursery for some plugs are, excuse me, [snorts] the cardinal flower, some Indian grass, blue wild indigo, blackeyed susans, little blue stems, prairie blazing star, and a wide variety of cone flowers. So that is kind of what um I I am seeking feedback on for the spring planting. Nick, >> I love that. Have you considered supplementing [snorts] the plugs [clears throat] with seeds in the fall? >> Yes. Um >> yes. So I um collected harvested a a lot of seeds. two onegon bags of them. Um, prairie blazing star, cone flowers, a wide variety of them. And I am going to be in the next all off of Oakdale property as well. In the next month here, I'm going to start the winter stratification process. So hopefully this next [clears throat] spring or fall those will be ready and I can do them correctly. That is also something maybe does anyone have any advice on there are many techniques to stratify um seeds seeking any advice on if anyone has experience with it or knows of a process that has a high success rate. >> Do you know Prairie Moon Nursery? >> Yes, >> I would reach out to those guys. >> Thank you. That wasn't super helpful, but it's Yeah, they're really good. >> Yeah. >> So, was Prairie Restoration? >> Well, thank you. >> Yeah, I think this is a perfect spot for the spring planting. Um, I love doing the natives. I think that it's going to be excellent. Um, lots of space there to get a lot of people involved. Should we have the numbers show up to help plant plugs? Yes. And we have the uh facility right there as well for lunch. And I think it'd be great. >> Okay. Any other questions for Tim? Thank you, Tim. Uh, we'll move on to a board member um updates. Dallas, anything? >> Nope. >> Nick? >> Well, we had talked at one point about maybe doing some emerging pest updates. Would this be an appropriate time to do that? >> Um, yeah. >> Okay. Um well uh one thing I think that should be brought to the attention of the residents of Oakdale um is uh an invasive pest that showed up in Rapids actually last summer um along with a couple of other cities in Minnesota but for our purposes in the metro it was just Rapids. Um and that is uh spongy moth which is an invasive lepodoptran. The moth feeds uh preferably on oaks. That is one that it really likes feeding on. Um so something to be aware of. They lay egg masses that you you can tell that they're there because they've laid egg mass on the tree. Plus they defoliate oak trees really heavily. They just come in and feed. The adults and the caterpillars both feed on um oak trees. So if you have an oak tree, something to keep an eye on. Um, one more thing for our oaks to deal with along with several years of drought and twoline chestnut bore and all of those things that came along with drought. Uh, and the other thing that I've been seeing a lot of lately, um, is an elm pest that is new. It is called zigzag sawfly of elm. Um, and it it chews zigzag patterns through the leaf tissue of elm trees. Um, and we saw that metro wide last year. Um I know in neighboring communities for sure. Um I saw it come in on nursery stock from out of state that we brought in. Uh so that one is really really widespread. If you have an elm tree particularly a lot of people are planting new um Dutch elm disease resistant cultivars of elm like young like valley Forge, Princeton, Liberty Elm, St. Croy elms. Um zigzag softly really likes to feed on those. So if you have an elm tree, something to keep an eye out for. That's what I have for you, Mike. >> What do you do if you find one of those? >> Well, if you find uh spongy moth, you alert the Minnesota Department of Agriculture because they are addressing it themselves. Um they are private tree companies are not supposed to deal with that. So, if you find it on your tree on your property, if you see what you suspect is spongy moth, contact the MDA or contact an arborist or your city forester and they can contact the MDA for you. Um, if you see zigzag patterns on your leaves, uh, that is something that, uh, you probably should contact a professional uh, tree resource about. That can be dealt with with um, chemical intervention if you would like. Um it is feeding on the leaf tissue is not ideal but it's probably mostly cosmetic uh in except in the most aggressive defoliation cases but it can be they both can be dealt with. Spongy moth has to be dealt with by the MDA. Currently elm zigzag softly can be dealt with by anybody who wants to. you have a a method that you want to use to notify the people or >> say more about that question, Mike. >> Um, is this something that you wouldn't mind writing an article about or have if there's something that's already printed somehow get it? And to me, the best way to put it in is is the Oakdale update. >> Sure. >> I can get some information to um city staff >> if that's acceptable to the >> Yep. Yeah. Actually, I just said I wrote a note down about um how we can get this information to a city website, work collaboratively with you after the meeting, get some get some pictures and you know what they actually look like and we can certainly great opportunity and good information that the tree board's providing the community. >> My updates. >> Okay, Laura, do you have anything? Michelle, >> I do not >> I do know it's first. >> Well, I've got three things. Um, last meeting we were talking about I was talking about seeing about getting um some samples of root stimulator to give away when we we gave away the trees. Well, I've kind of fallen on my face with that. I haven't gotten anywhere with it. Um, the other one was, uh, Commissioner Moore, I made a comment to you about seeing if the city council would, um, see about getting more trees to give away. I want to step back from that position and I want to just say I think 200's enough and I don't think we should do any more. And I have uh, rationale for that. And the last thing is if you if you saw on in your papers there's a little article. I took the liberty of of writing an article that I thought if this board agrees could go in the Oakdale update when we uh talk about um what trees we're going to have to give away this on Arbor Day. So um and I signed it your tree board. So I need uh I need approval from this board or something to change. Actually I did find out one more thing after with my uh problems I've been having is there's um trees also help with light pollution. I uh had I had to move down from my upstairs to my downstairs and I have a street light that's a block away that comes right in my kitchen window. And so if you find a street light that's been painted half black, you know who to who to find. >> Well, let's not encourage that. >> We don't admit to those things on air, Mike. Well, so but yeah, it lights up my pantry and and uh normally my Zestar apple when it's in leaf blocks that out. So >> So chair, if I if I may, this is this document here's, you know, just some information related to how trees can various different uses of a tree in a yard besides just looks, right? That's that's what you're looking to hear. Do you want to provide some education to the community or your goal would be to ask the board to permit this as a form of community education? Am I understanding that correctly? >> Yep. >> Okay. Yeah. it certainly if if this if the board is interested in providing information or moving forward with information like that, you know, the city staff will review the the language and we can uh work collaboratively to, you know, finalize what that'll look like and and give you a chance to review that. But anytime that we can provide resources to the community on on the benefit of trees and what they what they do for not only the environment but in aesthetic ways too that we might not think of. We're we're happy to promote that. you know, whether be that in the OK Oakdale update or through again our website or different other social media platforms. >> One one thing I'd suggest adding to it is a comment about diversity. Example was my next door neighbor had four lovely ash trees, emerald ashbor, now they've got none. So diversity makes your yard and its appearance more resilient to different pests and especially the ones that have just been discussed. I might also add that um kind of going along with the shade that an increase in trees also impacts human health and well-being and um increases good outcomes for people as well. So, it's very important that our community continues to support um tree planting and tree health. So looking for support from the board. >> Yeah, I I think this is great. Mike, you I put my name on that for sure. >> Anybody else? If you need a second for put for making it public, I would. >> It's not we're not it's not an actual item, but just want to make sure there's agreement through discussion that this is valuable information to provide to the community comfortable with my speaking for me and put my name on it. So, great job. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Yeah. One of the other things I I wanted to do with this was make people aware that we do have a tree board. I think I've said that I've lived in this community for 40 years and it wasn't up until about 12 15 years ago when a co-orker of mine told me about that I should be on the Oakdale tree board and I'm going up what? >> So >> ah just another example of an engagement opportunity for this board to get people involved. Yeah. >> I don't know how Jane missed you to be quite frank. That's surprising to me. >> So >> okay. >> Okay. Um, if there is nothing else, I would uh entertain a motion. >> Nope. Nope. Oh, I'm sorry. >> That's okay. Uh, for the record, council member Moore. Um, I am your council liaison. And, um, first of all, new year, new you guys. Um, how exciting. Um, Nick, you've done such a great job. And um thank you for the time that you've spent as chair of the tree board. Um we are uh excited for you guys. You guys have a new work plan that you're working on and I am really excited to see how you guys fill a year with um new and innovative ways to engage our community um and to educate our community. So uh your council is here and excited to work with you in that. Um on the council we have been very busy as we always are. Um because you only meet quarterly. We've done so much since the last time that we saw you. We have held a truth and taxation meeting and we have passed a budget and we have started a new year that included appointing you a new board member. Um I'm happy to answer any questions if you guys have them. But I just want you to know that we appreciate your guys' time and your education and your enthusiasm and effort so very much. So, thank you for everything that you pour into the tree board. Um, I'll stand for any questions. Have a great night. >> Thank you. >> So, I will entertain a motion for adjournment. >> So moved. >> Seconded. >> Second. All in favor say I. >> I. >> I. >> We're adjourned.