[0:05] Today finally a nice day in the
mountains, huh? Nice morning. Cool
[0:09] today. Cool. It's about time.
We uh
[0:15] » No, you're right. That's a good point.
All right. Let me know when it's 9:02.
[0:21] Of course, we're all here, so we can get
started at 9:00.
[0:25] Okay.
[0:30] Okay.
How do I end up here?
[0:39] Let's see.
[0:52] Okay. Okay.
[1:04] Don't forget to put your mics on,
please.
[1:08] » What?
[1:18] That one's That one's on. Look at him
turn them on
[1:22] » here. If I got one in my face, you get
one in your face.
[1:31] » I forgot to bring that.
>> It's 9:00.
[1:34] » 9:00. Okay. So, I think we'll get
started on time. We're all here. Um so,
[1:38] good morning everybody and welcome to
the Tad Country's monthly tree board
[1:43] meeting. And today is Tuesday, September
the 8th, um 2026. Welcome everybody.
[1:49] We're missing two members who uh let me
know they could not come. Uh
[1:53] Commissioner Blake and Ashley Manson not
able to attend. All right. So, uh can we
[1:59] just have a moment of silence, please?
[2:09] Okay. Thank you. All right. Everybody
have a chance to read the minutes? say
[2:12] pretty extensive. Um, Elizabeth, you did
the minutes, right?
[2:16] » Yes.
>> Are these done by AI and then you redo
[2:19] it? Is how it's done?
>> These were I just went down the agenda.
[2:25] Typically, we get an AI summary. This
particular AI summary didn't work out
[2:30] quite well.
>> Okay. Wow.
[2:31] » Whatever.
>> Well, thank you. It's a lot of work. I
[2:33] was the uh secretary of my synagogue and
it's a it's a it's a lot of work to uh
[2:39] put them down into a summary. So, thank
you. Anybody have any questions? The
[2:43] additions, deletions.
[2:47] » Okay. And then a motion to approve the
minutes.
[2:50] » So move.
>> Okay.
[2:51] » Second.
>> Okay. Any discussion?
[2:55] No discussion. All those in favor say I.
>> I.
[2:57] » I. Opposed. Okay. Minutes from July 14th
uh are approved. Of course, we did not
[3:04] have an August meeting. Uh we did not
have a quorum. So we're September.
[3:09] Okay. uh old business. Um I'm going to
skip the number one, come back to that
[3:15] chestnut project. I've been told that
the property that we all looked at on
[3:19] Virginia between Virginia and Montre
assembly drive has been cleared and
[3:23] seated. I'm going to assume that was
done by our town Barry. I spoke with
[3:28] Beggy Peggy and she has now gotten back
to me if this is a good time of year now
[3:32] to go ahead and plant these chestnuts.
So maybe next I've called her having she
[3:37] could be away. She travels a lot. So
maybe um I'll get in touch with you and
[3:42] if she decides to get them done between
now and the next meeting, I'll let you
[3:46] guys know and you can come over and
watch her put them in the ground. And
[3:51] she's going to do the um the the area.
And I think there's a number of other
[3:55] spots around town that we asked that she
put some chestnut I guess they're called
[4:00] saplings. Uh and she said she would do
that. Am I correct? Yeah. So that's
[4:04] where that chestnut project is. It's
still moving forward that we haven't got
[4:09] it done yet. Okay. All right. So then
the hemlock project, of course, that's
[4:16] an ongoing project of the tree board. I
think uh Ashley's not coming, but she's
[4:21] got some program correct uh posted
somewhere in town about the hemlocks. Is
[4:27] that correct, Elizabeth?
>> Yeah, the uh Montre Presbyterian Church
[4:31] does a Wednesday speaker series and on
I have to look at the um anyway there's
[4:38] a poster up about it, right? I believe
it's November 18th. Um Ashley and uh
[4:45] George I mean Ashley and Joe Standard
are doing
[4:50] uh saving the hemlocks presented by Joe
and Ashley. November 18th at 3:45 is
[4:57] social uh minute and then four is the
program.
[5:00] » Okay. I'm sure we hear a lot more
between that. We'll have two board
[5:03] meetings before then. So we hear more
about that. Okay.
[5:07] All right. Um, I don't think we ever
really got a chance to talk about our
[5:11] tree board cottagers participation
because it happened after our July
[5:16] meeting and then of course we did not
have an August meeting. So I was there
[5:20] and I think most of us were there. It
really was very successful. We had a
[5:25] very nice presentation, a lot of
interest actually. We we hand out a lot
[5:30] of uh information
>> and um we actually got a few people who
[5:34] would like to volunteer to become board
members which kind of brings me to the
[5:39] one point that George and um Tyler
you're much saying you have to but your
[5:44] terms expire on the 31st of January of
2027. It's still months away. If you
[5:51] want to renew just let me know. if you
don't let me know and then I'll get in
[5:54] touch with these gentlemen who are Joe
Griffith and Richard.
[5:59] » Point of order.
>> Yes.
[6:01] » Uh my term as chair of land care expires
and the new chair for next year will be
[6:08] Bill um
>> Tucker.
[6:12] » Tucker.
>> No,
[6:17] it's only a name, folks.
>> It's only a name. Anyway, you'll have a
[6:22] new appointee from Landare.
>> Oh, okay. Is that how it works? That
[6:25] Land Care position is automatically in
the tree board. Oh, okay. Oh, okay.
[6:30] » Land care and commissioner are both
>> So, that's really not an open seat is
[6:34] what you're telling me.
>> Yeah.
[6:36] » No.
>> Okay.
[6:37] » They're not appointed by the town
council. They're
[6:39] » auto. That's one of their duties.
>> Okay. Learn something every day. Okay.
[6:44] Well,
>> and for for what it's worth, my term
[6:46] also expires in January of 27th.
>> Does it?
[6:49] » Yep. I don't Okay.
>> What's on the website?
[6:52] » I think it's
>> We can verify with
[6:54] » Let's verify because I had the 28th.
>> It may be that they did that to spread
[7:00] out the
>> Yeah, I had January.
[7:03] I had Ash's at 13128
and yours is 13128 and Elizabeth yours
[7:09] was 13128. Mine's 13128.
So
[7:14] » anyway, we can check with
>> We can check. Okay. All right. We'll
[7:17] check. That's not a problem.
>> Okay. So, um,
[7:22] then, uh, and Tyler, you'll you'll think
about it. If you want to stay on, you'll
[7:26] let me know. We got months to go there.
But I think I will get in touch with
[7:30] these two gentlemen, Joe Griffith and
Richard. Is it Debbolt?
[7:35] Uh, who showed interest at the uh,
>> who?
[7:39] » I I may have wrote him down wrong. Ei
[7:44] showed interest when they came to and
wanted to see if they can get on the
[7:47] treeboard.
>> Oh, good. So yeah. Okay.
[7:51] » Ed, my replacement would be Bill Neely.
William Neely.
[7:54] » Oh, okay.
>> Okay, great.
[7:57] » All right. Is that 13127?
>> Yes.
[8:02] » Yeah.
>> Okay. February 1st. Okay. For February
[8:05] meeting. Okay. Fine.
>> All right. So, that's
[8:09] all right. So, oh, uh, anybody wanted to
talk about it was I the first time I
[8:14] ever been to a cottagers meeting, I was
amazed how organized it was, how many
[8:20] people showed up, how informative it
was. It really was really a wonderful
[8:25] event. Anybody
>> and people really come looking for
[8:28] information. I think they really went
from table to table to table
[8:32] » picking up information. The more Yeah.
So, it was really terrific. Uh so one
[8:36] somebody can educate me that is a
cottagers meeting which means that's the
[8:39] town or is that how does that
>> cottagers is an independent organization
[8:44] within Montre that's existed since pre
it predates the town existing it used to
[8:51] be mechanism by which
>> the the cottagers did things for the
[8:56] valley but then the town started but the
cottagers still remain
[8:59] » and it was also anformational meeting
for the cottagers to find out what's
[9:03] going on in the valley and with with
EMRA and other various organizations.
[9:09] Um
[9:13] » I know we pay dues.
>> Yeah. And it's
[9:16] » and it's minimal. Very minimal.
>> Yeah. Well, and it's it's um what
[9:20] happened is during after co it went to
one meeting instead of two. There used
[9:25] to be two. July was informational.
August was the business meeting when we
[9:31] elected officers. But now it's all in
one.
[9:35] » What exactly and I say this humbly. What
is the purpose of the cottagers meeting?
[9:41] » Cottagers is basically the Montre
equivalent of a homeowners association.
[9:46] » Oh
>> yeah, that's the way I think of it.
[9:50] » Like a HOA
but
[9:54] information
>> they have any author they have any
[9:57] authority?
>> Huh?
[9:58] » Do they have any authority? Like an HOA
has authority? No,
[10:02] » no authority.
>> Set up for the barbecue, set up for the
[10:06] light, set up for
>> stuff throughout MA
[10:11] » in town.
>> So back in the back in the '9s
[10:17] um when the what is now called the Jane
Hole Wilderness, it was a piece of land
[10:22] that was coming up for sale. So,
Cottagers actually raised a large sum of
[10:27] money in a very short amount of time to
buy that piece of property which is now
[10:32] almost transferred from Cottagers to
>> MRA. I think they're still waiting for
[10:38] some insurance things or something.
Anyway,
[10:42] they there's still so there was a
cottagers wilderness
[10:46] subcommittee. Um, Cottagers also acts as
a what is it?
[10:51] a nonprofit organization. So, Stone
Bridges, for example, their fundraising
[10:57] that's happening where people want to
donate to a taxexempt entity, it flows
[11:03] through Cottagers. I think the money it
gives it a way to to collect the money
[11:09] in the bucket.
>> Whereas Stone Bridges is also
[11:13] » um Cottagers organizes little things
around the valley. They have a they have
[11:18] a website. They send out a newsletter.
>> They do. They're a way for people to try
[11:23] to connect within the valley, but
somehow in my mind, it's it's a
[11:27] predating when the town existed and but
but that functions never it's always
[11:33] remained kind of outside of town,
>> right,
[11:36] » itself.
>> And it's a way for not for non-resident
[11:39] members to find out what's going on in
the town. And when cuz that's one of the
[11:45] reasons the meeting is so well filled is
that you have a lot of non-residents who
[11:50] are there who are seasonal
>> who are there at the meeting.
[11:53] » Do you have to be a property owner to be
a cottage?
[11:55] » A lot of them are property owners. Yeah.
You do not have you do not have to live
[11:59] full-time in Montre to be a member of
Cottagers. You do not have to own
[12:03] property. You have to All you have to do
is pay $25.
[12:07] » Oh, okay.
>> And show an interest.
[12:09] » Oh,
>> I guess I don't even know.
[12:11] » Okay. Interesting.
>> So you don't even buff have to be
[12:14] Scottish to be a member of the Scottish
society. So yeah.
[12:18] » Okay. Well, it was well attended. We
like I said, we handed out a lot of
[12:22] information on tree board. We definitely
had a presence there. So thank you.
[12:26] » So it's an excellent
>> you guys I know you guys put a lot of
[12:28] work into
>> and Elizabeth did a lot of good work on
[12:30] getting new
>> Yeah.
[12:33] » um information boards and stuff. So
>> Yeah. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you.
[12:37] » I did a new information board. You had
you guys had flyers. It was a team team
[12:40] effort.
>> Good. Okay.
[12:42] » Team effort.
>> All right. So, uh, the Swanoa Valley
[12:48] Wild
grant
[12:50] » the the grant. I guess Ashley's not
going to be able to speak to that today.
[12:53] I guess that money is still being held
waiting for us to finalize the Flat
[12:58] Creek project. Is that what we decided
that we're going to let them put the
[13:02] money into that project? I think that's
how it up.
[13:06] » Yes. The money was
uh what is it? North County Wildlife
[13:11] Federation. I guess that's where it came
from.
[13:13] » Okay.
>> They had earmarked that money to go to
[13:16] the Flat Creek Crossing project, which
is still proceeding on this side of the
[13:21] creek. However, the large $600,000
grant, I think, is in a state of flux
[13:27] right now.
Um, and so, um,
[13:32] » and so I we do need to follow up with
Swan Wild and the folks that are running
[13:37] that Flat Creek crossing to see how we
can,
[13:39] » right,
>> use that $10,000 towards trees, which
[13:43] could still be possible, I guess, in the
land that's that's in the with the work
[13:47] that's being done. But I'll let George.
>> Yeah, George, you have some comment you
[13:51] want to make.
>> Well, the $600,000 grant is dead. Um the
[13:58] uh tree planting will probably begin to
happen
[14:03] late October
>> into November, which is a better time
[14:07] around here to plant trees. Um I think
the money has actually been delivered
[14:14] and is in our account, but I not 100%
sure of that. I know we're counting on
[14:19] it. The
>> $10,000. Yeah, we've received it.
[14:22] » I think so.
>> Okay, we'll find out. Okay.
[14:26] because I
>> I don't deal with the money side of that
[14:29] project.
[14:33] » Smart.
>> Okay. I just want to make sure that if
[14:35] we haven't received it that we don't
lose it since the other project seems to
[14:38] be delayed somewhat, but we could use it
somewhere around the town. And we did
[14:43] get
>> We're hoping to have the first part of
[14:46] the trail open this fall.
>> Oh, nice. Okay.
[14:51] Very nice. Okay. All right. That's a
That's a pretty good update. Okay, good.
[14:56] Um, all right. So,
let's now get into more of the um
[15:02] » Okay, wait a minute. So, that was
>> the online Mont tree management guide.
[15:07] Okay. Um,
and I don't know if that goes along with
[15:11] the procedure or not. What do you think,
Elizabeth?
[15:13] » Yeah. So
kind of starting from the the back end
[15:20] of things or this the finer side of
things, we are supposed to operate like
[15:24] all public appointed boards in North
Carolina or the United States under
[15:30] rules of procedure. Those rules
procedure are how we we work. And then
[15:37] there's the the ordinance
which is part of the town regulations.
[15:43] It's the law about what people can and
cannot do. And then what's in the
[15:48] ordinance determines the content of the
tree management guide. And so kind of
[15:54] starting from the lowest point like
let's be sure we know how we're
[15:58] operating the rules and then we can take
on the ordinance and then we can take on
[16:03] the tree management guide. So starting
with the rules of procedure, we had a
[16:07] very I gave out a few copies. It's all
in black and white. That's what we
[16:12] currently are supposed to operate under.
Okay. This is based on this cute little
[16:18] green book which came from the North
Carolina School of Government.
[16:22] » When was this published?
>> This book was published I don't know.
[16:27] It's a nice 1998.
>> Oh, okay.
[16:30] » This book is now has now been taken out
of print. It has been superseded
[16:37] by this prettier book that's not that
same color. Anyway,
[16:41] so I got a copy of this from the school
of government and this is the suggested
[16:45] procedural rules for local appointed
boards were appointed. So luckily when
[16:49] you buy a copy of this, you get and it's
it's long because it has like that much
[16:56] of this page is footnotes about why this
rule is phrased the way it is. So my
[17:01] proposal is that when you get this, you
get an electronic copy of this book or
[17:07] of the meaty part of the book. So, I
downloaded a copy and this one that has
[17:12] red outlining,
I basically tried to edit this new book
[17:18] to work for our tree board because
there's some optional stuff in it. Yeah.
[17:22] And so, I propose that we just use what
the North Carolina School of Government
[17:27] proposes for rules of procedure with
edits to account for us as our rules of
[17:33] procedure
because we note that this was published
[17:38] in
[17:41] 2020.
>> So the book, the new book, the 2020 book
[17:46] doesn't really talk about treeboard
specifically. No, this
[17:49] » talks about boards in general. And then
we adopt it to fit our ordinance of
[17:53] treeboard and then further the procedure
of the tree board.
[17:58] » Yeah.
>> To fit the ordinance of the Montre.
[17:59] Okay, I got it.
>> Yeah. So this this is just any kind of
[18:02] board. It could be a board about nursing
or healthcare or whatever. So,
[18:06] » and
basically that's what we did with the
[18:10] very first rules of procedure that we're
changing and these have been updated
[18:15] thank goodness because I mean a lot of
things weren't addressed when we
[18:19] organized. One of them was coming you
know attending a meeting online
[18:23] electronic
>> attendance and this sort of thing.
[18:27] » I think you if you have read through
them you will realize we don't follow
[18:32] every single rule. I don't think any
board in Montre truly does, but they are
[18:38] there for those times when
there may be a group that says the sky
[18:44] is blue and trees should be orange
>> and then the tree board can say I'm
[18:49] sorry, you know, and this is that's that
lets us know how to how to really act
[18:56] and keep keep our faces clean,
>> right?
[18:59] » Yeah. So that we don't get
>> right
[19:02] » slammed. It was explained to me that
when the rules of procedure were I guess
[19:06] the ones from 2016 Yeah. 18 there was
some little turmoil in this town at that
[19:11] time and everything got overdone. Is
that correct?
[19:14] » Well, I don't think it was overdone. I
personally I think it it's a protection.
[19:20] » Okay. It's a protection for any of the
boards in Montre and I think about every
[19:25] board pretty much fle moves it around a
little bit to take care of how their
[19:31] business needs to be dealt with.
>> Right. Right. Okay.
[19:33] » So, I'm sorry Mason isn't here to to
address that. I just know that's how we
[19:39] approached it initially
because of the of the turmoil. Yeah. So,
[19:44] Elizabeth, what we have in front of us,
we have the rules of procedure from 206
[19:50] amended in 2018.
>> Yeah. I wasn't sure how to do the
[19:53] header. So, I just kind of I probably
should
[19:56] » what you did.
>> Yeah.
[19:57] » But then
>> because cuz basically it's it's such a
[19:59] total thing. It's not really amended,
it's totally revised. So, whenever we
[20:03] adopt it, it'll get a revision date.
>> Yeah. So,
[20:06] » and that's um that's what Angie told me
to do when we did the revision.
[20:12] » Okay. Okay. So, so we have the one that
has the red on it and the one that has
[20:15] just the black and white.
>> What are the difference between these
[20:18] two documents?
>> Black and white is is the original. This
[20:21] this is 2018. This is the 2018 version.
>> I got it.
[20:25] » It was the should be the 2019 version.
>> It It's not on. There's no 2019. Oh, the
[20:30] the tree guide is 2019. This is 20 The
rules were 2018. 2018, I'm sorry.
[20:36] » All right. So the black and white only
that's your original and then with the
[20:39] red
>> your proposed changes
[20:42] » technically technically this black and
white one is what we operate under right
[20:48] now because we've never changed it.
>> So this is
[20:51] » never totally followed. We never totally
followed it either, but that's So then
[20:55] this the one with the red is what I'm
proposing because it's based on
[21:00] » this new book which supposedly takes
into account changes in law which I
[21:06] would never track down to find out what
they were.
[21:08] » Okay. Got it. And now
>> and I think I
[21:10] » Okay. So
>> I I once again I will thank Elizabeth
[21:14] for going
>> Oh, tremendous. Yeah, we sat
[21:16] » government to get all of that. Yeah,
>> we sat a little bit at your kitchen
[21:21] table and I remember we did some of this
but I
[21:24] » Well, yeah, if we sat and tried to edit
this
[21:27] » because I didn't know at the time that
>> that these rules had been have become
[21:33] obsolete. So anyway,
>> probably the important thing in this the
[21:38] the colorized one, the new ones that
proposed
[21:42] » one is under Yeah, there's a couple of
things in rule under rule nine.
[21:50] » It basically
>> says I think it's rule nine.
[21:54] » Oh, it rule eight. Sorry, rule eight.
Basically, it doesn't set a date and
[22:02] time for our meetings or frequency. It
basically says that in January when we
[22:07] organize, we will set a calendar for the
rest of the year and then it gets
[22:12] published with the town and wherever.
Okay.
[22:14] » And so I like that better because for
example right now our rules say we meet
[22:20] on a I don't know a Thursday or
something and the fourth the fourth
[22:24] Tuesday and we meet on the second
Tuesday and we were supposed to be
[22:27] meeting at whatever time and we don't
you know we changed it.
[22:31] » So this means that we don't have to
change these rules. If
[22:35] » supposing next year there's two people
who don't work and three people who work
[22:40] and they decide they want to meet at
7:00 on a Sunday night. That's fine. We
[22:44] don't have to change the rules.
>> Right. Because you've kept it general.
[22:47] » Yeah. Because it's general. It just says
it will be established and it will be
[22:50] published.
>> Understand.
[22:52] » Which I like better.
>> Right. Right. Do these have to be
[22:54] adopted by the town commissioners?
>> No. If you look at the very either at
[22:59] the very end of either the old one or
the new one. It says amendments. The
[23:03] rules may be amended at any regular
meeting.
[23:07] » It matters what's in the current one
because that's what it lets us do it. It
[23:10] says that we can we can amend it as as a
board as long as it's a generally
[23:16] consistent with town charter general law
principles or whatever.
[23:20] » So twothirds of the board has to approve
it. So under our current rules,
[23:25] twothirds of the board
>> can approve to change it. And that's
[23:29] what I'll double check that that's what
it says. Yeah. Well, actually now the
[23:34] new law, the new version just says a
majority of the boards.
[23:38] » What number are you on? number 34. So
look at the very end.
[23:42] » Yeah. Okay.
>> So the new one changes it to a majority
[23:45] instead of twothirds. I given that we're
a small board,
[23:48] » right?
>> The difference in a majority and two/3
[23:50] is
>> probably one.
[23:52] » Does it even exist?
>> Right. Exactly.
[23:55] » Well,
>> majority is is
[23:57] » majority would be a half. You need three
out of five.
[24:02] » Yeah.
>> Votes for a majority. And you'd need
[24:06] three out of five for
>> You would need four. You would need
[24:08] four. Four.
>> Yeah. Four because two three out of five
[24:11] is 60.
>> Okay.
[24:13] » And you said 2/3 is 67.
>> Yeah. So this just says majority, you
[24:17] know, it's
>> it can just be a simple majority. I
[24:20] think a simple majority because this is
>> 2/3 is a little different. So
[24:25] » yeah.
>> So it that reduces down a little bit.
[24:29] » So that would but no, we have the
authority to do it if we'd like
[24:35] just going with some edited version of
the new one.
[24:38] If someone else could at least read
through them and then I will I can pass
[24:43] these by either Angie or Savannah. I
think it would be Savannah and just say
[24:49] Savannah, we want to change our rules of
procedure. Here's our redlinined version
[24:54] of, you know, here's how we got to these
new ones. Do you have any issues? And
[25:00] meanwhile, since and then be sure that
Mason's aware of it and that Mason's
[25:04] read through it since he's both our
council rep and a lawyer, right?
[25:09] » So, he would read it with two different
eyes. So, if the two of them are okay,
[25:13] then I would say at the next meeting,
>> we just go with something like this. I
[25:17] don't know that any of y'all have really
read through this redline version. So,
[25:22] » that would also be a task for y'all to
>> Do you have any issues with what's Yeah.
[25:27] » Um
>> in this new version? No, I I'm I'll look
[25:30] through it. I thought I was going to
have a chance to.
[25:33] » So, we'll put this on the agenda for the
um October meeting for final approval.
[25:36] Is that
>> Yeah, for approval
[25:38] » and maybe send any questions to you
beforehand so you can prepare.
[25:42] » Uh is there anything in this new version
that we should be doing that we aren't
[25:46] doing? Because I mean it's, you know,
we're pretty loose here.
[25:50] » Secretary,
>> you're supposed to have a secretary.
[25:53] Well, it it actually in here it says
that you have to elect a chair and a
[25:59] vice chair. It doesn't say that you have
to elect a secretary, but you need a
[26:03] secretary. So, if you we want, we can
add that at the first meeting, we'll
[26:07] also elect a secretary.
>> There are probably a few things we
[26:10] probably could really learn from this
that we should be doing that we're not
[26:13] other than some of the real particular
legal ease things.
[26:17] » The make us a better board.
>> Yeah. The only thing that I know is that
[26:21] in for small boards the this book
recommends that you do not require
[26:27] seconds on motions because effectively
if one person makes a motion that's
[26:32] already 20% of the board who supports
that particular idea that's one out of
[26:38] five
>> and that actually has been that you'll
[26:41] find that also in the other book that's
pretty much we do not need to have a
[26:45] second. Elizabeth, could I ask you to
maybe
[26:49] take out of this document maybe half a
dozen things that we should really be
[26:53] doing as a tree board that we're not
doing? I mean,
[26:58] » one I guess as chair, vice chair second.
I didn't know you didn't have to second.
[27:02] I mean, maybe other than just we adopted
maybe there are some things that really
[27:06] could help us operate better.
>> I I will look I think
[27:10] » or anybody can go through it, not just
Elizabeth. And maybe there's a number of
[27:13] things here we could adopt. be aware of
more than there's 35 rules here and
[27:19] maybe there's a couple we need to start
paying attention to that we don't I
[27:22] don't know
>> I think we we generally operate pretty
[27:27] informally as a board in terms of
>> the chair doesn't have to recognize
[27:32] every speaker the the discussion can be
a little looser I think we're a friendly
[27:37] group and so I like the way we operate
personally
[27:42] » yeah administratively we're Okay. Other
than the chair, vice chair, no seconds.
[27:47] The secretary sounds like it's more of a
volunteer appointed position.
[27:50] » These originally were were assisted by
the um it was then this um town
[27:56] administrator
>> who was who was helping with the
[28:00] interpretation of the state law. Yeah.
>> Okay.
[28:03] » So that the original ones were were not
just done because we just sat here and
[28:08] found them online. Right. It was we we
had town help
[28:14] the official.
>> Okay.
[28:16] » Yeah.
>> All right. We'll read I'll read through
[28:19] it. Any suggestions? Senator Elizabeth,
you'll come then. We'll
[28:22] » do y'all wanted me to change it so that
we elect a chair, a vice chair, and a
[28:27] secretary because it's easy just to put
in there that you elect comma comma
[28:30] comma.
>> Yeah.
[28:32] » Okay. I'll add secretary.
>> I I I think it's important that we have
[28:38] one. That's just me personally speaking.
>> I would prefer having a secretary who's
[28:42] assigned that.
>> I would find it difficult to take care
[28:46] take care of also doing the minutes,
>> right?
[28:49] » Yeah. You you can work with the
secretary to get it
[28:52] » to make sure everything's included.
>> Yeah.
[28:55] » But a second eye on it is always a good
thing.
[28:58] » Does it talk about how many members
should be on a tree board or is that
[29:01] arbitrary?
>> That is in the town ordinance.
[29:04] » Oh, it is. Okay.
>> Yeah. The number of members. So this is
[29:07] how we the the ordinance really
structures our authority and how we're
[29:13] set up and what we're supposed to do.
>> Yeah.
[29:17] » So the land care that is a set position,
correct?
[29:20] » Oh yeah, it's a se separate
>> se but that's an automatic position
[29:25] right
>> ordinance chair of landare
[29:29] » automatically sits on tree board.
>> Voting or non- voting? I forget.
[29:32] » Voting voting. The chair of landare is a
voting.
[29:34] » What about the town commissioner seat?
voting member
[29:36] » voting member and it's in the or whoever
the whoever the commissioner is for the
[29:41] environment is the rep town board
representative to the tree board
[29:47] » so basically there's five open seats
>> there are five appointed there are three
[29:51] open seats
>> there's five appointed seats
[29:53] » five one two three four and nally would
be five George position doesn't count
[29:58] and yeah and u sorry my number
>> do we feel five yeah we added Open C.
[30:06] » That's an ordinance. That's an
ordinance.
[30:07] » We were just That's an ordinance.
>> Okay. Got you.
[30:09] » So, it used to be that the tree board
was three and then when Ashley and I
[30:16] came on when you started, you asked for
more.
[30:18] » That's right.
>> And the council approved two additional.
[30:21] So, now we're five.
>> Couldn't do with three.
[30:25] Okay. All right.
>> Personally, I think any bigger at this
[30:28] stage in the game.
>> As long as people show up, we're good.
[30:30] » Yeah. Oh,
>> does it talk about missed meetings from
[30:34] at large members?
>> I mean, I haven't read through and I
[30:37] will somebody misses some if an atlarge
person misses more than so many meetings
[30:42] whether excused or unexcused that they
should drop off. Does it mention that at
[30:45] all?
>> No, that would not be a I don't know if
[30:49] I don't know where that kind of
information would go. And
[30:53] » I know that there are some organizations
that that will say and I can't remember
[30:57] if town council is one of them or not to
be honest.
[31:00] » Well, I'm talking about the board, the
tree board or the board of adjustment
[31:04] that I also sit on. Yeah.
>> That if somebody doesn't show up and
[31:07] doesn't tell us they're not coming, they
just don't show. That's a problem for
[31:11] quorum purposes and voting purposes.
>> Yeah.
[31:13] » So,
>> you the your board of adjustments has a
[31:17] similar rules of procedure that you
operate under. We're lucky because we
[31:21] have an attorney that shows up.
>> Yeah.
[31:22] » No, but you still have something like
this that says what kind of motions and
[31:26] all you can and cannot do. And that
board probably needs to operate more
[31:31] closely to what is currently.
>> I'm going to check it out because I'm
[31:33] the chair. Okay.
>> That because that's a more contentious.
[31:38] » There's more what? Quasi. Yeah.
>> Legislative judicial. I don't know the
[31:42] right word.
>> That's the right word.
[31:43] » You you you do more than we do. Yeah. In
that sense. Well, how do people feel
[31:48] about attendance at these meetings in
terms of you're an atlarge person?
[31:53] » I think if you're an atlarge person,
since we will have something in here
[31:58] where you can participate
online.
[32:02] » Yeah. Which count
>> that there's no excuse.
[32:05] » You know that unless you're,
>> you know, an excuse except except for my
[32:11] excuse this past year with Ron being so
sick,
[32:13] » right? and or if you're physically sick
and you cannot participate. But I think
[32:19] um just every week whether somebody in
every month of oh well I just forgot you
[32:24] know I think uh-uh that's
>> part of your responsibility is to be
[32:30] here.
>> Yeah
[32:30] » or well I had something more important
to do. No, your responsibility is to be
[32:35] here which is why you accepted the the
appointment. So I hear what I think what
[32:39] I hear you saying is if that happens
it's up to the chair to maybe speak to
[32:43] that member and say maybe this isn't for
you and leave it like that.
[32:46] » Yeah. Exactly.
>> All right. Fine.
[32:47] » Okay. And here down at on the very first
page where it has rule number three
[32:52] electronic board members. It's kind of
the one of the new things like an
[32:56] » this was a choice that you could make.
>> Yeah.
[32:59] » Um because you can see where I read
lined out the bracketed described
[33:03] circumstances where you may attend and
whatever. And I just wrote that a person
[33:07] who's not physically present may
participate by electronic means and will
[33:12] count as present for quorum and may vote
on motions.
[33:16] » We don't have we can change that. We can
say that they will not count as present
[33:19] and they may not vote or
>> whatever. But given the modern way
[33:24] electronic meetings work, I see no
problem with people voting on from
[33:28] » what does from Zoom deal?
>> Not worry about it. Oh, no. I I Yeah,
[33:37] you got
>> Does it talk at all? I mean, I haven't
[33:39] read through it and I will, I promise
you, but does it talk about um
[33:44] » public input?
>> Yes, there are public comment periods
[33:48] and there's a thing about whether we can
take suggestions from the public on
[33:52] changing our agenda and then we do or do
not have to accept those. And
[33:58] » okay,
>> you know, if we have a special meeting,
[34:00] we can set how long
>> we can say everybody gets one minute to
[34:04] talk or five minutes to talk.
>> Okay. It's all in this document. We'll
[34:08] be through it. Okay.
>> It kind Yeah. So, why don't we read
[34:10] through it and then y'all send me ideas
or questions or thoughts and we just I
[34:15] think you need to look through it.
>> Yeah.
[34:17] » And then we can decide. But
>> I think there's some things which we
[34:20] could discuss
>> and then I'll I'm going to leave this
[34:24] book with the town. And so if somebody
wants to like know the why's and
[34:28] wherefors and
>> how much we deleted out it's in here.
[34:33] » Thank you.
>> Um the bracketed information in this red
[34:38] document is where they offer suggestions
or you know you like these rule apply to
[34:43] the meetings of bracket name of city
county you know. So it's it's where you
[34:48] can edit you know they're saying you
need to change this.
[34:51] » So
>> do we need to take a look at the
[34:53] ordinance or not? Is that our job or
>> I Yes, we I think for the ordinance I
[34:59] think we should
technically I guess the planning and
[35:03] zoning commission is the people who
rewrite ordinances. But since the tree
[35:07] ordinance applies to our board, I would
say that we should go through it,
[35:12] » offer suggestions,
>> offer suggestions on what could be
[35:15] changed or be improved
>> through that. Yeah.
[35:18] » And then it's got a whole process
because ordinances have to be approved
[35:22] by town council. And so that's
>> okay.
[35:25] » That is not as lowhanging fruit as I
thought this was.
[35:28] » Yeah.
>> And that's online, I think, isn't it?
[35:30] Treeboard ordinance.
>> The ordinance is all town ordinances are
[35:34] on the town site.
>> All right. I'll put
[35:36] » um the rules of procedure for planning
and zoning are on the town site.
[35:40] » If you if you want or for board of
adjustments,
[35:44] » um our should be on, but they're not.
>> Oh, okay.
[35:47] » I don't think or they weren't as easily
findable.
[35:50] » Okay. Um, so anyway, read through it,
see what you think, and just
[35:55] » thank you so much.
>> Continue to the next meeting.
[35:57] » Thank you so much for all the hard work.
I know how much work went into it. So,
[36:01] thank you.
>> Um, on the tree management guide, now
[36:05] that's also online. Am I correct? On the
uh Okay.
[36:09] » Yes.
>> And that's maybe that's a whole another
[36:10] project.
>> Yes. Because the the contents of the
[36:15] tree management guide are determined by
what's in the ordinance.
[36:19] » Okay. And so I would say we should look
at the ordinance first and then decide
[36:24] what goes in our tree management guide.
In general, let me just finish this one
[36:29] thought in
>> I think that there's the I'm not going
[36:33] to have the right name. The National
Association of Arborists, the urban the
[36:37] North Carolina urban planting
commission. I think they have detailed
[36:41] procedures about how and when to do
plantings in different environments and
[36:46] how to care for trees. And I don't think
we need to download all that and make it
[36:51] into our own guide that we just refer to
people like that that that we recommend
[36:56] the town follow these type of guidances
so that then when they change over time
[37:02] we are always updated. So I I would
simplify what's in our tree management
[37:08] guide a little bit more than what's
there now. But and I know you worked on
[37:13] the first one.
>> Yeah. Um, and I think a lot has changed
[37:18] over the years, and I think anything
that gets changed in the management
[37:23] guide, we definitely should run by our
public works people. Okay.
[37:27] » And then by uh Mason and and Savannah.
>> Yeah.
[37:32] » And to make sure everything's copacetic.
But basically in a tree management
[37:38] guide, the board who is creating the
guide,
[37:43] it there's no set rule for what goes in.
>> I understand.
[37:47] » Yeah. Um, so it was like it it's like,
okay, well, here's ideas for all sorts
[37:52] of things from Arbor Day and from all
sorts of people, but you have to do it
[37:57] for your community. Mhm.
>> And what we did was use
[38:04] um was take a look at the guide for Lake
Lure
[38:09] » that they did and said, "Oh, okay. Well,
that's a good thing." No, we don't need
[38:13] to do that. But there were some good
just basic things in it
[38:17] » that um helped us and that's why I think
it's important people know the
[38:22] ordinance.
>> It's important that they know the board
[38:25] should definitely know the rules of
procedure, right? Um, but there are
[38:30] people who need guidance as to what you
can put in here. We've got help. A tree
[38:36] has fallen. What do I do?
>> You know, which we should have the flood
[38:40] thing in there too after Helen.
People don't pick it up. You can't cure
[38:47] stupid. And it's, you know, it's like,
okay, but it's here. So, we, you say,
[38:54] here it is.
>> Right. Right. You point to it. You have
[38:56] a responsibility as the citizen to know
this or to know who to call. Anyway,
[39:01] » there's When's the last time that was
put together? The tree management guide,
[39:05] » pardon me.
>> When was the last time that was actually
[39:08] put together? The tree management guide.
>> The last time it was it was updated in
[39:14] 2019.
>> Okay. And I think that was one of the
[39:17] things that we chose to include in it
were the results of um
[39:25] inventory that we were doing. It was
when
[39:30] to be able to determine what trees what
condition are the trees in.
[39:35] » A lot of them needed to come down, which
I think we've been doing. And uh that
[39:41] really helped the town uh public works
people. Um
[39:47] and so that kind of that kind of thing.
Yeah.
[39:51] » Yeah. It sounds like a fun project
actually as I listen to it the tree
[39:56] management guy to get into it really go
through it. We make it specific to
[39:59] Montre then we have to run it by like
you said the commissioners and the
[40:02] public works. But we can come up with
the ideas and they can say yeah no
[40:06] » yes or no. But it sounds like a really
fun to take charge.
[40:09] » Well, I would point on that.
>> No, but I mean I I think as a board
[40:13] that'd be a really a fun project for us
to get into other than, you know, rules
[40:17] and procedure.
>> I know a lot of people prefer to go
[40:19] online for all their information, but I
am one of those people. I have trouble
[40:24] reading online all the time. It really
bothers my eyes. Okay. So I think it's
[40:29] important that we have some sort of
vehicle for people who need to have it
[40:35] or prefer to have it a hard copy can
obtain one.
[40:39] » Yeah. Okay. I'm going to I have interest
in that.
[40:43] » Yeah.
>> Kind of
[40:44] » and allies
if you want to I mean the tree ordinance
[40:49] is an appendix in the tree management
guide right now.
[40:53] » Yeah. If if somebody wants to start
working on the other chapters of the
[40:56] tree management guide, go for it. I just
>> Andrew, you were part of the original,
[41:02] weren't you part of the 2019 effort?
>> Yeah.
[41:05] » Okay. Okay.
>> I was part of the 18 and 19 effort.
[41:09] Yeah.
>> Okay. Because
[41:10] » I think we've got some good stuff in it.
I think it's interesting the history of
[41:14] » Yeah. I think of the trees and why in
Montre do we want to take care of them
[41:19] and
>> right,
[41:20] » you know.
>> Yeah. I I you know, one of my goals or
[41:24] what I'd like to see us do is get a
little more public, the tree board to
[41:27] get more public with our residents,
>> you know, and uh I don't know if the
[41:31] tree management guy would be a vehicle
to do that or have a public hearing
[41:35] about it or something like that.
>> Um um
[41:38] » I just see it as a real vehicle to be
more public with what the tree board
[41:42] does.
>> Yeah.
[41:44] because we do a lot of good things and
um
[41:49] » and I yeah
>> and I think people are interested you
[41:52] know
>> it's yeah I would have to look I have
[41:55] thought about it from that point of view
>> but I think yeah but the rules of
[41:58] procedure they are what they are but the
management guide is interesting stuff
[42:02] » well and I think it's it's a good guide
for people to say well why did you guys
[42:06] do that you know it's like well what if
I disagree with the town that tells me I
[42:11] need to have that tree cut down that's
on my property, right?
[42:14] » Well, there covers in here in the
ordinance and in the
[42:18] » you know, we do have there's somewhere
out there a little bit of judicatory
[42:24] action that needs to be taken. Okay?
>> It's never been challenged, but most
[42:28] people when said, you know, well, that's
d that tree branch could fall, you know,
[42:34] out in the line of traffic, block the
road off, etc., etc., and so, you know,
[42:39] you really should take it down. A lot of
people have never argued that point. So,
[42:45] » okay.
>> As I understand, unless something has
[42:48] happened since,
>> right?
[42:50] » Okay.
>> All right. Um, between now the next
[42:53] meeting, I will um I'm going to look to
the management guy, maybe get some
[42:57] printed copies of it
>> for the board something pages long.
[43:02] » How many?
>> 100 like Yeah, that's amazing. It's a
[43:06] 100 pages long. Well, that it's got a
dgenda and it's got maps in it from when
[43:10] we did the uh
>> wow
[43:12] » the in you know the inventories and
stuff. So I think that's
[43:19] that could be a link that could be put
to it said well you want to see what was
[43:23] done in this year
>> and uh you know so you can do that.
[43:29] » Okay.
All right.
[43:33] Any other any other new business old
business that I didn't list that
[43:36] somebody wants to talk about?
Okay. All right. New business. Um, let's
[43:43] skip down just a couple things. George,
why don't you just uh give us a little
[43:47] landare update if there is one? Land
care. Any thing that we need to know as
[43:52] a tree board?
>> Not that I'm aware of. Okay. I know um
[43:58] » fall is a quiet time of year.
>> Fish studies are ongoing. Uh the
[44:04] the new um between the bridges is
ongoing. The bridge project is ongoing.
[44:10] Um
the trail project is ongoing.
[44:15] Everything's moving.
>> Beautiful. Okay, great.
[44:18] » Um I have a question because I saw it on
Facebook last night because I was
[44:23] perusing Facebook. Swanoa Valley Wild
with with North Carolina Wildlife
[44:28] Federation on Friday, September 18th is
doing a biiob blitz along Flat Creek and
[44:35] Montre from 1:30 to 4. Work together to
identify plants, amphibians, reptiles,
[44:41] etc., etc. Is Lancare involved in that
one? It's
[44:45] » first I've heard of it.
>> It says this effort is part of the Flat
[44:48] Creek 2040 project. So, I guess Bill
Seamans helped arrange for this.
[44:54] understanding, engaging with Flat Creek,
its watershed researchers, community
[44:58] members, officials, and educators
register here with and it's registering
[45:02] with North Carolina wildlife.
>> Chris, he's part of an ongoing group
[45:06] that's been happening for years. So,
>> yeah. So, I guess wildlife, it might be
[45:11] something that I signed up so I can give
you some feedback, but I don't know.
[45:16] They're identifying plants, amphibians,
reptiles, mammals, birds, and all things
[45:20] wild. So then I think it would be a good
way to work with them to put in about
[45:27] are you in a flood plane because we know
that somebody tried to take care of the
[45:31] flood issue on Flat Creek without
getting the legal input and they were
[45:37] definitely in violation of the federal
law.
[45:41] Yeah. So I think um you know I think if
there's some way we can have a presence
[45:47] there or also work on the 17th the MA
wilderness day
[45:54] apparently we people need to know.
>> I don't know anything about that either
[45:59] except seeing it here. So, George, I
just I did a screenshot of the this
[46:05] Swanoa Valley Wild Bioblitz and I just
texted you this screenshot. So, if you
[46:10] want to send if somebody on Land Care's
interested in or wants to know about it,
[46:14] they can go figure out how to sign up
probably
[46:18] » or I can try to send a better link if
somebody really wants to sign up. But
[46:21] anyway, it looked interesting. I signed
up because maybe if they're identifying
[46:25] trees and tree health, then that would
>> tie back to this inventory that somehow
[46:30] got done in 200 something something. We
were able to do it with grants from
[46:40] North Carolina tree North Carolina
forestry service and uh interns led the
[46:48] » Yeah.
>> led it. We had a lot of volunteer help.
[46:51] » Yeah. They it's it's in that tree guide.
It was it's an inventory of I don't know
[46:56] hundreds of trees along Flat Creek with
their diameter and species and
[47:00] » scientific name assembly drive because
it had to be in the public rights. Yeah.
[47:07] And Flat Creek is not in
>> Okay.
[47:09] » public rights rights away.
>> Oh, it's not?
[47:12] » Yeah. I think it's
>> green space.
[47:16] » It's a federal issue. Yeah.
>> Oh. Hm.
[47:20] » Cuz it's it's definitely a it's
definitely a flood plane around Flip
[47:24] Flat Creek declared by the
>> Yeah.
[47:30] » So, getting back to the the 18th. Yeah.
>> Blitz on September 18th. I don't know.
[47:35] I'll I I signed up. I don't know how to
identify a lot of stuff, but
[47:40] » I got I naturalist. I can take photos.
>> There you go.
[47:43] » There you go. I don't know. I know a red
bud. I you know I don't know what I
[47:49] don't know what we're doing anyway. I'm
labor.
[47:52] » I'll take notes.
>> But you look intelligent. So that's the
[47:55] important. There we go.
>> So we talked somebody we just mentioned
[47:59] the MRA Wilderness Day October 17th. So
that's something we probably need to be
[48:03] aware of and part of maybe.
>> Yeah. So with the um I'm like I'm I'm
[48:10] channeling my inner George and Ann and
everybody in this room. the manager of
[48:15] the Montre store. Um anyway, she and and
the assistant that runs the good
[48:21] steward, I had talked to them once
before. They're re MRA is redoing their
[48:26] fall wilderness day, which was a day
that MRA talked about, you know, it's
[48:31] like their stewardship of their 2500
acres or maybe now with Jane Hold even
[48:37] more of all their wilderness that they
help, you know, supervise which is in
[48:42] the valley. So anyway, they do this
wilderness day and I just said, "Hey,
[48:45] can the treeboard come do something at
the same event, right?"
[48:48] » And so I can continue to coordinate with
them and take some flyers and our little
[48:53] poster,
>> but you know, it is come MRA is the
[48:56] sponsor and it's for the things they do.
I'm sure Jason will be there. So our
[49:01] treasure tree walk and so it's it's just
a time that they're doing a community
[49:05] event.
>> It's a community event.
[49:07] » Yeah, MRA. It's a public event and I'm
sure they're promoting the things they
[49:10] sell in their stores and and maybe the
trail maintenance.
[49:14] » Is Tanner in charge of that? What do you
know?
[49:16] » Probably Tanner's probably somehow
overseeing the whole wilderness day.
[49:20] » Yeah.
>> But the stores are participating and I
[49:22] just asked if we could be there and they
said yes. It's a time when the community
[49:27] is invited to come to something.
>> Yes.
[49:31] » Kind of like the coners.
>> I think if the tree board says, "Hey,
[49:35] everybody come to X to see us." We're
not going to get a lot of participation.
[49:39] If MRA says come to this part of it,
then we're part of it. We'll get our
[49:44] word out.
>> What day of the week is the 17th?
[49:46] » It's a Saturday.
>> Do you know the hours or
[49:48] » I know nothing about it except it's last
time I think it was in the afternoon. Do
[49:52] y'all remember? They did one last year.
>> Okay. Well, we should be part of it. I
[49:57] mean,
>> so it may just be static information. We
[50:00] have a meeting before then on the 13th,
but we should
[50:04] do I have to call someone or one of us
have to let them know we'd like to be
[50:07] part of it.
>> Yeah, they already they reached out and
[50:09] asked me if I wanted to and I said
tenatively yes. So I'll I'll go back to
[50:12] them and I'll add to it and then anybody
else interested
[50:16] » any questions about that? That's
>> so it's a much
[50:21] » I don't know if Lankier will I mean yeah
I
[50:24] » unfortunately my alternative lifestyle
has me out of town both those dates
[50:29] that'll
>> right so
[50:31] » okay
>> okay well that sounds like a fun
[50:35] » and we'll see we have to come up with
some materials is it you have like a
[50:38] booth a table is that the idea
>> I'm going to talk to them I was thinking
[50:42] we could have a table and we would rerun
exactly what we did for the cottagers
[50:46] with the flyers and Well, it's
>> board and a place to sign up if you want
[50:51] to come help us.
>> Yeah. And a place to donate
[50:53] » the flood plane information really was
picked up a lot at the cottagers
[50:57] meeting.
>> Okay. All right.
[50:59] » Which surprised me.
>> Okay.
[51:01] » Yeah.
>> All right. You'll get the information to
[51:03] me. I'll get it off to the board and
we'll um we'll be part of it
[51:08] » for sure. Okay. Great. Okay. Um,
so the the the top two, the post office
[51:16] project and the fall project. Um, you
know, I don't know if it's too much for
[51:20] this board. Uh, but I was thinking we
should do something in the community as
[51:25] a tree board project separate from just
being part of someone else's project.
[51:31] I'm open to ideas. I mean,
um, we don't have to
[51:39] » what that project is. I don't know, but
I think we we should do something as a
[51:43] tree board as a separate project for the
benefit of the Montre residents.
[51:49] » If if the chestnut planting actually
happens. Yes.
[51:53] » I think last the last time there was a
chestnut planting. It was like a little
[51:57] event kind of thing. I don't know. We
could you could either
[52:02] » try to invite people to the planting or
>> you could somehow do something like in
[52:08] the open comments for the town council
meeting because those get video
[52:11] broadcast. Yeah. You know the the the
either the 5:30 session and like the
[52:16] stone bridges people had some
information. I I think people actually
[52:21] listen in
>> remotely andor they listen after the
[52:24] fact
>> to those council meetings. So that might
[52:27] be we could plug up our chestnut
planting as an example and
[52:32] » some lemonade cookies and come see the
chestnut trees. I don't know
[52:35] » what I'll do. I'll get a a yay or a nay
from Peggy next day or two and if she
[52:39] says yes then that'll be maybe that'll
be the project. I as you know we had a
[52:43] couple articles in the weekly Montre
minute. you
[52:46] » that Tom that I submitted and he did
publish them which was great and he said
[52:50] Eddie just send them to me and I will
get them in on a weekly basis so we have
[52:54] some visibility there if we want
>> but we'll use the chestnut as maybe step
[52:58] one if she says yes that'll be our
project with a little announcement a
[53:02] little get together a little education
handouts and that'll be it and uh
[53:07] » I did talk to um um Jordan is that his
name the guy at the post office he
[53:12] doesn't want any big boards
he doesn't mind us putting
[53:16] someformational sheets on the tables,
you know, when you walk in. He does not
[53:20] want big boards in the post office.
>> Okay.
[53:24] » Okay.
>> So, um but yes, we can put something on
[53:29] those desks where we all throw our mail
away.
[53:32] » So, um
[53:36] that's okay. All right. So, all right.
Will you I'll check with Peggy and then
[53:39] get back to you guys and uh see what
else we can come up with. But I think
[53:44] it's important that we make a little
more of a um public uh effort towards
[53:49] the Montre residents as a tree board
independent of wilderness day or
[53:54] cottagers meetings or any of those
things. I think that's important. Okay.
[53:58] One of them I do think is the treasure
tree effort which as you see
[54:03] residential. The last time we did it we
basically were all in the town
[54:07] rightaways with a couple exceptions and
you bought a tree for your property and
[54:12] » but I think of the 14 we did I think 11
or 12 were on rightways
[54:17] » but it's one we and we have money in the
bank as I reported to the last meeting.
[54:22] Uh we were able to buy that sign I think
that you got for the cottages meeting
[54:26] through those funds we raised. So I
think the town would the residents would
[54:31] we get a lot of calls and I can get that
into the military minute with Tom. If
[54:36] somebody thinks they have a treasure
tree the Swanoa Valley people will come
[54:40] out and they will identify it not me.
Okay. And yeah there's a treasure tree
[54:44] and people love having plaques I think
in Montre on their property. Hasn't
[54:50] there been an interest people asking,
well, how do I nominate a tree?
[54:54] » Yes, we got those and there is a way to
do it. Um, there's an actual
[54:59] » I don't think we know how to do that.
>> Yeah, I think we should I think we
[55:02] should um and I can do that with Tom
gets there is a form they have to fill
[55:06] in.
>> Yeah,
[55:06] » I think the form should come to the here
to the Montre and then we can forward
[55:11] off because or else we'll lose control.
Then we'll forward it off to the Swanoa
[55:14] Valley people to do the inspection. If
if you want it to be a partial
[55:20] fundraiser for the tree board, then
that's the way you have to do it because
[55:24] otherwise you just go directly on their
site
[55:28] » and there's a little e form or whatever.
I think it's all some data fill form
[55:32] online and you submit and it costs $35.
>> Yes.
[55:37] » And then if you want some other thing on
it, it costs $50.
[55:40] » Correct. That's right.
>> And then but I think Ann, you mentioned
[55:43] that somehow we got something about
Montre on the plaque too. Therefore, the
[55:47] cost went from 35 to 50 to 100 or
something.
[55:51] » So, if we want to skim money off, it has
to come through us. Otherwise, people
[55:55] are just going to go straight there and
do it.
[55:57] » Now, the way it worked last time is the
people, and I know you did because you
[56:02] wrote a check to the town of Montre for
$100.
[56:05] » And then what happened is the the Swan
Noa Valley people build us just for the
[56:09] plaques as an invoice. And then the town
paid them for the invoices, which I
[56:14] think was $50 per plaque. Okay.
>> And then we got 100 from you and we kept
[56:19] the 50.
>> Yeah.
[56:21] » There was
>> that was it. I forget I forget now the
[56:24] whole breakdown of it.
>> It was really simple. It was very
[56:26] simple. Yeah.
>> Yeah. So I think I'm going to talk to
[56:29] Tom maybe what this week
>> does that work for you guys? I'm going
[56:32] to try to get if any resident wants to
nominate a tree.
[56:37] » Yeah.
>> Yeah. Here's how you contact I'll work
[56:39] it out with the office.
>> And I think the extra money was because
[56:43] we wanted to dedicate our tree. We
wanted to make a specific dedic
[56:48] dedication,
>> right?
[56:50] » Rather than just a treasure.
>> Correct. That's right. It was $100. That
[56:54] that price was set by us.
>> Yeah.
[56:56] » They only wanted their 50 for the cost
of the plaque.
[56:59] » They didn't care what other than that.
They didn't care.
[57:01] » Yeah.
>> I think 100's a fair number. Don't you
[57:04] think?
>> Yeah.
[57:05] » Yeah. I mean, it cost 50.
>> An extra $50.
[57:10] » If you don't want
>> We actually got a lot of calls somebody.
[57:12] It's only 50 bucks. So, you know,
>> we did
[57:15] » you didn't want to commemorate it to
somebody.
[57:17] » Yeah. Right. I Every tree that we sold
last year had it some type of
[57:20] dedication. Yours was your father.
>> Yeah. My parents.
[57:25] » Yeah. I mean I mean I know a few of
them.
[57:28] So, okay. So, I think that with the
board's okay, I'm going to uh make that
[57:33] connection maybe with the announcement
this week in the U Montre minute. Any
[57:37] resident who wants to nominate a tree
for
[57:40] » Yeah. a treasure tree and it's contact
the office or I'll speak to them.
[57:45] » And I would say don't forget that the
Presbyterian Heritage Center has worked
[57:51] on a a history tour thing also through
>> they have their things up where they
[57:56] » and they're waiting for the I don't know
where the sign what where what's holding
[58:00] up the signs but they're they've gotten
approval I understand for the signage.
[58:06] So
>> that's to be determined, right?
[58:08] » Yeah. Yeah.
>> Okay. Good. So, and I think, you know,
[58:12] we need to pull them in and you get maps
and stuff up there, too. Once we
[58:17] » get to that point. Sure. And we still
have maps for the original 14, correct,
[58:21] Elizabeth? That you've been maintaining.
>> The treasure tree maps. It's on our
[58:25] treeboard website, right? Plus, I think
there's some copies floating around. The
[58:28] in used to give them out. I don't know
if they still I haven't checked.
[58:31] » We still have them.
>> They have the PDF. They can print more
[58:34] copies at the end if they want. Heritage
Center has them
[58:37] » and if you check to be sure there's
still copies out or something. So,
[58:40] » I'll double check. And it's it's I I
just think it's important because
[58:44] especially with the um
road scholars, uh a lot of those people
[58:51] like to pick up information and you
know, then you can take the treasure
[58:57] tree walk.
>> Yeah.
[58:58] » On your own, you know, walk around say,
"Oh, okay."
[59:02] » I've seen people do it. They give it out
at this um office here
[59:07] » during the summertime. The treasure tree
map is people do pick it up when they
[59:10] come into town when they man the uh
>> whatever that's called the gate house.
[59:15] Okay.
>> Yeah.
[59:16] » Okay. Uh the green works outreach. I
think Elizabeth, you sent me this.
[59:22] Um
I think I that probably goes back to our
[59:26] April event that um I think um Katie
Putnham's already reached out to Ashley
[59:32] and myself about helping with the next
Arbor Day and I she may have reached out
[59:37] to you too. I don't know. Anyway, Kathy
Putnham, she's agreed to do the next
[59:43] » plant sale or labor landare festival and
arbor day celebration. Yeah,
[59:48] » as as the awkward name goes. And so I
this was a thing that once we get a date
[59:54] set with that committee, then I can
reach out to Greenworks and say, "Hey,
[1:00:00] can we get some trees again?"
>> Okay.
[1:00:02] » For next year.
>> That's April.
[1:00:04] » Yeah. It' be next April.
>> Yeah.
[1:00:06] » But what we really want are understory
trees. Last year, what they had was a
[1:00:11] whole lot of oaks, which people did take
and and we managed to give them all
[1:00:16] away. But what people really want are
the understory trees. We have a lot of
[1:00:21] big oaks and elms and tulip poppplers
here in the valley.
[1:00:25] » Not to say that we couldn't add some
more that are slightly more native than
[1:00:29] what we have, but the demand's really
red buds, service berries. Uh
[1:00:34] » so some advanced
>> Yeah. dog woods, that kind of thing. I
[1:00:38] George, do you have any?
>> No, that's true.
[1:00:40] » That's what we ran into last year.
>> So what you're saying
[1:00:43] » were hard to give away.
>> They were hard. They were
[1:00:46] Don't you want an oak to go with that
red bud?
[1:00:49] » The red buds went in five minutes, I
think.
[1:00:50] » I remember that. Yeah,
>> the oaks lasted until 2 o'clock.
[1:00:53] » That's down the road. Okay. All right.
>> The mighty oak.
[1:00:57] » I was not planning on being there till 2
o'clock with trees, but anyway, I was
[1:01:01] okay. So, anyway, just trying to get
things that people actually want.
[1:01:05] » Okay.
>> You know, and if we only get 30, that's
[1:01:08] fine. You know, they're free trees.
>> Okay. But that's down the road. But it's
[1:01:12] good. Advanced planning is good. But if
we tell them now, then they can
[1:01:16] » because they have they have a lot of
people asking for sure they do.
[1:01:20] » So we just need to get in the queue in
the right spot.
[1:01:23] » Okay. Um so that's all the new business
that I had listed. The other thing I
[1:01:27] would add though, we do have some money
still. Uh the tree board, if anybody has
[1:01:32] any ideas how to want to spend it on new
literature, handouts, we have money.
[1:01:37] » Okay.
>> About $400.
[1:01:38] » Okay.
>> And if there's some new pieces of
[1:01:40] information we want to produce,
We can. We have the money to do that.
[1:01:47] » And that's what the banner
>> The banner got paid for. Yeah. Yeah. The
[1:01:51] banner.
>> Nice banner.
[1:01:52] » Yeah. Yeah. Very nice.
>> Where's the banner?
[1:01:55] » Yeah, it is currently in my basement.
>> Okay, great. We know where it is. It
[1:01:58] didn't get block away. Okay, great.
Okay, good.
[1:02:01] » Along with the box of stuff
>> and maybe we can use some handouts for
[1:02:04] this Montre uh wilderness day if we
think we need some new literature or
[1:02:08] something. Yeah.
>> About the tree board itself. Maybe one
[1:02:11] sheet. Okay.
All right. Anybody have any other new
[1:02:15] business?
>> Okay. All right. All right. We'll skip
[1:02:19] over public works because he didn't make
it today and commissioner is not here.
[1:02:24] So, Tyler, anything going on in the
inventory world?
[1:02:28] » I have heard from I heard
when it's going to be working on the
[1:02:36] graveyard born area clearing the dead
tree down. But I don't know
[1:02:44] when that's actually going to be. I
thought it was going to be done a couple
[1:02:48] weeks ago when they had the big machine
to do the stuff, but no one else bring
[1:02:53] the stuff though. I don't know exactly
when it's exactly all going to happen.
[1:03:02] » There's there's a big dead hemlock
partway up assembly
[1:03:08] on the west side, not the Flat Creek
side. You see it when you're driving
[1:03:11] down assembly. You see the big trunk. I
don't know if that's a town tree or a
[1:03:16] resident tree
>> on that side of the walkway.
[1:03:20] » Yeah, that I don't know. I just see the
trunk. You know what do you call the
[1:03:25] stand or whatever the
>> it's it's a big old I'm pretty sure it's
[1:03:29] a himmlock that died. You'll see it.
>> But if it's on private land, then that's
[1:03:35] one that Barry
>> Yeah. Yeah,
[1:03:36] » like in the ordinance, Barry can go to
the people and say, "Hey, you need to
[1:03:39] remove this cuz if it falls,
>> it's going to take out power lines or
[1:03:43] whatever." You know, it'll go across
Assembly Drive.
[1:03:46] » But then that's where it comes to thing.
Why am I going to pay?
[1:03:51] » No. No. Not that he have it cut as a
homeowner. Then if it falls and hit the
[1:03:56] power line, the power line people have
to take care of it.
[1:04:00] » Yeah. Not going there. So to them to
have no power for two hours and to pay
[1:04:07] $1,000 or whatever to have it taken
down. That's the way people are going to
[1:04:13] look at it
>> unless it's going to hit the house then
[1:04:17] they'll say okay. But anything else
they're just going to let it be.
[1:04:22] » Okay.
>> So my question just as a resident like
[1:04:26] Flat Creek's got a lot of limbs going
across the tree. that he's just going to
[1:04:31] leave them. That that's called nature.
The ones that have just fallen into the
[1:04:35] creek from the storm.
>> Well,
[1:04:37] » and we're going to have storms come in
and out.
[1:04:40] » I mean, that just is that I mean I'm I'm
just saying that that's nature and we
[1:04:44] just leave it and it and
I'm just curious.
[1:04:49] » That's somewhat debatable. Um, from my
perspective,
[1:04:55] uh, I've been spending a lot of time
trying to renovate the wildflower
[1:04:59] garden, which most that I've discovered
that there are many people in Montre
[1:05:05] don't even know exists.
>> Where? Tell me, where is wildflower
[1:05:08] garden? There's another one.
>> It is on the east side of the list.
[1:05:12] » It's on the other side of the colum.
>> It's on the other side of the
[1:05:15] columbarium and straight and goes up the
named path. Some people call it
[1:05:21] Elizabeth's path. Some call it the gate
path and it goes on goes on up that
[1:05:27] direction. Probably it peters out toward
the pump station that's up there. Um
[1:05:34] » is that a private a personal project of
yours or is that part of a land care?
[1:05:39] » It's part of the green space.
>> The green. Okay. But um
[1:05:45] part of the arrangement I have with
Barry and and um
[1:05:51] what's her name down here? Um I
Savannah. I don't get my feet wet
[1:05:58] because theoretically
it's against the law to get your feet
[1:06:02] wet.
>> So I've been removing stuff and putting
[1:06:06] it in a place where Barry's crew can get
to it and make it disappear. make what
[1:06:11] disappear?
>> The dead the dead material. Oh, okay.
[1:06:14] The dead material. Okay. The storm
damage.
[1:06:18] » So,
>> is the wildflower garden still there now
[1:06:21] as he speak?
>> Uh half of it still there.
[1:06:25] » Half of it gone.
>> Yes.
[1:06:27] » Um
>> half is still there.
[1:06:29] » Lower the lower half is gone,
>> but the upper level is gone. There's
[1:06:35] about a
three and a half to five foot grade
[1:06:40] change between normal water and the
upland. Uh that that side of the bank
[1:06:46] didn't get cut out too badly
>> whereas the memorial garden side got
[1:06:51] really ripped out.
[1:06:56] » Interesting. Wow. I didn't know that.
>> Anyway, it's just part of my playground.
[1:07:01] » Okay. Interesting.
Okay. I appreciate how much you play on
[1:07:06] the playground.
>> Yeah, that's beautiful.
[1:07:08] » Hours and hours and hours. So, the the
there was going to be a core of engineer
[1:07:14] project that was going to go somewhat up
flat creek, but I they haven't shown up.
[1:07:20] It's been discussed in council meeting.
I think I don't think they're going to
[1:07:24] get up here. So I think the the major
blockages to culverts and such Barry has
[1:07:32] taken care of or they took care of
immediately after the storm. Otherwise,
[1:07:36] there's just trees and stuff across the
creek that I personally don't think I
[1:07:41] think it's going to be nature.
>> Nature. Okay, fine. And now that we're
[1:07:45] out of an emergency situation, the rules
about dealing with that stuff come under
[1:07:51] the massive flood plane flood flat creek
water condition type stuff.
[1:07:57] » So this is just a point of information.
I know it seems like some of the creek
[1:08:00] is not as deep as it used to be.
>> Oh lord. Yeah.
[1:08:03] » Is that correct?
>> Oh yeah.
[1:08:04] » So that means it would flood easier as
we have a heavier rain or
[1:08:08] » No, actually it won't. It'll the flood
plane is what's gotten wider. Okay.
[1:08:14] » Uh and so the water that normal flow of
water is spread over a larger distance.
[1:08:19] So when you spread it over a larger
distance, you
[1:08:23] » decrease its depth.
>> Okay.
[1:08:25] » Which is why it looks so funky right
now. It looks like the water is just
[1:08:29] kind of trickling along. But it's normal
flow.
[1:08:32] » Normal. Oh, normal flow. Just a wider
area.
[1:08:35] » The flood plane is just stretched out so
much.
[1:08:39] So the flood plane goes up to and how
does it generally it goes from the
[1:08:45] obviously the creek does it go on to
like Assembly Drive the flood plane or
[1:08:49] » probably does theoretically
>> the government your government not mine
[1:08:56] the government draws flood planes with a
black magic marker.
[1:09:03] For instance,
>> when I bought my house in Rock Hill,
[1:09:08] according to the flood plane map, it was
in the flood plane. And the insurance
[1:09:13] company questioned it. My house in Rock
Hill was 30 feet above mean flow of the
[1:09:21] creek. 30 feet
>> above
[1:09:25] » above mean flow. And it was in a flood
plane.
[1:09:28] » Right?
>> Come on now, folks. That ain't very
[1:09:31] reasonable. Now, this isn't Nepal. This
is Rock Hill, South Carolina.
[1:09:35] » Right. Okay.
>> I mean,
[1:09:39] anyway, the insurance company agreed
that Yeah. You know what? I don't think
[1:09:43] we need to worry about flood insurance.
>> Right.
[1:09:46] » Right.
>> So, that's what they did here. When they
[1:09:50] when they redid the flood plane, they
followed the what happened after
[1:09:55] » Helen,
>> which kind of makes sense.
[1:10:02] interesting
>> reasonably. I don't believe it's going
[1:10:04] to happen again, but you never can tell.
>> At least not in our lifetime.
[1:10:08] » And in the way weather conditions are
going right now, there is I don't know a
[1:10:14] credible weather source that is
confident in what's going on in weather
[1:10:20] prediction right now. Right.
>> Okay.
[1:10:25] » And here's Hawaii having its first
hurricane.
[1:10:28] » All right. Any other announcements? from
the board. Okay,
[1:10:32] » we've got a lot of work to do. Okay. All
right. Next meeting is Tuesday, October
[1:10:38] 13th at 9 a.m.
No further business. Motion to adjourn.
[1:10:45] » So move.
>> Okay. Thank second
[1:10:48] » because we don't need one, but it seems
we are adjourned. Thank you. Oh, okay.
[1:10:53] So, a lot of followup here today and
it's all good stuff. Thank you.