[15:12] Welcome everybody. I'd like to call to

[15:14] order the tree commission for Thursday,

[15:16] March 5th, 2026. First item on the

[15:18] agenda is roll call. Um we'll go around

[15:22] and just introduce ourselves. Joe, you

[15:24] want to start us off?

[15:24] » Joe Saleam, city engineer

[15:27] » Leaking off. Uh, Commissioner Jordi

[15:29] Vite, Commissioner Miriam Waldner,

[15:32] Commissioner

[15:33] » Joey Schugle, Park and Recreation

[15:34] Director for the City of New. Right.

[15:37] Thank you and welcome everybody. Um,

[15:39] next item on the agenda then is the

[15:41] approval of our agenda. Um,

[15:45] be looking for a motion and second.

[15:47] » Second.

[15:48] » A motion.

[15:49] » Okay.

[15:49] » Second.

[15:50] » Okay. Motion and second to approve our

[15:52] agenda. Any other questions or

[15:54] discussion?

[15:56] All in favor say I.

[15:57] » I.

[15:58] » I.

[15:58] » Approve. Motion carries.

[16:01] Um, next item on the agenda then is the

[16:03] approval of minutes. Um, and we did not

[16:06] have a January meeting, so it's looking

[16:08] for the minutes for November 6. Um,

[16:11] anybody have any questions or changes?

[16:16] » No. And I make a [snorts] motion to

[16:18] approve the minutes from the November

[16:20] 6th meeting.

[16:21] » Second. Have a motion and second to

[16:24] approve the minutes from the November

[16:25] 6th, 2025 meeting. Any other questions

[16:28] or discussion? Right. All in favor say

[16:31] I.

[16:31] » I.

[16:32] » Oppos. Motion carries.

[16:34] All right. First item under old business

[16:37] is our city reimbursement program and

[16:40] budget updates. Um Jill, whenever you're

[16:43] ready.

[16:43] » All right. Thank you, Mr. Chair,

[16:45] commission members. Um [clears throat]

[16:47] the 2026 budget was uh budget sheet was

[16:50] included within your agenda packets

[16:52] today. Um the city council did approve

[16:54] the carryover for those unused diseal

[17:00] um that 75,000 that was left in the

[17:02] budget from last year. So right now we

[17:05] are looking at a budget amount available

[17:07] to us of $89,000 um just just over

[17:11] $89,000 but the bulk of bulk of that is

[17:14] earmarked for uh disease tree removal.

[17:21] Okay, thank you. Any questions or

[17:29] no? All right. Um then we will move on

[17:33] to report um park and recck department.

[17:37] » Thank you, Mr. Chair. Commissioners, uh

[17:39] a few items to to update you on. Um

[17:42] first off, there's roughly about 30 ash

[17:45] trees left in on city park property. Uh

[17:48] so that's greatly um reduced from where

[17:51] we started. uh that was due to both

[17:54] contracted removals and our department

[17:56] staff also having uh wherewithal to

[17:59] remove some of those some of those

[18:00] disease trees as well. Uh our goal is to

[18:04] um

[18:07] over the next 1 to two years um

[18:09] hopefully have that number down to only

[18:13] treated. We we do have a few trees that

[18:15] have been treated over the years. If you

[18:17] think about near the German Park

[18:18] amphitheater, we have a couple ash trees

[18:20] that have been treated. um and

[18:23] potentially looking at North Park um in

[18:26] areas where people uh congregate and use

[18:29] shade for watching ball games and stuff

[18:31] like that. So um but that number is

[18:33] expected to um reduce here over this

[18:37] this summer yet again and then

[18:39] potentially um in a couple years we may

[18:42] not have any ash trees in parks. So it

[18:44] just depends on how they react to th

[18:47] those treatments, the ones that are

[18:48] being treated. Uh, additionally on that,

[18:51] uh, our crews are are have have done

[18:53] some trimming over the winter, uh,

[18:55] especially on the on the bike trail and

[18:57] different areas where mowers are

[18:59] impacted. Uh, we'll continue to do that

[19:01] as, uh, weather allows. Uh, it's getting

[19:04] to be a tough time to get in some of the

[19:05] turf areas to do that. Um, but if

[19:09] opportunity presents itself, that will

[19:10] be continued. Um and then I I I wanted

[19:14] to end the report um with just kind of

[19:17] an update on tree commission and some of

[19:20] the things that city council has talked

[19:22] about. And uh I think all of you are are

[19:25] aware that uh there has been some

[19:27] discussion of

[19:31] overall city reduction of commissions.

[19:33] There's 13 city commissions currently

[19:35] and looking at are there ways to not

[19:38] lose what those commissions do but also

[19:41] either merge or or find a a a different

[19:45] avenue to do that uh do that same work

[19:48] that is being done. So um there no

[19:51] decision has been made yet. You know the

[19:53] mayor is is is in charge of city

[19:55] commissions. uh she has asked staff um

[20:00] recommendations or how this could look

[20:04] um if the tree commission wasn't around.

[20:07] And uh one of the things that I did tell

[20:10] her is um as Mayor Ber uh one of the

[20:13] things I had said is the park and rec

[20:16] commission could take on the the

[20:18] business of what the tree commission

[20:20] does with um some placeholders for

[20:24] advisory members and you know um none of

[20:28] those details have been pursued. That

[20:30] would have to be a council action item

[20:31] to to take that. Um but if they would

[20:34] take that route then we'd anticipate

[20:38] inviting those advisory members when

[20:40] there is tree related business to be

[20:42] conducted. So it wouldn't necessarily be

[20:45] every month um but it could be if there

[20:47] is um is that so um I don't know if it's

[20:51] advisory member members what that could

[20:54] potentially look like but um again no

[20:56] decisions been made. It has been talked

[20:58] about at a work session uh to this point

[21:00] and I I think it would is going to come

[21:04] back to council at some point, but

[21:06] that's where we're at as of today, which

[21:08] is March 5th.

[21:09] » Okay.

[21:10] » So, any questions on any of

[21:12] » I'd be interested in

[21:15] joining over, you know. Sure. Yeah.

[21:17] » Great. Yeah. So, and then then if if we

[21:20] do take that step, then we would have to

[21:22] look at what that process looks like.

[21:23] And then and certainly um one thing that

[21:26] I did want to add in that is I

[21:28] appreciate your commitment to this

[21:29] commission. Um and it is important stuff

[21:33] that we're doing um and we do know that

[21:36] we're addressing things outside of parks

[21:39] as well on on this commission. So, that

[21:42] would be something um new for the the

[21:45] park and recck commission.

[21:46] » Sure. So,

[21:48] » So Joey, then I take it the plan is for

[21:51] the ash trees that are currently

[21:53] treated. You're just going to continue

[21:55] with that until there's a point where it

[21:57] doesn't make sense or they start not

[21:58] doing well kind of.

[22:00] » Great question, Mr. Chair. I I think

[22:02] we're looking at um you know, how

[22:04] they're responding each year. You know,

[22:06] every year is a little different. So, um

[22:08] looking at that and if they are

[22:10] continuing to respond, I mean that that

[22:13] is something that we would plan to

[22:14] continue.

[22:15] » Yes.

[22:15] » Okay. Good. Any other questions from any

[22:18] other commissioners?

[22:22] » All right. Um item 5.3, public works

[22:26] update. Um anybody?

[22:27] » Mr. Chair, I do have a couple updates

[22:29] from uh Mr. Huffman and commissioners.

[22:31] Uh so Mr. Huffman uh did just want me,

[22:34] he couldn't be here today, but he did

[22:36] just wanted me to update that his crews

[22:37] were busy trimming over the winter as

[22:40] normal uh conditions um have allowed

[22:44] them to take care of a good number of of

[22:47] uh what they normally hit over a normal

[22:50] winter. Um in addition to stump

[22:53] grinding, I think last meeting and you

[22:55] saw in the meetings they they only had

[22:57] about 30 stumps left. Um

[23:01] they are they do still have some stumps

[23:03] left but they have reduced that number

[23:04] as well. I don't have the exact number.

[23:06] Um but that was the the public works

[23:09] report for today.

[23:11] » Okay. Good.

[23:13] » All right. Um next then would be our

[23:15] private tree service update. Um Tony's

[23:17] not here and I guess Joey doesn't have

[23:19] anything. So we'll move on to item 5.5.

[23:22] Um emerald ashbor update. Joe.

[23:25] » All right. Thank you, Mr. Chair,

[23:26] commission members. our city tree

[23:28] inspector uh Mr. Anderson up in my

[23:30] office uh did update our EAB numbers. So

[23:33] just sharing that and that was it's was

[23:35] also on the budget reimburse um budget

[23:37] form too. You may have seen that. But

[23:39] we're estimating about 273

[23:42] uh boulevard ash trees remaining um

[23:44] within the city and approximately 58 ash

[23:48] trees on city property remain. So we

[23:51] were we submitted that DNR grant. So,

[23:54] uh, unfortunately, we were not, uh,

[23:56] awarded a grant award for the EAB

[23:59] removals, but we will, uh, keep trying.

[24:03] » Yeah. When the next grant opens up next

[24:04] year. So,

[24:06] » Okay. Okay.

[24:07] » I'm assuming too when you're doing your

[24:09] utility construction, [clears throat]

[24:10] if there's ash in those areas, that's

[24:12] kind of focusing as well.

[24:13] » Correct. Yep. Yep. Yeah. If there's uh

[24:16] um, well, you'll see it in 2027 on

[24:19] Garden Street between Center and Fifth.

[24:21] A lot of those trees are in very poor

[24:23] shape. So, that corridor is going to

[24:24] look much different, but we'll get those

[24:26] diseased trees out of out of the roadway

[24:28] corridor there. But, that's standard

[24:30] practice in all uh street and utility

[24:33] reconstructs if we get those bad trees

[24:35] out.

[24:36] » Okay, good. Any other questions?

[24:41] All right, we'll move on to item 5.6

[24:43] then, uh, utility billing information

[24:46] inserts, which is coming up fast.

[24:48] » Yeah. Uh, Mr. Mr. Chair, commissioners,

[24:50] I I think um with this item, uh I think

[24:54] some of the decisions made in new

[24:55] business might impact the the insert,

[24:57] but I um usually our the tree advisory

[25:01] commission's time for the uh utility

[25:03] insert is April. Uh so if there are some

[25:06] decisions to move forward with the big

[25:07] tree contest and potentially do the same

[25:10] thing we did last year as having the

[25:12] disease tree removal program on one side

[25:14] of it as well then um we would just need

[25:17] to make uh some motions under new

[25:20] business to do that and then we would

[25:21] carry that forward in April.

[25:23] » Okay.

[25:24] » Okay. Um with that said then I will move

[25:28] on to new business. Um item 6.1 is the

[25:32] home show. Um we haven't had a meeting,

[25:34] but we typically have done the home show

[25:36] in the past. Um so I guess uh Joy, did

[25:39] you have something you wanted to start

[25:40] us off with?

[25:40] » Yeah. So, Mr. Chair, commissioners, um

[25:44] the home health and recreation show is

[25:46] in your approved budget uh to

[25:48] participate in that. Um there there have

[25:52] been a number of years that the tree

[25:55] commission has been represented. There

[25:56] are also has been some years that the

[25:58] tree commission has not been represented

[25:59] as well. um even with those budgeted

[26:02] dollars in there. Um so the the show is

[26:06] March 27th from 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. and

[26:08] March 28th from 9 to 4:00 p.m. If you

[26:11] recall last year um everyone split up

[26:14] shifts and staffed that and and

[26:16] commissioners have staffed that and

[26:18] obviously you look around the table and

[26:19] there are less commissioners this year.

[26:22] Um, I did talk to our advisory member,

[26:25] Tony Guggisburg, who is also on the

[26:28] planning committee for the home health

[26:29] and recreation show, and he says there

[26:32] are options to have booths that are not

[26:36] staffed as well or a combination of not

[26:39] staffed. And he he also he did make the

[26:41] comment to me that sometimes those

[26:44] unstaffed booths go over better because

[26:47] people will grab the information cuz

[26:49] they're not necessarily pressured. that

[26:50] that came from him, not my opinion. So,

[26:54] um so that is something to think about.

[26:56] That's why uh on this item um if the

[26:58] commission does move forward, uh there

[27:00] isn't certainly pressure to cover all

[27:03] the hours of the home show if there's a

[27:05] desire um or no hours or a hybrid appro

[27:09] approach if

[27:10] » I won't be here that week be around. So,

[27:14] » So

[27:15] » I'll be I [clears throat] I can be

[27:16] around. and I can help set up and tear

[27:18] down and if we do, you know, a couple

[27:21] hours to staff it, we can do that. So,

[27:23] » Yeah. And I'm sure I can get some time

[27:26] in there Friday and or Saturday as well.

[27:31] I guess it's up to the commission what

[27:33] you want to do.

[27:34] » I think we should have a presence there

[27:36] just to promote the uh the the

[27:39] reimbursement program. Again,

[27:41] » That's a good point,

[27:42] » You know, because a lot of people still

[27:44] don't know about it and how it works.

[27:46] So,

[27:46] » And and there are a lot of dollars in

[27:48] the budget, you know, for that program

[27:50] and um

[27:51] » That can help greatly reduce our disease

[27:54] trees.

[27:54] » There's yeah, still a lot of ash trees

[27:57] to work on and boulevards and that. So,

[28:01] » So if there is a desire, we would we

[28:03] would need a motion for that. And then

[28:04] if that is the case, then staff would go

[28:06] forward and get us registered for that

[28:09] event.

[28:10] I'll make a motion that we uh

[28:12] participate in the uh home and health

[28:15] and recreation show March 27th and 28th.

[28:18] » Second. Okay. Have a motion and second

[28:20] to participate in the 2026 home health

[28:23] and recreation show in March. Any other

[28:26] questions or discussion?

[28:28] » Right. All in favor say I.

[28:29] » I.

[28:30] » Opposed. Motion carries.

[28:32] Um do we need to before I move on to

[28:35] 6.2, two. Do we need to talk about um

[28:39] information and that stuff that we want

[28:41] there

[28:42] or you want to

[28:44] » Commissioners if you're if you're

[28:46] comfortable with um a lot of the

[28:48] materials that we've done in the past

[28:50] within reason within budget. Um you do

[28:53] have budgeted dollars for printing costs

[28:55] as well um in our approved 2026 budget.

[29:00] um that normally what we would do is do

[29:04] the utility insert and also materials

[29:07] for the home show at the same time. Uh

[29:09] since timing lines up and uh

[29:13] and banners and things like that, uh I

[29:16] can provide it set up, too. So, I'm

[29:18] happy to

[29:19] start to work on some of that if if

[29:21] that's a desire of the commission.

[29:23] » That would work for us.

[29:24] » Yep. Yep. Sounds good. All right. Thank

[29:27] you. Um then kind of along that lines,

[29:30] one of our annual things is the big tree

[29:32] contest. So item 6.2.

[29:34] Um looks like submissions are due by

[29:36] July 31st, 2026. But we also need to

[29:40] decide on a spec species. Yes. Um so in

[29:44] your agenda was the list of previous

[29:46] species from 2009 to 2025 along with

[29:51] some of the number of submissions. So

[29:53] some of the recents uh from 2025 was

[29:56] GKO. Then we did elm in 2024, river

[30:00] birch in 2023, hickory in 2022, Kentucky

[30:04] coffee tree in 2021.

[30:06] Um, and then Ohio Buckeye would be 2020,

[30:10] just as a refresher.

[30:28] So,

[30:31] have any ideas on what we want to do

[30:33] this year? Obviously, we're going to be

[30:35] doing probably repeating something we've

[30:37] done in the past, but

[30:39] » Yeah, I think we will be repeating

[30:42] um

[30:44] we have not done it does not and any

[30:46] anybody can correct me if I'm misreading

[30:48] quickly looking at this, but we have not

[30:50] done like oak, maple, hackberry.

[30:52] » I was going to say hackberry.

[30:55] » Yeah.

[30:57] » Okay, we can do hackberry.

[30:59] » Hackberry. Okay. All right. I think so.

[31:02] Um, [clears throat] so then we would be

[31:03] looking for a motion on the species for

[31:06] the big tree contest.

[31:11] » Hi. [laughter]

[31:14] » Back and forth. I'll make a motion that

[31:16] we uh

[31:17] » Pick hackberry for the 2026 uh big tree

[31:21] contest.

[31:23] » Okay. And you second. All right. So, we

[31:25] have a motion and second for hackberry

[31:27] to be the tree species for the 2026 big

[31:30] tree contest. That would be a good one.

[31:32] [snorts]

[31:32] » Any other questions or discussion?

[31:34] » And normally Mr. Anderson prepares those

[31:36] materials for that uh

[31:38] » Yep.

[31:38] » For that contest. So, he would hopefully

[31:41] start working on that so we can

[31:43] » Have those available for print for the

[31:44] insert and a home show.

[31:46] » You can email Jeff. You know, I'll be

[31:48] out next week. Yep. You'll be able to

[31:49] take care of it. No problem.

[31:50] » Needs help or anything, just, you know,

[31:53] feel free to reach out as well. So, yep.

[31:55] Okay. Um, so have a motion and second.

[31:58] Any other questions or discussion? All

[32:01] right. All in favor say I.

[32:03] » I.

[32:04] » I.

[32:04] » Motion carried.

[32:07] Um, continuing on then with new business

[32:10] um would be we 6.3 the tree walk program

[32:15] um which we did last year. Um so I guess

[32:18] we're looking for some discussion. Is

[32:19] there interest?

[32:23] Joy looks like you have something to

[32:24] say. [laughter]

[32:25] » Mr. Chair, Commissioner. Well, um I

[32:28] haven't heard recently from the League

[32:30] of Women Voters on this. Um I know they

[32:33] uh they really spearheaded getting this

[32:35] program started. Um at our last meeting

[32:39] in November, there was some interest in

[32:41] potentially doing that again. Uh but

[32:44] again, it's totally up to this

[32:45] commission on if

[32:48] if able um to to look at a program, but

[32:52] we don't need to make a decision today.

[32:54] Uh uh as of now we do have a meeting

[32:57] scheduled in May again which could be a

[33:00] nice timeline to implement something if

[33:02] there was interest. So really looking

[33:04] for that today.

[33:05] » I think maybe we should see if the

[33:07] League of Women Voters are interested in

[33:09] doing it again.

[33:10] » You know somebody can get in contact

[33:12] with them and uh see if they want to do

[33:14] it and we can talk about that in May if

[33:16] we have a meeting.

[33:18] » Yep.

[33:22] » I think that's a good idea.

[33:23] » Okay. Yeah.

[33:25] » Yep.

[33:26] » No motion or nothing for that. I'll get

[33:29] on that one.

[33:30] » All right. Um item 6.4 then be

[33:34] commissioner reports. Anybody else have

[33:38] anything else to add?

[33:42] Nope. All right. Um then the date of our

[33:46] next meeting would be May again. Um I

[33:49] forgot to look at the date. I think

[33:51] Jill's going to look at that. um at 400

[33:53] p.m. I'll wait for him to grab the date.

[33:58] » That would be Thursday, May 7th.

[34:01] » May 7th. So, next day we're meeting th

[34:03] Thursday, May 7th at 4 p.m. here in the

[34:06] city council chambers. Um otherwise,

[34:09] that is everything for today. So, thank

[34:11] everybody for coming. Um and we are

[34:14] adjourned.

March 5, 2026 New Ulm Tree Advisory Commission Meeting

Transcript