URBAN FORESTRY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING

APPROVED MINUTES

 

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2011, 8:30 A.M.

 

1.      Call to Order and Roll Call.  The Urban Forestry Council meeting convened at 8:40 a.m.  Present:  Council Chair D’Agostino, Council Members Cohen (8:43), Hillan, Hillson, Milne, Sherk (8:48), Sider and Vargas.  Advisory Members Present:  Members Barrow and Muraoka.  Excused:  Council Vice-President Buck and Council Member Costello.

 

2.      Adoption of Minutes of the December 10, 2010 Urban Forestry Council Regular Meeting. (Explanatory Document:  December 10, 2010 Draft and Approved Minutes) (Discussion and Action)  Upon Motion by Chair D’Agostino, second by Chair D’Agostino, second by Member Hillan the December 10, 2010 meeting minutes were approved with corrections.  (AYES: Chair D’Agostino, Council Members Cohen, Hillan, Hillson, Milne, Sider and Vargas; Absent:  Council Members Buck, Costello and Sherk)

 

3.      Public Comment:  Members of the public may address the Council on matters that are within the Council’s jurisdiction and are not on today’s agenda.  There were no members of the public present at this time.

 

4.      Review and make Recommendations for Annual Updates to the Recommended Street Tree List for 2011. (Explanatory Document:  2010 Recommended Street Tree List) (Discussion and Possible Action)  Council Coordinator Hui reported that the Planning and Funding Committee has proposed creating a working group to review the current Recommended Street Tree List that would include representation by Friends of the Urban Forest.  Council members were asked to report on their interest in joining the group and provide their written comments to Council Chair D’Agostino and Council Coordinator Hui.  The working group is scheduled to meet the week of February 7^th in order to provide updates for discussion at the next Planning and Funding Committee meeting on February 17.   

 

Items 6 – 11 were heard before Item 5.

 

5.      Urban Forestry Council Goals for 2011. The Council discussed identifying three high-priority achievable goals for 2011. (Explanatory Documents: Urban Forestry Council Strategic Planning Retreat Outcomes and Next Steps, San Francisco Urban Forestry Council Bylaws, with an emphasis on Article I, Section 4: Purpose and Responsibilities and Article 8, Section 5: The Planning and Funding Committee.) Sponsor:  Member Costello (Discussion and Possible Action)

 

Council Members discussed their ideas for 2011 goals that include:

·         Educate and outreach to the public on sound and sustainable pruning practices and the importance and value of planting and maintaining trees.  Recognize sound and unsound pruning practices by developing criteria and process for nominating a favorite and worst tree of the month, identify ways to report and issue violations, and leverage other City agency efforts to further this goal. Develop an information guide-sheet for the Police Department on how to handle violations.  Identify strategies for Council member outreach and education campaigns.

·         Increasing engagement in other public plantings in addition to Arbor Day.

·         Work with City agencies to change the default size of the space that trees are planted in.

·         Increase Council visibility by targeting City agencies and the Mayor’s Office.

·         Preserve trees during construction.

·         Amend the Landmark Tree Ordinance to include groups and groves of trees.

·         Attend meetings prepared in response to documents sent out in advance.

·         As part of an education component, identify obstacles to street tree planting and prepare recommendations to overcome obstacles.  Work on public perception against street trees. 

·         Include the cost and benefits of trees in the Urban Forest Plan.  Quantify the cost on a per household basis so it can be programmed and funded. The Council should work with the Planning Department so it is clear to the public what the benefits of street trees are relative to cost.     

·         Work with schools and students to engage in the planting and maintenance of trees as part of their curriculum.

 

Council Member Sider motioned, second by Member Hillan, to adopt as one of the three goals for 2011: to enhance outreach to the public with respect to proper and improper pruning practices and adopt guiding principles to do so as proposed by Member Muraoka (1) creating criteria and process for nominating a best and worst tree of the month; (2) developing the information guide sheet for the Police Department on how to handle tree violations.  Member Muraoka proposed that the second goal should be to work on landmarking groups and groves of trees. (AYES: Chair D’Agostino, Council Members Cohen, Hillan, Hillson, Milne, Sherk, Sider and Vargas; Absent: Council Members Buck and Costello)

 

6.      Approval of Draft Resolution File No. 2011-01-UFC commending Jocelyn Cohen for her service to the Urban Forestry Council. (Explanatory Document:  Draft and Final Resolution File No. 2011-01-UFC) (Discussion and Action)

 

Council Member Milne read Draft Resolution File No. 2011-01-UFC commending Council Member Jocelyn Cohen for her service to the City and County’s Urban Forestry Council and improving San Francisco’s urban forest into the record.  Upon Motion by Council Chair D’Agostino, second by Council Member Sider, Draft Resolution File No. 2011-01-UFC was approved with an amendment to add Member Cohen’s seat representation to the Resolution. (AYES: Chair D’Agostino, Council Members Cohen, Hillan, Hillson, Milne, Sherk, Sider and Vargas; Absent:  Council Members Buck and Costello)

 

7.      Staff Report.  Council Coordinator Hui provided updates on Urban Forestry Council administrative and programmatic operations relating to research, planning, funding, outreach, and other related activities that include: (Informational Report and Discussion)  

• Fundraising: A street tree planting proposal was submitted to EcoMedia.  A grant proposal is in the final round with CalFire for a citywide fruit tree and gleaning program in partnership with the Recreation and Park Department, Department of Public Works and Department of Public Health. The Planning Department’s grant proposal is also in the final round to prepare an inventory of street trees as part of the Urban Forest Master Plan process.  Council Member Sider asked Council Coordinator Hui to confirm with Planning Department staff that EcoMedia’s advertising practices are in compliance with Propositions G and I advertising bans on public and private properties.
• Arbor Day is scheduled for March 12 in District 1. Council Members were asked to start discussions about their interest in Arbor Day.
• Council Members were asked to provide their comments on the Treasure Island Development Authority Draft Sustainability Plan and schedule a discussion when it becomes a public process. 
• Council appointments are tentatively scheduled to be heard at the Board of Supervisors Rules Committee in February.
• The San Francisco Foundation is funding staff time and the Local Carbon Fund is funding materials for planting trees at Quesada Gardens. There will be a planting of 25 trees at the Botanical Children’s Garden on February 3, 2011 from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.  Council Members were invited to join in the volunteer effort.

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8.      Committee Reports: (Informational Reports and Discussion)

Planning & Funding Committee. The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 17, 2011, 4:15 p.m. at City Hall, Room 421. 

 

Council Chair D’Agostino reported that the Planning and Funding Committee at their January 20 meeting discussed (1) the Recommended Street Tree List; (2) watershed management, which was discussed and continued to the February 17 meeting; and (3) Urban Forestry Council goals for 2011. Council Coordinator Hui reported that relative to watershed management, the Planning and Funding Committee discussed planning for greening projects, climate change, and how to prepare for large storm events.  Requests will be made to (1) the Department of Public Works to present on their Gray to Green program at either the February or March full Council meeting, and (2) the Department of the Environment’s Climate Action Coordinator, to present on greening planning for climate change.

 

Council Member Sherk discussed her interest in the Council holding future discussions about watersheds and opportunities for developing the urban forest as it relates to a riparian or drought tolerant environment and day-lighting creeks.  Council Member Muraoka suggested that the Public Utilities Commission present on their watershed project to the Council.   

Landmark Tree Ad Hoc Committee Report.  The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 8, 2011, 4:00 p.m. at City Hall, Room 421.  Landmark Tree Ad Hoc Committee Chair Hillan reported that there are no trees before the Committee to be considered for landmark status at this time.  The Committee met on January 11 to work on proposed amendments made by Member Cohen with input by Member Hillson to the Landmark Tree Ordinance to adopt language to make it possible to landmark groups and groves of trees.  Member Vargas will be working on identifying criteria for landmark groves and groups of trees that will be discussed at the February 8 Landmark Tree Ad Hoc Committee meeting.   

9.      Chair’s Announcements: Chair, Urban Forestry Council (Information and Discussion) Council Chair D’Agostino reported that she had met with Council Member Sider and Council Member Emeritus Rodgers to discuss the Tree Disclosure Statement process and next steps.  She asked that the Council consider as one of their goals how to enhance communication with new and existing Council members in order to ensure members feel valued and welcome.    

 

10.  Urban Forestry Council Member Announcements. (Information and Discussion)  Council Member Sherk reported on recent plantings at St. Mary’s and Holly Parks of almost 200 California native trees as part of the Bernal Heights Living Library Nature walk. Over 600 trees were planted over several years on City agency properties and streets. This is the beginning of what is possible in calling attention to watersheds, in particular the Islais Creek watershed, which links at least 11 communities in San Francisco. 

 

Council Chair D’Agostino reported that this agenda item is a placeholder for Council Members to announce their participation in conferences.  She discussed her contribution to the California Tree Failure Report, the International Tree Failure Database, and a database she is creating for Redwood City.  She announced the publication of Council Member Costello’s book, Oaks in the Urban Landscape.  

 

11.  New Business/Future Agenda Items. (Information and Discussion) Council Chair D’Agostino stated that a request would be made to the Deputy City Attorney to schedule a presentation on the legislative process.  Council Coordinator Hui reported that the Department of the Environment is going through a website redesign process and asked Council members for their feedback.  She asked Council Members to submit ideas for establishing criteria for the best and worst tree of the month campaign and the information guide-sheet for the Police Department on how to handle tree violations before the February 17, 2011 Planning and Funding Committee so that these topics can be forwarded to the full Council for discussion at their February 22, 2011 meeting.

 

12.  Public Comment:  Members of the public may address the Council on matters that are within the Council’s jurisdiction and are not on today’s agenda.  There were no members of the public present at this time.

 

13.  Adjournment.  The Urban Forestry Council meeting adjourned at 10:17 a.m.

 

The next meeting of the Urban Forestry Council is scheduled for Tuesday, February 22, 2011, at 6:00 p.m. in Room 416, City Hall.

Copies of explanatory documents are available to the public at the Department of Environment, 11 Grove Street, San Francisco, California between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., upon request to the Council Secretary at the above address or telephone number 415-355-3709 or via e-mail at [email protected].  Explanatory documents are also available at the Council’s meeting or agenda website https://sites.google.com/a/sfenvironment.org/commission/urban-forestry-council as attachments with each agenda or meeting minutes.