URBAN FORESTRY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING

APPROVED MINUTES

 

 

ORDER OF BUSINESS

 

1.    Call to Order and Roll Call.  The Urban Forestry Council meeting convened at 6:08 p.m.  Present: Chair D’Agostino, Vice-Chair Hillson, Members Buck, Costello, Muraoka, Sherwin, Sider, and Sutherland; Absent: Member Sullivan; Excused: Members Barrow, Flanagan, Hillan, and Vargas.

 

2.    Adoption of Minutes of the September 23, 2011 Urban Forestry Council Regular Meeting. (Explanatory Document:  September 23, 2011 Draft and Approved Minutes) (Discussion and Action) Upon Motion by Vice-Chair Hillson, second by Member Sutherland, the September 23, 2011 Meeting Minutes were approved without objection.  (AYES:  Chair D’Agostino, Vice-Chair Hillson, Members Buck, Costello, Sherwin, Sider, and Sutherland; Absent:  Members Flanagan, Hillan, Sullivan and Vargas)

 

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.      City and County of San Francisco Legislative Process.  (Explanatory Document:  Legislative Handbook) Sponsor:  Chair D’Agostino, Speaker: Guillermo Rodriguez, Department of the Environment (Informational Presentation and Discussion)

 

Mr. Guillermo Rodriguez reported on his work at the Department of the Environment managing the Department’s policy agenda and communications and interacting with Department of the Environment staff, Board of Supervisors and local, state and national agencies.  Mr. Rodriguez discussed the local legislative process and efforts that go into developing and moving public policy forward in San Francisco through Ordinances, Resolutions, Motions, the influence of the media, Boards and Commissions, City Departments, and policy advocates.  He referred Council Members to the mechanics of the process that can be found in the Legislative Handbook explanatory document.  Additional topics of discussion included the work that should be accomplished in order to advance ideas forward through researching best practices, activities of other jurisdictions, impact on stakeholders, costs, timeline, identifying who would be responsible, and providing direction on implementation.

 

Mr. Rodriguez discussed the different role of regulatory, advisory, and policy Commissions and the Controller’s Office role in providing feasibility reports on costs associated with public policy.  He explained that the Council’s responsibility is to decide what ideas it would like to introduce, prioritize activities, and then consider the mechanics.  Chair D’Agostino suggested that the Council discuss the legislative process at its December meeting as a way to frame the conversation for identifying actions items on projects.    

 

5.    Review and Approval of Draft Resolution File 2011-09-UFC amending the Urban Forestry Council Bylaws to change the meeting schedule of the Urban Forestry Council Planning and Funding Committee.  Sponsor and Speaker:  Chair D’Agostino (Explanatory Documents:  Draft and Final Resolution 009-11-UFC, Notice of Proposed Bylaws, Amended Bylaws) (Discussion and Action)

 

Upon Motion by Member Sutherland, second by Member Sider, Draft Resolution File 2011-09-UFC amending the Urban Forestry Council Bylaws to change the meeting schedule of the Urban Forestry Council Planning and Funding Committee from the third Thursday of each month from 4:15 p.m. - 5:45 p.m. to the first Monday of each month starting at 4:00 p.m. with the exception of November has been approved.  There will not be a meeting of the Committee in November. (AYES:  Chair D’Agostino, Vice-Chair Hillson, Members Buck, Costello, Sherwin, Sider, and Sutherland; Absent:  Members Flanagan, Hillan, Sullivan and Vargas)

 

6.    Review of Urban Forestry Council Annual Work Plan Meeting Framework. (Explanatory Document:  Urban Forestry Council Prioritized Work Plan Goals) (Continued from the September 23, 2011 Meeting) (Informational Report and Discussion)

 

Chair D’Agostino reported that the Planning and Funding Committee reviewed the Urban Forestry Council Prioritized Work Plan Goals at its October 17 meeting.  She explained that there are three highest-priority goals listed on page one of the explanatory document, and “wild card” topics to consider adding to the three highest-ranked goals on the second page.  She reported that the Council has two ongoing annual deliverables of reviewing the Recommended Street Tree List and preparation of the Annual Urban Forest Report. 

 

Chair D’Agostino acknowledged the Council’s achievements from last year that include (1) reducing the full Council meeting schedule by creating working groups.  This resulted in savings of staff and volunteer time and resources; (2) beginning to reorganize the Recommended Street Tree List into a more organized user-friendly pamphlet; (3) refining Annual Report questions and identifying ways to gather a database of information; (4) identifying and reviewing major plans, e.g. Bus Rapid Transit and Recreation and Open Space Element; (5) not organizing and holding an annual pruning workshop in order to focus activities more related to Urban Forestry Council work; and (6) filling Council member seats and working cooperatively with members.

 

Chair D’Agostino reviewed goals from last year (1) to increase visibility and communication to increase Council credibility and influence with key decision makers; and (2) to educate the public and activate/empower citizen groups.  Council Members were asked to consider whether to move these goals forward to the coming year.  Council Members discussed whether Work Plan Goal 10 to “Advise the Mayor, Board of Supervisors, City departments and Commissions on urban forestry concerns” should be moved to the first prioritized list of goals or should be considered an action item for each of the highest-ranked goals. Chair D’Agostino moved, second by Member Sherwin that the Council focus on the three highest-ranked goals at its December 9 meeting and discuss moving forward the goal from last year embodied in Goal10.  The Council would also brainstorm achievable action items for moving goals forward in the coming year.  (AYES: Chair D’Agostino, Vice-Chair Hillson, Members Buck, Costello, Sherwin, Sider, and Sutherland; Absent:  Members Flanagan, Hillan, Sullivan and Vargas)

 

7.    Staff Report.  Staff will provide updates on Urban Forestry Council administrative and programmatic operations relating to research, planning, funding, outreach, and other related activities. (Informational Report and Discussion).

 

Chair D’Agostino provided a staff report on the status of the Urban Forest Council Annual Report during the Planning and Funding Committee report agenda item.

 

8.    Committee Reports: (Informational Reports and Discussion)

Planning & Funding Committee. Chair’s Report on the October 17, 2011 meeting. The next meeting date and time to be announced.  

 

Chair D’Agostino substituted as Chair for Committee Chair Buck at the October 17 meeting.  She reported that the Planning and Funding Committee discussed the Annual Work Plan framework, reviewed and continued for discussion an annual review of the Council Bylaws, and discussed the status of the Urban Forest Annual Report.  She reported that the Committee suggested extending the September timeline for submission of the report in order to allow more time for agency response and to produce a better quality report.  In addition, a new survey was sent to groups that are more policy-based and do not directly work on trees. The deadline for receipt of responses was extended to November 10^th or 11.  A Work Group will be formed to review responses during the last week of November or first week of December.  The Council will hold a discussion on the information that has been gathered for the Annual Report at its December 9 meeting. 

Landmark Tree Ad Hoc Committee Report.  The Landmark Tree Committee did not meet in September or October.  A report was not issued at this time.

 

9.  Chair’s Announcements: Chair, Urban Forestry Council (Information and Discussion).  No Chair’s announcements were made at this time.

 

10.  Urban Forestry Council Member Announcements. (Information and Discussion)

 

Member Buck announced that Council Members were sent an email with information on the Department of Public Work’s (DPW) monthly tree removal and administrative hearings.  He reported that DPW has created a temporary position to enforce Article 11 of the Urban Forest Ordinance that will be funded through fines that are issued.  There will now be two meetings each month instead of one because of the number of violations and schedule backlog.  Member Buck announced that fines were upheld for trees that were excessively pruned to allow for billboard viewing.  He asked Council members to call in tree violations to 311.  Member Hillson suggested that DPW archive hearing results.  She inquired whether DPW has received applications to remove trees in order to install AT&T boxes.   Member Buck stated that he was unaware of applications received for these installations.    

 

Member Costello asked that a transcript of Mr. Rodriguez’s presentation on the legislative process be prepared as a guide for the Council.  Chair D’Agostino stated that she would prepare a distillation that she would ask Mr. Rodriguez to review.

 

11.  New Business/Future Agenda Items. (Information and Discussion)  Chair D’Agostino suggested that Council members consider opportunities to engage with agencies on other urban forestry issues such as climate and stormwater.  She suggested that the December meeting include a discussion on what issues agencies other than the Board of Supervisors and Mayor are working on that are important and relevant to Urban Forestry Council work.

 

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 7:45 p.m.

 

The next meeting of the Urban Forestry Council is scheduled for Friday, December 9, 2011 at 8:30 a.m., Room 400, San Francisco 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.