Tree Board - Regular Meeting

To order, and let's start with the pledge of allegiance. We need to call attendance or can you take it for visually?

Well, let's see. We have,

I think we're only missing Kimberly.

Missing Kimberly. Okay. Calling for approval of the minutes. Have you all read through the minutes? Are there any additions or corrections?

No. I'll make a motion to accept the minutes as presented for June 4.

I second.

I'll second it.

All in favor.

Aye.

Unanimously carries. Okay, staff updates. All

right. So I've

got my updates. There's a couple of spreadsheets in the packet there. I have my removals and I have my tree plantings. So if you flip to the spreadsheet in the agenda packet, there's an Excel spreadsheet in there with the recent plantings. I've updated that to include the project on Big Blue. It includes the plantings at the Moncada property, which is the extension of Section 24, the majority of Stoneman Douglas Preserve. And it also includes everything that we've planted in the village. So it should be all updated on the spreadsheet.

Any questions about that?

No, I think it's excellent that there's more plantings.

Yeah, there's more to do. We still have one in September and we're shooting for about 1,100 pines.

That's great.

I'm sorry, 1,100.

1,100, correct. Yeah, 1,100 pines is what we're aiming for. I have reserved for our September planting with the Garden Club and that's going to go out at the Majority Stoneman Douglas Preserve in that new section.

Okay. How far along are you in the planting for Mercado?

So the

But based on what you expected to do this year?

Well, when they when they pulled the funding for that $750,000 worth of tree installations, it kind of set us back a little bit as far as tree plantings out there. Everything has been done that they're going to do. And now the property will be handed over to the village of Wellington, and we can start planting our own trees in there. So I've just applied for a $350,000 grant from the Arbor Day Foundation to put another almost 800 trees out there, similar to the ones we planted with the last couple of grants we got. We're talking full size 10 to 12 foot trees, so decent size material.

We've also budgeted $250,000 of village money for next year for planting out So there we've got quite a bit of trees to plant and we're still looking for funding. I think we're going to apply for a couple more grants, but we'll see what we can get for funding for that.

I don't know when the Urban Forestry Council grants go out. They're basically USDA grants.

Yeah, they just sent out a few.

They just sent

those So we're going to apply for a couple more from Department of Agriculture Those handles

are the ones I'm aware of. And I don't know how much of that money was lost.

It was pretty tight for a little while, but they're starting to free up a little bit of money. Okay. I think there was 600,000 or $700,000 worth of funding. So it's a lot less than past years. So I don't know if they're going to be giving out the big chunks, but we're going to apply for a couple of $50,000 grant Any

comments on the tree removals?

I had another question about where are we on the canopy assessment

which? So canopy study, the canopy just got approved. Everything's moving along. So that should be done here by January. The deadline is January for that. So we should have that done here in the next couple of months, but everything's moving along. So the two grants I'm working on now, one is a $50,000 grant to plant more trees and that one is one of the hurricane relief grants. So we'll be planting on Binks Forest and along the back of Pine Trace on that berm where we lost a lot of stuff. Right. So, yeah, those two are going on right now.

The $50,000 one goes to council this week. And then once that's approved, I'll schedule the planting. So that'll happen this month in September. So we'll update the spreadsheet for December when we do our next tree board meeting. And that will have September's numbers on it. So we'll have another 145 trees, plus what we do with the garden club in September at the last Saturday.

May I speak? I'd like to make an announcement when the time is appropriate for the garden club invitation. When should I talk about that, about the tree planting?

We can do that in the comments at the end or

In the comments at the end? Okay.

Pine for the National Public Lands Day, it's pine trees,

right?

It's pine, yeah. Densa pines.

Densas. And then for these new 145

trees? Yeah, that's a ballpark number. I had to add a few trees to make the budget numbers What

is

that come out pines also?

No, that's a mix of seven different species.

Oh, good.

So we'll be doing sables, live oaks. I've got some wild tamarind. I've got green buttonwood. I've got, let's see, pines. I've got the let's see what else. What was the other one? Satin leaf. Speaking yeah, seven

different

of satin leaves, can you spare one to replace that dead one over at the meadow? We can. The satin leaf over there.

I can buy some more.

Very much failing.

Okay. Yeah. No problem. Yeah, can get one for that.

Okay. Let

me make a note. Yeah, we'll get one for there.

And then, well, I'll talk to you later about

I'll try and find a nice one.

Yeah, something maybe with a little height to it. But you think maybe we should move it to a different spot? Or is there something in the soil that might be contaminated with that the way that tree died? We

can dig around when we remove it and see if there's something that could have caused it. Know that area was really compact when we started to get in there and, you know, prep for the garden. Yeah. We had to till it and there was a bunch of like it was like a asphalt path that they had in there at one point. So we kinda milled that all up and mixed it in. Yeah. So maybe some compaction.

Somebody was saying possibly the tree might have been a little pot

bound when you put it in? Well, there was probably a time a period of time where there was no irrigation. It may have been neglected for a little bit. It may have suffered from that. But we can do a little bit of digging around and see if we can find out why.

Perfect. Yes. Since you're already ordering those, maybe Yeah.

Well, I'll I can go pick one up anytime. So Okay. I can get you one of those.

Okay. Beautiful. Thank you.

That won't be associated with the grant, so I can do that, and I can do that anytime.

Okay.

Are there any other staff updates?

Any questions on the spreadsheets to plantings?

We're in full run during the summer, working hard.

Yeah. I've had a lot of grant stuff come through. You know, we did three grants with the Arbor Day Foundation. We finished those up. I have two more I'm working on now. We applied for several for next year. I have a couple more applications that hit my desk yesterday, so we're gonna be trying to find some more funding for a few more areas.

I wanted to ask a question. Is the because our heat was very intense this summer, did we lose any plantings?

No. Most of the stuff has irrigation. There's couple areas that don't, but we tank water. I haven't lost any of the new stuff we installed. I've lost a few random trees around town, a couple of live oaks Okay. Strangely, a couple of pines. I've

noticed the tree crews have been very prevalent in the last thirty days.

Yeah. We've been doing some trimming. My guys have been out doing a lot of trimming. You know, I had a couple of vendors come in and we did some some trimming. Back to school stuff. We we usually do all the low hanging trees and all the stuff around town. Now we're just kinda getting everything ready for season, going around trimming seed pods and and cleaning up.

Okay. Anything else on staff updates? You got your hand up?

Yes, I do. The tree removals page where there were five total trees removed you may have already addressed this, but I may have missed it. It says three Washingtonians in February and two in July and not replaced. That's a long arrow club. Correct.

Yeah. We've had several of those get struck by lightning over the last year or two, and we haven't replaced them. I'd like to come up with some kind of a plan to really replace all those palms. They're getting to the height where they're hard to maintain and some of them got a pretty good lean to them. So they're coming toward the end of their lifespan and we're going to have to come up with a plan to replace those. So I haven't been putting any back in.

Please let us know about that plan before any action

is Yes, that a sensitive subject.

Yes, it is. And it was brought up a couple of years ago, I think. I don't know if you remember, Lisa. To the community, I believe, about replacing those Washingtonians. They're real special to

Yeah, some of that point, it was a no. So we've Yes, We've got would call plan, maybe some artist rendering of what it could look like. And know, at at some point, we're gonna have to pull the trigger on that.

I understand.

And do it. But

Really hard to maintain and and clip to for the hurricane

Taller than 70 feet. Oh, my.

There gets to be a point when Washingtonians get dangerous, not just for the public, but for the people who are working on them.

Mhmm. Some of those swales are kind of on the wet side. You know, we get some of these high winds, even just an afternoon thunderstorm. A lot of them have some lean to them. So, yeah, it's approaching the

time Do they to ever stop growing? Or are they just going

go

up No. Into the

They grow up, and they just keep right on going until they fail.

To the clouds.

They either die, get hit by lightning or some other failure takes them out.

Two or three tree tremors are killed every year when the fawn curtain fails and falls on them.

Yeah. So it's approaching. Let's just put it that way.

Thank you.

Along that line, is there any sort of transportation project that the village is planning for on Aero Club Drive, like it has with the project on Big Blue, you know, where they're doing the work, redoing the pathways to enable more bicycles.

They just did that

to me

in traffic.

Two to three years ago, they widened the pathway. That was one of the big things. They took out some of the Washingtonians and people kind of got a little upset by that.

At that time.

So they took out a few to widen And they added a bike lane. They widened the road, added a bike lane, and they widened the pathway. That already that

was done too.

Yeah. Then they did a couple small landscape beds, which I have to go back to and fix up. But, yeah, I think that's already been done over there on Aero Club.

Because what I'm thinking then is what with the pathways, wherever you have a pathway, I mean, it's always nice to have some shade.

Yes.

So has there been any thought given yet as to what to replace the Washingtonians with?

I mean, people like Palms. We could do like I like that Rodeo Drive look. Do Palms. Could do Palms. It's probably going to be Palms. So something that doesn't get quite as tall.

Kinda like groups of sable palms or something?

I don't know about groups. Maybe we'll do kind of that that roadway lining like they have now to kinda keep that same look. I think that's what people that's what people like about that area. So we might keep kind of that same look, just a different type of palm.

The royals are pretty, but they get pretty tall too, and they have those big fronds that fall down.

Yeah. They drop the boots, which is

But they really do look stately when you have them along

In an area where you can do that, where you can let them drop the boots and go pick them up. Mhmm. In the roadways, they kind of become hazardous. Mhmm. We've had several problems with France falling and accidents.

Hollywood Hollywood Boulevard

is like that. You know, where there's enough space for them? Yeah. Yes. You know, but where it's really tight, the wind blows and those those fronds can can move over several feet from the trunk and end up in the roadway.

They don't need wind to to let loose.

Yeah. I wouldn't do a self pruning palm along that. I would do something where we'd have to, you know, like a ribbon palm or something. Give give you the look where we could trim them when we wanna trim them and actually schedule that where we're not running around chasing all these boots that fall. You know, my my guys, I spend a lot of time on that. We have basically a dedicated truck and a couple of guys. That's all they do is they run around town cleaning up palm boots and doing seed pods and stuff. Yeah.

Seems like trees, hardwood trees would then be easier for maintenance.

I would prefer hardwood trees, but I think the look people want is that that palm tree lined drive. I think a ribbon palm would look nice.

Which one?

A ribbon palm.

Ribbon.

Ribbon palm. That's what we have on Greenbrier, kind of near the school leading up to the row of Washingtonia palms on either side. But, you know, that's it's it's still a ways off, so we can we can probably come up with a few different ideas for that and let

people Normally, have to pull out my palm book.

Yeah. That's a new one on me. There's a lot of palms.

I would like to see more shade, more canopy on Big Blue in the South between Wellington Trace and

Well, that's the next phase. So they're gonna continue, and they're gonna do another phase. I don't know when that's gonna happen, but

I know. I know.

Originally, the plan was to do that first, and somehow they ended up on that north section, but they're still gonna do that. So a

lot of people walk with their dogs. Yeah. They bike there and there's zero shade. There's like no shade there. So that's

And enough space where you can actually do plantings along that. But the plan is to make some medians and plant landscape in the median and add two both sides of the road, the right of way. So it's kind of it's a traffic calming kind of a project.

I think we finished there. We can move on to a new business, the flower award nominations. Anybody had any more thoughts about I think our problem with the flower awards is getting the word out, getting applications in, that kind of thing. And we need to set a plan now as to what we're gonna do. And the only thought that that we haven't tried so far other than starting earlier, Is there any way to get an ad in the town crier about the awards or an article?

I mean, I've never had to deal with the town crier, so I don't know what that means. But I mean, sometimes I see that they've done a news story about it, but in reality, someone's paid for that. Is anybody aware of how that works?

I know you can buy, you know, depending on how much you have budgeted, half a page, a quarter of a page or it's like a small different price points for different size advertisements. So we could look into doing something like that.

I think we need to, starting in December, do something in December and January.

Right.

And I don't know whether there's there's money in the budget for that. I mean Will your external affairs let you do it?

For a few $100, I don't see a problem with it. I'd have to check and see if that's something we can do.

We could also many times I've written write ups for the Garden Club. And we could also do a write up for free. And I'd be happy I'd be willing to do that. Throw a write up, and then I can show it to you or

When will we need to time getting that out?

We need to I think we need to do it well, the deadline is February 21 for submissions, final submissions. So it needs to be in the next month, I think.

Yeah, it needs to happen before Thanksgiving, I'd Yes. Say.

So I can submit a

writing. Can that in November, December. And

I could include the whole thing, the application form and everything, if you think that's a good idea.

Think that's a good idea. If we

can get it done, I don't think I it would

can do that. I can do the write up, no problem.

Well, mean, if we can get Sound Cryer to put it in.

I can do that, too, for free. Not as an advert. Just as a write up article.

Well, think if we can get the article, it would be better than the ad.

We also discussed at our previous meeting, having it in the newsletter that goes out to residents. There's an email newsletter that's in the city, including that in the newsletter for the flower nominations award, that's good. Because I get the newsletter by email, and most of the residents many residents do in our city. So I think that would be also a good addition.

Question. I want to make sure we're talking two separate newsletters. I get the manager's report. Is that what you're talking about?

Something I don't believe so. No.

That's strictly written by the manager of the village.

Right. And his and the staff.

She's talking about the electronic newsletter that comes out about different events and Right.

Right. Is that through Facebook or

No. Is that No. It's through

emailed directly to each resident.

Yeah. It's you sign up for it, and it's emailed directly to each resident from the From Communications Department. Okay. I'm not sure which department in the Department. Communications. Communications.

Michelle Michelle in your group, she might be the one who could do that part.

Yeah. I'll talk to communications and see if we can add it to, say, November's newsletter, something like that.

Okay.

If you can get her what you're able write up, and they can base it off of that, Base what they put in off of that.

Yeah. Yeah,

think that would work.

Sure. Yeah.

Okay. I also think there needs to be more community engagement in the Flower Award. I think it's something that Wellington is very proud of, of looking great. And I really think there's a lot of residents that need to be more engaged. Also, businesses, we discussed last meeting having connecting with the Chamber of Commerce, you know, because the chamber can get businesses involved for that institutional portion of the award, and I think that's important.

Also, we discussed we said that we would discuss at this meeting also how many communities are gated in Wellington, and how all of those residents in the past didn't have the opportunity to be part of this award. And I was wondering if there's a way that we could include those residents, either through photos. They can take photos of the yards and submit it to the application. Or how can we engage more residents within our community to have more excitement about this award than in the past? Because our participation, I think the levels of participation in the past, have not been so great.

So I think it's important to think of ways that we can increase participation and community engagement in this nomination and how can we do that. Obviously, one is Chamber of Commerce, connecting with the Chamber of Commerce for the business talk to the businesses about our award. I don't know how that would be done through it would be done probably through you. The staff person, right, is talking to the

Yeah. I'm not sure how how that would work. I mean, my one thought is maybe, you know, how we raffle off, you know, a a plant or a tree. And maybe we could give something with the flower award, you know, like a nice tree, something.

Yeah. Or or a little plaque that they can put on their business or, you know, instead because they really can't maybe some of the businesses can't do a yard stake. Right. You know? So but they can do a plaque on their wall.

Something maybe like to get more people engaged, like something free. Everybody loves something for free. You know, a nice sized tree, maybe a thirty thirty gallon tree to go along with the flower award. That way, you don't just get the little plaque. You get something of value too, and you can put that tree in your yard.

Would the city plant it for him?

No, I don't know if the city could plant it on private property,

I but

wouldn't go there for a better I could

deliver it can to deliver it to the their home. Don't think you're gonna get a third of gallon tree in the of your car, but it's something that I could deliver and you won the award and maybe we could get present the award in the tree and take a little picture and promote

it You or need to make sure legally you can do that. I've run into some situations in the past where you spending public money on a private property is

Well, we do the giveaways and stuff. I

think it's

as long as we don't

nominal when you're talking about a tree, you got 300 or $400 in it.

Well, I could probably find something for around $150 that would be acceptable. Yeah. And I

think would ask the question first.

Yeah. Just an idea, but I think that might help promote it a little bit. Like, you actually get something with the award.

Yeah. Yeah. That would be nice.

Yeah. Yeah. No, we cannot, like I said, we can't actually go on to private property and plant the tree. I think that's where we get into some legal issues, but, you know, I could deliver the tree.

I think we also talked at some point about getting a gift certificate from one of native nurseries or the native nurseries so they can go with

gift certificate and There's probably I mean, treat promotes it the nursery, too. I mean, they'd love to get their name out. I'm sure I could call around and get couple of nurseries to participate where you get some kind of a certificate to go and purchase native material.

Yeah. That way they can take the initiative to buy the tree that they want and, you know, get it planted. Because a lot of the nurseries will do that. They'll plant it for them.

Yeah. And that takes us out of it.

Right. That gets us out of That that

might work even better.

Okay. But even if it's a $25 gift certificate, they can go and select something. It shouldn't have to be a tree, they can

They can pick anything. I like that idea. So maybe we'll give something of value with the flower award.

Yeah, that's a good idea. Something of value with the award.

That might help.

Okay. So are we going to right now, the residents that are in gated communities are not participating, right?

Can't be viewed from the street.

Okay. So that is the part that I think because the percentage of gated communities in Wellington is is very high, isn't it?

Not that high.

There's a good number.

Saw police

one time, and it was actually more than I thought. But it depends on the size of the gated community too. It's not like we have huge swaths of gated communities.

Right.

Yeah, I would say the ungated communities outnumbered the gated.

The gated? Yeah. Is there a way that we can incorporate both residents? I mean, I see how they're submitted to us as a board is through photos. Like, we're just receiving photos Well, you of can the

see the photos, but you're supposed to go see them.

Physically look at it.

Supposed to go physically look at them. One of the requirements in the award is it be viewable from the street.

Okay. So then how can we update that? Because I do think that there are many residents that pride themselves on how they take care of their yard and their landscapes. You know? And per perhaps they would they would wanna be part of this, but they feel that they haven't been able to be part of it because of the restriction of it has to be seen by the street.

Well, I don't think it specifically says we can't we can't go into gated communities. It just says that the tree should be visible the property should be visible from the street side of the property, the landscape. So if the in the gated community, as you drive down the street, you can see the landscape, that according to this, I think it would be Okay. It's just up to us if we want to go through the you know, getting the code and all that to go in and look. But the people who live within that community, they'd be able to enjoy it. They would be able to enjoy that landscape. So I mean, I as far as the rules go here, the criteria, I don't think it specifically eliminates

It's just difficult for for tree board members to get in there too.

That's what I'm saying. That's just up to us if we wanna go through the hassle of getting the getting getting in there.

So you can go in and actually score. Right.

I I think the applicants is gonna have to make those arrangements because I certainly am not gonna vote for a site that I have not seen.

Right.

Because I've played with photographs before and the aspect that you take the photograph from has a whole lot to do with what it looks like.

Mhmm.

And a lot of times, you take a picture and it looks really good. And then you drive by and look at it and it does not look good.

Or it could be the other way. The picture looks terrible and you go there and the place is beautiful. Right.

That's true.

Angle of the picture didn't present well.

And landscapes change over the seasons. So if you're giving, you know, if you're looking now, by the time we give the award, that landscape's going probably look different. A

picture taken in the middle of summer, yeah.

Right. One observation, just from many years past. When the Wellington Garden Club first started doing their every two years, I think it is, You do your garden tours. Garden And there's one coming I remember going to one in the Polo Club. Now, don't live there. But I rode my bike and got in. I don't know how. But somehow, the public was allowed to come in.

Oh, yeah.

And I remember one in Binks Forest. And that's a gated community as well. Now, unfortunately, I don't remember the years, who was president, or anything like that. But somehow, who don't live in gated communities did have access to attend that garden club.

Probably tour.

They probably had tickets to get in. And then they checked them at the gate, let them get in with their ticket.

I think that's what it might be.

Okay. It's prearranged. It's prearranged.

And it's only

one notified the security company that this is what's going on and to allow the people That's prearranged.

Yeah. Agree. If the applicant makes the arrangements, I I think that would work. That would work. Okay.

You know, maybe the applicant would say, okay, I'm gonna I'm gonna allow you to come tour the community this weekend between Saturday and Sunday, and I'm going let the security gate know that if there's board members from the tree board that come to look at my property, that's fine. So I think that's doable. Think, you know, not allowing some or having certain restrictions, I think, is there's a lot of people that are proud of the regards. And I think it would open more of the applicant pool also and engagement in our community, which would be good for us. And also, I will say, when I was part of another city, they actually they had a little bus.

I don't know if I told you guys. So they like, a little bus, and the board went on the bus. We didn't talk to each other, you know, because Sunshine Law. But we all had, you know, our little clipboards and the applicants, and they actually took us around to the different applicants. When we met in the morning here, and then they would drive us over, and that's when we would look. And we would do our scoring. And we wouldn't talk to each other. And then that was it. But it was like one day, we had prearranged it with the applicant. So maybe that's something that we could think about doing.

It would it would eliminate, you know, a lot of the restrictive kind of thing with the gated communities and all that kind of thing. I don't know if the city can arrange that, but but it's a thought. I mean, of, you know

I don't know if we'd need a bus. I think Margaret's van could probably carry all of us. Right, John? Margaret Margaret has a big

My car?

Yeah, your car. I think it's big enough. I mean, somebody's SUV would probably be big enough for all of us to go.

I don't know how that works with the Sunshine.

Yeah, I don't know.

I'd have to look into it to see if it would

Yeah, be yeah.

So that could be and I think the last meeting we were also talking about the criteria, the way that John, you mentioned this at the last meeting, the points and the criteria. You were talking about free of trash and debris being on there, and we all were saying, of course, the plate, you know, whatever we're looking at should not have trash or any debris on there. Curb appeal. And I think you were saying that some of them can be maybe one of the criteria could be merged, almost, regarding style, theme, landscape. You know, but I think the points were what we were talking about the last meeting.

You know, we're putting the amount of points on here, if that's something that could be updated.

Well, the Curb appeal, that's like giving them 10 points, just that's like giving them 10 points right off the bat, you know. Then the rest I don't know if we should go to worry too much about them.

So if we make too many changes to this,

it's gonna have to come and be more complicated. Then we delay

I mean, it all has to agreed upon, voted on, then we put that I

think that's

past the point of maybe for next year's week.

Okay. But I think, yes, as far as engagement, you know, increasing community engagement, I think, is very important because of the past turnouts. Right. You know, that's very important. So I don't know how we would go about engaging the Chamber of Commerce to get the businesses and maybe the commercial properties to enter into this award. Is there a way you could look into that to talk to them?

Possibly, but I don't know who I would ask.

Their director of the Chamber of Commerce?

I really we don't have much dealings I mean, public works, we don't have much dealings with the chamber.

So Okay.

That's more

Are we You could probably do it.

I was gonna say, am I allowed to Yeah. Of course. With Sunshine I'm I'm allowed to reach out directly to them.

Oh, absolutely.

Well done. Absolutely.

I believe so. I mean, you can you can reach out to them. I just I don't we just can't have a meeting without it being recorded or viewed by the public. So I mean, far as the Tree Board is concerned, you know, members of the Tree Board talking to each other outside of the meeting is not allowed. I mean, you're free to go talk to the Chamber of Commerce and

see if they'd

be interested.

Right. Thing if you know somebody who is the president of a homeowners association. You can give them this information and say, hey, you know, pass this on to your people. You know, we're doing these awards. If there's somebody in your neighborhood really got an awesome looking yard, you might wanna apply for the award and just get the word out that way. Sure, you know, people know others who live in gated communities that they could pass this information on to, since now we're including the gated communities. I mean, haven't had a plethora of applications, so I don't think we're going to get overrun by with applications. We just need to get the word out as best we can, as much as we can.

Well, we should have at least, what, seven or eight applications here?

Yeah, yeah. Everybody here is supposed to turn one in. So we're going have at least that many, The

deadline is February, right?

Is

then CHRISTINE

there a way that a mailing could be done to the homeowner associations that would notify them of the award and send them the application information and the application itself? And just say, you know, the general letter. This is an annual award presented by the village and on such and such a date. We encourage you to let your homeowners know. And we hope that you will nominate and participate.

So I think the mailers kind of fall into that. We we budget a certain amount for that every year, the postage and all the stuff. It's it's predetermined for the next budget year. So

Is Is there a person in the city that deals directly with the gated communities in Wellington?

I don't know if there's one specific person.

You all have a list of the HOAs?

We do. We have a list of of HOAs.

And and the addresses?

Contact information for

Okay.

I think code enforcement mostly Alright.

Keep that information.

Okay. But we do we we do deal with different HOAs throughout the nothing wrong for

with if I can get the copy of that list, I see nothing wrong with me writing a letter Mhmm. Including the application, the information, and me mailing it. I mean, we're not we're talking

That'll be great.

$20 in mail.

Yeah. Mhmm.

Big deal. Mhmm.

Yeah. That's right. Maybe That would be fantastic.

And we won't have to worry about I mean, won't have to worry about the study.

Yeah. Yeah. Because a lot of these HOAs, they have community newsletters within their HOA that they can put the application in or, you know, also. So that would work.

But everything is done electronically. At least in my community, there are no hard copies of anything mailed. Everything is electronically. And that would be cheaper and fairly easy to put in Yes. The HOA

That's a lot less expensive

Oh, So you email them.

So it doesn't need to be hard copy mailed. I don't think I've ever I don't think I've gotten anything in the last year or two

that's Okay.

Well, is.

So property managers change every year. It's difficult. So we kind of keep a running list, but even our list isn't absolutely a 100% correct because we have

But even all of them have a board. Yeah. Yeah. And have a board address.

Board. Right.

Yeah. And if if we may not be sending it to the to the name of the person. We'll be sending it to the president of so and so HOA.

And I think that part's important, that you actually send it to at least the president of the board. Because if you just send it to the management company,

not gonna

be It'll get lost. You're right. You're right. I think absolutely.

Yeah. I don't know if I have Mhmm. Contact information for all the presidents of the HOA. Well, didn't know. Just the

HOA official addresses or official emails if they have one. Alright. Let me see what I can find.

I know we have property manager list of property managers because that's usually who we deal with.

Yeah. Yeah.

I mean, all of them have to have a legal address. Is there any more discussion on the flower awards?

I want to ask a question. So the deadline is February 21. How much time do we have from when so the deadline is for them to submit February 21, and then what how much time do we have between when they submit? About a month and a half. A month and a half? Yeah. March. So maybe at that time, gauging on how many applications we have, then we could approach you to see if it's possible we can do one of those buggy rides or whatever. Like, if if we have a lot of submissions, let's say we have fifteen, twenty submissions.

We're not likely to have them but

what the deadline

the deadline's the February 21 and then you need to vote on that at the March meeting.

It

gives us what, a month? It gives us

Oh, less than a month.

Gives us less

a have a couple

of That's right. Gives us two weeks maybe?

That's right. To

look at them, I think, because the meeting's the March.

Maybe a week and a half. Yeah. February's the short month.

Yeah. February's the short month.

Okay. So I I mean, I think if we get more than a certain amount, it would be nice if that could be coordinated. But we have I have to check

on that to see if

if we Yeah. Can do

I'm not sure. With sunshine laws and all that, with everybody in one vehicle, if that's allowable.

We have a lot of submissions and it's really more than everybody could possibly get to within a week or week and a half, whatever, That is the one time of year when, I think for the past two years now, we have actually had special meetings.

Oh, right, right, right.

So we can always add a meeting.

Yeah. Okay. It's difficult. Yeah. But it was done to vote on the the flower award. Was that last year?

Yeah. Right. Mhmm. It was. Mhmm.

Okay. Alright. Sounds good.

Exceptional. It's difficult to add a meeting, I think it can be done.

We'll make a habit of it.

Any more discussion on the flower awards? Okay, let's move on to comments.

Would that be announcements?

That would

be announcements.

Okay. So to continue Will's discussion about the tree planting that we have every September, I'd like this is an invitation to all the Tree Board members and your families and friends to join us for the community wide tree planting event on September, 08:30 a. M. It's on National Public Lands Day, and we would like as many volunteers as we can manage to plant about a thousand South Florida native pine seedlings that Will has so kindly worked on getting for us, for all of us to plant.

And You we said 1,000?

Yes, 1,000. And the tree planting is really special this year because he has organized it for us to be able to plant at the new Moncada section, correct?

Correct, yeah. So I applied for a grant for $350,000 So I have a plan with planting locations and we're gonna work our planting in with that. So if we do get the grant, we have a plan for planting.

So what we generally do is we have a photo shoot at 08:30 sharp. We have a little greeting time, and then we get out there and we start planting. And the holes are pre dug, which is amazing and really good for us. And there will be a lot of walking, so wear comfy shoes, sunscreen, hats, everything. And I can give you more details. No, I can't give you more details. But anyways, right now, so if you have any questions, you can always write to me if

Can you want

we get the Cub Scouts and Oh, some of the War Scouts?

Yeah. We have the Scouts.

Excuse me? I didn't hear you. The what? Where it's going to be?

Yeah, where

is At Preserve. Wellington Environmental Preserve on Flying Cow Road.

Flying

Cow, Okay. Preserve.

At the new Moncada section property. So if you go down Flying Cow Road, the original section is first on your right, and then the new section, you keep going, and the new section is after that, next to it.

Yeah. I'll have signage, event parking. We'll have staff. I mean, we'll we'll have it all set up to where once you turn down Flying Cow Road, you'll you'll know where to go.

Go go to where all the cars are parked.

Yeah. Any questions on that?

Any more on that?

Any other No. Questions? Maybe you'd like to hear about the garden tour. There will be a garden tour, March. You can jot that down too. And that will be a Wellington garden tour. Thank you, Will, again, for getting all these pine seedlings.

Are we still on old business?

Well, we're on our comments.

So we're

on announcements.

Talked last time we met about renewing the proclamation for October as native plant month. If we can get the proclamation done, maybe you can read it at your planting, because that'll be the September, and then October

sorry. Will be was distracted. Would you read that? Would you say that again, please?

All right. Last time we met, we talked about renewing the proclamation for October being native plant month in Florida. If we can get the proclamation done by the time you do your tree planting, you could read the proclamation for October as native plant month. Because you're putting in native plants at Moncado, right?

Well, we'll probably have a proclamation for the tree planting.

Oh, okay. Never mind. Yeah. Okay.

That's what we did last year.

Okay, that's

fine. I should talk.

I thought it commemorated the public It lands

yeah. It does. That's what that's what that is. That's what

we're doing. We did that at the Tremont planning last time.

We can

do it some other plan.

That was the proclamation that was read.

JULIE If we can get the proclamation renewed for October as native plant month, then I can read it at the October or some other place.

JULIE Yeah, I think that would be good.

I think the secretary does that for us, right? She goes to the council and they do that for us, right? Okay.

Yeah, think we go to the clerk and set that up.

Because she has it could be the same it can be the same verbiage as last year, right?

Mhmm. Okay. I don't see a problem with that.

Yeah.

Was there any update on the wildflower the wildflower plantings? No. Was the last meeting you were talking about Right.

Well, the mayor requested places.

I have couple a locations that we

To plant wild kind picked

out. K.

You know, when you drive back along, say, you're on paddock and then you go into, say, like, down Squire or Horseshoe Trace, there's a couple of power line crossings where they did those new retention ponds.

I

think we could probably plant some of those

down at the bottom here.

About We talked about seeding.

Yeah. You think just seeding it's going to be good? Or you think we actually

I need think to put some plants would seeding be the best. Okay.

Could we find a source?

I've looked, and I can't find anything that's 100% native.

You know, we may have to go with what we can get, even though it's not 100% native. Well, there's I

know no that

next phlox, I think, maybe comes from Texas or they're native to the North America. So whatever you can come up with.

I know the liatris in the seed mix wasn't native to here specifically. It was, like, a southern variety, but it wasn't, like, endemic to this area. There was a bunch of, like, similar stuff in the seed mix, but it wasn't, like, all natives.

That's Yeah. The only Maybe what do they use along the roadways? I know we do choriopsus.

Yeah, don't know what that

DOT The

phlox tramundi, I think it is.

I don't know what the DOT is using along like the Trump Ike and all that stuff.

Well, if it's say, let's say, if it's 50% native, like Florida eco type for down here, maybe that'll be good enough. What do you think, Treeboard?

I like it. I I think it's a good time to plant. Now is

the best The reality is that showy flowers are not prevalent in most of the native trees. And the same thing for the plant flora. Showy flowers are not normal here.

With wildflowers,

I would say, yes, wildflowers. But usually it's one species that shows big and then the rest of them don't. And so whatever mix you can get that's got the most native that you can find, I think we need to go with. Because you're not going to find you're not going to find

100%.

Your desire 100% desire.

And those mixes that they do sell for massive plantings on long term pots, they've probably been tested. And, you know, the seeds have probably been tested to see, you know, they're probably hardy and that kind of thing, you know. Yeah. Think we should pursue it. Think if we get the seeds down by, you know, November, it'd be good. Yeah.

I'll order those up.

And then they'll come up in the springtime when it's, you know, or the summertime when it starts to rain?

Be beautiful. I think the only thing we have to worry about is just maintenance. Like, would have to design ate that they wouldn't mow down because they

don't The bottoms they tend not to mow just because they stay a little wetter. I've noticed that they haven't been mowing them. They're mowing the slopes, so if we keep it to the bottom of the and then every so often if it gets a little unrelayed, they'll just mow it and

maybe Right. As least long as they don't mow them and let them go to seed and then mow, then we'll have the new crop for the next year.

Yeah, let them go to seed and then mow. So that somewhat keeps maintained where it doesn't get unruly. And then maybe it recedes and we have the benefit of returning every year we see a few flowers.

Right. Yes. Yes. Because some people think wildflowers can look weedy. Know what I mean? So that's the only thing. But a lot of them, I think they're wonderful to have.

Yeah, because a lot of times, you know, with wildflowers, and I've been harping like about this for a long time, we don't always plant wildflowers just for the beauty of them for humans, but they are very necessary for the insects, which we need in order to keep our ecosystems going. Absolutely.

So, yeah. I'm sorry. What particular area? I heard you say retention ponds. And I know it goes all along the C what is it? The C9 Canal?

Correct.

Back there?

The C9, they put in a bunch of, like, dry retention. So

are you talking about doing the whole area or just, like, testing it in a particular area?

Just the ones that are closest to those crossings where the roads cross, where you have a lot of and people walk. They use those pathways. You know? Okay. Just at the ends, you know, where where it crosses a road where you can kinda see it maybe as you drive by.

I think you've mentioned Stribling.

Yeah. That was the other place I I had picked up. There's, like, one retention pond

Right.

Like, right near the roundabout that would, you know, most people pass that in town. So you'd get a lot of exposure there.

I love the idea. It's like, you know, it's not going to cost that much to

get No, I mean, it's to not see

those going cost

cost much

If it

doesn't work, well, we're not investing that much into it. But I think it's a great idea to try it.

Yeah, we'll give it a try. I'll order some up.

Good.

See how they do. Are there any other comments?

My other comment is about just how hot it's been and how important it is as a tree board that the canopy for the village. The canopy is incredibly important because trees provide shade for us, and it has been unruly, very badly hot, you know. And residents of Wallington like to walk, we like to bike, we like to get outside and experience nature. And one thing that's very, very important is that we have trees for shade. So I think we need to really focus a lot on canopy, you know? And I don't know I think you're saying January it will be approved.

So the CANOPY study is going to happen. The deadline is January. So it'll be completed by January. So by March's meeting, should have some data. I should have a report with some percentages. And I'll bring that to the tree board.

Excellent. I mean

So we can see.

Sustainability plans are very important in cities. I'm, you know, well aware of that. I think, you know, obviously our component of this board is trees. But trees are the most inexpensive way for it to provide shade for a city. So I think we really need to be focused on a lot of the canopy in this in this community because of that and and our our heat temperatures, you know.

Mhmm.

Very important. As we move on, that's all. That's my comment.

Yeah. Along the line of the bicycle transportation, I did see something in passing on the village website, or maybe it was in the village manager's letter. I don't remember precisely which. Something about AARP and bicycle friendly cities. Apparently, Wellington is looking into some sort of designation for that. Have you heard anything?

I haven't heard anything along those lines.

Let me see what I can find there. Because I know you see, in certain areas now, on the streets, you see the green bicycle lanes. Which is really great, because it certainly makes bicycles more visible. Even pedestrians, for that matter. Okay, so let me check that out.

And then the other thing was regarding public transportation. We have a bus route that comes through Wellington. I don't know if anyone has ever taken it. I have, on occasion. It goes all the way from the Glades, comes through here, and ends up downtown at what they call the Intermodal Transportation Center there where the railroad station is.

And it is, I think, the most popular route in the county, because of the way it's laid out and everything. Stops at the airport. It's a shame people don't use it more, you know. But at any rate, it comes along Forest Hill Boulevard, stops at the Wellington Mall, for example. There are some bus routes bus routes bus stops in between let's see where it stops at Palms West Hospital before it gets into Wellington.

There's two bus stops that are pretty much across from each other on Forest Hill Boulevard there where the Checkers is. And the other one is on the other side of the street. Some are just signs. There's not really any shade. The only time I have seen one with a lot of shade is down by where the gas station is on Forest Hill Boulevard.

What is it? Chevron or Exxon there, where the town square. That's the only one I've seen that has really a good amount of shade. And bus stops, whether it's just a sign or even a little enclosure to get you out of the weather, if it doesn't have shade, those little enclosures can really heat up. You know? So those would be good places to plant some trees.

Is that DOT? Along the highways?

Well, 441 is. There's a couple that are ours in town, but the reason they don't have trees is they're in that little section of right of way, and we don't have a lot of trees in those. And we don't own anything behind the sidewalk. And when you talk about that one specific bus stop, the shade is those trees are growing from that that property there.

From the property.

The sidewalk to shade that. But in our right of ways, we don't typically put trees just for safety reasons.

For it.

We don't have a lot of room for it. That's where all the infrastructure is. You've got everything's in there. All you the the utilities, the sewer lines, you know, gas line, everything is in that little that little strip.

The the older cities that have allowed the swales to be planted up like Charleston and Savannah spend millions of dollars trying to basically, half of them are cutting them down. Mhmm. But they spend millions of dollars on it and they have lawsuits to zoo out of them. And so Yeah. That's lot of reasons not to go overboard in swales.

Typically, don't plant the right of way just because we need that that safety zone.

The section is a lot easier to deal with in terms of canopy trees.

Yeah.

And there's there's simply inadequate space.

Mhmm.

And then you start getting sidewalks being raised. And so there are a bunch of lawsuits associated with that.

So just along that line then, so one of the things to do would be work with property owners to see if they would like to plant a large canopy tree or something that might help those situations. And encourage people to use public transportation. It is a nice route. You're downtown. Think it's just the

right tree. The right tree at the right place. At the right place. So I mean, you're a forestry person. A tree person knows the roots. You know, you're not gonna plant the type of tree that's gonna raise the sidewalk. Know, you're gonna plant the type of tree that has, you know, more

The problem is is anything that's a canopy tree is gonna raise the sidewalk.

Yeah. The smaller trees

you're not

going to

get ashamed trees, which is where you get a canopy. You start raising

Sidewalks?

Sidewalks. And there is the ways around it are extraordinarily expensive and don't work. You can put biobaria, and it works on some species, but many of them it doesn't work on. You can put structural soil, and that works. That just extends the time. But at some point in time, you've got to go in and cut roots and reput the thing. And when you start cutting roots, you start damaging the tree pretty severely. And Well,

we really just need to see where has it worked, you know, what cities has it worked in, that kind of stuff. And you bring it

back We've got more of We've got more of them, you think, because every time you get a turn in the street with a property line, the property line's not round. There's two pins. And for example, in front of mine, between the sidewalk and where the actual property line is about 15 feet. So and I'm sure you don't count those five big pines I've got in front of my house as city trees, but they are. Yeah. And we're talking about something that's as big around as pine tree.

Yeah. Especially when the roads turn, there's the corners cut off a lot of

the properties. Corners corners cut off a lot. And, you know, you I got three or four city trees in the swale in my front of my house.

Take take good care of them. Take good care of them for us. I do. Uh-huh.

I do. I love my pines.

Do they are they considered canopy trees, pine trees?

I would say so.

Yeah. Yeah. I would.

Yeah. Even though they don't put out a whole lot shade.

Of a canopy as, like, a live oak, but Right. They've stayed in pine and they've

come to my yard.

No. I have a big pine in my front yard too, so

I They really get nice when you have multiple big pines in the yard and then you get more of a canopy

when Yeah. They

Yeah. I and I do I do love them because it's dappled shade,

you know. I've got a couple I planted in my yard, but they're not of that size yet.

It's not very common but neem tree has a very good shade.

What kind of tree?

Neem tree.

Neem Neem tree.

But it's not very common here. But in India we used to have all houses as namely

Dense shade. I

mean, I think it's something to look into. Which trees can provide the most amount of shade without the, you know, Well without the disruptive roots. The disruptive roots, the, you know, the least amount of disruption.

And take. You're looking for a

nice canopy. Work the most with the plastic ones.

Yeah. Plastic

ones. Plastic is it won't work well with

the the best canopy comes with the most aggressive root system. So it's kind of a catch-twenty two.

No nutrient deficiencies.

Do we have any more comments?

I don't think so.

Okay. All right here and adjourned. A motion to adjourn.

I motion that we adjourn.

Second. Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

We are adjourned. Okay.