Arbor Commission Meeting Notice and Agenda for Monday, February 2, 2026

ARBOR COMMISSION
1 City Hall Plaza, Ellsworth, ME 04605
Regular Meeting
Monday, February 2nd, 2026, 8:15-10:15 am
City Hall Auditorium

AGENDA

1. Call to Order
2. Adoption of Minutes of January 5, 2026
3. Staff Comments
   • Danielle Gift
   • Michael Otzwirk (priorities: measuring ash trees & tree tag, staff and volunteer education, Arbor Day)
   • Caleb Pelletier
4. Report from City Council (Tabatha White)
5. Citizen Comments
6. Financial accounting (send reimbursement requests to Danielle or Roddy)
   • Project Canopy – expense number: 242; IRA – expense number: 243
   • Arbor Commission Account – expense number: 10-515-51030
   • Start discussing budget in October 2026
7. Project Management Team
   • Project Canopy Grant
     • Staff education – setting a monthly or every-other-monthly time
     • Branch Lake Public Forest Management Plan – Stakeholder meeting
     • Tree Trust
       • Attorney to file for corporate status and 501(c)3 status
       • Create Tree Trust website
       • Close tree fund fund through the city (reserve account)
     • Draft Comprehensive Forestry Management Plan – discuss plan for EAB, document for Roddy to justify $100K line item for treating EAB – hopefully July 2026, coordinate with fire department
     • Completed items – street tree inventory, disease management plan, volunteer education
   • IRA Grant
     • Harbor Park/Straw Way planting project schedule
       • Designate planting locations – August 2026
       • Outreach in September 2026
       • Planting end of October 2026 (6 days of planting)
     • Tree procurement (borrow trees for Franklin Parklet and then plant in the fall)
     • Volunteer cultivation/education
   • Member Comments/Other business
     • Work in Tree Nursery (Tabatha will coordinate pruning, fence repair with Michael & Caleb)
     • UMO internships (Alan Chausee)
     • Future Project Canopy Grant – submitted (for future, disease management: Ash, Beech, Fir)
     • Coordination with Planning Board/Technical Review Team
       • Solidify: Tree Warden as representative on TRT
       • Info to planning office for proposed changes to Chapter 56
       • Official recommendation from Arbor Commission (public workshop in the spring)
     • Implementation of street tree planting requests (timing, quantity, who does evaluation)
       • Ellsworth Historical Society request for 2 trees on Chamberlain House lawn
       • End of Church St at Bayview Ave
       • (This is part of Comprehensive Forestry Management Plan)
     • HCTC – tool shed
     • Arbor Day Events – Ash Tree panel (Ellie MacDonald, UMO, Ash Protection Coalition)
     • GIS mapping
     • Simmons Pond – request for logging

8. Next meeting: March 2nd, 8:15-10:15 am
9. Adjournment