Arbor Commission Meeting Notice and Agenda for Monday, January 5, 2026

ARBOR COMMISSION
1 City Hall Plaza, Ellsworth, ME 04605
Regular Meeting
Monday, January 5th, 2026, 8:15-10:15 am
City Hall Auditorium

AGENDA

1. Call to Order
2. Adoption of Minutes of December 1, 2025
3. Staff Comments
   • Danielle Gift
   • Michael Otzwirk
   • Caleb Pelletier
4. Report from City Council (Tabatha White)
5. Citizen Comments
6. Arbor Commission Budget
7. Project Management Team
   1. Project Canopy Grant
      • Staff education – setting a monthly or every-other-monthly time
      • Branch Lake Public Forest Management Plan – Public 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 – DUE DEC 2025
      • Completed items – street tree inventory, disease management plan, volunteer education
   2. IRA Grant
      • Harbor Park/Straw Way planting project schedule
        • Outreach in September
        • Planting end of October (6 days of planting)
      • Tree procurement (borrow trees for Franklin Parklet and then plant in the fall)
      • Volunteer cultivation/education
   3. Member Comments/Other business
      • 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
      • Memorial markers in Knowlton Park – need for guidelines
      • Work in Tree Nursery
      • UMO internships (Alan Chausee)
      • Future Project Canopy Grant
      • 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
8. Next meeting: February 2nd, 8:15-10:15am
9. Adjournment.