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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-05-18 Arborist Advisory Committee Minutes Harry Kim Mayor County of Hawaii ARBORIST ADVISORY COMMITTEE Aupuni Center 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 3 Hilo, Hawaii 96720 ·· Phone (808) 961-8288 Fax (808) 961-8742 · Minutes Meeting on May 18, 2006 Planning Department Conference Room ƒ Aupuni Center ƒ Hilo, Hawaii AAC members: Chairperson Leonard Bisel, Jan Anderson, Sharron Stanbro & Present: Esther Imamura (Planning staff) State and County Agency Representative: Diane Noda, Corporation Counsel Pam Mizuno, Deputy Directorof Parks & Recreation Gordon Heit, DLNR Public: Elfie Wilkins, Jon Hayashi CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 10:20 am. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES It was moved by J. Anderson and seconded by S. Sambro to accept the minutes, as corrected, of the April 13, 2006 meeting. Motion accepted unanimously. PUBLIC STATEMENTS E.WilkinsrequestedtheCommittee€shelpinherre-nominationoftheAlaeCemeteryMonkey Pod Tree. P&R Deputy Director Mizuno distributed copies of a March 18, 2006 letter from MayorKimtoCouncilmemberJacobsonwhichstatedthatthenominationofthistreewasnot supported. Counsel Noda reminded the Committee that their role is to evaluate the nomination andnotbeanadvocatefororagainstanytree.ChairBiselstatedthattheCommitteewill respond to any request for clarification on issues such as the root system or routine maintenance ofthetreebutwillnotlobbytheissue.Further,untiltheappropriatesignatureisobtained,the nomination cannot move forward. Change in agenda order to accommodate the public: NEW BUSINESS 2. Letter dated April 17, 2006 from Hawaii Outdoor Tours, Inc. dba Naniloa Volcanoes Resort regarding trimming of two Banyan Trees along Banyan Drive. Hawaii Outdoor Tours, Inc. was required by the Planning Director to obtain comments from the Committee regarding the trimming of these trees since the Banyan Drive Scenic Area is listed as a site of natural beauty in the County of Hawaii€s General Plan. Chair Bisel stated that he did not have any problems with the pruning if it was a safety issue. He has noticed an accumulation of deadwood in the trees and mentioned that pruning is necessary for any tree in public spaces. However, it should be done by a qualified arborist or a qualified professional for the health and safety of the tree while still respecting the aesthetics of the tree. J. Hayashi of Hawaii Outdoor Tours, Inc. stated that they had no problems with using a qualified arborist. He inquired as to whether the County could do the work and their company would compensate a shared cost. Counsel Noda replied that generally private property owners are responsible for overhang on public streets. P&R Deputy Director Mizuno confirmed that the County pruned the trees two years ago. J. Anderson mentioned that because of safety and liability and cost issues, trimming gets way out of hand. She was discouragedanddisappointedthatinthenameofsafetyandcost,thetreesareusuallynot trimmed properly and aesthetically. Chair Bisel moved and S. Stanbro seconded the motion to allow the pruning as long as it is done professionally with an emphasis on cleaning the deadwood for safety and for the health of the tree. 3 ayes (Chair Bisel, S. Stanbro and E. Imamura) and 1 abstain (J. Anderson). Motion carried. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 1.Traffic Safety Regarding the Banyan Tree at the Old Green Onion Restaurant site. Chair Bisel reported that, based on traffic reports, R. Thiel at Traffic (Department of Public Works) did not find any significant accidents to substantiate this concern. Chair Bisel will follow up with a letter to F. Benevides, Sr. explaining this finding. 2.Status on the Placement of the Mango Groves signs. Due to lack of time and resources, the mappinq required by the The One Call Center‚ has not been accomplished. 3.Display of Logo Contest Entries. J. Anderson mentioned that the materials for the display have been acquired and that she and S.Stanbrowillworkonit.Shewillalsoplaceanannouncementinthenewspaper.E. Imamura will post a copy of the announcement on the County€s website. 4.Draft letter to Haili Church regarding the False Kamani Tree. E. Imamura provided before‚ pictures of the tree. J. Anderson will follow up with M. Kraus on the after‚ photos. 5.Hawaii County Planting Plan. Due to time constraints, no further work on cataloging of the library has occurred since the last meeting. NEW BUSINESS 1.Proposal to re-submit the Alae Cemetery Monkey Pod Tree ƒ E. Wilkins. E. Wilkins stated that she will continue to work on the re-nomination. However, Counsel Noda noted that as an individual, M. Kraus can give the Mayor information and input as the professional service provider for the tree. However, it would be a potential conflict for him to then vote on the nomination. 3.Letter dated April 10, 2006 from Myles Y. Miyasato, Chair of the Cost of Government Commission requesting input to promote economy, efficiency, and improved service in the transaction of the public business. Chair Bisel stated that our letter of response will note that this Committee recently switched to the free publication of the meetings in the newspapers, thus saving about $400 a month. 4.Minimum requirements for Department of Parks and Recreation Signs ƒ Counsel Noda. Counsel Noda reported that in checking with Director P. Engelhard, P&R does not have a minimum requirement for their signs which are also made of wood and susceptible to mildew and rot. Chair Bisel noted that our signs are made of metal and will be mounted on metal posts. He will check with Traffic on the status of the signs. He reminded all that although the signs may be ready for the Mango Groves, we still need to complete the mapping for the One Call Center‚ before they can be installed. 5.Examples of Tree Signs Incorporating the Logo ƒ S. Stanbro. S. Stanbro displayed samples of four signs. The discussion considered the content, placement, and size of letterings, the logos, shading, different color combinations as well as the size and shape of the signs. Chair Bisel mentioned that he has photos of the Oahu Countysignage.E.ImamurawillcontactMauiCountytoseewhattheyareutilizing. Counsel Noda will check to see if the tree signs have to abide by the Sign Code. She also mentionedthatwiththegroup€sapproval,asub-committeecouldbeformedtoworkonthe various designs. Once a decision is made, it could then be placed on the agenda for a vote. ChairBiselstatedthatoncewegettherelationshipoftheelementstoeachother,wecan always play with the scale and size. 6.Status of Exceptional Trees at Manuka State Park - S. Stanbro. S. Stanbro reported that the Ohe (Tree No. 4) has been gone since the 1990€s. The reason for it€s demise is notknown, maybe old age or termites. The Kokio (Tree No. 3) has a 1- foot high termite infested area all around its base. However, there are still green leaves so she asked the caretaker if there was anything he could do. J. Anderson recommended that we assess all the Exceptional Trees periodically. S. Stanbro also mentioned that some of the nominated trees in Kona that were sent to Council but never acted on are also no longer around. Chair Bisel noted that we need to start the process to remove the Ohe from our List of Exceptional Trees. Since M. Kraus had already volunteered to photograph the trees when he is in their area, Chair Bisel will ask M. Kraus to see if anything can be done for the Kokio. 7.Nomination of Brazilian Bower (Tower) Tree on TMK: 7-5-1:114 (Gwen Hobbs) - S. Stanbro. It was clarified by Counsel Noda that this tree was one of the nominations that was previously submitted and lost after transmittal to Council. S. Stanbro will redo the nomination form and re-submit it at the next meeting. 8.Proposed revisions to the Rules of Practice and Procedure and to the Forms to Nominate an Exceptional Tree - Counsel Noda. Counsel Noda stated that she didn€t have time to revise the Rules of Practice and Procedure. She presented copies of the proposed updates for the nomination form, the acceptance form and the procedure. After discussion, the new tax exemption for maintenance of the tree, clarification of owner or agent as the nominee, and authorization to place signage on private property will be addressed at a later meeting. When finalized, it was suggested that these documents be placed on the County€s website. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS None. ANNOUNCEMENTS The next meeting will be held on Thursday, June 15, 2006 in the Planning Department Conference Room at 10:00 am. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 12:30 pm. APPROVED: June 15, 2006 Hawaii County is an equal opportunity provider and employer.