8904-16 Establish Certain Council Priorities

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Exhibit B of Resolution 8904 -16. Amended 12/19/16 on the floor Budget Priority Submission Form Finance Committee Due Sep. 12, 2016 Title: Maximize new plantings and young tree prunings in 2017 Submitted by: Tom Bullock, Cindy Marx Departments to be involved: Public Works Potential community partners: Keep Lakewood Beautiful Tree Committee, Block Clubs, LakewoodAlive Which of the following goals does your priority address? Check all that apply ❑ Safe & Secure ✓ Vibrant Neighborhoods ✓ Economic Development ❑ Sound Governance ✓ Other _Storm water management_ 1. Provide a narrative description of your idea in 250 words or less. Attach a separate sheet if necessary: Continue the City's strong progress in recent years for tree care and planting by increasing the budget to maximize new plantings and young tree prunings in 2017. (Other sums in the budget would address pruning, removal, emerald ash borer treatments, and sidewalk repair subsidy where City-owned tree lawn trees cause sidewalk damage.) Justification: The Tree Task Force recommended an annual net gain of 500 public trees (those located on tree lawns and in parks) in order to make significant progress towards the goal of increasing our citywide tree canopy from 28.5 to 38.5 percent by 2035. The following data (source: Forestry Unit Manager Chris Perry) shows that although the City has increased its new tree planting numbers, it hasn't yet planted 500 new trees, much less achieved a net gain of 500 trees: 2011 net loss -46 trees = 62 planted - 108 removed (29 Hazard trees along Clifton Blvd.) • 2012 net gain 20 trees = 139 planted - 119 removed • 2013 net gain 75 trees = 273 planted - 198 removed (90 Ash trees and over 50 Kwanzan cherry trees) • 2014 net gain 139 trees= 394 planted - 255 removed (137 were small Kwanzan cherry trees) 2015 net gain 186 trees= 415 planted - 229 removed (77 were small Kwanzan cherry trees and 24 Hazard trees along Clifton Blvd, 19 Ash trees that did not respond to EAB treatment) 2016 net gain to date as of 9/1/16 is 101 trees = 223 planted — 122 removed • 2016 pr iected year end net gain 240 trees = 425 planted — 185 removed (Removals due to poor condition, high mortality rates of Norway maples impacting all of NE Ohio, removal of 20 hazardous Silver maples and 23 Hazard trees along Clifton Blvd, and 15 ash trees)" As the Keep Lakewood Beautiful Tree Committee explains, "each year there continues to be a significant number of rightful and necessary removals that ... impacts negatively on tree net gain. If we assume that the city was to award our 500 new tree budget, this is really only a net of potentially 250 actual new trees as one considers the future projected level of removals of trees to continue." 1IPage