ATTACHMENT #1

Kirkwood Urban Forestry Commission A Commission of the City of Kirkwood Missouri FINANCIAL STATUS as of February 4, 2008 DRAFT

ATTACHMENT #2

Kirkwood Urban Forestry Commission A Commission of the City of Kirkwood Missouri Supporting, Promoting and Encouraging the Preservation and Enhancement of Kirkwood’s Urban Forest of 5 KUFC Strategic Planning WORKSHEET 1 2007 Annual Report

For calendar year ending December 31, 2007

Submitted to the Kirkwood City Council and City Administration

Submitted: February 27, 2008

I. Membership: (term expiration dates noted for each member)

A. The calendar year opened with members: June Hutson, Chair (exp 6/10), Bill Ruppert, Vice-Chair (exp 6/09), Judy Wickersham, Secretary (exp 6/08), Roger Vonder Bruegge (exp 06/13), Jenny O’Toole (exp 06/13), Paul Loida (exp 6/09), and Lorri Grueber (exp 6/11).

B. The second half of the calendar year included members: Bill Ruppert, Chair (exp 6/09), Roger Vonder Bruegge, Vice-Chair (exp 06/13), Judy Wickersham, Secretary (exp 6/08), June Hutson (exp 6/10), Jenny O’Toole (exp 06/13), Paul Loida (exp 6/09), and Susan Renard (exp 06/14).

KUFC Activity leadership included:

• Junior Treekeepers Program: Paul Loida

• Education and Outreach: Jenny O’Toole

• Planning and Zoning Liaison: Roger Vonder Bruegge

• Kirkwood Tree Survey: Susan Renard

• Tree City USA/Growth Award Submittals: Judy Wickersham, Secretary

• KUFC Annual Report: Judy Wickersham, Secretary

• Kirkwood DRAFT Tree Code/Tree Manual: Bill Ruppert

• Greentree Festival: June Hutson

Two new Commission members started in 2007 including Roger Vonder Bruegge (January) and Susan Renard (filling a position vacated by Lori Grueber who resigned in April). Roger Vonder Bruegge is a retired architect and served many years in various community service capacities. Susan Renard holds a horticulture degree, is an ISA Certified Arborist and is currently employed as the Superintendent of Parks for the City of Clayton. Both of these new members offer professional and community involvement perspectives that are unique and quite valuable for the benefit of the community.

Liaison Representation: Per communication from Kirkwood city administration, Curt Carron, Kirkwood Parks and Recreation and Ken Yost, Kirkwood Public Works, were removed from the KUFC as Kirkwood staff liaisons due to current city staff time limitations. The KUFC is now the only Kirkwood Board/Commission without a Kirkwood staff liaison. The KUFC has realized a significant decrease in consistent, timely and effective communications with Kirkwood city administration due to the elimination of a city staff liaison.

The KUFC is also the only Kirkwood Board/Commission without a city staff member serving as secretary to document meeting proceedings in the form of meeting minutes. The KUFC therefore utilizes a Kirkwood citizen volunteer Commission member to manage required secretarial duties.

Kirkwood City Council member Joe Godi serves as City Council liaison.

II. Tree City USA and Arbor Day Growth Award: KUFC Secretary Judy Wickersham prepared applications for both of these awards and the City of Kirkwood ultimately received each of these awards. 2007 marked the 17^th consecutive year Kirkwood received The Tree City Award. The KUFC is responsible for completing all urban forestry award applications for the City of Kirkwood.

III. Kirkwood’s Arbor Day Ceremonial Tree Planting: A Missouri native Paw Paw tree was planted on Saturday, November 17 near the Veteran’s Memorial walkway to honor Kirkwood’s Veterans. The ceremony was attended by KUFC members, KUFC alumni, community citizens and community leaders including Mike Swoboda, Kirkwood Mayor, Rick Stream, Missouri State Representative, Richard Connors, Commander Kirkwood American Legion Post 156. The event was photographed by Kirkwood citizen and professional photographer, Bill Burckhalter, and Robert Weaver, Editor of The Gateway Gardener Magazine.

IV. Requests for Kirkwood public tree removals: The Kirkwood Public Works Department forwarded a variety of public tree removal requests to the KUFC for review and recommendation. KUFC recommendations were forwarded to the Director of Kirkwood Public Works for the following requests:

A. 404 E. Elliot – 6 trees requested for removal: RECOMMENDED REMOVAL.

B. 909 Cleveland – 1 Sweet Gum requested for removal due to conflict with planned driveway construction: RECOMMENDED REMOVAL.

C. 328 West Washington – 1 Silver Maple, heavily topped due to power line conflict, requested for removal: RECOMMENDED REMOVAL.

D. 435 Gill Ave. – 1 Honey Locust and 1 White Pine requested for removal due to conflict with home remodeling project: REMOVAL OF HONEY LOCUST TREE RECOMMENDED ONLY AFTER REQUESTING PROPERTY OWNER PAYS THE CITY THE VALUE OF THE TREE DETERMINED BY A CERTIFIED ARBORIST; RECOMMENDED CORRECTIVE PRUNIG OF THE WHITE PINE TREE BY KIRKWOOD PUBLIC WORKS BUT NOT REMOVAL. (KUFC recommends funds collected should be retained for replanting and maintenance of Kirkwood public trees)

E. 806 Elm Tree – 1 Sweet Gum requested for removal due to conflict with planned driveway construction for new home: REMOVAL OF SWEET GUM TREE RECOMMENDED ONLY AFTER REQUESTING PROPERTY OWNER PAYS THE CITY THE VALUE OF THE TREE DETERMINED BY A CERTIFIED ARBORIST. (KUFC recommends funds collected should be retained for replanting and maintenance of Kirkwood public trees).

F. 807 Simmons – 1 Sweet Gum requested for removal due to significant impact on adjacent public sidewalk: RECOMMENDED REMOVAL

V. Kirkwood Street Tree Inventory: The annual involvement of citizen volunteers to conduct a street tree review and analysis was not conducted in 2007. Data collected in 2006 was compiled and entered into the Excel file. The KUFC discussed conducting a complete review of the methods and data compilation protocols for future street tree inventory efforts. This review will take place in 2008 and will include a dialog with Kirkwood Public Works and Kirkwood Electric to discuss a plan to include the inventory as part of Kirkwood’s GPS records utilized by both city departments.

VI. Kirkwood Junior Treekeepers:

A. KUFC member Paul Loida solicited financial support for the program from various local gardeners clubs, community service organizations and individuals. Specific donations received included: $200 from the Rowena Clark Garden Club, $ 100 from Kirkwood Lions, $ 67 from Skinner and $20 from Paul Loida, and $ _____ for a total of $ ______.

B. Ten classes were held in the spring at North Glendale Middle School, Tillman Elementary School and St. Peter’s Catholic School. In the fall, Tillman Elementary School, North Glendale Middle School, and St. Peter’s Catholic School had nine classes participating, including a total of approximately 200 students.

C. The Jr. Treekeepers presented a float at the Greentree Festival Parade featuring “Smoky the Bear” to support the parade’s 2007 theme “A Celebration of Heroes”. The float was well accepted by the spectators and was considered a big success.

D. As part of Kirkwood’s Arbor Day observance, Willow oak tree seedlings were distributed to 1800 elementary school students in April.

VII. Participation in Kirkwood’s 2007 America in Bloom entry: KUFC member June Hutson represented the Commission as Chair of the Urban Forestry Category Subcommittee on the 2007 America in Bloom Kirkwood Steering Committee. Urban Forestry is one of the eight America in Bloom judging categories. KUFC Secretary Judy Wickersham assisted with information gathering and writing the “Urban Forestry” section of the Kirkwood Community Spirit Book submitted to the America in Bloom judges. During the AIB judges June visit to Kirkwood, June Hutson presented an overview of Kirkwood urban forestry at a lunch session with the judges. Kirkwood ultimately placed first in the “Community Involvement” judging category by scoring 118 out of 125 possible points. Based on the judges analysis of Kirkwood’s current urban forestry practices and programs, Kirkwood scored 96 out of 125 possible points in the “Urban Forestry” judging category, Kirkwood’s lowest score among all 8 judging categories (Among the 5 communities in the 25,001-50,000 population category, Kirkwood placed 3^rd in the “Urban Forestry” judging category). KUFC member Bill Ruppert served as Co-Coordinator of Kirkwood’s 2007 entry in the America in Bloom national community enhancement competition.

VIII. Greentree Festival: KUFC members assisted with crafting Kirkwood’s urban forestry float for the Greentree Festival Parade held on Saturday, September 15^th. The float, coordinated by KUFC member Paul Loida, featured a grove of trees loaned by Greenscape Gardens, a “live” Smokey the Bear with suit loaned by the Missouri Department of Conservation (with assistance of MDC urban forester Rob Emmett) and participation by a team of Kirkwood Junior Treekeepers. KUFC members along with KUFC alumni members volunteered to staff the Kirkwood Urban Forestry booth which was combined in 2007 with other Kirkwood Boards and Commissions.

IX. Kirkwood Festival of Food & Flowers: KUFC members volunteered to staff a Kirkwood Urban Forestry informational exhibit at the Festival held on Saturday May 21^st. The KUFC joined such other groups as the Missouri Botanical Garden Plants of Merit, St. Louis Master Gardeners, The Gateway Gardener Magazine and the Kirkwood Garden Club to create a “village” of displays surrounding the Reim fountain located north of Kirkwood City Hall (the area now named “Kirkwood Veteran’s Walkway”).

X. “Recommended Street Trees for Kirkwood” booklet: Originally created January 2004 and reprinted September 2006, the KUFC determined this publication was in need to be revised. Components of the publication determined for revision include elimination of recommending the tree genus Fraxinus (ash) due to the anticipated arrival of the devastating emerald ash borer, reducing the length of the dual tree listing with inclusion of a common/botanical name cross reference, indicating trees that are native to Missouri and including more information about the planting and care of public trees located within Kirkwood street right of ways. The Kirkwood Electric Department has agreed to financially sponsor the production of this revised publication for distribution at Kirkwood City Hall, Kirkwood Electric offices, Kirkwood Community Center and made available in the form of a PDF on the City of Kirkwood web site.

XI. Communications with Kirkwood City Departments, City Officials and Community Organizations:

A. Kirkwood Electric: Mark Petty, Kirkwood Electric Director, was the featured guest at the September KUFC meeting. Mark provided the Commission with an overview of enhancements to upgrade the Kirkwood Electric managed power grid and increased measures to manage trees adjacent to power lines. Discussion proceeded to identify means of Kirkwood Electric to be a “good citizen” relative to Kirkwood urban forestry issues and opportunities for the KUFC to assist Kirkwood Electric with educating Kirkwood citizens about the need for pruning trees away from electric lines. The impact of electric line clearance pruning of Bradford Pear street trees on West Washington (immediately west of Kirkwood Road) was presented as an excellent example of the wrong tree planted in the wrong place. An ongoing dialog was mutually agreed upon.

B. Kirkwood Chief Administrative Officer Mike Brown & Kirkwood Mayor Mike Swoboda: Per KUFC Recommendation Report dated 02/27/2007, a recommendation was transmitted regarding the notification of Kirkwood property owners prior to adjacent right-of-way tree removals. This recommendation resulted from concerns raised by Kirkwood resident Alan Agathen regarding removal by Kirkwood Public Works staff, without prior communication, of an apparent living street tree in front of his residence at 1511 Cornhill Lane. Receipt of this KUFC Recommendation Report was not officially acknowledged to the KUFC and the KUFC is therefore unaware of status as of year-end.

C. Kirkwood Mayor Mike Swoboda: Per KUFC Recommendation Report dated 02/27/2007, a recommendation was transmitted regarding representation of Kirkwood citizens on the KUFC. The suggestions were prompted by citizen comment and realizations by the Commission. Receipt of this KUFC Recommendation Report was not officially acknowledged to the KUFC and the KUFC is therefore unaware of status as of year-end.

XII. Kirkwood Tree Code and Tree Manual: The KUFC Kirkwood Tree Code/Tree Manual subcommittee held several lengthy meetings in 2007 to further refine the draft documents and identify key questions for legal and technical review. Membership of the subcommittee included: KUFC members Bill Ruppert, Roger Vonder Bruegge, June Hutson and Jenny O’Toole, Kirkwood Public Works Director Ken Yost as city staff liaison and volunteer citizen Skip Kincaid, a professional consulting arborist. After almost 10 years of development and review, members of the KUFC subcommittee met with the Kirkwood City Council at a work session on October 11^th to formally request transmittal of the draft Tree Code (dated 4/23/07) and Tree Manual (dated 4/18/07) to legal counsel and Public Works for review (such a review is necessary before the KUFC can complete a final draft for Kirkwood City Council review, discussion and ultimate approval). Upon legal and Public Works review, the KUFC requested a round table review with Kirkwood legal counsel, Public Works and other appropriate city officials to discuss the questions contained within the draft of the Tree Code. The City Council directed the KUFC to forward the draft Tree Code and Tree Manual documents to John Hessel, Kirkwood Legal Counsel, and Ken Yost, Kirkwood Public Works Director, for their review. The KUFC complied with the Council’s direction via a letter dated October 15^th, 2007. At the close of 2007, the KUFC has not received a response to issues raised in the letter and noted within the 2 draft documents.

The Kirkwood Park Board, represented by Board President Gerry Biedenstein, provided input and comment to the KUFC in a letter dated September, 27, 2007. At the invitation of the KUFC, the Kirkwood Park Board, represented by Gerry Biedenstein and Kirkwood Parks Director Murray Pounds, attended the November, 2007 KUFC meeting to further reinforce Park Board input and comment. Kirkwood Park Board input will be taken into consideration as the KUFC prepares a final draft for presentation to the Kirkwood City Council.

The City is interested in effective communication for all people. Upon request, these minutes can be made available in an alternate format, such as audio tape, by calling 314-822-5894.