Dane County

Minutes - Final Unless Amended by

Committee

Tree Board

Consider:

Who benefits? Who is burdened?

Who does not have a voice at the table?

How can policymakers mitigate unintended consequences?

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

3:45 PM

Attend in person at the Mendota Health Institute 301

Troy Dr, Madison, WI 53704.

A. Call To Order

The meeting was called to order at 3:56pm

5 -

Present

Excused

JAY WEISS, MATT NOONE, CORY RICH, TIERNEY BOCSI, and KATE

KENDZIORA

4 -

Supervisor MICHELE RITT, LAURA WYATT, CATHY BRODBECK, and TEDWARD

ERKER

Others present: Brian Wahl, Lisa Johnson

B. Consideration of Minutes

MINUTES OF THE MAY 20, 2025, TREE BOARD MEETING

2025

MIN-130

Attachments: 2025 MIN-130

A motion to accept the minutes was made by RICH, seconded by BOCSI. MOTION

passed (5-0).

C. Tree Board Operating Agreement

1. Have a common understanding of Acronyms. CARPC, Capital Area Regional

Planning Commission, assists regional governments with planning efforts and

assists DNR with water quality management. OFS, Operation Fresh Start,

assisting youth with social barriers obtain work experience and education. TCC,

Tree Canopy Collaborative, a diverse group of professionals whose goal is to

increase tree Canopy. WAA, Wisconsin Arborists Association. DCTB, Dane

County Tree Board.

2. This will be an evolving agreement between board members that can help

our team create an environment in how we communicate and operate.

• Action-oriented agenda items: “decide, brainstorm, weigh in on” -

• Shift from reporting and information-sharing to engaging

• Be deliberately engaged

• All members of the board feel valued and respected

• Permission to be unpolished

• Communicate the ask

• Hear from everyone

• Make new members feel welcome

• Follow up on request/tasks (accountable)

• Start on time/end on time

• Review TB Minutes prior to TB Meetings

D. Project and General Updates

1 - Frank Allis/Nuestro Mundo Native Plant Sale: They are using Heritage

Oak seedlings to support their garden.

2 - Dane County Free Tree Rural Program for new single-family rezones:

Pilot project, a flyer will be created, CARPC will help advertise. Bed location is

TBD. Tree Board would need to maintain the oak seedlings, there would be

beds for trees in pots. Progeny of Heritage Oaks. These would be distributed to

new owners of rural properties. Rich suggested the seedlings should be made

available after final inspection of properties. People would need to pick them up

at Fen Oak or other location.

3 - DCTB apparel to represent our Board at events: RICH will get logo from

BRODBECK or KENDZIORA and check with OFS uniform supplier for potential

DCTB caps or t-shirts.

E. Discussion Items

1 - TB Member presentation: Wahl gave a presentation on WEISS’s 2025

Leadership Award from the Wisconsin Urban Forestry Council and how he

started the Cambridge Tree Project 2006-2020 establishing 1000 trees tree sale

over 18 years, most diverse tree community 190 species vs 35 to start with and

mostly ash/maple. He also does Cambridge Tree Trials measuring the trees

and tracing their development, growth, and survival. Largest data set in Dane

County and providing valuable insights on tree establishment and survival. In

addition to being Vice-Chair on the Tree Board, WEISS gives presentations,

SCRUFs tours, and provides guidance to communities and non-profits. Wahl

presented WEISS with the (corrected) plaque for the 2025 Leadership Award

and 3 books by former Tree Board member Bruce Allison.

2 - Projects/policies that we should be or want to be working on:

Discussion ensued

3 - Mission and Vision Statement review Not discussed

4 - Next Steps for TB in regards to County Tree Preservation Resolution

Not discussed

5 - 2026 Tree Board Budget Briefly discussed

F. Action Items

1 - Tree Board Purchases

G. Future Meeting Items and Dates

7/15/2025 at 3:45 pm. Location to be determined.

H. Public Comment on Items not on the Agenda

None

I. Such Other Business as Allowed by Law

None

J. Adjourn

A motion was made by BOCSI, seconded by RICH, that the meeting be

adjourned. MOTION passed (5-0).

Minutes respectfully submitted by Lisa Johnson, pending board approval.