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, September 20, 2022  
3:45 PM  
Virtual Zoom Meeting: See top of agenda for  
instructions on how to join the webinar or call in by  
phone  
A. Call To Order  
7 -  
Present  
ADAM HELMINIAK, Supervisor MICHELE RITT, JAY WEISS, LAURA WYATT,  
ALEX MODERHOCK, MCKINZIE MYSZKA, and MATT NOONE  
1 - MARLA EDDY  
Absent  
Also present Brian Wahl, Jaedan Festge, Lisa Johnson  
B. Consideration of Minutes  
8.16.2022 MINUTES TREEBOARD  
Attachments: 2022 MIN-291  
A motion was made by WYATT, seconded by NOONE, that the Minutes be  
approved. The motion carried by a voice vote 6-0.  
C. Discussion Items  
1. Board vacancies Full staff is for the Board is nine members. We currently have 7 due  
to the resignation of ADAM HELMINIAK as well as a pre-existing vacancy from Ed  
Bartell’s resignation. The status of MARLA EDDY’S membership will be resolved by the  
end of September at which time, the Board may then have 6 members. Requirements for  
membership are that you must be 18, a County resident and not a current county  
employee. An online application for membership must be filled out at  
code=ad4b4773-2fbe-4371-bdaa-6275ea8744bd . We recommend candidates to the  
Exec and he recommends them to the full county board, then they have to approve.  
These would fill terms current terms and could be reappointed. RITT will check re  
continuing as either virtual and hybrid at the choice of the chair. Johnson will send all  
Board members the vacancy blurb.  
2. Heritage Oaks Update: NOONE and Johnson met with Bruce Allison for a history of  
the project and recommendations. Outreach is occurring on various websites—Noone  
and Johnson asked if we can update the Tree Board website with the current project  
information and any inventory additions. NOONE and Johnson have been collecting  
acorns from Heritage Oaks -- 45-50 gallons of acorns from several oaks. They created a  
budget proposal. Wahl proposed Heritage Tree Group for homeowners on private property  
to alert them when acorns will be falling. Might also be some other community  
engagement events and information. NOONE will forward a blurb to WYATT for the  
website.  
3. Tree Planting Project Update: Johnson updated the group that they are working with  
Sun Prairie to do plantings this fall, and have approached Fitchburg officials re the same.  
Johnson is going to work with office colleagues and the TC group to do winter community  
engagement programs in neighborhoods around tree planting sites. The TC group is also  
looking at a branding change.  
4. Budget proposals $2376 RITT will check to see if TB money can be used for food in  
community engagement projects for tree planting, MOTION to allocate to Heritage Oaks  
proposal up to $400 project by MYSZKA, seconded by NOONE. RITT will also check on  
if can be used for student labor to help with HO outreach contacting private homeowners.  
Johnson will be growing some of the collected acorns in raised beds up to 2-3 seasons,  
give to schools, nonprofits, in conjunction with Tree Canopy project. WYATT – suggests  
incorporating learning experience for kids. A comment notes that there is genetic  
variation in acorns from any oaks.  
5. Workplan review postponed till October meeting, Johnson will send out to members  
for review prior to October meeting  
D. Presentations  
E. Reports to Committee  
1. Tree canopy group already covered  
2. Heritage tree budget needs already covered  
3. Events work group not met, MYSZKA is currently alone due to HELMINIAK resignation  
4. Outreach work group did not meet as did not have quorum, next week meeting will  
discuss potential PSAs, budget for PSAs and FB message discussion  
5. Policy work group looking at existing policies as a source for potential policy  
recommendations. Is trying to find out what we have jurisdiction over and what we don’t.  
Dane County Highway heads does ‘fall rodeo and chainsaw training’. Specialized crews do  
the work and lead worker should have the skills to do the work the group was concerned  
is not always being done well. ALVES is looking to get more training for this staff to  
address these concerns. LWRD director has people researching what Tree Board might  
have jurisdiction over for policies.  
F. Future Meeting Items and Dates  
October meeting needs to be rescheduled; Johnson is sending a Doodle poll. Others:  
November 22 2022, no December meeting  
G. Public Comment on Items not on the Agenda  
H. Such Other Business as Allowed by Law  
I. Adjourn  
A motion was made by MYSZKA, seconded by HELMINIAK, that the Meeting be  
adjourned. The motion carried unanimously 6-0.  
Minutes respectfully submitted by Lisa Johnson, pending council approval