The Escanaba Tree Advisory Board was established by the Escanaba City Council on Thursday.

ESCANABA — The Escanaba City Council officially established the Escanaba Tree Advisory Board on Thursday, creating a nine-member body that will advise the city on public tree management and Tree City USA initiatives.

Under the approved ordinance, the board will consist of seven voting members and two non-voting ex-officio members, all serving three-year terms.

One representative from each of the following city departments will serve on the board: the Department of Public Works, Water/Wastewater Department, Electric Department and Downtown Development Authority.

Three resident-at-large members will be appointed by the mayor with the consent of the city council. The board will also include two non-voting ex-officio members: one City Council liaison, a position to which Karen Moore was appointed, and one certified arborist designated by the council.

The board will meet at least quarterly, and all meetings will be conducted in accordance with the Michigan Open Meetings Act.

According to the ordinance, the board will act in an advisory capacity to the council, city manager and Department of Public Works on matters including Tree City USA compliance, such as coordinating the city’s annual Tree City USA application, infrastructure protection and advising the council on tree management affecting municipal utilities, among other responsibilities.

The Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City USA program has recognized Escanaba as a Tree City USA community for the past 26 years. While the program does not require cities to have a tree advisory board, it does require communities to have a tree board and a department or position with legal authority and responsibility for public tree care decisions.

The Department of Public Works currently oversees the city’s trees, making Escanaba eligible for recognition in previous years.

Public Works Director Kent DuBord commented on the ordinance during the meeting Thursday.

“Water/wastewater, electric and public works — there are already meetings that we have internally, between tree plantings and cutting down trees and making sure we’re on the same page,” DuBord said. “This kind of just puts it in writing, and I think it’s important that staff has a say in what we’re doing.”

The newly approved tree advisory board will not diminish the authority of the Department of Public Works. The ordinance states, “Nothing in this section shall be construed to diminish the exclusive jurisdiction, authority and control of the Department of Public Works over all trees, plants and shrubs in public places as established in Section 29-1.”

One point of discussion was the frequency of board meetings, with the council weighing language requiring meetings “at least semi-annually” versus “at least quarterly” or taking “at least” out of the language altogether.

Ammel said that while city department heads already communicate regularly about tree-related issues, the board should meet often enough to provide ample opportunities for public input.

“I think once or twice a year is not enough, because that’s not going to address the problems we’re having,” Council Member Karen Moore said. “I know that public works and electrical have their policies, but there were lots of issues. That’s basically why we started this, because there were too many people coming to me, (saying) ‘Why are they doing this? Why are they doing that?’ and there was not a specific answer.”

Moore said the public will be able to bring questions and concerns directly to the tree advisory board and receive specific answers rather than directing those concerns to council members, the Department of Public Works or social media.

Council members also discussed whether to adopt the original ordinance proposed in April or a slightly revised version incorporating recommendations from DuBord.

DuBord advocated for an internal staff member to be designated as the city arborist. He said an employee serving in that role could be utilized full time and also assist with other duties, including plowing roads and contributing to road construction projects.

The original ordinance does not prevent a city employee from serving as the designated arborist but does not specifically require the position to be filled by an internal staff member.

DuBord also proposed reducing the board from nine members to seven. He recommended that city employees, the DDA representative and city council members serve on the board for as long as they hold their respective positions. He further suggested that members appointed to the remaining positions serve three-year terms.

“My biggest concern with this whole thing is we get three people on there that are the biggest complainers already in town when it comes to trees,” DuBord said.

Had the council approved those changes, the ordinance would have required more public hearings and an approval process. The council ultimately approved the original ordinance.

Council Member Beauchamp voted against the motion, expressing concern about filling the three resident-at-large positions, noting the city already struggles to fill vacancies on existing boards.

“We can always go back and adjust this if it doesn’t work,” Mayor Mark Ammel said after the vote.

In other business, the council:

— Denied an interlocal service agreement with the Delta Conservation District to support the city’s urban forestry program and Tree City USA efforts, including arborist consulting services, certification support and related project materials. Under the proposal, the city would have funded the professional development and certification of a Delta Conservation District employee in exchange for specialist consulting services. Council members expressed concern that a district employee could use city-funded resources while performing work outside the city. Escanaba plans to establish an urban forestry program to satisfy Tree City USA requirements, and a city employee is now expected to pursue arborist certification.

— Reviewed applicants for the city manager position and scheduled interviews for the week of July 13. 18 applicants initially applied, though three candidates withdrew. Candidates include the former acting Senate chief clerk and director of operations for the Wisconsin State Senate, along with multiple city and village managers from across Michigan. Each council member present at Thursday’s meeting submitted their top three candidates to Human Resources Director Heather Calouette.

— Retained the services of Master Electric of Escanaba for installation of 120-volt power sample pumps at the city water plant at a cost not to exceed $5,477. According to the agenda item, funds are available in the city’s budget.

— Retained the services of Delta Door Co. of Gladstone to convert and connect all five doors to accept external antenna service at the wastewater plant in an amount not to exceed $1,512.70. Funds are available in the city’s budget for this work, as well.

— Approved the sale of 1.53 acres of city-owned property, known as Lot 8 in the Whitetail Industrial Park, to Soo Hill Sanitation Inc. for $23,000. Gary DuBord, president of the company, said the property will be used for equipment storage and as a sales/office and shop area. The Planning Commission recommended approval based on the intended use of the property.

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Sophie Vogelmann can be reached at 906-786-2021 or svogelmann@dailypress.net.