Volunteers logged roughly 172 hours and mulched about 190 young trees in summer maintenance push, commission hears

Richard Parish gave a summary of the commission's summer tree maintenance program, reporting volunteer contributions and material removals that he said materially improved the look and health of young street trees.

"There was about 172 hours spent on the tree maintenance by all of these volunteers," Parish reported. He said volunteers mulched approximately 190 young trees (1-3 years old), adjusted or removed roughly 370 black tree guards, pulled about 26 damaged "diapers," removed 20 metal support poles and at least 14 wooden stakes where they were no longer needed.

Parish said the work helped clear overgrown guards and derelict supports, improving optics and allowing trees to grow without impediments. Commissioners discussed collecting remaining buckets and other field gear and agreed to reuse or consolidate supplies. The chair also asked commissioners to assemble volunteer-hour totals for an Arbor Day Foundation Tree City USA submission and to store the figures for the application deadline.