Beautification and Improvement Commission

Minutes – 11/2/23 Beau�fica�on and Improvement Commission Roll Call: Commissioners Present: Robert Quane (Chair) Sherwin Ditlove Frederick Lisiewicz Rachel Rosenberg Mitchell Sandler (Vice Chair) Valerie Shuman Brooke Sprague Vernell Ellison-Smith Commissioners Absent: Ann Goldsha� Joseph Hasten Dalya Horowitz George Hubchak (excused) Chuck Levine (excused) Edward Potash (excused) Ross Del Rosario (excused) Mike Madalinski (excused) William (Tony) Barney Katy Darr William Oney-Paige (excused) Forester Cathy Stevens – Present Trustee James Johnson – Absent Mee�ng called to order at 6:40PM Recap of awards program – Chair Quane 1. Evening went well 2. 10 missing property owners 3. Leters went out to everyone + 2 more emails and a phone call 4. Chair Quane shared budget/spend for the awards ceremony 5. Chair Quane delivered remaining awards 6. Chair Quane saw a home with the sign in the yard 7. Vice Chair Sandler saw a sign in a yard as well Approve minutes – 2nd by Commissioner Rosenberg and approved Chair Quane shared some of the expenditures thus far for the FYTD Chair Quane disscuses Arbor Day 2024 1. Ida B. Crowne (school) will have the plan�ng on Arbor Day 2024 2. Chair Shuman believes that we should get corporate sponsors next year to help finance some of the commission expenditures next year Chair Quane shared some photos of the awards night. Forester Stevens men�ons pos�ng the photos on the website “Tweaks” to Awards – Commissioner Shuman 1. Commissioner Shuman reviews that we have the list of proper�es 2. Commissioner Shuman will send it around to everyone 3. Vice Chair Sandler clarifies what Commissioner Shuman can send out regarding in order to comply with OMA 4. Any commissioners that have ques�ons should contact Commissioner Shuman directly for more info 5. Group discussed the number of proper�es that were eligible 6. Max is 36 7. Discussed the mee�ng, photos and ceremonies and the �meframe 8. Mee�ng was very crowded during the awards ceremony Tree Canopy - Commissioner Shuman 1. Commissioner Shuman wants to talk to schools in the “zone” that is ge�ng the grant 2. Commissioner Shuman wants to discuss all of this in the sub-commission mee�ng 3. Commissioner Shuman believes that we will have a big 2024 4. Commissioner Shuman wants to really start telling the story in the Spring of 2024 (and get people excited) 5. Forester Stevens explains the grant and what is involved 6. Chair Quane addresses/explains block captains a. Chair Quane says that the coordinators of block par�es could be a good contact to have parkway trees on a block  b. Forester Stevens would like to have a tree advocate on the block c. Forester Stevens believes that it would have to be someone who really wants trees on the block d. Chair Quane would like to solicit “tree masters” or advocates on blocks e. Chair Quane wants to compare data base of block par�es with who’s in charge of block par�es f. Commissioner Shuman states that there’s a lot we can do on the back-end for the forester g. Chair Quane talked to Commissioner Monastero (human rela�ons commission) and a staff person. We should get a general leter for their commission (about the concept of having a tree advocate – block part captains) h. Commissioner Shuman states that shi� is more towards schools instead of businesses i. Chair Quane men�ons tree ordinance in Skokie i. Forester Stevens explains tree ordinance in detail Educa�on – Commissioner Rosenberg 1. Commissioner Rosenberg states that none of the educa�on sub-commission info has been uploaded to the commission webpage 2. Commissioner Shuman – sent email on 10/25 to Communica�ons Manager Gioia a. Men�oned broken links and what is not up b. Forester Stevens says to copy her c. Assistant to the Public Works Director Zimmerman s�ll has info on her desk 3. Speaker Pam Carlson was successful at the library talk 4. Chair Quane shows photo of library talk 5. Posi�ve feedback was received on the speaker from par�cipants 6. Library paid for the programming 7. Spring talk – ideas/brainstorm: a. Hor�culturalist on edible yards from the CBG b. Find someone at the Morton Arboretum to do Fall talk – Oaktober??? i. This talk should probably take place in August c. Commissioner Shuman talks about emphasizing what’s coming to the yard (birds, pollinators, etc) d. Commissioner Sprague – “leave the leaves” – SEC – this needs to be addressed e. Chair Quane shows handout from the speaker at the library f. Forester Stevens would like to do an educa�on on small tree care More on Arbor Day - Chair Quane 1. Chair Quane wants to talk about Arbor Day next year 2. How should we engage with Ida B Crown (school) 3. Poted white oak giveaway? 4. Forester Stevens has a source for small trees (Tom Klitsky) 5. Tom Klitsky grows oaks from all over Evanston 6. Tree host list – put together this list – if you get a tree – we get your name Chair Quane shows pics of project with Xylem Chair Quane states that we used our email list for the last speaking event and it worked 1. Public works could do prep with the commissions 2. Possible engagements with schools, girl scouts, boy scouts, etc 3. Possible places to put trees in Chair Quane’s neighborhood (shown) 4. Commissioner Shuman – Is there something we can make signature for Skokie? 5. Commissioner Shuman talks about topiary in NC – how this could be signature. 6. What plant can be signature for Skokie? 7. Chair Quane – Does Skokie have any official plant, tree, etc 8. Talk about what would work as far as plants in Skokie (salt, maintenance, watering) Chair Quane suggests whole commission not meet in December and January (not sub-commissions) 1. Chair Quane will put out a note that December we won’t have a mee�ng 2. Commissioner Shuman is worried that we may need approval 3. Not able to do Zoom mee�ngs for commissions 4. Concerned about atendance??? – quorum may be problema�c 5. Vote to not meet in December passes. Closing out the Year – Forester Stevens 1. Forester Stevens busy plan�ng trees 2. Forester Stevens thanks everyone for the great year! 3. Forester Stevens thinks it would be helpful to have a mee�ng right before the awards ceremony (in 2024) 4. Public works enjoyed the le�overs from the awards ceremony 5. Forester Stevens suggests Commissioner Ellison-Smith may want to cook for next awards a. Commissioner Ellison-Smith would be happy to handle food at awards ceremony Forester Stevens/Chair Quane – will be emailing people who have not done the OMA training Mee�ng adjourned at 7:48PM