|
Agenda Item: 6D |
Prepared By: Jim Kornas |
|
Business: Old Business |
Department: Executive Office |
Subject:
Title
Privately-Funded Tree Donation Program White Paper (J. Rogers)
Body
BACKGROUND: At the Committee’s June 4, 2025 meeting, Committee Member Julie Rogers briefly outlined a proposal to generate public awareness and interest in contributing toward the planting of trees in public rights-of-way (e.g. swales) and other public areas (e.g. City parks).
The Committee's discussion evolved into a brief review of several different approaches for a privately-funded tree planting program on Marco Island.
One proposed approach would encourage individual homeowners to undertake the expense of procuring, planting, and establishing a tree in their own swale(s). Relying on Committee-supplied information and encouragement, this approach would result in each homeowner undertaking the effort and expense of obtaining a right-of-way (swale) permit for his/her individual tree planting project. Each homeowner could select his/her own landscape contractor.
A second proposed approach would have the Committee attempt to encourage a neighborhood of homeowners to agree to participate in and fund a neighborhood-wide planting of trees in their swales using a Committee-coordinated listing of recommended trees and, perhaps, the identification of swale locations deemed by City Staff to be largely free of underground an overhead infrastructure impediments. Under this approach, only one (1) right-of-way (swale) permit fee would be required for the entire neighborhood. The neighborhood would have the freedom to select its own landscape contractor(s) for the entire neighborhood project.
A third proposed approach would have the Committee directly manage all elements of the tree-planting effort in individual (or neighborhood) swales on behalf of the property owner(s) once the property owner(s) have remitted their agreed-upon donation amount. Under this approach, the City's landscape contractor completes all aspects of the tree procurement, planting, and maintenance under direction by the Committee. The right-of-way (swale) permit fee for each property owner is waived.
Next Steps:
Committee Chair Marv Needles requested that Member Julie Rogers draft a "white paper" outlining her proposed approach, details, and timetable for implementing a public tree donation program for review at the Committee's July 9, 2025 meeting.
FUNDING SOURCE / FISCAL IMPACT: Potentially, some allocation from the Committee’s 2026 Fiscal Year budget will be required to promote one (or more) of the approaches that the Committee decides to pursue to encourage privately-funded tree-planting activities on Marco Island.
RECOMMENDATION: Receive and discuss Member Rogers’ proposal(s); determine the Committee’s next steps.
POTENTIAL MOTION: None expected.