Town of Cedar Lake
Tree Board
Special Organizational Meeting Minutes

1. Call to Order

Mr. Eldridge called the meeting to order at 3:01 p.m.

2. Pledge of Allegiance

Mr. Eldridge led those present in the Pledge of Allegiance.

3. Roll Call / Confirmation of Quorum

Members Present: Jeff Bunge; Joyce Ivey; Greg Marquardt; Chris Titus; Cliff Wroe.

Staff Present: Benjamin Eldridge, Town Manager.

Staff Absent: Mindi Ray, Parks Superintendent; Cheryl Hajduk, Recording Secretary.

All five members were present. A quorum was confirmed.

4. Election of Officers

Mr. Eldridge conducted the election of officers. Nominations were made and seconded for each position. All three officers were elected by unanimous consent on a combined roll call vote. Following the election, Mr. Eldridge passed the gavel to Mr. Wroe as incoming Chairperson.

Chairperson

Mr. Titus nominated Cliff Wroe for Chairperson; seconded by Mr. Marquardt.

Vice Chairperson

Mr. Titus nominated Jeff Bunge for Vice Chairperson; seconded by Mr. Marquardt.

Secretary

Mr. Bunge nominated Joyce Ivey for Secretary; seconded by Mr. Titus.

Motion to elect Cliff Wroe as Chairperson, Jeff Bunge as Vice Chairperson, and Joyce Ivey as Secretary — all nominations accepted by unanimous consent.

Vote: Bunge — Yes; Ivey — Yes; Marquardt — Yes; Titus — Yes; Wroe — Yes. All officers elected, 5–0.

Mr. Wroe briefly explained the role of each officer: the Chairperson presides over meetings and organizes meeting business; the Vice Chairperson serves in the Chair’s absence; the Secretary supports the minutes process. He noted that the Town is leveraging AI-assisted transcription tools to streamline draft minutes preparation, and that the Secretary’s role in reviewing and approving the draft is the primary minutes responsibility.

5. Adoption of Meeting Schedule

Mr. Wroe noted that Ordinance No. 1520 establishes the default meeting schedule as the third Friday of each month, which members indicated is problematic for several. After discussion, the Board agreed to modify the schedule by vote. The following schedule was adopted:

• Frequency: Every other month (bimonthly), on odd-numbered months.
• Day/Time: Fourth Thursday of the month at 3:00 p.m.
• Location: Cedar Lake Town Hall Meeting Room.

Mr. Eldridge confirmed no staffing concerns with afternoon meetings. The Board noted that meetings will be available for public access via Zoom and will also be live-streamed to the Town’s YouTube channel.

Motion to adopt a bimonthly meeting schedule on the fourth Thursday of odd-numbered months at 3:00 p.m. made by Mr. Marquardt; seconded by Mr. Bunge.

Unanimous consent. All in favor. Motion carries, 5–0.

Next Meeting: Thursday, May 28, 2026 at 3:00 p.m., Cedar Lake Town Hall Meeting Room.

6. Adoption of Rules and Procedures

Mr. Wroe noted that as a new board, the Board is required to formally adopt its parliamentary authority. He recommended adoption of Robert’s Rules of Order, consistent with all other Cedar Lake boards and commissions.

Motion to adopt Robert’s Rules of Order as the parliamentary authority for the Cedar Lake Tree Board made by Mr. Marquardt; seconded by Mr. Titus.

Unanimous consent. All in favor. Motion carries, 5–0.

7. Open Door Law and Public Records Orientation

Mr. Wroe provided an orientation on the Board’s Open Door Law obligations. Key points:

• IC 5-14-1.5: All meetings must be open to the public and properly noticed at least 48 hours in advance (excluding weekends and holidays). The Indiana Public Access Counselor’s website is a resource for guidance on meeting conduct.
• IC 5-14-3: Meeting minutes are public records from the very first meeting forward.
• Conflict of Interest: Ordinance No. 1520, Section One(D) requires all members to disclose potential conflicts of interest. A state disclosure form is required. Mr. Wroe noted he does not foresee conflicts for any current members.
• Annual Meeting Notice: The Board is required to file an annual meeting notice.

No questions were raised.

8. Zoning Ordinance Familiarization

Mr. Wroe noted that Ordinance No. 1520, Section Three(F) requires Tree Board members to be familiar with the landscaping provisions of the Town’s Zoning Ordinance. He distributed a Zoning Landscaping Reference summary document to assist members. Ms. Ivey noted the document omits Section E; Mr. Wroe explained that Section E under the applicable chapter contains only a single line requiring trees to be disease-free, and its absence from the summary was an inadvertent omission of a straightforward provision. The full Zoning Manual is available on the Town’s website under Town Code. Mr. Eldridge was noted as a resource for zoning questions.

9. Discussion: Mission and Initial Priorities

Tree City USA Application

Mr. Wroe explained that the Tree Board’s primary purpose is to qualify Cedar Lake as a Tree City USA designation. The four requirements are:

• A tree board — now fulfilled by Ordinance No. 1520 and this Board.
• A tree care ordinance — already in place.
• An Arbor Day observance.
• A community forestry program with a minimum per-capita expenditure (approximately $2 per resident), which the Town can meet internally.

The Tree City USA application cannot be submitted until after the 2026 Arbor Day celebration, as the submission deadline will have already passed. The application is planned for submission in September 2026.

Arbor Day 2026 — April 24, 2026

Parks Superintendent Mindi Ray has taken the lead on planning the Arbor Day observance, including preparation of flyers and stickers. A ceremony is planned at the lakefront near the Lion’s Den pavilion. Leo’s Gardens has donated a flowering cherry tree for the occasion, and has offered to donate a tree for the following year as well. The cherry tree will be planted at the Lion’s Den location (consistent with the Town Council approval from the March 17 meeting).

A minimum order of 100 saplings has been placed with the Indiana State Nursery. Delivery timing is subject to the State’s harvest and fulfillment schedule; Mr. Wroe expressed confidence the trees will arrive by or near Arbor Day. Mr. Wroe credited Ms. Ray’s initiative — initiated from an informal conversation — with driving much of the organizational momentum that led to the Tree Board’s formation.

Near-Term Tree Planting Initiatives

Near-term planting activity underway or planned:

• Approximately 10 additional trees to be planted around the new public safety facilities (police and fire stations), including Eastern Red Cedars donated by the developer.
• Parks Department has trees on its fall planting schedule (approximately 30 trees, per prior years’ practice); Mr. Marquardt noted replacement trees for those removed are likely included.
• Parks Department landscaping near the gazebo for privacy and beautification.

Discussion touched on the possibility of expanding the Town’s memorial tree program — which generated community interest approximately two years prior — to include permanent signage at town parks memorializing notable or removed trees, and broadening plantings to multiple parks. Mr. Wroe noted signage costs are a consideration but expressed optimism about developing a process over time.

Board Budget

In response to a member question, Mr. Wroe clarified that the Tree Board does not have a dedicated budget. The Board is primarily an advisory and process body; tree planting on public grounds is handled by the Parks Department and tree care by Public Works. The Board will work in coordination with those departments rather than independently funding projects.

Public Education Initiatives

Mr. Bunge asked about the scope of public education initiatives. Discussion included:

• Programs for all ages, with an emphasis on youth engagement through school-based or community programs.
• Promotion of native tree species. The Town tree is reportedly the Eastern Red Cedar; the State tree is the Tulip Tree. The Board discussed encouraging native plantings such as Tulip Tree, Bur Oak, and Shagbark Hickory — all prevalent in Cedar Lake.
• Notable trees in existing parks: a Ginkgo at Bartlett Park; a Tulip Tree in the dog park area.
• Eventual development of a preferred tree list for public right-of-ways, to be codified in coordination with the Planning Commission and the Zoning Manual.
• Purdue Extension and Indiana DNR both offer educational programs for municipalities; Mr. Wroe encouraged members to research these independently for future discussion.

Potential Funding and Partner Resources

The following organizations were noted as potential partners or grant sources for future investigation:

• Parks Foundation: Currently working on landscape projects at Potawatomi Park; recently collected approximately 500 pounds of plastic lids, earning two recycled-plastic benches. May be a partner for tree-related projects or fundraising.
• Shirley Heinze Land Trust: Mentioned as a Northwest Indiana organization with potential grant funding for environmental projects. Members noted to research further.
• Gabis Arboretum: Noted as a potential educational resource or partner organization.

Relationship with Park Board and Town Departments

The Parks Department was identified as the Tree Board’s primary advocate and operational partner. Public Works was recognized for its role in ongoing tree care on public property. Mr. Wroe encouraged open collaboration with both departments and any community or private partners that share the Board’s mission.

Preferred Tree List and Zoning Integration

Mr. Wroe noted that most communities with tree boards develop a recommended tree list for public plantings and right-of-ways. Cedar Lake does not currently have one. As the Board matures, developing such a list and working with the Planning Commission to incorporate it into the Zoning Manual was identified as a long-term goal.

10. Next Meeting Date

Next Meeting: Thursday, May 28, 2026 at 3:00 p.m., Cedar Lake Town Hall Meeting Room.

11. Public Comment

Benjamin Eldridge — Tree Inventory

Mr. Eldridge asked whether the Town has a tree inventory. Mr. Wroe confirmed it does not. He noted that some communities (including Highland, Indiana) contract with a firm to conduct and annually update a tree inventory, cataloging species and locations of trees for which the municipality is responsible. Mr. Wroe noted the City of Goshen as an example of a well-developed tree program with a publicly accessible GIS-mapped tree inventory, allowing the public to view all mapped trees by species online. Mr. Wroe identified the development of a tree inventory as an important future goal for the Board, noting GIS mapping as the preferred methodology. No action was taken; the matter is noted for future Board consideration.

No other public comment was received.

12. Adjournment

There being no further business, Mr. Wroe adjourned the meeting at approximately 3:32 p.m.