Town of Cedar Lake
Tree Board
Regular Meeting Minutes

Pledge of Allegiance

Mr. Wroe called the meeting to order and led those present in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Roll Call / Confirmation of Quorum

Three of five members were present. A quorum was confirmed.

Approval of Minutes

Regular Meeting — May 28, 2026

The draft minutes of the May 28, 2026 regular meeting were distributed in advance. No corrections were offered.

Motion to approve the May 28, 2026 regular meeting minutes as presented made by Mr. Bunge; seconded by Mr. Titus.

Vote: Voice vote. All in favor; none opposed. Motion carries, 3–0.

Old Business

5. Preferred Tree List — Review and Possible Action

National Arborist Society Review (Mr. Titus)

Mr. Titus reported he completed his review of the draft list against National Arborist Society reference materials. He found no significant disqualifying issues; a small number of species showed disease/fungus susceptibility notes and one height-classification discrepancy worth noting, but nothing warranting removal from the draft list.

Village of Homewood, Illinois Reference (Mr. Bunge)

Mr. Bunge presented the preferred species guide received from his nephew, arborist David Bunge, on behalf of the Village of Homewood, Illinois. The Board favorably reviewed the guide's organization — species grouped visually by mature canopy category (tall canopy, intermediate, and low-growing) with color-coded charts. Mr. Wroe indicated he had also forwarded the Board's current draft to Justin Govert at Leo's Garden Center for input but had not yet received a response.

Parkway Tree Recommendations

Discussion noted that the Homewood guide includes recommendations for parkway plantings; since Cedar Lake has been moving away from recommending or permitting new parkway tree plantings (due to water line conflicts, sidewalk heaving, and interference with utility and snowplow operations), those specific recommendations may not be directly applicable to Cedar Lake's list.

Bald Cypress

The Board confirmed Bald Cypress is included in the Homewood guide (page 6, medium/intermediate category), consistent with the Board's prior interest in adding this species to Cedar Lake's preferred list.

Motion directing Mr. Titus to incorporate visual and organizational elements of the Village of Homewood guide into the Cedar Lake draft preferred tree list, forward the updated draft to Justin Govert for review, and circulate it to all Board members for further input, made by Mr. Titus; seconded by Mr. Bunge.

Vote: Voice vote. All in favor; none opposed. Motion carries, 3–0.

6. Tree City USA Application — Status Update

Mr. Wroe reported the application window opens in September 2026, and this is the Board's last regular meeting before that window opens. He reported continued work with Public Works to finalize per-capita expenditure figures, and expressed confidence the Town will comfortably exceed the required $2.00 per capita threshold based on planned tree plantings for the year combined with creditable Public Works and Parks activities — leaf collection, branch collection, and stump grinding all qualify toward the total. No questions were raised. The Board is on track for a September submission.

7. Tree Inventory — Methodology Presentation and Next Steps

Mr. Wroe reported he circulated screenshots and a demonstration video of the finalized GPS-based inventory software and methodology to Board members prior to the meeting. Key points:

• The system uses equipment and software the Town already owns; the only additional input required is labor.
• Data collection is simple: the GPS pole is placed at the tree, the device captures coordinates, the operator selects the tree species from a dropdown menu, and the entry is submitted — the process takes approximately five seconds per tree.
• A dedicated device, interfacing directly with the Town's GPS pole, is set aside specifically for this data collection.

Mr. Wiesemann (Parks Superintendent) offered to have the Parks Department participate in data collection and indicated he would bring the proposal to the Park Board for approval at their next meeting.

Mr. Titus asked whether the system could be operated by a private citizen volunteer rather than only Town staff; Mr. Wroe confirmed the process is simple enough for a volunteer to use, consistent with the video demonstration.

Status: Discussion only; no formal vote taken. Parks Department participation pending Park Board approval. Methodology confirmed as ready for implementation.

New Business

8. Plan Commission Coordination — Zoning Manual Update — Deferred

Mr. Wroe opened discussion on the Board's role in the year-end Building and Zoning Manual revision, referencing the two-tree-per-new-home requirement raised by Barbara Orze at the May 28 meeting. He noted some newer developments appear to require only one tree per home, which may be attributable to individual PUD-specific approval terms rather than a change to the general ordinance.

Mr. Wroe recommended holding off on any formal recommendation to the Plan Commission until the preferred tree list is fully finalized, so that the Board can present a single, complete package (preferred species list together with any recommended ordinance updates) rather than submitting items piecemeal. He reiterated that the Tree Board is purely advisory, with no enforcement authority or dedicated staff, and that any changes to required tree counts or placement standards would ultimately be a Plan Commission decision.

Motion to defer the Plan Commission coordination / zoning manual update item to the September 24, 2026 meeting made by Mr. Titus; seconded by Mr. Bunge.

Vote: Voice vote. All in favor; none opposed. Motion carries, 3–0.

Closing

9. Next Meeting Date

The next regular meeting is confirmed for Thursday, September 24, 2026 at 3:00 p.m., Cedar Lake Town Hall Meeting Room. Mr. Wroe reiterated that the November 2026 regular meeting remains rescheduled to Thursday, November 19, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. (due to the Thanksgiving holiday), and that Arbor Day 2027 planning will be added to the September 24 agenda.

Public Comment

Barbara Orze — 10290 W. 138th Place

Ms. Orze asked the Board to explain the rationale behind discouraging parkway tree plantings. Mr. Wiesemann and Mr. Bunge explained the primary concerns: underground water lines running through the parkway area are prone to root intrusion and resulting sidewalk heaving; overhanging branches interfere with snowplow operations and have damaged truck mirrors; and some parkway trees have needed removal because they obstruct traffic signage. It was noted the Town currently has two ordinance provisions that appear to conflict on this point, and that a comprehensive ordinance review — previously suggested to the Town Council — is intended to address this. Existing parkway trees would not be required to be removed under any updated policy (a grandfather provision would apply).

Ms. Orze raised a broader concern regarding tree coverage in townhome and paired-villa developments, citing her own neighborhood (near Centennial) as an example where a dozen or so townhomes share only a few trees among a large shared front yard area, which she felt detracted from the neighborhood's appearance. She also raised concern that new subdivisions are permitted to count detention and retention ponds toward required green space without any accompanying tree plantings, citing a playground and a walking path in her area that are surrounded entirely by open grass with no trees. She encouraged the Board to specifically address townhome and paired-villa developments in any future ordinance recommendations, since these housing types do not fit neatly into the traditional single-family home tree requirement framework.

Mr. Wroe acknowledged the concern, noting the Board has not yet formally approached the Plan Commission with specific tree placement recommendations, and stated his intention to ensure townhome and paired-villa developments are specifically considered as the zoning manual coordination discussion matures later this year, since this type of housing could otherwise be overlooked in a standard single-family-oriented ordinance update. The Board thanked Ms. Orze for her input.

Derek Wierzbanowski — 14341 Riskin Road

Mr. Wierzbanowski appeared, having previously emailed the Board two days prior. He described an approximately two-year history of hazard tree issues along an unimproved, undedicated road right-of-way behind his property, in the area between Colfax Street and Riskin Road near 143rd/144th Avenue:

• A fallen branch previously damaged his fence; the Town paid an insurance claim for the resulting damage.
• A fallen branch damaged the roof of a shed on his property (damage predating his ownership, per information relayed by the prior owner); the shed remains standing but with visible roof damage.
• An overhanging branch damaged a neighbor's pool the previous year; the Town paid an insurance claim for that damage as well.
• Multiple dead trees remain standing or partially fallen in the area, which he described as an eyesore and an ongoing hazard; he clarified he is not asking that healthy trees be removed, only that dead trees be cleared.
• He noted that children previously used an informal path through the area (between Colfax and Riskin, where no sidewalks exist) but that fallen dead trees now block that path.

He stated Public Works had previously cited wet ground conditions as a reason access was not feasible, which he disputed based on current conditions, noting the area is fully accessible in dry weather and that a tree had been successfully removed from the same area in the past.

Mr. Wroe acknowledged awareness of this problem area, having reviewed it on a map, and confirmed it lies along an unimproved and undedicated road segment. He noted the Board has no staff or direct authority over Public Works operations but committed to following up personally with the Public Works Superintendent and to keeping the resident updated by email. Mr. Wroe apologized for a delayed response to the resident's email, explaining he had been out of town and had only just returned.

No further public comment was received.

Adjournment

Motion to adjourn made by Mr. Bunge; seconded by Mr. Titus.

Vote: Voice vote. All in favor; none opposed. Motion carries, 3–0.

Meeting adjourned at 3:21 p.m.