Town of Cedar Lake
Tree Board
Regular Meeting Minutes

Pledge of Allegiance

Mr. Wroe called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m. and led those present in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Roll Call / Confirmation of Quorum

Members Absent: None.

Four of five members were present at roll call. A quorum was confirmed. Mr. Bunge arrived shortly thereafter, bringing full attendance to five of five members for the remainder of the meeting.

Approval of Minutes

Regular Meeting — July 23, 2026

The draft minutes of the July 23, 2026 regular meeting were distributed in advance and posted to the Town website. No corrections were offered at this time. (Note: a correction to these minutes was later identified and adopted during Public Comment; see below.)

Motion to approve the July 23, 2026 regular meeting minutes as presented made by Mr. Marquardt; seconded by Mr. Titus.

Vote: Voice vote. All in favor; none opposed. Motion carries, 4–0.

Old Business

1. Preferred Tree List — Review and Possible Action

Final Review and Recommendation

Mr. Wroe reported the Preferred Tree Guide had been distributed to all Board members by email and posted to the Town website for final review. He thanked Mr. Titus and Mr. Bunge specifically for their work reviewing each species on the list individually, describing it as a group effort.

Status of Circulation

Mr. Wroe confirmed the guide had been circulated to all Board members for input as directed at the July 23, 2026 meeting, and no further changes were requested.

Motion to approve the Preferred Tree Guide for submission to the Plan Commission as a reference standard for the existing two-tree-per-new-home requirement under Ordinance 498, as presented, made by Mr. Bunge; seconded by Ms. Ivey.

Vote: Voice vote. All in favor; none opposed. Motion carries, 4–0.

2. Tree City USA Application — Status Update

Mr. Wroe reported the Tree City USA application process is underway and all requirements are on track to be met. The Town Council took action at its most recent meeting to adopt a proclamation in support of the application, in addition to the Board's Arbor Day observance. On the financial side, the Board's Standard 3 (community forestry expenditures) documentation shows the Town well above the required $2-per-capita threshold, with a running total of $72,395.93 for the 2026 calendar year. Mr. Wroe noted that tree purchases, tree and stump removal, and leaf and brush pickup all count toward this total, and that a portion of the total reflects storm-related cleanup costs. He indicated the application will likely be submitted somewhat ahead of the December 31 deadline given the Town's position relative to the threshold.

Status: Informational item only; no vote taken.

3. Plan Commission Coordination — Zoning Manual Update

Deferred from the July 23, 2026 meeting. Mr. Wroe reopened discussion of the Board's role in the Building and Zoning Manual update, noting the item was originally prompted by public comment regarding tree requirements for townhomes and paired villas under the existing two-tree-per-new-home standard.

Discussion centered on whether a townhome or paired-villa unit should be treated as its own lot for purposes of the requirement; Mr. Wroe noted that while such units are sometimes platted as a single lot initially, they are typically later split so that each unit carries its own key and tax parcel number. Board members discussed that a per-lot standard could be difficult to apply given the small size of some of these lots, several of which consist of little more than a patio in the rear yard.

Mr. Wroe reported he had reached out to a comparable community (Bloomington, Indiana) and learned that jurisdiction bases its tree requirement on lot square footage rather than a flat per-lot count, and suggested that approach as worth considering. He recalled the Bloomington formula was approximately two trees per 2,500 to 3,500 square feet of lot area but stated he would confirm the exact figure.

Mr. Wroe emphasized that any Board recommendation on this topic would not bind the Plan Commission, since Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) can vary from the standard zoning requirements regardless of what the manual specifies. He stated the Board's role would be limited to expressing a preference — for example, that PUDs not minimize tree requirements — while leaving the ultimate decision to the Plan Commission.

Board members requested additional information on the average lot square footage for recent townhome and paired-villa developments before finalizing a recommendation. Mr. Wroe agreed to gather this data from the Town's building and planning software before the next meeting.

Motion to defer the Plan Commission coordination / zoning manual update item to the November 19, 2026 meeting pending further study made by Mr. Titus; seconded by Mr. Marquardt.

Vote: Voice vote. All in favor; none opposed. Motion carries, 5–0.

4. Tree Inventory — Methodology Status Update

Mr. Wiesemann reported that, because Mr. Titus is a Parks Department coworker in addition to serving on the Tree Board, Parks Department staff have agreed to assist with the tree inventory if the Board needs additional help completing it.

Mr. Wroe noted the Board had previously discussed using volunteers for inventory collection, but expressed reluctance to rely on volunteers given that the inventory equipment is Town-owned and not inexpensive; he stated Town staff or a Tree Board member remains the preferred approach to avoid placing that liability on a volunteer.

In response to a Board member's question, Mr. Wroe confirmed that inventory data collection can be performed using a cell phone paired with a GPS receiver — the same method Public Works uses for sewer locate data — and that the equipment is accurate to within the width of a nickel (centimeter-to-millimeter range). He noted the collection app allows the operator to identify a tree species by photographing its leaf or bark and to select species and trunk size from a drop-down menu at the time of the GPS reading.

Status: Informational item only; no vote taken.

New Business

5. Tree Management Plan — Draft Review and Discussion

Mr. Wroe explained that a Tree Management Plan is required under the Tree Board's enabling ordinance and addresses how the Town approaches tree inventory, species selection, planting, and maintenance, sets priorities, and defines the respective roles of the Tree Board, Parks Department, and Public Works. He noted this item had been deferred until the tree inventory methodology and Preferred Tree Guide were far enough along to inform it.

Mr. Wroe stated he had circulated a preliminary draft of the plan for Board review and indicated he would also forward it to the Parks Department and Public Works for their input before the Board commits either department to a specific level of tree-maintenance involvement. He invited discussion; none was offered at this time, and the item will remain on the agenda as a work in progress.

Motion to continue the draft Tree Management Plan as a tabled item / work in progress, with any Board action deferred to the November 19, 2026 meeting, made by Mr. Bunge; seconded by Mr. Titus.

Vote: Voice vote. All in favor; none opposed. Motion carries, 5–0.

6. Arbor Day 2027 — Planning

Mr. Wroe recommended placing the seedling order early this year, noting Redbud, Washington Hawthorn, and Paw Paw as candidate species, all available through the Indiana DNR's state forestry nursery, and noted the minimum order per species is 100 seedlings.

Board members recalled that the 2026 giveaway had a surplus of seedlings left over at the end of the event and discussed logistics improvements for 2027, including larger or additional tables and more time allotted for the giveaway.

Board members discussed selecting two of the three candidate species (100 seedlings each) rather than all three, and expressed a preference for Redbud and Paw Paw.

Motion to select Redbud and Paw Paw as the two seedling species for the Arbor Day 2027 giveaway program (100 of each), made by Mr. Titus; seconded by Mr. Bunge.

Vote: Voice vote. All in favor; none opposed. Motion carries, 5–0.

Mr. Wiesemann asked that the Parks Department be consulted on seedling cost before the order is placed, noting the Parks Board may wish to consider covering the cost if it is not donated. Mr. Wroe indicated the seedlings are typically donated but agreed to coordinate with Mr. Wiesemann on cost before ordering.

7. Storm-Damaged Trees at Potawatomi Park — Discussion

Mr. Bunge relayed that he had recently been contacted, at the request of Parks Maintenance Foreman Josh Banhart, regarding a walkthrough inventory of storm-damaged trees at Potawatomi Park following the heavy storm damage the area sustained in August. He stated the request sought guidance from the Tree Board on the Board's role, if any, in future maintenance and removal decisions.

Mr. Bunge and Mr. Wroe confirmed that Town ordinance establishes a general order of priority for such situations: public safety first (including whether the work can be handled by Town staff or requires an outside contractor), followed by an assessment of whether a given tree is a reasonable candidate for preservation efforts. Mr. Wroe noted that, by ordinance, any Town staff member may deem a tree unsafe if it presents a hazard.

Board members described specific safety concerns observed at Potawatomi Park, including a large fallen branch, several older trees that have lost more than half their branches and are particularly susceptible to wind, and trees weakened by ant damage resulting in hollow trunks. A related observation was made regarding a stand of trees at Cedar Crest planted too closely together, resulting in competition for light and mutual limb damage in high winds.

Mr. Wiesemann confirmed the Parks Department is proceeding carefully and following proper channels, and noted that removal of some trees may require an outside contractor rather than being handled solely by Parks Department staff. Board members suggested this topic, including a recurring or annual safety reassessment of the inventory, be incorporated into the draft Tree Management Plan. Mr. Wroe confirmed the Town's GIS-based tree inventory system already includes a tree-condition field that can support this.

Status: Discussion only; no formal vote taken.

Closing

8. Next Meeting Date

The next regular meeting is confirmed for Thursday, November 19, 2026 at 3:00 p.m., Cedar Lake Town Hall Meeting Room. Mr. Wroe noted the November meeting is rescheduled from its usual date of November 26 to November 19 due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

Chairperson's Remarks

Mr. Wroe noted this was the Board's fourth public meeting since its formation and reviewed the Board's accomplishments to date: an Arbor Day celebration, a Town Council proclamation, completion of the Preferred Tree Guide, a draft Tree Management Plan, and progress toward Tree City USA recognition for the 2026–2027 cycle. He thanked the Board members, the Parks Department, and the Park Board for their contributions, noting the Board operates without dedicated staff or budget and relies on cooperation among Town boards, commissions, and departments.

Public Comment

Correction to July 23, 2026 Regular Meeting Minutes

As the Board transitioned to Public Comment, Mr. Bunge identified a correction needed to the July 23, 2026 minutes approved earlier in this meeting. He clarified that the July 23, 2026 minutes had incorrectly attributed the Village of Homewood, Illinois preferred species guide to "his nephew, David Bunge." Mr. Bunge stated he does have a nephew, but that the individual is not an arborist and is not the source of the guide; he clarified the guide was provided by David Becker, an arborist affiliated with the Village of Homewood, and asked that the minutes be corrected accordingly.

Motion to correct the July 23, 2026 regular meeting minutes to reflect that the Village of Homewood preferred species guide was provided by David Becker, rather than by "David Bunge," made by Mr. Bunge; seconded by Mr. Titus.

Vote: Voice vote. All in favor; none opposed. Motion carries, 5–0.

Ms. Cheryl Parker — 7227 W. 136th Ct.

A resident who identified herself as Ms. Cheryl Parker addressed the Board, noting it was her first time attending a Tree Board meeting. She described her own experience replacing trees at a subdivision lakefront and at a yacht club lakefront project, including work on an anchor tree-planting project.

Ms. Parker shared several tree-care tips based on her personal experience: applying boric acid dust as an ant preventative each spring; watching tree trunks for ants, which can be a symptom of an underlying issue such as aphid infestation requiring systemic pesticide treatment; and watching for a bump or swelling on a trunk as a sign of tree stress. She noted that arborists will often evaluate a tree at no charge and advise whether it should be removed or treated.

No further public comment was received.

Adjournment

Motion to adjourn made by Mr. Marquardt; seconded by Ms. Ivey.

Vote: Voice vote. All in favor; none opposed. Motion carries, 5–0.

Meeting adjourned at 3:32 p.m.