World War Two Memorial oak tree and landscaping

1:24:23Okay, we're gonna talk about uh We're going to talk about a large tree out here next to the World War II Memorial, but first I'm going to show you this film. Of a tree over by the um government center.

1:24:39Uh the courthouse.

1:24:41Or the courthouse. Yeah. So we'll watch if you watch the uh as it moves. You'll see what happens. No wind. Clear day.

1:24:55And it's gone.

1:24:58Sure, no issues of uh problems with the tree, but uh as you notice it toppled down. Good thing you were not sitting there eating lunch at the uh table there. So a a question That happened in uh twenty twenty two.

1:25:15It doesn't look like there was any maintenance done on that oak tree. No thinning.

1:25:19Maintenance?

1:25:20Yeah, you have to trim trim these up Oak trees, I

1:25:27I mean that That uh branch looks super heavy and Did did anyone ever do anything to I don't think so.

1:25:38It was just tree. It had no issues.

1:25:40Right. Well I think I think it doesn't look like someone's got to be a little bit more than

1:25:45So if I get Andrew

1:25:46Baxter is

1:25:46a very good thing.

1:25:49And so we'll go back to what what this is talking about is I have been very concerned since I've been elected as a commissioner here in District One of the tree that sits out here by the World War Two Memorial. Um we've missed uh having real we've had issues over the years because several limbs have come off that that tree but none have fell on the World War II memorial. The tree we have found out through an arist back

1:26:19probably seven or eight years ago is is dated as somewhere between 200 and 250 years, that tree. And according to that arvist back at that time, said it was near its end of its life. That's a tree. I got a call that a tree limb had come off of it during the storm all the storms we had. We were very lucky. A huge tree down Meridian, closed meridian dur after

1:26:49those storms. 'cause it toppled over. It was as big or bigger than this tree. But I had a limb come off this one that was about eight or ten inches. It just so happened to fall on the west side of the tree. and um didn't cause a problem with our World War Two Memorial. But I have a great fear of the fact that that's gonna happen and with another storm season coming up, um I think It's been a while back. Maybe Andrew

1:27:19can give me a little history of of when we all discussed this before about a new landscape. Around the courthouse. So if you can do that, Andrew, that'd be a good thing.

1:27:29Yes, sir. Um and as regarding the maintenance of trees, we do our best to maintain all of the trees on county properties. Obviously we have a budget that we have to live within. And uh there there's a reason that we are aware of this tree because we did an arborist report on it eight years ago and take took action to ensure we are maintained.

1:27:53And yet still a catastrophic failure. um occurred. And so it's not a little bit more than a little uh last year uh when this event occurred about three years ago Last year we we started talking to each of the board members individually. About Hey, this tree failed catastrophically. We have a similar aged tree. here on this campus. But there's a critical asset that we have that's

1:28:24right next to it that's historic. The bandstand and this building are registered historic places nationally. And we want to ensure that we preserve those historic resources. And so a discussion was had with each member of the board to W how would you like to proceed? Uh what are some of the options that we can look at to ensure that we consider uh the age of this tree. Considering the previous

1:28:54Arborist report, again it is seven to eight years old. Um and then ultimately last summer we All agreed and uh I think Commissioner Oakley you brought it back to the board and there was ultimately some consensus to move forward with the plan. Um so we've been doing that. Uh we have uh uh uh contractors lined up and we were about ready to uh begin the process of taking down this oak tree. Um and that's when Dade

1:29:25City decided uh pause that permit that we had sought. But then there was some other discussion that that's happened since then and really what we're looking for is the way forward.

1:29:38But and and the reason I'm bringing it to you, because uh the Dade City Commission brought up that the tree looks great, all this, and they feel like there's no issue with World War II Memorial, but I have I have different opinion that we have to worry about the World War II Memorial. I have several family members' names on that memorial. as as a lot of people around this area have. I don't want to see it destroyed. So But according

1:30:08to the when it came up at the Dade City Commission here not too long ago when we applied for a permit. Um the word came out well it's only cause Commissioner Oakley wants it down, but I I want to believe that all my commissioners in Pasco County want to preserve that World War II memorial. So that's why I brought it to the Dais today. to discuss with you because you are a part of this and you've been a part of it. since we've been talking about it over the last few years, but I mean

1:30:39we're lucky at this point that it hadn't already happened. So it could happen any day. So during the last storms that limb came off. Pretty pretty re we were lucky during these past storms we had this last summer. So we're faced with that coming. Actually uh uh The rainfall and all in the event we had with weather yesterday was some tornado sightings. In this area, we could have had that coming down yesterday.

1:31:09So that's how critical it is to move forward. But I wanted to bring up y'all and get your interpretation, get get how you feel about it. So it's up and over the band.

1:31:21Um m my only issue is that I w wanted it to be replaced with another oak tree. But you don't want to replace it. Or that's not the thought.

1:31:34After meeting with all the commissioners.

1:31:36I always said I wanted Oak Trees back around here.

1:31:39Understood. After meeting with all the commissioners, there wasn't a hundred percent consensus on what the landscaping plan looked like. So we tried to create a bridged landscaping plan that was that met the majority of everyone's needs. We shared with the the board uh that we have a lot of oak trees around the property already. We also shared with the members of the board some of the historical photos of this campus here around the historic

1:32:09courthouse and that there used to be many sable palms on the property and currently there are none. And so it was and I also showed that that's something that's traditional at many other historic courthouses around the state. And so we thought that that might be an element to bring back onto the campus. It was part of the history of this campus, and we thought that would be a good idea. Additionally, there were some other ideas about oaks and magnolias,

1:32:40and we've tried to do our best to incorporate that into a universal plan that does the best to provide for this. campus.

1:32:49Do you have a picture of that? Of what your plan is, so the public can see it here.

1:33:03If I could share, uh, Andrew. Sure. A little bit of historic background. Historical too. When I was city manager here in Dade City, the tree canopy became was very precious to a lot of folks. And uh right after the storms the next year that made spaghetti out of most of the power lines, why then there was a concerted effort to do something about it. But back in the uh early nineties, Dan Johnson

1:33:34the who took my place as assistant county administrator for facilities or over facilities, had a plan to rework the canopy around this building for a uniform canopy that would have developed over the years and whatever. And again it got sidelined uh at that time because of concern for the stately trees. Um but um again we have had concerns going back that far, uh, above that tree because

1:34:04it has a very lumid limited area of soil for that size tree and uh being able to get uh So it's it's interesting how long that tree has stood, but like many of us, time is catching up. Yes. Right.

1:34:25Yes, sir. Thank you for that history. Appreciate it, Harold. Um and so You can see what the proposal was there and w w this is what I shared last summer with all the different commissioners individually. The two uh trees that are were represented by those big orange dots, those were removed by Dade City due to concerns along 301. Uh about two years ago.

1:34:52Did they replace them with anything?

1:34:53They came down.

1:34:56The one to the during the storm.

1:34:59They took down and they didn't put anything else up in its place? No

1:35:02ma'am.

1:35:03They didn't get rid of the stump, I don't believe,

1:35:05either. The one to the north is Well, it was important that it that it went away because that's now where the Peace Officer Memorial is. The tree highlighted in blue Um that also needed to be removed so that we could accommodate the Peace Officer Memorial. The tree highlighted at the yellow dot, all the ones in white dots are trees that remain on the campus. The tree highlighted in yellow when we did our arborist report um seven or eight years ago, that one was uh that one was diseased and

1:35:35needed to be taken down. Their recommendation was take it down immediately. So that one is go is has been taken down several years ago. Um there's a vacant spot. If you look over there kind of where the the row of trees are, there's a vacant spot.

1:35:48Well we got money. We're already

1:35:50we we and that was part of our replacement plan. um was to potentially put a magnolia in that area to represent some southern charm. And that was some of the feedback that we had gotten. Uh-huh. Um and then to If you can go back to the red dot is obviously our large Uh stately oak. that uh is sentient. It is at the final stage of its life, according to the Arborist report that we had done.

1:36:17Uh

1:36:18what our proposal was.

1:36:19Andrew. The fact of it is before we do take it down, we're gonna reach out to a third party ourselves and get his report based on what we're our findings are so far.

1:36:37I have family members' names on that memorial. Maybe Brian Hart. But I think I think to to to to have a good partnership with the city that we we oughta do our own independent arborist report just to see We're going to. And uh then what then what a that that answered the question and then you know, if we're getting reeled back into the into the weeds, um Commissioner Scheib, I'm sure he's reached out to you too. Obviously he's the he and the city have concern about where they can do their Christmas tree

1:37:07lighting so I think it'd be good you know to have a make sure they have a spot that they can do through their annual Christmas fest festivities, however that lays out in in partnership with the city.

1:37:18I don't we're not gonna affect the spot they've been using for their Christmas tree out to the front left here. Yeah. So there's electric there for 'em and it it's there. So

1:37:28ultimately we're we're we're sort of committed to this plan that we've already sort of established. It's now with Dade City putting the the permit on pause. We've come to understand that there's actually an exception. Um but That's really a determination of whether the board wants to move forward. What we propose to do is to do a third arborist report, one that is funded by Pasco County, represents us as the owner. and try to

1:37:59determine what the best path forward is.

1:38:02Okay. Yep.

1:38:04Okay.

1:38:04But that's the right way. So everybody's we're above board, we're not keeping secrets. I'm not gonna take that tree down without y'all knowing. I mean this is all our campus as as commissioners here in Basco County. So

1:38:16I I just can tell you when I go to a parking lot And if there's a spot open in under the shade. I'm gonna take it.

1:38:24Yeah. Most people avoid it.

1:38:26And I'll wait for it if someone's walking to their car rather than get the one across from it in the sun. Yeah.

1:38:31Most people don't want that dropping on their their car.

1:38:35My Porsche goes right under the

1:38:36shoe tree. Yeah. I agree.

1:38:40Any further discussion

1:38:41on this?

1:38:42So I think we're fine. We j we just need to move forward and uh get that third party uh report and uh go from there. I

1:38:51just wish you were replaced.

1:38:52Hopefully the tree stands while we're doing this, so Yeah, I think time's of the essence of Absolutely. We'll we'll act quickly.

1:39:01Um uh while you're up here, do you go around and I'm gonna show a picture of my commissioner items. But are you do we have someone who looks at our trees and thins them properly so they live long and healthy?

1:39:13Yes, ma'am.

1:39:14Especially important ones that are around the courthouse.

1:39:16Yes, ma'am. Okay. Well basically.

1:39:18Is that one that one should not have looked like that that was over by the other courthouse?

1:39:22Yes, ma'am. We we with within the budget cap b capabilities that we have, we do our best to maintain all of our trees at all of our campuses.

1:39:31Well he has nine point something million.

1:39:35The budget capabilities that we learned of today. Dollars.

1:39:39Apparently I'm gonna have less money now.

1:39:40I think that historic I think the historical look of of the courthouse going back to like it was in the thirties or forties with some of the sable palms and things of that nature that are that's the state tree. That was a very nice look and When Andrew first showed me that picture is pretty amazing.

1:39:59Yeah, I think Gina has that right now for the historic um some other courthouses around and even our Our Port Hart House campus. From those historic photos that we that we had. Yeah, so these are other courthouses. This is Jefferson County. Here's Citrus County. It's interesting to look at that citrus county one because you can see when they first planted those palms to what they are today. Um that's kind of a fun look. Yeah,

1:40:29and then that's what we do at our other courthouses. Here's our Robert D. Sumner Judicial Center and our West Pasco Judicial Center. And then finally here's here's the campus. And you can see Multiple sable palms and and other palms around the courthouse. I

1:40:45see

1:40:46that's oak trees

1:40:46too.

1:40:47Yeah, that that one has fifty one on it. Uh and I It's hard to tell what date is on that top right corner, but I see it there. I don't know if Gina you can read it better.

1:41:02Yeah. But historically, obviously uh palms are a tradition. Yeah. And it's something that not not only do we want the majesty of the oaks, but we want that that Florida feel as well.

1:41:15Yep. Right.

1:41:17Mr.

1:41:17Wait. That's all I have? Wait. Mr. Waiton. I have nothing. Uh Commissioner Yeager.