City identifies UTC protection as core community value, gives Tree Commission greater role in city affairs; St. Augustine, FL

Tree committee gains greater role : St. Augustine Local News - Historic City News
Tree committee gains greater role
August 25, 2009
Four citizen members of the city’s Street Tree Advisory Committee (STAC) successfully made their case Monday for greater recognition, more frequent meetings, and less city staff on the board.Gina Burrell, Sally Ann Freeman, Robin Nadeau, and Chuck Lippi pleaded with commissioners to make STAC a commission - rather than a staff - advisory committee, create a landscape beautification subcommittee, and develop a five-year beautification plan for the city’s entrance corridors.
“We just don’t meet,” Lippi, a certified arborist, told commissioners, noting the committee’s last meeting was nine months ago.
City Chief Operations Officer John Regan responded, “Protecting our tree canopy is a core value of our community. But they’re not going to be able to work effectively as a Sunshine committee (if appointed by the commission)."