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Motion carried. Voting Yes: Chairperson MeDilda, Committee Members Max, Dvorak, Connolly, Cook, Reeve, Marshall, Sitz and Strommen. Voting No: None. Absent: None. TREE ORDINANCE WORK SESSION Ms. Frolik announced that she will have to dismiss herself from the meeting at 8:15 p.m. and one of the members should be prepared to take meeting notes from that point until adjournment. Motion by Mr. Cook and seconded by Ms. Strommen to set an adjournment time of 8:15 p.m. Motion carried. Voting Yes: Committee Members Max, Dvorak, Connolly, Cook, Reeve, Marshall, Sitz and Strommen. Voting No: Chairperson McDilda. Absent: None. The committee proceeded to select text for the draft tree preservation ordinance as follows: Purpose - Item #16: Tree Preservation Findings - "The Council desires to protect the integrity of the natural environment and finds that trees do so by providing for better air quality, scenic beauty, protection against wind and water erosion, and natural insulation for energy preservation. Further, the Council finds that trees protect privacy and provide enhancement of property values. It is therefore the further purpose of this Section to provide regulations relating to the cutting, removal or killing of trees, with the consequent damage and destruction of the wooded and forested areas of the City. To encourage a resourceful and prudent approach to urban development of wooded areas which provides for minimal tree loss and mitigation of tree removal resulting from development; to provide an objective method to evaluate a development's impact on trees and wooded areas and identify whether and how the impact may be reduced; to provide incentive for creative land use and good site design which preserves trees while allowing development in wooded areas with mitigation of tree removal and destruction." protection and preservation of the natural environment and beauty of the City. While the destruction of a single tree may not have a significant environmental impact, the Environmental Policy Task Force recognizes that tree destruction has a cumulative impact that causes environmental degradation and causes deterioration of the quality of life in Ramsey and, because of this impact, the Environmental Policy Task Force finds that tree destruction must be controlled. Whereas, trees are an asset to a community and every effort should be made to preserve them." Purpose - Item #17 - Risk Management Findings - Consensus was to eliminate this item; no text selected. Purpose - Item #18 - Other Findings - "The City of Ramsey hereby finds and determines that in order to protect existing neighborhoods, promote good design in new areas, provide for sensitive and compatible infill development in existing commercial areas, provide community-based opportunities to meet environmental and neighborhood character goals; and the City of Ramsey has consistently been named a Tree City USA and will continue to seek such recognition and take all reasonable steps to promote planting and conservation of trees throughout the City; and the Council recognizes the ecological, economic and amenity value and benefit of trees, forests, and natural vegetation in the City."