Next Tuesday night, Dec. 16, the Wake Forest commissioners will select new or reseat old members of the town’s advisory boards, boards which help shape the town’s priorities and direction.
As noted by the Gazette last week, all applicants would bring a wealth of experience and training to the boards. The five commissioners should find it difficult to make choices. The voting is by secret ballot and the successful appointees are announced during the meeting. Any town resident can apply for a seat on one or more of the boards; in some cases, out-of-town residents can also apply. The planning board specifies that one of its nine seats is for a person living in the extra-territorial jurisdiction next to the town limits.
The commissioners will also be asked to vote on the expansion of the St. Ives subdivision that would add 16 lots on just over 16 acres. The planning board hearing, discussion and vote were described in detail in the Gazette’s Dec. 3 issue.
The board will also be asked to approve a contract with Wetherill Engineering to design the extension of Grandmark Avenue. See Road Roundup in this issue for details about this street.
They will also be asked to establish a school zone on One World Wary for the new Endeavor Charter School on that street.
Finally, Wake Forest Power, the town-owned utility, is asking for a grant to obtain Tree Line USA status. Tree Line USA is part of the Arbor Day Foundation and recognizes best practices in utility arboriculture demonstrating how trees and utilities can co-exist for the benefit of communities and citizens.
The Arbor Day Foundation website says: “The Arbor Day Foundation collaborates with the National Association of State Foresters on this initiative. These state foresters bring expertise in balancing the demands of expanding utility needs in our communities alongside the benefits of providing adequate care for our urban forests.”
There are five core standards in the program. Quality tree care involves consistently following industry standards for pruning, planting, removals, trenching and tunneling near trees. Annual worker training in best practices. The availability of tree planting and public education programs for the public, demonstrating proper tree planting, placement and pruning while expanding the tree canopy in the community. Having a formal tree-based energy conservation program in place that puts special consideration on the value of trees in conserving energy. And, sponsoring an annual Arbor Day that includes collaboration with community groups whenever possible.
The town will celebrate Arbor Day this year on Saturday, March 21, and nominations are now being accepted for the Green Medal Awards that will be awarded at the Arbor Day ceremony. See article in this week’s issue for instructions about the nominations.
