STAG Steering Group meeting notes 2nd February 2021

1. Progress towards setting up Future STAG

1.1 131 people have so far signed up to the new STAG organisation. Of these, 91 were also signed up to the new STAG Members Facebook page.

1.2 Chris R was content with progress, and all other Steering Group members thanked Chris for his efforts.

1.3 All the requested documentation has been signed and witnessed to protect STAG funds in their interim status. Paul S confirmed that the remaining STAG Legal Funds have been transferred from the Nether Edge Tree Fund account to their new home.

2. Upcoming First General Meeting of Future STAG

2.1 Annie Franklin, the new STAG acting Membership Secretary outlined plans for the first General Meeting of the new STAG organisation.

2.2 The draft agenda was agreed. It will include a vote to endorse the interim Constitution agreed by current STAG Steering Group two months ago, subject to a few minor tweaks Annie had identified.

2.3 The agenda will also include two reports. One from the STAG Chairperson, outlining recent and upcoming activities. The other from the STAG Treasurer, outlining the STAG funding history, and the current state of funds.

2.4 The date of the meeting was agreed as the evening of Tuesday 13th April. Working backwards, that means that nominations for key roles in the new organisation will need to be submitted by 23rd March.

2.5 It was therefore agreed that the request for nominations for volunteers for posts would go out this week.

3. ATMP 2021

3.1 STAG Steering Group members have visited all the listed trees that Amey want to fell in 2021. Most were approved as obviously requiring felling with only seven queried. Additional details on the queried trees have been requested.

3.2 The Council have launched a new map on the Street Trees page of their website which shows the details of all the trees they are intending to fell.

4. The 309 Core Investment Period Trees

4.1 Paul S raised queries about why there was still no progress about the trees already saved but not published as saved, the trees that still need to be Jointly Inspected and the five trees Amey still want to fell. He also requested timescales for these actions.

4.2 Following a brief discussion it was agreed that Paul S would chased Karen Ramsey (SCC) about the publication of trees already saved, and Russell would ask a question of Mark Jones at the upcoming Public Cabinet Meeting.

4.3 SG were content that Kenwood Park Road and Kenbourne Road were going to be jointly investigated in the next two to three weeks despite the lack of timely notification.

4.4 Christine will chase Darren Butt about the five trees Amey still want to fell.

5. New STAG Members Facebook Page

5.1 There was a discussion about issues with one individual on the new Facebook page and a course of action was agreed.

6. Bat Boxes on Threatened Trees

6.1 Christine raised a question about whether we should let Amey know about where bat boxes erected by STAG members were located. It was agreed that it would be left for local groups to decide what actions to take.

7. Yorkshire Post Opinion Piece

7.1 The Yorkshire Post have offered STAG an 850 word Opinion piece in this Saturday’s edition. 7.2 Chris Rust, Rebecca Hammond and Rich Ward agreed to collaborate on drafting the piece by Friday’s deadline.