Athens Shade Tree Commission - May 20, 2026

The Athens Shade Tree Commission held a meeting on May 20, 2026, focusing primarily on urban tree planting and maintenance projects within the City of Athens, Ohio. Key procurement-related discussions included plans for the Carpenter Street renovation project, which involves rerouting power lines underground and adding approximately eight to ten new trees along with replacements for dead trees. The commission also discussed the use of Johnny Appleseed Park as a staging area for construction equipment, with assurances from city officials about restoration funding and plans post-project completion. Additionally, the commission planned a fall tree planting along the west side bike path and near local soccer fields, estimating about 75 trees for the bike path and up to eight near the fields, with coordination efforts underway to source trees, likely from Menards, and to finalize species selection and planting logistics. Other topics included addressing the poor condition of existing trees in city right-of-ways, potential pruning contracts, and updating the city's recommended tree list to remove invasive or problematic species. No formal votes on contracts or budget allocations were recorded, but action items included coordinating tree sourcing, planting schedules, and restoration plans for impacted park areas.