VILLAGE OF ELKHART LAKE TREE COMMISSION
The Commission is made up of one Village Board member and four citizen members. Current members are Pat Robison, Frank Thielmann, Anne Hatas, Steve Kapellen, and John Schott, Board Representative. Tree Commissioners work in conjunction with the DPW to maintain the health of the Village trees. Dangerous, dead, or dying trees are removed and the Commissioners decide where replacement trees will be planted. DPW also works to trim trees to ensure that there are no sight-line hazards along our streets and intersections.
The Tree Commission also organizes the Arbor Day Celebration each year. This celebration includes a short program led by the Tree Commission Chairperson, a tree-planting, and a poster contest for the 5th grade students at the school.
One of the Commission’s goals is to teach our residents how to care for the trees in our community, especially the dozens of new trees that have been and will be planted in the upcoming years.
If you would like more information on the activities of the Tree Commission, you can contact any one of the Commissioners or the Village Administrator/Clerk-Treasurer’s Office. You may also attend any of the Commission’s meetings. The meetings are usually posted on the Village’s website one week ahead of time.
Urban Forest Power
The urban forest is a vital part of village life. It provides environmental, economic, aesthetic, and health benefits.
The Village of Elkhart Lake is a 22-year Tree City based on these qualifications: maintaining a Tree Commission, having a community tree ordinance, spending $2.00 per capita on our urban forest, and celebrating Arbor Day with our 5th graders. Pat Robison, Frank Thielmann, Anne Hatas, Steve Kapellen, and John Schott are our tree commissioners with Katrina Weir, Village Deputy Clerk, as the community liaison. The commission is responsible for stewardship of the village park and parkway trees working with our public works department to coordinate tree planting, removal, replacement and maintenance. Other projects include: providing information to the community about the impact of the urban forest, long term planning, and the 5th grade arbor day artwork and tree planting events.
The Commission is focusing on some new projects for 2022 to keep the community informed about the value of our urban forest and their part in protecting trees, providing homeowners with tree species choices whenever possible, and testing new planting and maintenance methods to increase the longevity of urban trees.
Tree Commission Celebrates Arbor Day
The Elkhart Lake Tree Commission’s 2023 Arbor Day Celebration was held on April 28th at Jeanette Moioffer Park. Fifth grade students at Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah Middle School, Tree Commissioners, and several guests gathered at the park for the celebration, which included a short program, tree plantings, and announcement of the poster contest winners. Two trees were planted this year. An Autumn Blaze Maple was planted in memory of Jeanette Moioffer, who dedicated over 30 years to the Village as Administrator/Clerk-Treasurer. A Katsura Tree was planted in memory of past Village President Alan Rudnick. The poster contest theme, “The Tree Outside my Window,” focused on the amazing benefits we receive from the trees in our neighborhoods. Contest winners are Lake Karras, Izzy Z., and Olivia Godbert. Lake Street Café displayed the posters in their windows. The Tree Commission would also like to thank Sargento, National Exchange Bank and Trust, and Cleveland State Bank for their generous donations for the Celebration.
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