The budget for this project was not formalized. It includes partial funding from several departments and some in-kind donations of trees and work. The various departments that have an interest in the project and may provide some funding include:
• Building and Grounds Maintenance since they provide mowing, trimming, mulching, etc.
• Event Coordination since they rent the facility and improving the grounds makes it more desirable.
• Planning and Zoning since they oversee the Tree Committee which selects and plants trees.
• Public Works since part of the site is greenspace and they oversee greenspace.
The initial budget included funds for Trustee tree planting, trimming, mulching, watering, hazardous tree cutting, deer guards, Gator bags for water, and signs.
As progress was made and more detail was understood it became apparent that more funding would be needed. It was decided that signs would have QR codes (and cost a bit more than simple signs). More extensive deer protection was needed as deer proved to be aggressive, better and more consistent mulching was needed for beauty and better tree growth, and minor funding for outreach meetings with science teachers and representatives from other arboreta.
Also, as progress was made and more detail was understood, other decisions also needed to be made. For example, a free method of setting up the website was used to show the location of each tree, a picture of each, and a description.
However, in the future, more information might be added which could necessitate the use of a paid website.
Another decision is various individuals on the Tree Committee and various vendors who are sympathetic to the cause of a new arboretum, wish to donate trees and woody shrubs.
Decisions first needed to be made on a case-by-case basis of which to accept and then a more general approach to selection needed to be developed. Yet another decision that needs to be made is how to determine which service from volunteers to accept and to supervise. For instance, the certified arborists on the Tree Committee are willing to help with trimming that the maintenance contractors do not perform.
There are many invasive plants in the wooded area of greenspace that could be removed, but there are also desirable plants there that should be left alone.
Questions:
1. How can the budgeting process be improved?
2. How would you suggest structuring the approach to deciding which donations to accept?
3. How do you recommend deciding which offers of donated service to accept and how would you supervise that?