From kshair at advancenet.net Mon Jul 2 12:27:59 2001 From: kshair at advancenet.net (Kyra Shair) Date: Sun Feb 8 04:14:31 2004 Subject: [Trees] No IPCUTSOT entry in Independence Day parade Message-ID: <000501c1031c$59003d00$5de0ddce@bshair1-ra.cmi.itds.com> Due to lack of interest, IPCUTSOT will not march in this year's Independence Day parade in Champaign-Urbana. Have a glorious Fourth! Bob Shair for Kyra for the Executive Committee From geknapp at davesworld.net Wed Jul 11 09:46:17 2001 From: geknapp at davesworld.net (Gretchen E. Knapp) Date: Sun Feb 8 04:14:31 2004 Subject: [Trees] Fwd: Utility Tree-Trimming Bill, Pt. 2 Message-ID: <4.1.20010711094558.00a848a0@mail.davesworld.net> > > Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2001 09:44:03 -0500 > To: peoriaareagreens@yahoogroups.com > From: "Gretchen E. Knapp" > Subject: Utility Tree-Trimming Bill, Pt. 2 > > Howdy once again, concerned citizens! Here are the highlights of HB 1776 for > your perusal: > > How HB 1776 Affects You and All Power Utilities > > Impact on Property Rights > > *Local city or county tree-trimming ordinances must be followed by > utility companies. > > *If local tree-trimming ordinances differ from the established > guidelines set out in the bill (ANSI A300, OSHA), the utility may ask the > city/county to pay additional costs. > > *Vegetation management activities by an electric public utility shall > not alter, trespass upon, or limit the rights of any property owner. > (Yes, it sounds vague to me, too!) > > *The utility will notify the mayor or chairman of the county board > between 21 and 90 days BEFORE tree-trimming begins. > > *Affected customers will be notified directly. > > *Affected property owners will be notified by a published notice in a > general-circulation newspaper within the area in which the > tree-trimming wil occur. > > *Read the entire amended bill (HB 1776) at www.legis.state.il.us > > How to Protect Your Property Rights > > +Monitor utility tree-trimming activities in your neighborhood. Take > photos. Get out your camcorder. Tree-trimming crews have been sighted in > Normal around Linden -- is your neighborhood next? > > +Contact Gov. George H. Ryan at 207 Statehouse, Springfield, Il 62706, > or at governor@state.il.us, or at 217/782-0244, to tell him what you > think of HB 1776. Should he sign it? You decide. > > +Contact the Illinois Commerce Commission at 527 E. Capitol Ave., > Springfield, Il 62701, or call toll-free 800/524-0795 (M-F, 8:30-5:30), > or go to www.icc.state.il.us to file a complaint about a utility. The ICC > responds in 14 days. > > +In 2000, the ICC reported 376 complaints about Illinois Power, 6450 > about ComEd, and 123 about CILCO. IP has the smallest customer > base of these three. > > +Contact the Citizens Utility Board at 208 S. LaSalle St, Ste 1760, > Chicago, IL 60604, or call the consumer hotline at 800/559-4445, or go to > www.cuboard.org to file a complaint. CUB responds in 8 to 10 days. > > +Contact our local state senators and representatives. Not sure who > they are? Go to www.legis.state.il.us to find names and contact information > by zip code. > > +Contact your town/city/county representatives and forest preserve > board. They need to hear from you so they can act! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.cu.groogroo.com/mailman/archive/trees/attachments/20010711/4f878e00/attachment.htm From geknapp at davesworld.net Thu Jul 12 20:48:04 2001 From: geknapp at davesworld.net (Gretchen E. Knapp) Date: Sun Feb 8 04:14:31 2004 Subject: [Trees] Meeting Reminder Message-ID: <4.1.20010712204617.00a91af0@mail.davesworld.net> Howdy Concerned Citizens! Just a quick reminder that a brief informational meeting on HB 1776, the Utility Tree-Trimming Bill, will be held this Saturday (7/14) at 10 a.m. in the large conference room of the Bloomington Police Department -- which is on S. East Street near city hall and the library. From mlindhol at ux1.cso.uiuc.edu Wed Jul 18 09:39:57 2001 From: mlindhol at ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Marilyn Lindholm) Date: Sun Feb 8 04:14:31 2004 Subject: [Trees] where's the tariff? Message-ID: <3B559FBD.E4B286C0@staff.uiuc.edu> Did I miss the announcement and the press conference with both mayors and the IP guy? Did Peter Milburg chicken out? Is it time to call the mayors to get the tariff submitted? -- Marilyn Lindholm Phone: (217)333-1055 Technical Services Fax: (217)244-9004 1408 W. Gregory Drive Urbana, IL 61801 From geknapp at davesworld.net Wed Jul 18 16:25:17 2001 From: geknapp at davesworld.net (Gretchen E. Knapp) Date: Sun Feb 8 04:14:31 2004 Subject: [Trees] A new "trim update" website Message-ID: <4.1.20010718161827.00aa68d0@mail.davesworld.net> Howdy Concerned Citizens! The new Utility Tree-Trimming Bill, HB 1776, has been receiving media attention lately. The bill was discussed on WGLT last week and on TV. Today WILL-AM did an interview about IPCUTSOT and HB 1776. Wave #3 of mailings will be out next week. We're on our second printing. We'd like to announce a new website (kudos to Janet Beach-Davis) which will alert property owners to utility tree-trimming activities in their neighborhoods. Help us spread the word. When you see a tree-trimming crew in your neighborhood or receive a notice from IP that their crews will be visiting your trees, contact Jan right away at janet.beach-davis@hcc.cc.il.us and she will update the website. You can find the website at http://www.geocities.com/trimupdate/ Save Our Trees! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.cu.groogroo.com/mailman/archive/trees/attachments/20010718/77d3e55f/attachment.html From geknapp at davesworld.net Mon Jul 23 09:16:06 2001 From: geknapp at davesworld.net (Gretchen E. Knapp) Date: Sun Feb 8 04:14:31 2004 Subject: [Trees] Update on IPCUTSOT Message-ID: <4.1.20010723085117.00a868f0@mail.davesworld.net> Howdy Concerned Citizens! For those of you who have been enjoying summer vacations, here is a brief synopsis of IPCUTSOT activities to date: Illinois Power Customers United to Save Our Trees (IPCUTSOT) -- a brief history Summer 2000 --Utility Tree-Trimming Bill SB 1541 (Maitland/Rutherford) was signed into law as PA. 91-0902. This law was written to do what HB 1776 (Rutherford/Brady et al) does; however, there has been dispute over whether a municipal ordinance would override a filed and approved tariff. 12/2000 -- Illinois Power files a vegetation management tariff with the Illinois Commerce Commission. Illinois citizens react strongly, and the ICC receives the largest amount of mail, phone calls, and e-mail in its history. 2/2001 -- IPCUTSOT forms in Champaign-Urbana under the leadership of Laura Huth, director of the Illinois Student Environmental Network (ISEN). ISEN, a non-profit organization, becomes IPCUTSOT's fiscal agent. IPCUTSOT holds public meetings, distributes informational leaflets, issues press releases, circulates petitions, and raises funds to retain an attorney. Citizens can be represented before the ICC only through an attorney. IPCUTSOT files to be an "intervenor" (legally recognized voice in this ICC action) against the IP tariff. 2/2001 -- IPCUTSOT representatives hold a public meeting in Normal Public Library. Six B-N citizens create the B-N "chapter" of IPCUTSOT. They distribute informational leaflets, issue press releases, circulate petitions, and raise funds through selling yellow ribbons and "Save Our Trees" buttons. IPCUTSOT puts up a website, a listserv, and, for B-N, an email newsletter. The town of Normal had won a lawsuit and appeal against IP concerning tree-trimming. ICC held a hearing in B-N in 1996 over tree-trimming. 2/2001 -- The ICC announces that, due to public outcry, six public informal hearings will be held across the state. The first is in Urbana at the Urbana City Hall. Members from the C-U and B-N groups attend and speak at the hearing. Rep. Rutherford quietly begins to facilitate meetings between the utilities and the other intervenors in this filing. Intervenors include a municipalities group of 12+ cities, counties, and towns from Chicago to Edwardsville, including Champaign, Urbana, Bloomington, Normal, and the Illinois Municipal Association. The Citizens Utility Board is an intervenor, as are other utility companies, such as Commonwealth Edison and Ameren CIPS. All intervenors are invited except IPCUTSOT. IPCUTSOT begins to work closely with city, town, and county board representatives. 3/2001 -- IPCUTSOT rallies citizens and begins a "yellow ribbon campaign" in B-N. The campuses of Illinois Wesleyan University, Illinois State University, and Heartland Community College display trees tied with yellow ribbons. In C-U, a "green ribbon campaign" continues as a fundraiser. The Mclean County Board is preparing to vote on joining the municipalities group to oppose the tariff when Illinois Power announces that it is withdrawing the tariff. All ICC hearings are cancelled, including the one scheduled for Bloomington-Normal. 4/2001 -- After a letter-writing campaign, the IPCUTSOT attorney is (finally!) invited to participate in the Springfield meetings held by Rep. Rutherford. Home owners continue to complain about IP's aggressive tree-trimming practices and its trespassing over easement limits, or claiming easements where there are none. IPCUTSOT members consult with Dr. Alex Shigo, whose leaflet on utility tree-trimming is claimed by IP as one of its authorities. B-N's IPCUTSOT has an extensive photographic record of trees trimmed by IP in Bloomington and Normal. These are shared with Dr. Shigo, who points out how IP has disregarded basic tree-trimming principles. 5/2001 -- HB 1776, the new Utility Tree-Trimming Bill, passes both houses. Electric public utilities must follow local tree-trimming ordinances for non-emergency vegetation management practices; however, the municipalities must pay additional costs incurred in following standards different from those of the utility. The utility standards described in the bill are ANSI A-300 and OSHA, which cover the safety and equipment of the line clearance workers, but do not set out line clearance lengths or how trees will be trimmed. The city of Chicago is exempt from HB 1776 by a technical amendment and signs an agreement (franchise) with Commonwealth Edison. 7/2001 -- HB 1776 remains unsigned in Gov. Ryan's office. IPCUTSOT puts up a new website (Trim Update) to keep the public informed about tree-trimming crews current and future whereabouts (www.geocities.com/trimupdate). IPCUTSOT in B-N continues to hold monthly public informational meetings, and mails copies of a leaflet describing HB 1776 to neighborhood associations, members, and local government leaders. The Citizens Utility Board posts the leaflet and new website on its site. Media interest, including interviews with WGLT, WILL-AM, and television stations, and letters in local newspapers, continues. Future plans: 1. Heritage tree ordinances for all municipalities and counties. These would recognize and protect (a) native trees identified by the IDNR's Big Trees program, (b) significant nonnative trees (e.g. gingko), and (c) trees with a particular historical significance (associated with an historical figure or event). 2. New tariff. All the intervenors which attended the Rutherford meetings are still under a gag order as to what occurred during the meetings. But we expect a new IP tariff and have worked with other friendly intervenors on a possible counter-tariff. 3. Meetings with IP. Representatives from the C-U and B-N IPCUTSOT groups have met with Peter Millberg of IP in public meetings and privately. We requested information from IP, and received some answers, although not the complete information we were seeking. Future meetings with Millberg are on hold as we wait for the next tariff as he is not authorized to negotiate, but only to inform us -- of what we already know. 4. Expansion of IPCUTSOT. We are in contact with Peoria's citizens group against CILCO (Peoria CILCO Area Residents for Trees -- Peoria CARes for Trees) and the Galesburg Tree Commission. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.cu.groogroo.com/mailman/archive/trees/attachments/20010723/89f7ae4a/attachment.htm From mlindhol at ux1.cso.uiuc.edu Thu Jul 26 08:19:21 2001 From: mlindhol at ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Marilyn Lindholm) Date: Sun Feb 8 04:14:31 2004 Subject: [Trees] correction Message-ID: <3B6018D9.3FFA8083@staff.uiuc.edu> I stand corrected about the tariff. The result of the meetings with mayors and lawyers was HB1776, NOT a new tariff and this bill is ready for signature. I found my synopsis. Other questions still pending. -- Marilyn Lindholm Phone: (217)333-1055 Technical Services Fax: (217)244-9004 1408 W. Gregory Drive Urbana, IL 61801 From mlindhol at ux1.cso.uiuc.edu Mon Jul 30 12:55:20 2001 From: mlindhol at ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Marilyn Lindholm) Date: Sun Feb 8 04:14:31 2004 Subject: [Fwd: [Trees] correction] Message-ID: <3B659F88.EBB66C85@staff.uiuc.edu> I'm sure the moderators who decide on the message are pissed off so I have no worries about this message offending anyone. There has been a dead silence from the group leaders-- not even evasive answers, just silence. It's probably more fun to imagine the intrique than it is to actually know. I would be angry if John was not paid for his time. -- Marilyn Lindholm Phone: (217)333-1055 Technical Services Fax: (217)244-9004 1408 W. Gregory Drive Urbana, IL 61801 -------------- next part -------------- An embedded message was scrubbed... From: Marilyn Lindholm Subject: [Trees] correction Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2001 08:19:21 -0500 Size: 2559 Url: http://lists.cu.groogroo.com/mailman/archive/trees/attachments/20010730/0e9051dd/attachment.mht