HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 2016.10.06 - 22623MISCELLANEOUS RESOLUTION#16275 October 6, 2016
BY: Planning & Building Committee, Philip Weipert, Chairperson
IN RE: CIRCUIT COURT/FACILITIES MANAGEMENT — ACCEPTANCE OF A NEW LIBERTY TREE
AND REPURPOSING OF FORMER LIBERTY TREE
To The Oakland County Board of Commissioners
Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen:
WHEREAS the original Liberty Tree was a large Elm tree at Boston Commons where colonists gathered
and organized in resistance to British oppression; and
WHEREAS the last of the colonial-era Liberty Trees, rooted in Maryland, was lost in Hurricane Floyd,
however, grafts of it were made and distributed to 12 of the original 13 colonies; and
WHEREAS the Providence Forum, a Philadelphia based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has made it
their mission is to "preserve, defend and advance the faith and values consistent with those of our
nation's founding," and promotes the planting of new Liberty Trees; and
WHEREAS via the efforts of Robert Gillette of American House and Patriot Week, Inc., Oakland County
received a Liberty Tree in 2012; and
WHEREAS for the cost of shipping and a plaque, Oakland County planted and cared for the Liberty Tree
in the south courtyard of the Courthouse, but due to damage it received during shipping, the tree did not
survive its first winter here; and
WHEREAS the Circuit Court and Facilities Management have arranged for a new Liberty Tree to be
shipped from RareFind Nursery of Jackson, NJ, which is where the previous tree was sourced from; and
WHEREAS the County's Grounds Unit will arrange to have the new Liberty Tree shipped priority to a local
greenhouse where it will be kept and cultivated during the winter before planting in the spring; and
WHEREAS the Circuit Court intends to repurpose the wood from the former Liberty Tree to create
proclamation items; and
WHEREAS the new Liberty Tree and shipping costs will not exceed $400, greenhouse care of the tree
will not exceed $750, planting will not exceed $600, and repurposing of the previous Liberty Tree will not
exceed $200 for a total of $1,950.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Commissioners authorizes the acceptance of a
new Liberty Tree and the repurposing of the former Liberty Tree for an amount not-to-exceed $1,950.
Chairperson, on behalf of the Planning & Building Committee, I move the adoption of the foregoing
resolution.
PLANNING AND BUILDING COMMITTEE VOTE:
Motion carried on a roll call vote with Bowman voting no and Jackson absent.
Resolution #16275 October 6, 2016
The Chairperson referred the resolution to the Finance Committee. There were no objections.