Selma staff to light downtown trees now; council raises parking and intersection safety concerns

Selma — City public works staff told the City Council on Sept. 16 that recently planted trees on High Street are in transplant shock and recommended temporary string lights to add ambiance while the trees mature. Council members also asked staff to examine parking stall geometry and curb bulb‑outs near Second Street after multiple complaints about tight turning movements.

Public Works Director Hahn said arborists and the nursery have inspected the new trees, which were planted in the fall and placed on drip irrigation; the supervisor said the trees should recover within a couple of weeks. Staff recommended a low‑cost “copper wire, soft white” string light option available locally so lights can be taken down and re‑stranded as the young trees grow.

Hahn also reported that crews began setting poles for solar‑powered lights at Brettlinger Park’s new pickleball courts and that Shafer Park softball field lighting was moving forward with expected shipment of panels and bases. He corrected an earlier misstatement about a concrete bid date: the downtown concrete bid opened last week and the bid opening is expected in October.

Council member Trujillo and others raised complaints about tight traffic movements where diagonal parking and bulb‑outs near Parmender’s/Blumey’s create a bottleneck for delivery and large vehicles. Hahn said the Second Street revitalization project will include a design review of that intersection and staff will consider grant opportunities for traffic calming or realignment; the downtown strategic plan had previously identified the intersection as a candidate for realignment.

By consensus council authorized staff to purchase the temporary string lights and asked for follow‑up reports on tree health, lighting installation and the High Street/Second Street parking/turning study.