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Town and Country discusses expanding right-of-way mowing amid cost concerns
Summary
City staff outlined what areas the city currently mows, estimated costs to expand mowing citywide and fielded aldermen and resident questions about ownership, access and budget priorities.
City staff presented the city’s current approach to mowing street right-of-way and detailed financial and operational implications if the city were to expand that mowing.
The presentation, given by Michael Zeltman, explained the city currently contracts to mow limited right-of-way segments totaling 2.64 miles and pays about $5,900 annually for that work; expanding mowing to additional rights-of-way could cost an estimated $123,800 to $124,000, Zeltman said. "We currently pay $5,900 annually to cut the right of way that we currently do," he told the Board.
The presentation included photos of sections of Clayton Road, Topping Road and other corridors the city cuts now and examples of locations the city does not cut because of access or tree cover. Zeltman said some sections are difficult to mow because of limited access or steep topography; others are trimmed because they include stormwater features the city maintains. He also said contractor interest is limited; the city typically receives two complete proposals for the current contract.
Why it matters: expanding right-of-way mowing would increase ongoing operating costs and could reduce the city’s fiscal surplus, aldermen warned. Alderman Murphy and others said the Ways and Means Commission had cautioned against using surplus funds for new recurring programs. Alderman Steinagel said the city should be cautious: "We really don't wanna start spending it on multiple projects," he said.
Questions from the board and residents focused on who owns the strip of land described as right-of-way and whether the city has agreements to maintain trail-adjacent areas. A resident and Alderman exchanged on the location of property benchmarks and the county’s maps; Zeltman said in the example shown the right-of-way extended past the trail into private yard areas and that ownership can be unclear from public viewers’ maps. When asked whether the city had any formal agreement to maintain the Clayton Road trail corridor, Zeltman said, "Not to my knowledge. No."
No formal policy change or motion was made during the discussion. The Board did not direct staff to begin expanded mowing during the meeting.
Ending: Board members said they appreciated the information and indicated reluctance to use surplus funds to seed a new recurring maintenance program. The matter may return if the Board or residents request further study.
