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Barberton council approves $20,000 for removal of fallen or dangerous trees; road program, cutout repairs discussed
Summary
Council approved a $20,000 appropriation to remove dangerous trees on city property and heard an update on road milling/paving and street cutout repairs; city and crews said weather and competing water‑loss work limit immediate progress.
The Barberton City Council on July 7 approved an emergency appropriation of $20,000 from the street operating fund to remove fallen or dangerous trees from city property, Mayor William Judge told the streets committee and later the finance committee.
The appropriation was requested by Mayor William Judge and discussed in the Streets, Sidewalk and Lighting committee; the motion to call the legislation passed on a voice vote. "So for example, we own 2 lots, at the dead end of Bird Street behind Angie's restaurant. ... they were deemed to be unsafe," Judge said when explaining earlier tree removals and the need for additional funds.
Public works director Todd Shreve updated council on the road program and on street cutouts. He reported that the contractor has completed milling and intermediate course paving on several streets (Way, Yale, Louis Court, Eastlake, East Baird, Eastpark, Second Street Northeast, Azalea, Fifth Street and Oak) and is about halfway finished. "This week, they're going to be beginning the drive slash apron and curb ramps on the streets that I just listed off. That will begin this week. Residents will be notified," Shreve said.
Shreve also said remaining streets (Lambert, Sinclair, Grand, State) were roughly two weeks from starting work. He described limits on cutout repairs: crews carry a finite amount of asphalt per truck and larger cutouts take more material and time. He said water‑department work to reduce water loss has also tied up crews and limited paving capacity.
Council members raised the long‑standing issue of street cutouts and recording of repairs. One councilor said a shared tracking file had been discussed but not completed; Shreve said he would follow up and produce an updated, color‑coded running list of cutouts keyed to wards so council could track progress.
Why it matters: the $20,000 appropriation is intended to allow the city to remove hazardous trees on municipal property promptly; the road program and cutout backlog affect resident safety, mobility and the pace of other street repairs.
Sources: Mayor William Judge and Todd Shreve, public works director, Barberton City Council meeting July 7.
