Parks crew clears trees and readies park; resident reports county herbicide spraying near cemetery

Parks staff reported recent tree removal and stump grinding at the town park, maintenance ahead of an upcoming Thursday event, and work on a sinkhole outside the restroom area. Staff said four stumps were ground, an elm that overhung the southeast tennis courts was trimmed, and a diseased pine was removed — work that increased the contractor invoice by about $1,200 on top of the original bid.

A staff member said the park looks much better after the cleanup and that crews are preparing the site for a Thursday morning setup. The parks report also noted routine purchases for park supplies and that a student had helped complete some of the work.

During the cemetery portion of the report, a resident reported seeing county vehicles drive through the cemetery and spray on a windy day, and said the spraying had harmed vegetation near private property. “They went around. Hopefully, he didn't have it on, but he was going really slow,” the resident said; another attendee said the county driver had entered the cemetery, which community members said they had not observed before.

Councilmembers said they would investigate and check what happened, and a staff member said she would “do some checking there and see what's going on.” The meeting record does not show a formal complaint filed with the county during the meeting or a council motion about the spraying.

Council also reported routine cemetery activity was minimal at the time and that parks and cemetery maintenance will continue under existing schedules.