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Council continues cemetery gate, fencing and tree-maintenance discussions, agrees to boost tree budget
Summary
Milford councilors discussed higher-than-expected bids for cemetery gates, ongoing fencing replacements, and increased tree maintenance needs after severe weather. Council directed staff to budget $15,000 for tree work and flagged cemetery gates and man-gates as a continuing priority.
During the budget work session, council and staff reviewed recurring infrastructure needs at the city cemetery and in public parks, including fencing replacement, gate options and extensive tree maintenance after storms.
Staff reported that an earlier $610 estimate for a cemetery gate had been superseded by a vendor bid of about $2,400 (staff said a more conservative $3,000 estimate would cover tariffs and other increases). Councilors discussed whether full drive-through gates or smaller man gates would be more effective; several members noted that gates only reduce problems if residents actually keep them closed. One staff member reported a complaint about a dog inside the cemetery, illustrating the public-conduct concerns that motivated the gate discussion.
The council also reviewed multi-year fencing work at recreation sites and decided to increase the recurring annual allocation for fence replacement. Staff described a pattern of budgeting $5,000 per year for fencing but noted cumulative purchasing had resulted in about $10,000 in work in a single year; the council discussed setting an ongoing $10,000 level instead of $5,000.
On tree maintenance, staff said recent storms caused additional damage: crews completed 13 extra yardage trees last year, and the city currently owes a contractor $4,200 for work done beyond what was budgeted. After discussion, the council agreed to allocate $15,000 for tree maintenance in the coming budget to address urgent trimming and removal needs across town and near the pavilion and recreation sites.
Staff said funding for a large drive-through gate would likely come from the cemetery’s perpetual care account if the council decided to proceed; staff cautioned that automated gates and sliding mechanisms carry additional installation and maintenance costs. The council did not formalize a procurement action during the work session but left cemetery gates, fence replacement and tree maintenance as year‑ahead priorities.
