Draper tree committee earmarks $4,000 for contractor planting, debates hiring a full‑time arborist

David Cloward, chair of the Draper City Tree Committee, told members at their May 6 meeting that the group has roughly $20,000 committed for tree purchases — $10,000 from a donor and about $10,000 held in nursery stock — plus a separate $4,000 allotment that must be spent before June. "We need to have somebody who is dedicated and owns it," Cloward said of tree care, arguing that ownership is key to long‑term maintenance.

Why it matters: The committee is trying to convert event momentum and donor funds into lasting street‑tree canopy rather than one‑off plantings that may fail without follow‑up care. Members said constrained staff capacity, disease pressures and narrow park strips make project selection and post‑planting maintenance critical.

Committee members reviewed options for using the $4,000, concluding it can best be spent by hiring contractors to purchase and install as many trees as the budget covers and provide a standard one‑year planting warranty. "The 4,000 needs to be used by June," a committee member said; members asked…