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Sandpoint panel reopens urban-forestry budget debate; master-plan figures, per-capita options discussed
Summary
Commissioners discussed FY2027 urban forestry recommendations including a previously prepared master-plan target (~$162,000), per-capita comparables, and a range of possible asks from about $50,000 to $250,000 depending on approach and priorities; immediate RFPs for clearance/hazard pruning were also announced.
The Sandpoint Urban Forestry Commission spent a large portion of its April 23 meeting reviewing budget priorities and comparables for fiscal year 2027. Vice Chair Paige Belfry urged the commission to "think about what's best for trees" and reviewed a consultant (Jim Flott) master plan that recommended about $162,000 annually four years ago.
Commissioners reviewed multiple ways to size the budget: per-capita (Tree City USA baseline $2 per cap), comparisons with similar municipalities (Hayden cited as a peer with $79,676 in FY26, about $4.65 per capita), and a national-average…
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