Berwyn residents and officials press to expand street-tree program, seek accounting for $75,000 township grant

SURAC — At a March 11, 2026 neighborhood advisory meeting, residents and city staff reviewed recent street-tree plantings, discussed contractor responsibilities for watering and maintenance, and pressed the city for an accounting of township funds intended for additional plantings.

John Benley, a member of the Berwyn Tree Canopy Initiative, told the meeting that the township had allocated $75,000 in 2024 for supplemental plantings and urged the city to report how those funds were spent. "The township money…was $75,000 from the township of Berlin and that was for the idea was additional trees above and beyond the regular planting program," Benley said, noting the city did not receive the money until July 2025 and asking how many trees had been planted with it.

City staff and the arborist detailed recent work: staff reported 188 trees planted in 2024 and…