Mineola trustees approve piggyback tree-maintenance contract to speed backlog removals

The Mineola Village Board on May 13 approved a piggyback contract to hire Aspen Tree Experts LLC for 2026–27 tree pruning and removal, using Town of North Hempstead contract CNH015-2025. Mr. Rivera presented the resolution, which specifies funding from the village’s 2026–27 general fund budget or the unreserved fund balance.

The chair said the village is outsourcing some tree-removal work to catch up after staffing constraints slowed past removals. “We are dedicating a certain amount of our concrete requirements over to tree removal, piggybacking on a Town of North Hempstead contract to assist our staff in removing trees,” the chair said. The chair added the intent is to use outside help temporarily "this year or perhaps for the next year or two, in order to catch up so that we can once again manage to do it in house." The chair also called the program “money well spent.”

Mr. Rivera told trustees the contract would cover routine pruning and removal under the referenced piggyback agreement (contract number CNH015-2025). No amendment or alternate vendor was proposed during the discussion. Trustee Pesotta moved the motion; Trustee Soloski seconded, and the trustees approved the contract by voice vote.

The resolution delegates work to Aspen Tree Experts LLC through the town contract to supplement village crews responsible for parks, pools and snow removal. The board did not specify an exact dollar total for the contract in the session; funding was identified as coming from the 2026–27 general fund and/or the unreserved fund balance. The board did not take further public comment on the resolution.

The contract is intended as a temporary measure while the village increases in-house capacity; the board expects routine tree maintenance thereafter to return to village staff.