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Phoenixville council approves separate tree assessment, names Gilmore borough arborist
Summary
Council awarded a $29,960 tree-assessment contract to Arbor Pro and appointed Gilmore & Associates as the borough arborist, a move staff said separates empirical assessment from on-the-ground arborist recommendations and adds nesting-season protections to contracts.
Phoenixville Borough Council on June 9 approved a $29,960 contract with Arbor Pro Incorporated to perform a 2026 urban tree assessment and separately appointed Gilmore & Associates as the borough arborist.
Staff said the procurement separates the assessment function from the arborist role so that the firm evaluating tree condition is not the same firm that performs removals or advises on on-site mitigation. "We want the list to be based off of empirical data from the assessment," a staff member told council as they described the split procurement and an October timeline for completing the survey so results can inform the 2027 budget.
Several residents had urged more transparency and involvement of the Tree Advisory Commission (TAC) in the process. Resident Dana Waldman asked the borough to exercise "due diligence before approving these contracts" and to include at least one TAC member in interviews with prospective arborists. TAC liaison to council and council members said the new approach was intended to increase collaboration between staff, TAC and council.
Council also discussed requirements to account for bird nesting season in contract specifications. Staff said the RFP/bid documents will require bidders to price work around a nesting-season window — a constraint bidders must factor into their schedules and bids.
Council voted to award the tree-assessment contract to Arbor Pro; staff later presented a motion to appoint Gilmore & Associates as the borough arborist, noting Gilmore has certified arborists on staff and prior experience reviewing development projects. Council members said the appointment will provide closer coordination between development review and urban-canopy goals.
The appointments and contracts will be used to complete mapping, condition assessments and to inform an October list of recommended pruning or removals for council and the budget process. TAC members said the borough is targeting roughly 80 fall plantings and expects to use assessment data to refine planting sites.
What happens next: Arbor Pro will begin the assessment work on award and coordinate with borough GIS and TAC staff. The arborist role with Gilmore will advise on tree management, help integrate canopy goals into development review and collaborate with TAC and staff on implementation.
