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Community Development seeks full‑time forestry officer and outlines multi‑year sidewalk projects
Summary
Community Development requested funding to convert an unfilled part‑time forestry officer post to a full‑time position and reviewed two federally funded sidewalk projects with multi‑year timelines; staff noted a $200,000 consulting line intended as flexible grant/consultant funds subject to board approval.
Garrett Duquesne, commissioner of Community Development and Conservation, asked the board Oct. 22 to consider converting a vacant part‑time forestry officer position into a full‑time role (roughly $80,000) after months of unsuccessful recruitment.
Duquesne said the department has five full‑time staff and had relied on a part‑time certified arborist to process tree permits; without that role the deputy commissioner and others are covering permit work. He said a full‑time hire would speed permit processing and could free staff time to assist parks and public works on urgent tree matters.
Duquesne also reviewed capital requests for two TAP/grant sidewalk projects—Old Army Sidewalk and Knollwood Road—each with a large federal reimbursement component. He said environmental review and federal/state processing make these multi‑year projects and estimated earliest construction in 2027–2028.
On consulting, Duquesne said the capital budget includes a $200,000 consulting line intended as flexible funding to respond to mid‑cycle grant opportunities and unanticipated needs; he emphasized that any expenditure from that line would require a separate town‑board resolution.
Board members asked for clarity on the consulting line and whether it represented a year‑to‑date spending total or a budgeted appropriation; staff said the line is intended as a placeholder and that actual draws would come back to the board for approval.
Duquesne said he would coordinate with Parks & Recreation and public works to determine whether a shared forestry role or other cross‑departmental solution is feasible and would provide a recommendation to the board.
