Library construction on schedule; trustees vote to remove three front-yard trees (dogwood excluded)

Library staff reported construction milestones: roofers were on site and the project remains on track for an early-September occupancy target, after which transition meetings with town departments, the architect and the contractor will plan actual move-in and opening steps.

Trustees turned to the front-yard trees. A year-old assessment had rated three trees as poor-to-fair and noted root compaction and rot; trustees were told a fresh arborist assessment would cost roughly $3,000 and that further interventions could be required to preserve any of the specimens. Staff and trustees raised safety and liability concerns because heavy-equipment use during construction has likely stressed the tree roots.

After an extended discussion about preservation, public reaction and funding, a trustee moved that the board remove the three front-yard trees now (so stump removal and landscaping can proceed) and postpone decisions about replacement species and placement until after occupancy. The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote; the transcript records some procedural ambiguity in the roll call, but staff said they would notify the building committee that trustees agreed to proceed. Trustees clarified the dogwood in the center would be excluded from the removal motion.

Trustees noted the removal and any replacement planting would likely be paid from project contingency or trustee-held funds if the construction budget cannot absorb the cost. Staff will obtain an updated arborist assessment, cost estimates for potential replacements, and a plan for whether the project or the trustees will fund replanting.