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Council deadlocks 4–4 on plan to treat city ash trees for emerald ash borer
Summary
A proposal to contract treatment of five city ash trees failed on a 4–4 vote after council members debated costs, treatment effectiveness, and the need for a formal tree-management plan; the BID had already funded treatment of seven trees on Walnut Street.
A council motion to approve treatment of up to five city ash trees to combat emerald ash borer failed on a 4–4 tie during the Spooner City Council meeting on July 1.
Council member Dunn described that the Business Improvement District (BID) was funding treatment for seven trees on Walnut Street and asked whether the council wanted to expand treatment to additional city trees, citing an approximate average treatment cost of $200 per tree and that treatments must be repeated every two years. Koverman noted Spooner’s 2019 tree-management plan, which recommended training staff and acquiring equipment to perform in-house treatments, and said tree-board recommendations would be forthcoming.
Council members expressed differing views: Gabriel favored proceeding with five trees as a pilot; Lake pushed for a formalized plan before broader action; Montoya-Oja and Krueger asked for more information. The motion (Everroad/Dunn) to approve treatment for five trees resulted in four yes and four no votes and therefore failed; the council recorded no further action on the issue at the meeting.
