Huntsville council approves Arbormann contract to grind more than 30 park stumps, with exceptions

The Huntsville Town Council voted unanimously Oct. 20 to hire Arbormann LLC to grind and remove more than 30 tree stumps in the town park, after council members amended the work to preserve a handful of stumps as seating.

Mayor Richard L. Sorensen confirmed the town has $12,000 budgeted for stump removal and the council moved to proceed with Arbormann’s lowest-bid proposal. "We had $12,000 in the budget for this purpose," Sorensen said. TCM Bruce Ahlstrom moved to accept Arbormann’s proposal with instructions to grind stumps to ground level, to be mindful of wet ground and possible damage, and to stop work if necessary; TCM Artie Powell seconded the motion.

Council Member Sandy Hunter amended the motion to designate a few stumps to remain for possible seating. Powell then added a second amendment to leave two specific stumps at the playground. A roll-call vote recorded all five present members — Mayor Sorensen, Bruce Ahlstrom, Lewis Johnson, Sandy Hunter and Artie Powell — voting in favor. The motion passed 5-0.

Council members cited practical concerns about leaving dozens of stumps for seating and noted that doing the work in fall can yield contractor discounts when landscaping demand is lower. The meeting record shows Arbormann’s estimate at $12,000 for 30+ stumps; other written estimates on file included All Wood’s ($12,000 net after a discount) and Weber Davis ($18,600, proposed in two phases). The council did not change the town’s budget line at the meeting beyond authorizing the contract consistent with the available $12,000.