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Select Board approves immediate tree-hazard cleanup using $5,000 allocation
Summary
After reviewing options to remove hazardous trees and storm-damage debris, the board voted to proceed with 'option 1'—a town-led cleanup using available excavator and local labor—supported by a $5,000 allocation and a plan to revisit funding after June 30.
The board reviewed a multi-part plan to address dead and dangerous trees across town. Members discussed using the town excavator, hiring local cutters for ground and climbing work, insurance implications and the need to coordinate with Green Mountain Power where lines were involved.
The committee member proposing the option emphasized safety and speed: option 1 would use a combination of town equipment and vetted contractors to remove the most hazardous trees before the next growing season. The motion to approve option 1 directed staff to use an initial $5,000 from fiscal-year funds and to reassess the work and funding status by June 30. Members stressed that any contractor working on town right-of-way must provide liability insurance documentation for the file.
Board members also discussed phasing (priority stretches such as Gulf Road from Route 140 to specified properties) and noted work that reaches beyond town rights-of-way would require landowner permission. The board asked staff to document insurance coverage, whether workers would be town employees or contractors, and to return with a schedule and cost estimate for the next phase.
