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Tree board members press for a dedicated budget line and clearer tracking of tree care
Summary
Councilors debated whether tree care funding should remain in maintenance or be listed separately; proponents recommended a $10,000–$12,000 tree-board line to cover aftercare and new initiatives and noted Tree City USA per-capita documentation requirements.
A council member with experience on the tree board urged clearer accounting for tree-care expenses and noted that Tree City USA requires documenting at least $2 per capita toward tree planting and care. "Planting, care, removal of trees, trimming trees, and it's also in kind as well," the member said, arguing volunteer hours should count toward that documentation.
Some members proposed moving tree-work into maintenance; others recommended a distinct tree-board budget line between $10,000 and $12,000 to fund aftercare and volunteer-supported initiatives (for example, stabilizing a hillside with native plantings). The council agreed to clarify descriptions and to consider a specific, labeled line so the board and staff can track expenditures more transparently.
