Politics & Government
Long Term Tree Removal to Cost Village $1.8 Million
The board will spend $150,000 this fall and spring to remove and replant a fraction of the infested trees.
The Frankfort Village Board approved a recommendation to implement a plan that will ensure the removal and replacement of hundreds of beetle-infested public Ash trees at a meeting on Oct. 15.
Under the Emerald Ash Borer Management Plan, the village will remove and replace 262 parkway trees that were deemed in poor condition during a survey and inspection last summer. Removal is estimated to begin in late fall. Replanting will follow in the spring.
EAB is caused when EAB beetles inhabit Ash trees. The infestation causes the tree’s limbs to die from the top down, as the canopy thins.
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The removal and replacement plan will cost $150,000 and is part of a long term, evolving village project to address the EAB problem as it develops.
“It’s devastating the landscape of the whole town,” said Trustee Dick Trevarthan, who presented the recommendation on behalf of the joint Tree Board and Land Use and Policy committees.
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Frankfort is home to 9,200 parkway trees, 3,373 of them Ash. The 262 trees slotted for removal constitute the bottom eight percent of public Ash trees in Frankfort. As Ash are removed, they will be replaced by a diverse variety of trees.
The cost for the village to remove and replace all Ash parkway trees is $1.8 million.
“It really is tragic that this is happening in our community,” said Trustee Mike Stevens.
Trevarthan said that homeowners should contact a certified arborist if they think they may have an Ash with EAB. Homeowners with Ash on their property are responsible for the removal and treatment of the tree.
During the meeting, the board also accepted and authorized a request from Assistant Village Administrator Rob Piscia for additional construction services on the Market Street project. The additional services cost $19,876.80 and will provide a lane addition.
When giving the Mayor’s report, Mayor Jim Holland noted that brush pickup will continue through the week. The last scheduled pickup is Oct. 19.
Mayor Holland also specified that this year’s trick or treat hours are 4-7 p.m. on Halloween.
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