Woodstock’s Tree Committee is the latest of many groups and organizations vying for funding as the Town Board figures out how to best use a budget surplus and American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds given to communities for COVID-19 relief.
Tree Committee member Gay Leonhardt told the Town Board at its July 12 meeting that the current practice of replacing one tree per year will never keep pace with the amount of dying trees or those that have been removed.
The Tree Committee, whose purview is within 20 feet of the roadside along Routes 212 and 375, has identified 27 sites with space on the ground and unobstructed by power lines where trees can be planted. The committee’s goal is to make those roads tree-lined.
“Given our town’s efforts to deal with global warming and decreased electric use, I think it’s also part of that,” Leonhardt said. And she passed along a statement from the Chamber of Commerce — “We are supportive of the committee’s goals to provide more trees in our town to provide shade to protect our environment in our climate change and growth as well as to beautify the experience for locals and visitors,” said the Chamber.
Leonhardt listed many trees that are dying or have died, including one in front of Tinker Taco Lab, another at the Rock City Road intersection, one in front of CVS, near the laundromat, and in front of the elementary school among others.
A tree removed from the Woodstock Playhouse entrance had 12 nails and screws within one square foot of bark so people could post flyers for the multitude of yard sales, she noted. “So while the Tree Committee has planted about 10 trees in recent years, plus the 43 trees and shrubs at the Mountain View parking lot, planting one tree a year cannot keep up with the loss,” Leonhardt said.
The committee has also spoken with Bearsville Center owner Lizzie Vann, who has taken its recommendations and will replace trees at her own expense that were removed as part of construction, she said.
Leonhardt said the town has money both in surplus and ARP funds that can be used. Advantages are savings from buying trees in bulk and “the simple fact people want street trees.”
Supervisor Bill McKenna said the town cannot spend taxpayer money to benefit private property because it violates the state Constitution.
Leonhardt pointed out other towns in the state have budgeted for tree planting on private property, including the village of Red Hook, which has planted for 17 years. She is asking the town for $6000 to plant 10 trees per year for the next few years at about $2000 for 10 trees.
McKenna said he is not sure ARP funds can be used for trees, but the town can claim lost revenue from COVID and use the money that way.
“I’m absolutely unaware of any guidelines that have said you cannot use these funds for tree planting,” Councilman Bennet Ratcliff said.
“I’m just going to assume that the city of Syracuse and the City of Minneapolis didn’t get busted for spending money for trees,” Leonhardt said.
Surplus spending needs more scrutiny
McKenna proposed several new capital projects to be funded by surplus money, including youth center improvements, tennis and basketball court upgrades at Andy Lee and Rick Volz fields, repairs to Hutchin Hill Road and a replacement generator at the wastewater treatment plant.
Between the General Fund, Highway Fund, sewer, lighting and other districts, the town has about $1.2 million in unallocated funds.
Ratcliff wanted more information from the people in charge who will be spending the money on projects McKenna has proposed.
“I’d love to hear from the highway superintendent about their plans for use, I’d like to hear from the youth center director about their plans for improvements. I think that it would be good to have all of these people come forward,” he said.
Ratcliff was stunned into silence when McKenna said the proposed youth center improvements were from him, not from director Patrick Acker.
“This is a capital project to replace or refurbish the building. You go talk to him, but this is not his initiative. It’s my initiative. And whether the board wants to go forward with it or not is the board’s decision,” McKenna said.
Ratcliff also objected to the transfer of $200,000 into the Church Road Remediation capital fund since the property owner is liable for the cleanup. This money is for cleanup of 10 Church Road, where construction debris was illegally dumped.
Ratcliff said he doesn’t think it is prudent to allocate funds for that.
“If we do use that money, we’re going to get it back in tax collection from the property owner. If we don’t use the money, and hopefully we don’t have to, that money will go back into the fund balance and then can be reassigned to any other project including planting trees,” McKenna said.
The plan is to clean up the contamination and add the cost to the owner’s tax bill. If he defaults, the county will make the town whole and foreclose on the property.
Councilwoman Maria-Elena Conte advocated for money for the Housing Committee initiatives noting it has come to the board twice.
McKenna said he is working on their proposal.
Ratcliff said the town needs to spend some of the ARP funds and advocated for $50,000 toward the Woodstock HomeShare program and $10,000 toward trees.
McKenna told the board to come up with suggestions for discussion at the July 19 meeting.
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