Since Peachtree City had spent its entire budgeted amount for contracted tree removal, the City Council agreed to shift more funding to cover the rest of the year.
Last week council voted to shift $28,000 in city reserves, which also covers some $8,000 in street supplies that had already been shifted towards the tree removal instead.
Although the city’s public works department removes a number of trees with its crews, some are too big or otherwise outside of their capability, said Public Services Director Mark Caspar. The recent slate of storms has resulted in far more of the larger trees coming down and needing removal, Caspar noted.
The money approved by council goes to pay contractors who remove the trees that city crews are unable to get to, Caspar said.
Caspar initially asked for $20,000 to cover the tree removals for the remaining four months of the fiscal year. Councilman Eric Imker noted that failing to refund the street supply line item would lead to less street work being done this year.
It was Imker who suggested adding $8,000 to Caspar’s figure so the street supply line item could be made whole.
The decision to fund the $28,000 from city reserves was unanimous.
