Bedford City Council members agreed to start taking down some trees Tuesday at their regular meeting. City Manager Mike Mallis received the go-ahead to hire Nick’s Tree Service to begin removing trees deemed by the city’s arborist as either dead or diseased. Altogether, 16 trees are slated for removal. These trees were considered too large, hazardous or too close to wires for city crews to take down themselves.
The tree-removal company will also be taking care of some trees in the city parks. Mallis said the recreation department has been doing a park-by-park assessment and they have identifies a “long list of trees” in the parks that need either removed or trimmed.
The trees that are going to be dealt with have been marked. Mallis said as residents go throughout the town, they may come across an “X” on a tree that is going to be removed or an “E” on the ones that will be elevated, or trimmed on their lowest branches.
Mallis also gave some updates on other projects going on around the city. Starting the week of Monday Sept. 14, the fire department along with the water department will be flushing the hydrants around town. Also during that week, the sewer cleaning and maintenance project will be starting on Henry Street and the surrounding neighborhood.
Mallis thanked residence for their cooperation with the Forbes Road project and the dealing with the detours.
“I understand that there were some challenges with that,” he said. “And I’m happy to say we are completed. We have some striping to do on Forbes, but ultimately it was a good project and we were able to get it done.”
Later in the meeting council approved a cooperative agreement with the Village of Oakwood to allow the municipality to work with the same contractors that completed Bedford’s portion of Forbes Road. Bedford will pay for the work to be done now, and then Oakwood will reimburse the funds next month.
Finance director Frank Gambosi told council that the city is still accepting applications for the Civil Service Commission exam for the position of Paramedic / Firefighter on Sept. 26.
He also told residents who are applying for water discounts this year that the applications can be mailed to the Tax Department offices, or dropped off in the Tax Department drop off box. According to the ordinance, residents need to reapply each year for the program, and Gambosi said applications have already been sent out to those who were in the program last year.
In other business:
– Many council members gave praises about the new Underground Railroad mural that was completed downtown on Willis Street across from the Post Office. There will be an official unveiling of the artwork at noon on Saturday, Sept. 12.
– Ward 3 Representative Vic Fluharty said he still has not gotten an answer from the people who decide on voting locations as to where the people in Ward 3 are going to vote this November. They usually vote at Light of Hearts Villa, but this year because of Covid-19. He said he would pass along information on the new location as soon as he gets it.
