Keeping money available for the removal of dying trees while also making overdue equipment upgrades was the challenge faced by the Winamac Park Board Monday. Members met in special session to work on their 2019 budget.
Park Manager Dave DeLorenzo pointed out that they’d opted to hold off on replacing a lawn mower this year, but money wasn’t included in next year’s budget. To fix the problem, board members agreed to move $2,000 out of the proposed $17,000 Tree Maintenance line item.
That was in spite of some initial hesitation from Park Board President Courtney Poor. “I keep hearing about, ‘This tree’s too big.’ ‘This tree has got to come down,’ he said. “I’m not certain $17,000 is enough.”
But DeLorenzo noted that he hasn’t really dipped into this year’s tree removal budget yet. Poor then suggested that he try to get as much of the work as possible done this year and reduce the Tree Maintenance budget to $15,000 for 2019. “These sycamores that you said have been there forever, I don’t want to be sitting on this board and have one go down and hurt somebody, frankly,” Poor said. “And especially if we know that it’s not safe, I’ll be very honest, I want it gone because I don’t want anybody to get hurt. That’s my opinion.”
Other than moving $2,000 out of Tree Maintenance to bring the New Equipment line item up to $10,000, the park board decided to accept the 2019 budget proposal as presented. It now goes to the town council for consideration, as part of the town’s overall budget process.
