Seven Fields recovers from recent windstorms
SEVEN FIELDS — Borough council awarded a $2,300 contract Monday for removal of a more than 60-foot tree blown down in recent windstorms.
“Normally, we can handle some of these things in-house and chop them up with our chain saws and drop them in a C1 property,” township manager Tom Smith said. “But something like this, it’s unsafe. We’re not equipped with the expertise.”
The massive tree was ripped apart in the windstorms, falling from a C1 property — or open municipal property — into a residential property on Breckland Drive.
Smith said the highest bid the borough received was $4,200. The lowest bid, $2,300 by RB Tree Service, was approved by council Monday.
The contract covers both the felling and disposal of the tree from the residential property, Smith said.
“They’re going to cut it up and deposit into the C1 property,” he explained.
Council member Jeff Smouse suggested the borough take preemptive steps to address incidents such as this in the future.
“There’s a number of trees there; they’re quite tall and they’re dead, in that same area,” he said. “We might want to look at doing something a little bit more proactively. There’s going to be other ones coming down as well.”
Smith said the issue was something council would need to consider in the upcoming annual budget.
“We do get lucky with these trees that fall over and then nature takes its course, but there’s a lot of times they fall into people’s property, and we’re able to handle it,” Smith said. “But then you get instances like this that we have to go to an outside contractor, so we definitely — in the future budgets — we’re going to have to put 10-, 20-, maybe $25,000, because some of those trees are older, and they’re rather large.”
Council also accepted a $7,500 Butler County Parks and Recreation Renovation Grant to “defray the expense of decorative fencing and eight stone pillars at Seven Fields Town Park Pool.”
The pool renovation project, which began two years ago, is in its second phase: renovating the exterior to match the borough’s recently updated community center.
“Public Works is currently working at the pool with the renovations as phase two,” Smith said. “I know it’ll be ready for Memorial Day.”
Smith said this is the third-straight year the borough has been awarded this county grant.
“Just definitely want to say ‘thank you’ to the Butler County commissioners and Lance Welliver, (director) at the parks and recreation department, for all his assistance,” Smith said.
Also Monday, council approved a $250,000 Local Share Account Program grant for the project’s third phase.
“This is for the pool itself: for a new plaster surface, filtration system, new lights, zero-depth addition and circulation,” Smith said.
The third phase also would include a new concrete deck, new pool furniture and a waterslide, according to Smith.
“The funds will not be released until probably next year,” Smith said. “We’re not going to start work in 2023, we would get down and get through this summer, but I would strongly suggest that we’re ready to proceed as soon as we close for the Labor Day holiday and then start demolition and be ready to open work during the winter months.”
The cost of phase three, Smith said, is $528,600, but some of the work already has been completed by the public works department.
The grant also will require a $37,500 match from the borough, he said.
“I would like to continue this project,” Smith said. “I think the pool has been identified as an amenity for Seven Fields, and I think this is a good thing for us to continue.”
This story was updated at 9:15 a.m., April 11, to reflect the county grant being for $7,500. A previous version of this story said it was for $75,000.
