Resident seeks town help after branch from town-line tree totaled daughter's car

During public comment at the Sept. 1 meeting, resident Jennifer Langley asked the council to consider help addressing a healthy gumball tree on the town line that she says has become a hazard.

Langley said storms recently caused a large branch to fall on her daughter's car and total the vehicle; she described the loss as financially devastating to her single-parent household and said she is willing to pay half the cost to remove the tree and plant a new one. "I have a tree that is on the town line... a huge branch fell on my daughter's car and totaled my daughter's car," Langley said. She said a prior claim to the municipality was denied because the tree was healthy.

Council did not take immediate action during public comment; town staff was asked to note the concern and Langley said she has attempted email and phone contact with town staff. The comment was recorded during the public-comment portion and will require follow-up by public-works or parks staff to resolve whether removal or mitigation is appropriate and whether cost-sharing is possible.