Volunteer asks board to approve honorary tree for Jim Brown; family prefers Norway spruce

A volunteer representing the Community Day Committee asked the town board to allow an honorary tree to be planted in the commons for Jim Brown and said the family prefers a Norway spruce to be planted on Oct. 3, the date of the family’s celebration of life.

"I have been in touch with Jim's daughter, Anne Laughlin, and she knows that this is something that the community day committee wished to do for her dad," the volunteer said, adding that the family would dig the hole and might cover any difference if the fund shortfall remained. Board members noted $250 currently in the account and one board member said they had donated another $100.

Board members and staff discussed logistical concerns about tree selection and placement, including root systems and potential damage to the commons’ walkways. The administrator said town crews typically procure trees from a local wholesale nursery and suggested researching smaller cultivars or a local alternative if a Norway spruce cultivar of the right size is not available. The volunteer asked the board to try to have the tree available for planting around Oct. 3; the board agreed to look into costs and availability and to follow up with the volunteer.

The item was a public comment request rather than a formal agenda motion; no formal vote was required at the meeting. The board asked staff to investigate nursery options, estimated costs and whether the existing $250 plus community donations would be sufficient before the planned planting date.