Commission reviews grant application, contractor scope and timeline

Commission members reviewed recent grant work and emphasized the tight schedule and need for project management oversight. The chair said the grant decision may be announced "mid October" and that contracting with the winning contractor could occur between the announcement and mid-December; members warned that the grant period is short (one year, possibly 15 months) and that consultants or contractors will likely be needed for installation and long-term maintenance.

The chair described expected contractor tasks if the grant is awarded: removing invasive trees, herbicide treatment of stumps, planting roughly 900 trees with soil-retention measures, installing deer fencing and irrigation, and providing phased maintenance. The commission agreed it could allocate about $2,000 from commission funds for initial tasks if necessary and noted much of the major work will require a formal bid process.