City begins cutting, replacing ash trees to stay ahead of ash borer losses
The city of Medford is being proactive in dealing with Emerald Ash Borer and has begun an aggressive tree removal and replacement process to eliminate the ash trees on city owned properties over the next five years.
City Coordinator Joe Harris reported to members of the Medford city council on Tuesday that there were 94 identified ash trees on city property. The plan is to cut 20 of those trees each year. The first cutting began on Monday along North Main Street. He said the city will be replacing the trees that were cut with maple trees. “We have new maple trees ordered and they will be planted in spring,” Harris said.
Emerald ash borer is an invasive pest whose larvae burrow into ash trees killing them over time and leaving the wood weakened. The pest has caused widespread tree loss throughout regions where it has been located. This summer it was confirmed to be in the city of Medford.
The wood from the trees that is removed will be shredded and sold to a company that uses them for biofuel in a wood furnace.
Ash are a popular tree in residential areas with a large number of them in on private property in the city. Council member Laura Holmes asked if the city was planning to require people to remove their ash trees.
Harris said he does not think the city has the ability to order people to remove ash trees from their private property saying that it will be up to the property owners to decide if their trees should be removed. He said if any such order were to come, it would potentially be from the DNR rather than the city.
On other action at Monday’s meeting, council members approved hiring Pember Companies of Menomonie at a cost of $471,487.72 to rebuild the shoreline along Whelen Park located on the east side of the Black River between State Street and Hwy 64. The existing stacked concrete retaining wall along that east side of the Black River is decaying to the point of concerns about failure.
On the southern portion closer to Ackeret Brothers Appliance, the wall will be replaced with steel sheet piling as it goes further north into the newly developed park area, the existing wall will be removed and it will be sloped to a a three to one grade with rip rap places to stabilize the shoreline.
Pember was the lowest of four bids received with the next lowest from Jake General Contractors at $494,296. Haas Sons bid $622,120.70 for the work and Switlick & Sons bid $625,648 for the work.
The city received a stewardship grant from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources which will cover $248,555 of the project cost.
Council member Mike Bub asked about when the project would take place. Harris said they would have until October 30, 2025. There will be silt fencing installed as needed while the project is underway.
In other business council members: Approved awarding the bid for city well number 14 to CTW Corporation of Eau Claire at a cost of $255,415. This well is located near Pep’s Drive and it will replace well No. 5 which is located near Bone and Joint Clinic along Hwy 13. The well will have the capacity to produce 500 gpm of water.
Approved a waste haulers license to Waste Management through June. The city requires haulers to be licensed annually to operate in the city and it was reported that they recently received the completed paperwork for Waste Management.
Approved the street closing request for the Beer Mile run to be held on Main Street on December 21. The event will be held from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Participants run a quarter mile, drink a beer and then repeat it. Council member Christine Weix said the organizers needed to be reminded that not only are they responsible to clean up any refuse from the event, but also any discharge from the participants that might occur. The event is sponsored by Lake 11 Brewing and is a fundraiser for the Yucca Club.
Approved reappointing the city members to the Medford Area Fire Commission. They are Brenda Hedlund, Clem Johnson, Al Leonard, Scott Mueller, Melvin Zenner and Jeri Koester with Mike Wellner, Randy Haynes and Mike Bub as alternates.
Approved the new appointments for the hotel/motel room tax commission. Bub, Adam Rodman and Jesse Lukewich will remain with Angie Apfelbeck replacing Gary Jensen as the hotel/motel industry representative. Apfelbeck owns an AirBNB property that pays into the room tax. Jensen had requested to step back from the commission.
Approved the joint ownership agreement for the Medford Area Fire Department. This is the governing document for the operation of the fire department that is shared between the city and the towns of Browning, Chelsea, Goodrich, Grover, Hammel, Medford and Molitor. There were no substantial changes between the current contract and the new one. The contract will run through December 31, 2027.
Approved a zoning change for a parcel near the apartment complex on Pep’s Drive from multifamily residential to commercial use to clear the way for the city to sell three acres of land to Hope Hospice. Harris said the sale had been approved earlier this fall at a rate of $2,000 per acre, but that it has taken time as the rezoning moved through the planning commission process. The remaining part of the parcel is slated to be developed as a potential future park area.
