Minocqua supervisors applied the parking brake at their last meeting when they saw the price tag to remove two dozen trees along Dr. Pink Drive in advance of a proposed road project.
Director of Public Works Mark Pertile said the trees are on the road edge and snowplows have hit them over the years. Pitlik & Wick of Eagle River bid $140,000 to repave about a half mile of Dr. Pink Drive. But the $22,000 to have a tree service cut the trees and remove and grind the stumps drew opposition from supervisors.
Pertile is now looking into what other tree service firms may charge for the work. The board also accepted a $99,722 bid by Pitlik & Wick to repave nearly a half-mile of Camp Pinemere Road.
The town will get $25,000 in road aid from Oneida County to offset the cost. Doing both projects this year would put the town $30,000 over the $200,000 budgeted for road projects in 2016. Pertile suggested removing the trees this year on Dr. Pink Drive and paving the road next year.
