City to plant 109 trees under USDA project; staff to present urban-forest plan at next meeting

The Sandusky City Commission on Aug. 25 approved a contract with Nate Johnson’s Landscaping for the 2025 USDA tree planting project. Staff said the contract covers planting 109 trees with funding support coming from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and a city grant account. A staff member said part of the funding comes from a $125,000 grant allocated in part to the Churchwell Park project; if the Churchwell Park tree portion comes in under budget the city may add about $15,000 to this tree-planting contract via change order and could plant additional trees in spring if needed. Staff said the current completion date for the portion covered by the contract is November, and any additional trees added after a change order might be planted in the spring. The city manager’s office said it will present an urban forest overview at the next commission meeting and invited commissioners to submit questions in advance. During discussion commissioners stressed tree species selection and avoiding species that repeatedly damage sidewalks or create year-round maintenance burdens. Why it matters: urban canopy expansion and species selection affect long-term maintenance, sidewalk integrity and neighborhood livability; federal and state grant funding reduces direct city cost but requires compliance with project timelines. What’s next: staff will bring the planned urban-forest presentation to commissioners at the next meeting and will return to commission if a change order is needed to add more trees to the current contract.