Town of Stoneham Tree Warden

August 9, 2021

Town of Stoneham Select Board
35 Central Street
Stoneham, MA 02180

Re: Tree Warden position

In order to comply with state law, the Town of Stoneham must have a Tree Warden. In order to comply with the tree bylaw and state law, the Select Board must appoint a qualified (certified arborist, etc.) Tree Warden for a three year term. Since the official retirement of our Tree Warden, there has not been any open, public discussion by the Board regarding the hiring of a Tree Warden. This position is similar to the Town Accountant position and your Office Manager position, requiring your approval of the job description, salary, and the individual who is ultimately chosen via a public process. The Tree Committee cannot effectively fulfill its responsibilities without the involvement of a Tree Warden.

I have spoken about this with the Town Administrator and a member of your Board on more than one occasion, but the Town continues to operate in the same manner as previously, before the tree bylaw passed at Town Meeting and was subsequently approved by the Attorney General’s Office in March of 2019. The people whom you represent have recognized the need for this bylaw. Your Board spoke favorably about this bylaw. The Town’s most recent Annual Report states that as in the past, the Town has removed more public shade trees in a year than it has planted. This can be corrected and the will of the people who elected you can be fulfilled by your compliance with the laws that are already in place.

Sincerely,
Susan Keeler
22 Butler Ave.

Cc: Town Clerk Maria Sagarino
Stoneham Independent
Stoneham Patch