Caryville caught up in tree squabble

CARYVILLE The Caryville Town Council gathered for an emergency meeting last week that was called to impose an immediate cease to excavation of land controlled by the town.

A premature decision by Council Chairman Henry Chambers created a problem with multiple layers when he hired a timber company on the towns behalf without the councils backing in a manner that did not follow proper legal protocol.

The Sunshine Law has been broken, said Councilwoman Nora Curry.

Floridas Sunshine Law exists to ensure open government and that all dealings stay transparent among boards, commissions and other governing bodies in state and local agencies. A chain of events that left the council at odds began to align last month, when Chambers requested a quote from Sapps Land & Excavation on what the company would pay the town for merchantable wood.

On Feb. 5, Chambers met with company Vice President Jeremy Sapp to convey the towns need to have tree debris removed after another logging company partially cleared parcels of land. Sapp proposed a figure, and Chambers said he would run the information by the council in the next meeting, set for Feb 10.

During that meeting, officials discussed hiring a company to chip and haul away the debris, with Chambers sharing hed looked into some options and had a company in mind that would pay the town $50 per ton. No motions were made to put the project up for bid or to hire a specific company.

Then on Feb. 25, Chambers signed a general timber sales agreement, giving timber rights to Sapps Land & Excavating Inc. on 316 acres of land. The company moved in heavy equipment the following day and had cleared away about 25 acres when Councilman Timothy Hanes learned the work was already in progress.

Hundred-year-old oaks are being cut out there, Hanes said. Our grandkids are not going to see them.

Hanes biggest concern was some of the towns more historical and environmentally beneficial trees were being cut when the councils prior discussion clearly specified that no more trees would come down.

His second point of contention was with decimal placement in the pay rate on the contract. Instead of $50 a ton, as Chambers had mentioned, the chairman signed an agreement for the timber company to compensate the town at a rate of 50 cents per ton.

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Caryville caught up in tree squabble