TIMBER SALE Girard mayor will rebid tree harvest on city land

The city hired a timber consultant to oversee the harvest.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
GIRARD -- Mayor James J. Melfi has decided to rebid the timber harvest on city-owned land.
Melfi said Monday that he made the decision after discussions with David N. Coldwell, owner of Coldwell Timber Consulting LLC of Salineville.
The mayor signed a contract with Coldwell Wednesday. Coldwell will receive 10 percent of the sale price of the timber.
Melfi said he decided to rebid the harvest because hiring Coldwell, who has been a consultant for 13 years, will streamline the process.
The consultant, the mayor explained, will take the short- and long-term goals of the harvest into consideration, oversee the cutting, ensure proper forest management and ensure that the city receives top dollar for the trees.
Earlier recommendation
The city board of control had earlier recommended to city council that Gustavus Hardwoods be awarded the contract to harvest the timber.
Under the terms of the Gustavus proposal, one of three companies to bid on the work, Gustavus would have paid the city 60 percent of timber sales during harvesting.
Melfi said he had been told the city would realize about $500,000 from the sale.
Coldwell said he won't be able to estimate the value of the timber until after an inventory of the trees is complete.
Rather than the city's receiving a percentage of revenue from the trees as they are sold, it will receive 50 percent of the bid price of the wood within 10 days, and the balance within six months.
Taking a look
On Monday, Coldwell was in an area off Vienna Road surveying timber at Upper Girard Lake. The survey consists of listing the species of the trees, their condition and amount of board feet in each tree.
Melfi said Coldwell, who worked for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for 28 years, doesn't believe the previous bidding process was in the best interest of the city.
The city had advertised for logging companies in local publications. Coldwell said he intends to send the inventory to 65 to 75 loggers in Ohio and Pennsylvania. The goal is to rebid by the end of July, and for the city's controlling board to present its recommendation to council in August.
Not ready
Coldwell said he has found so far that some of the areas around the lake aren't ready for harvesting because trees on the former farmland haven't matured at the same rate as other trees.
Logging will take a year to 18 months, Coldwell said, noting that trees not cut will maintain the wildlife, and the sunlight let in by the thinning will double the growth rate of remaining trees.
yovich@vindy.com