Alderman Matthew Caldwell trying his hand at laying sidewalks last year, as the City of Norwich DPW was wrapping up their in-kind services in the Museum District. This year, the Friends of the Museum District is moving into Phase 1B of their revitalization efforts, and at last night's common council meeting the City of Norwich Common Council approved additional in-kind labor from DPW to lay sidewalks from the Rexford Street railroad tracks up to North Broad Street. (Photo by Sarah Genter)

NORWICH — During the common council meeting on Tuesday, March 15, the City of Norwich Common Council voted to move forward with projects, agreements, and purchases.

At the March joint committee meeting, representatives from the City of Norwich Street Tree Committee and Chenango County Soil and Water Conservation District gave a presentation about the risk of emerald ash borer infestation in city ash trees. They were requesting council approval to enter into an agreement with the Onondaga County Soil and Water Conservation District to treat them with a pesticide, which would kill the ash borers and save the trees.

"We have 23 ash trees, and we went around and evaluated their condition to see potential to treat them based on how structurally sound they are," said Street Tree Committee Chair Rebecca Hargrave. "Some of the trees are not good candidates, and there’s a few that we’re hoping will be okay. But we have the potential to treat about 16 of them."

Using the pesticide, called Tree-age, requires a licensed pesticide applicator who will drill holes into the base of the tree, place ports, and use a gun-like apparatus to pump the pesticide into the tree.