Wayland citizen Gail Hollinger apparently was taken seriously after she rebuked the City Council for removing trees in the East Sycamore Street project.

The council voted unanimously Monday night to reinstate the Tree Board in an attempt to promote saving and planting more trees in the city. The board will be made up of arborist Mike Connor, a local citizen at large, a council member and Streets Department Supervisor Coleman Lutz. City Manager Tim McLean said he would like to sit in as an ex-officio, or non-voting, capacity.

Gail Hollinger in July told the council she has been appalled at removal of trees on East Sycamore Street, the site of the latest local road improvement and paving project. She also expressed dismay over removal of a tree at the park that had been planted in memory of a member of the Garden Club.

Lutz apologized to Hollinger, indicating that the tree had been removed in error by the subcontractor in the recent park improvement project, which included new playground equipment and the splash pad. He said there may be plans to plant a new one.

Essentially, Hollinger, who lives on Maple Street near the City Park, was voicing opposition to any practice of removing trees, which she said do the environment a lot of good and enhance the beauty of a small town.

Pointing to the city’s logo on the wall at the back of council chambers, Hollinger said, “That might as well be a stump… Why do we just throw away trees?”

The citizen at large has not been chosen as yet, but Councilman Rick Mathis said Hollinger would be a quality member of such a group.

PHOTO: Gail Hollinger