BUCKFIELD — Town Manager and Road Commissioner Glen Holmes reported to selectmen Tuesday night that ditching on High Street is on schedule and could be finished Thursday if the tree issue can be resolved.

Selectman Robin Buswell said he had looked at the trees in the right of way and two were definitely dead, but the other three looked like they might be OK.

The Highway Department has said the trees must come down. Holmes said in order to preserve the integrity of the road, the ditching must be deep enough to keep water from continuing to go under the road. This means the trees should come down.

Resident Judy Berg said she wanted a professional tree person to look at the trees to see if they could be saved.

Holmes said the distance from the sidewalk to the road is 6 feet and that space is needed for the ditching. “All the other trees on High Street are on the back side of the sidewalk,” he said.

Selectman Eileen Hotham cautioned that when High Street was ready to be resurfaced, the trees would undermine the project. Holmes said they would grind and replace the surface when they were ready to do the road.

Resident Joyce Hartson asked if that section of the road could be done later, but Holmes said it would cost the town much more because the equipment was there now to remove the trees.

Holmes pointed out that the town is liable if limbs fall on cars, houses or people because the trees are in the right of way. “This also means that they could be taken by eminent domain,” Holmes said.

Hotham motioned to cut the trees, but it failed without a second. Buswell motioned to have someone from the state look at the trees to see if they can be saved, with the town abiding by that decision. The motion passed 2-1 with Hotham voting no.

In other news, Holmes reported that T Buck Construction of Auburn would begin work on Brown bridge on Aug. 15 and the project should be completed by the end of September.

Holmes said he was ready to release specifications for the Municipal Building generator as well as winter sand specs.

Holmes also reported that the final budget adjustments had been made. He removed $5,000 from the Hew Highway Garage Capital Outlay Account, which would have put doors on the building.

He also reduced the sidewalk account by $4,750.

Holmes reported that four areas over budget were rescue, highway garage, cemetery maintenance and highway equipment. He said he would discuss these with the auditor to get direction.