PHILLIPSBURG — Street Commissioner Wendell Harleman said at the Oct. 15 council meeting that leaf collection would begin the following week and continue until the first snow.

Fire Chief Chris Rowher said the fire department’s chicken BBQ will be on Sunday, Nov. 3, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tickets, costing $12 each, must be purchased in advance from the fire department.

A large part of the meeting dealt with the fallen tree at 33 E. Main St. (A picture of the tree ran in the Oct. 12 issue of the Register-Herald.) On the curb strip in front of the house, it fell across the sidewalk and fence between the two houses and onto the roof of 31 E. Main St. and is weighing down the communication lines along the sidewalk.

Legally, homeowners are responsible for maintaining the curb strip, but the village is responsible for restoring the public sidewalk it is blocking and Frontier Communications must deal with the sagging wires. Additionally, the house at 31 E. Main St. is for sale, with a signing date of Nov. 4.

Furthermore, the tree had been tagged for removal a few years ago, but the village solicitor at the time advised the village it was the homeowner’s responsibility.

Through some error, the homeowner was never notified of the status of the tree, and she objected that had she known, she would have had it removed earlier.

“I’ve never even had a dead branch fall off of it,” she said.

Mayor Shawna Newsom was not mayor at the time but apologized for the oversight on behalf of the village.

The homeowner said she had a quote of $14,000 from a tree service, but that service does not want to proceed until the insurance claim filed by the homeowner at 31 E. Main St. has been settled.

Council Member Donna Mullins said the village had four quotes, with the lowest being $4,000 from Tate’s Tree, not including removal of the wood.

Council agreed to arrange removal of the tree. The homeowner can either pay the money at the time or have her taxes assessed, whichever works for her. Mullins suggested the homeowner try to sell the wood and promised to remove it herself if that wasn’t possible.

The homeowner was not entirely happy, as such an assessment will involve an additional fee by the county, but Fiscal Officer Michelle Phillips said such fees are usually a small percentage of the assessment.

Mullins promised to emphasize to Tate’s Tree Service and Frontier Communications that the work had to be completed by Nov. 4.

In other action, Rowher has given “a long list” of the defects in the fire department’s reporting software to the village attorney, who will now send a letter alleging breach of contract. If the company does not correct every defect within 30 days, the village will be free to begin proceedings to terminate the contract.

The next meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5, at the municipal building at 10868 Brookville Phillipsburg Rd.