Jim Thorpe Borough Council members pressed a forestry consultant Thursday night with questions about a proposed timber harvesting project, voicing concerns over contract terms, potential borough liability, and the adequacy of safeguards before the governing body considers taking action.

The Keystone Timber and Forestry proposal calls for the sale of about 1,700 marked trees across a 128-acre tract of borough-owned land. Keystone’s Cody Campion said the disturbed area would be less than 10 acres, limited to skid trails and landings. “That’s not an estimate,” he said. “That’s hard data, and every tree has been individually measured.”

Council members agreed Thursday that the borough solicitor would review the marketing agreement before any official action is taken.

They sought clarity on who would be responsible for environmental permits.

“In Pennsylvania, an erosion and sedimentation plan is required for any timber harvest,” Campion said. “That will be on-site at the buyer’s expense, and the buyer needs to submit that. Any other permits from the Department of Environmental Protection or Fish and Boat Commission would also be the buyer’s responsibility.”

The payment plan outlines four installments, with the final payment due by July 1, 2026, or when half the project is completed.

“That’s only if they wait to start the harvest,” Campion said. “I foresee the buyer paying in full before the project starts. The reason it’s broken up is to entice more buyers who may not have the full amount upfront.”

A proposed agreement calls for the consultant’s firm to be paid during the first two installments.

“If they start at the beginning of 2026, we might not be complete, but we would still have to pay,” Councilman Mike Yeastedt said.

That raised concerns over whether the borough could be left holding costs if bids come in too low or if the market changes.

“The thought is that the borough is going into this at no cost,” Yeastedt said, “but if things don’t fall exactly right, it could be a cost.”

Campion replied, “If bids are rejected, yes, we could look at reworking the agreement or extending the marketing period. We don’t foresee that happening, but it’s possible.”

A proposed $5,000 performance deposit, which is intended to cover cleanup costs after the harvest, also drew questions from council.

“The deposit is really for job retirement,” Campion said. “It would cover hiring a bulldozer to clean roads, scrape landings flat and seed them. I don’t foresee more than $5,000 worth of cleanup.”

Some officials, however, were unconvinced.

“Normally, when municipalities put a project out to bid, you get a 10% bid bond,” Borough Manager Maureen Sterner said. “Once awarded, you get a 100% performance and payment bond. That ensures the contract is performed and subcontractors or suppliers are paid. With this setup, if someone bids $25,000 and walks away, we could be left holding the loss while only having a $5,000 deposit.”

Truck traffic and potential road damage also came up during Thursday’s discussion. Access, Campion said, would come from Route 903 onto Center Street, then Reservoir Road. Council members pointed out that the turn onto Reservoir Road is narrow and could be difficult for large equipment.

“My biggest concern is the wear and tear on the roads,” Councilman Connor Rodgers said.

The timing of the project may also overlap with the borough’s dam removal project. Five dams along the nearly 2-mile Silk Mill Run creek, designated as a Class A brown trout cold-water fishery, will be demolished and removed, likely in 2026.

Campion said harvesters would “stay clear” of the area.

“Once we got to the part where trees could reach the stream, we stopped marking,” he said.

Harvesting could take eight to 10 weeks if weather allows, though the buyer would have up to 24 months to complete the work.

“Once a contract is signed, the buyer is obligated to purchase the timber whether the trees are cut or not,” Campion said. “No trees will be cut until the borough is paid.”