County Commissioner Jason Black plans to ask for permission to lease a tractor and Bush Hog at the next county commission meeting Aug. 30 to use for cutting brush from road ditches in District 3.

Black said at the last meeting he needs a second tractor and Bush Hog, or rotary cutter, to keep up with cutting for reasons of safety and beauty.

“We are cutting two days a week now and the roads and the ditches are so flooded when it rains,” Black said at a recent meeting. “But I’m not going to complain about rain because last year at this time I was praying for rain.”

He added that it is a “long way from Swancot to the Elk River,” which are the west and east boundaries of District 3.

District 4 Commissioner Ben Harrison said he will do the best he can to take care of cutting vegetation near dangerous intersections in his district, but he does not plan to lease or buy another tractor and Bush Hog because the district simply cannot afford it with the many projects on hand.

“We will do the best we can and take care of dangerous intersections,” he said, adding, “We are are going full blast every day.”

He said August has been a wet month but he doesn’t intend to implement an additional cutting crew just to cover areas that need cutting for aesthetic reasons. He said he will focus on areas where overgrowth cause poor visibility first and then cut areas that simply need cutting.

Black said after the meeting he would use crews and the additional equipment he hopes to lease to to tackle overgrowth for both safety and aesthetic reasons.