Oakland lands landscaping contract

The Oakland Town Commission approved a contract with TopNotch Landscaping for landscaping and mowing needs in the town. 

The contract was approved unanimously Tuesday, Jan. 13, with Commissioner Sal Ramos absent. 

Assistant Public Works Director Johnnell Kemp said the town staff asked a couple months ago to look into maintenance contracts for landscaping as the town currently has three contractors covering most of the town’s landscaping. 

He said the town wanted to isolate the work to one contractor, and after receiving bids from three vendors, TopNotch Landscaping was the cheapest at $74,400. The town will save at least $50,000 per year. 

Kemp said the town also decided to take on some of the lawn maintenance itself. 

Trees of the Season winner

Lynn Dattolo, the community outreach manager, and Nicole Hurley, a sponsor, presented a wood tree stump plaque to Nicole O’Brien, managing director of Oakland Nature Preserve, which won the 2025 Trees of the Season decorating contest. 

“All the trees were really interesting and unique and creative this year, and I just want to say congrats to the nature preserve,” said Hurley, an estate-planning and probate attorney in Oakland. “It was a beautiful tree, a creative tree, and I think (Oakland Nature Preserve) is definitely one of the best places in this area to take a walk.”

The contest included 15 trees on display that were “quite a vast variety of very creative trees,” and Oakland Nature Preserve won by a landslide, Dattolo said.

The preserve received $300 for placing first. 

In second place was Polka Dogz Rescue, and Winter Garden Tree Care received third place. They received swag from sponsor Prairie House Coffee.