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Public Works reports tree program growth, equipment upgrades and sewer work savings
Summary
Public Works Superintendent Brandon Berner and Shade Tree chairman Mike Pinkston briefed council on the city’s urban-forest program, a recently completed tree inventory funded by grants, new equipment and sewer-inspection work that identified reuse opportunities that likely saved millions in replacement costs.
Superintendent Brandon Berner and Shade Tree Commission Chair Mike Pinkston updated Tiffin City Council on April 21 about the city’s urban-forest program, operational metrics and recent investments in equipment and sewer inspection technology.
What they reported: Berner said the city’s Tree City USA designation continues (Tiffin marked 44 years), and that a professional tree inventory — paid for with nearly $70,000 in grant funds — is now live on a public dashboard so residents can view street trees and planting opportunities. Berner said the inventory and a strategic planting plan will let the city make deliberate, diversified plantings rather than ad hoc tree installations.
Berner described the city’s planting/removal numbers and work to improve those ratios. He said last year the department removed 128 trees and planted 55, and the department is aiming to reverse that ratio over a multiyear period. Berner also reported that the city received 88 free trees from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources as part of a statewide program and announced two Arbor Day events.
Equipment and operations: The department has added a new street sweeper, a tracked stump grinder, and a sewer-pipe inspection camera. Berner said the new street sweeper arrived the morning of the council meeting and will allow more-complete curb-to-curb sweeping. He also described an in-house program of alley maintenance, asphalt patching and crack sealing, and said the department is working to extend pavement life with rejuvenator treatments.
Sewer and stormwater work: Berner said the department and engineers discovered that several river-crossing sewer pipes could be reused rather than replaced, avoiding an earlier estimate in the consultant quote that replacement could have cost “somewhere between 2 and 3,000,000.” He called the reuse a “pretty exciting thing to find” and credited crews and engineers for investigating the pipes. The department has also installed depth sensors in combined-sewer overflow boxes for near-real-time monitoring of flows.
Shade Tree Commission context: Mike Pinkston explained the commission’s role — volunteers who promote best practices, canvass neighborhoods and help plan plantings. He said the commission also supports flower beds and hanging baskets across town and helps collect and enter tree-inventory data.
Public access and volunteer opportunities: Berner said the public view of the tree inventory is available online and the tree-work data for staff is available by username. The commission encouraged residents to volunteer for planting and watering programs and described a tree-lawn restoration program now moving forward for selected applicants.
Council members thanked staff for the work; staff said the inventory and equipment purchases were largely funded with grants and existing budget authority and the department will continue to present program metrics to council.
