Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
City urban-forestry staff warn move from Parks has reduced capacity to inspect trees
Summary
A Forestry Permitting specialist told the council that moving urban-forestry permitting from Parks & Recreation to Portland Permitting and Development (PPD) after staff cuts has reduced inspection capacity, increased permitting turnaround times and left the city with fewer experienced tree inspectors.
PORTLAND — At the Oct. 1 Portland City Council meeting, an urban-forestry code specialist said the city’s recent administrative move of forestry permitting out of Parks & Recreation and into Portland Permitting and Development has damaged the program’s ability to manage permits and respond to dangerous-tree complaints.
Autumn Blankenship, a city code specialist who said she reviews expiration of tree removal permits and investigates reports of missing trees, testified that the transfer followed staffing reductions and the loss of 10 positions in the division. Blankenship…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
