Tree advisory board approves removal of dying street trees; neighborhood associations to be notified

The Evansville City Tree Advisory Board voted Sept. 4 to approve requests to remove several street trees the board identified as dead or dying, with a clarification that one of the trees pictured on Old Booneville Highway will be pruned rather than removed.

The action followed an agenda item presented as a request for reapproval to remove street trees. "I would move for approval, except I want to clarify on the Old Booneville Highway," the member who made the motion said, adding that one photograph showed a healthy tree that needs only a dead limb removed while a second photograph showed a more distant, clearly dead tree that should be removed. The motion passed on an aye vote after board discussion.

The board recorded that neighborhood associations and property owners would be notified in advance of removals. Board members emphasized that some of the photographs on the removal list show two distinct trees and asked staff to note which photo corresponds to trimming versus removal.

Votes at a glance: the board approved the minutes of the previous meeting (motion by Larry, seconded by Paul) and approved the street-tree removal requests with the Old Booneville Highway clarification (motion by Mike; seconder not specified in the record). Specific roll-call tallies were not recorded on the public audio transcript.

Board members also discussed property lines and sightlines where trees overhang streets, and whether certain trees represent a public-safety hazard if allowed to fail. A board member asked staff to ensure the record shows neighbors and neighborhood associations have been notified prior to removal work.

Next steps: staff was asked to confirm and record which trees will be trimmed versus removed, to notify neighborhood associations and affected property owners, and to proceed with removals after those notifications. No dates for removals were provided in the meeting record.