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Saratoga Springs commission creates new Urban Forester role to manage growing tree workload
Summary
The Civil Service Commission approved a competitive new Urban Forester position for the Department of Public Works and updated the arborist job specification to reflect the new role. The change responds to rising planning and tree-protection work driven by the city's Unified Development Ordinance and an urban forestry management plan.
The Saratoga Springs Civil Service Commission on May 28 approved a competitive new position of Urban Forester in the Department of Public Works and updated the city's arborist job specification to reflect the new role.
The vote followed a presentation from DPW staff that described a sustained increase in workload for the tree crew and the arborist, driven by both public service requests and more frequent development-related tree protection reviews under the city’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). "He has 331 open cases, which is basically 56% of our open cases right now," DPW business manager Mike Vee said of the arborist supervisor's caseload. "By far the biggest and busiest crew is the tree crew, the urban forestry division."
City officials told the commission the new Urban Forester would be a more senior, planning-focused position that oversees long-term…
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