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Angola Board of Works asks staff to draft letter to NIPSCO after report of 15‑foot line‑clearance policy
Summary
City officials say NIPSCO contractor ArborMetrics notified staff that NIPSCO raised its line‑clearance distance from 10 feet to 15 feet and may remove healthy trees in the public right‑of‑way. The board directed staff to draft a letter to NIPSCO and said healthy‑tree removals should come before the Board for approval.
The Angola Board of Works and Safety on Feb. 3 directed staff to draft a letter to NIPSCO after a city employee reported that a NIPSCO contractor said the utility had raised its line‑clearance standard from 10 feet to 15 feet and may remove healthy trees in the city right‑of‑way.
The change was described during the meeting by Matt (first name only), a city staff member, who said, “NIPSCO has changed their line clearance standards from 10 feet to 15 feet, which may not sound like a lot, but literally any tree within 15 foot of a wire, they're wanting to remove completely.” The board voted to have city staff prepare a formal letter to express concern and request a meeting with the utility.
Board members said they want to protect healthy trees on city property while recognizing NIPSCO's interest in keeping lines clear. Dean Warner, presiding official for the Board of Works and Safety, asked Matt to come forward when the issue arose and discussed options for responding. Warner said the city’s ordinance requires Board approval for removing trees in the right‑of‑way and suggested the board use that authority for healthy trees.
Kim (first name only), a staff member present during the discussion, recommended evaluating each removal request case by case and, where appropriate, disputing unnecessary removals: “If you don't think the tree is should come down or or or or is a danger to their line and it's a good healthy tree, I'd be willing to stand up to them on any given any given incident.”
Board members asked staff to find how many trees could be affected and to seek an explanation from NIPSCO about the change. The board discussed the visual and health impacts of a 15‑foot trim, with Matt saying heavy pruning would be “not healthy for the trees” and warning that trimmed trees may produce water sprouts. The board also noted that some removals could save the city money where trees are already dead or failing, citing plans for removals along John Street in front of Commons Park where silver maple trees have been damaged by storms.
The board heard that the city’s tree board is conducting a street‑tree inventory and identifying alternate planting locations in rights‑of‑way where trees would not interfere with utility lines. That inventory work was described as a potential way to have pre‑identified replacement sites if NIPSCO removes trees.
A member moved that staff (including Kim) draft a letter to NIPSCO addressing the city’s concerns; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The board clarified that, for now, staff will require NIPSCO to seek Board of Works approval before removing healthy right‑of‑way trees.
Next steps the board set during the meeting include preparing the letter, inviting NIPSCO to meet with city officials to explain the policy change, and reviewing the city tree ordinance and inventory to identify replacement planting sites.
