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Heated public comment focuses on tree removals, consultants and upcoming Whittier election
Summary
Dozens of speakers urged the council to preserve the city’s tree canopy, criticized consultant spending and tied the tree issue to the April municipal election; others defended council actions and called for public participation in the EIR process.
Public comment at the March 10 meeting centered on tree removals, consultants and civic trust — with multiple speakers urging the council to stop current policies and others defending the council’s public‑safety rationale.
Speakers representing organized groups said petitions and outreach demonstrate widespread opposition to the suspension of the Parkway Tree Manual. “Tonight the city council will undoubtedly vote to continue the relentless dismantling of our city's model tree manual,” Connie McCormick of Save Our Trees Whittier told the council, citing a petition and criticizing consultant contracts.
The Whittier Conservancy’s Mary Gorman Sullins said the city had spent taxpayer dollars on outside consultants rather than maintaining in‑house expertise and that past inventories and protections had been neglected. Several public speakers said recent tree removals (one speaker cited 22 removals as of March 1) lacked transparency and asked for lists showing reasons and locations for removals.
Council members and staff responded with specifics about process: staff said most removals since the suspension were supported by arborist analysis and risk management review and that no promenade‑area trees had been removed in the suspension period. The city manager and city attorney described insurer concerns and the city’s joint insurance pool arrangement; staff explained the intention to replace process documents with a broader urban forest policy after EIR completion.
Speakers on both sides linked the tree debate to the forthcoming municipal election, and some public remarks included sharp accusations and personal attacks. The mayor and several council members stressed the city would run a robust public participation program during the EIR and encouraged residents to engage in scoping and comment opportunities.
