Homeowner says city tree-clearing for drainage left stumps, privacy loss on Portage Road; staff offers cleanup

Candy and Jerry Smith used the council's public-comment period on April 6 to say work done in December to clear vegetation on a wide right-of-way behind their Portage Road property removed 30–50-year-old trees, left stumps and reduced privacy. Candy Smith said the change devalued their property and asked whether the city would reimburse a $700 private tree-removal cost resulting from a later storm; she said she had not been consulted before the work.

Public works and city staff responded that the area contains stormwater drainage channels within the public right-of-way that require maintenance. Staff said tree growth and failed drainage structures had accumulated over decades and that crews cleared vegetation to restore access for maintenance and to keep water flowing; they acknowledged the city failed to do sufficient homeowner outreach in this unique wider-right-of-way situation.

As remediation, staff said stump grinding and debris cleanup would not be a major issue and offered to arrange cleanup when crews are on site. Council members expressed regret at the homeowner’s experience and asked staff to follow up directly to discuss cleanup and next steps. No commitment to reimburse the homeowner for the private $700 removal was recorded in the meeting.

The discussion highlighted a common tension between routine right-of-way maintenance for stormwater function and adjacent homeowners’ expectations about trees, privacy and consultation; staff committed to better outreach in similar cases going forward.