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Council debates pruning versus removal of five City Hall Park sweet‑gum trees after arborist report
Summary
An arborist recommended either severe pruning ($16,025) or full removal and replacement ($31,500) of five sweet‑gum trees at City Hall Park; staff and the Parks Commission favored removal, while several councilors preferred pruning for nonhazardous trees and asked for neighbor notification and alignment with future parking-lot plans.
Staff presented an arborist assessment recommending either severe structural pruning for the five front‑facing sweet‑gum trees ($16,025) or removal and replacement (remove five, plant four) for $31,500. Staff said two trees had recently dropped large limbs and identified a liability concern; the Parks Commission recommended removal and replacement.
“We would prune no more than 30% of those gums in there,” one council member noted when summarizing the arborist recommendation; staff said the pruning would be ‘‘severe’’ if chosen.
Why it matters: The trees face the City Hall parking/turnaround area and have caused falling‑limb incidents, including one limb that struck a car. Council deliberations balanced public safety, the cost of contracting, the appearance and community value of large trees, and how work would interact with a planned parking‑lot resurfacing in 2027.
Council members generally supported removing trees that are demonstrably hazardous and pursuing heavy pruning for others. One councilor urged robust neighbor notification and educational outreach about topping and long‑term tree health. A staff member said a contract for work would likely appear on a March agenda and stressed staff authority over tree‑health decisions while acknowledging council authority under the purchasing policy.
No formal vote was taken; staff will present contract options and more detailed bids at a future meeting.
Provenance: topicintro=SEG 2669, topfinish=SEG 3310
