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Committee flags maintenance shortfalls and pest threats; treatment costs could be high
Summary
Members said the city lacks a robust, ongoing tree-maintenance plan and noted pest problems and high treatment costs — the committee estimated a treatment can cost roughly $8,000 and that the city has about 50,000 maintained trees to consider.
Committee members and staff stressed that ongoing maintenance — not planting alone — is the major cost driver. Jocelyn Kessler (committee participant) cited an approximate inventory of city-maintained trees as 50,000, a figure used by members to frame maintenance needs and staffing shortfalls. One participant noted a typical treatment example: "It's $8,000 per treatment. Takes 3 treatments a year to be efficient," a point used to illustrate how limited the current tree budget is for widespread pest interventions.
Members detailed that the city currently operates reactively — hiring contractors after catastrophic events — and that there is little regular budget for treatments, fertilizing or proactive care. The discussion included examples from other cities that spent large sums addressing invasive pests, and several members recommended the committee prioritize a maintenance plan and staffing (including arborist capacity) before committing to large new plantings.
