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Residents urge stronger tree-care policies as city moves forward with boulevard plantings
Summary
Two residents urged the council to adopt clearer tree‑care policies and to protect green space as the city moves ahead with a $269,068 boulevard tree‑planting contract; speakers said better aftercare and clearer roles for crews and contractors are needed.
During open forum on July 28, residents pressed the council to pair the city’s planned boulevard plantings with stronger and clearer tree‑care policies.
Kathleen Balaban said she supports planting new trees but urged the council to focus on caring for existing trees and to set processes so residents and crews know their responsibilities. She told the council she will send photographs documenting long‑term damage in Veterans Park and said multiple groups — city employees, contractors and sentence‑to‑serve workers — currently have differing practices. "We need a policy that states how we're gonna take care of our trees with processes and procedures and that people know what they are," Balaban said.
Birgit Johnson also urged preservation of parks and green space, citing local bird counts as part of her argument for keeping nature as a community priority. City staff had an item on the consent calendar awarding a USDA boulevard tree‑planting contract for $269,068; the council approved the consent calendar by voice vote.
