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Trumbull warns of tree disease pressures, clarifies utility and town removal responsibilities
Summary
Parks superintendent told the council the town faces tree removals in coming years because of pests and diseases, outlined the town’s process for removing hazardous trees (including on private property), and explained utilities prune for power-line clearance but the town often handles subsequent cleanup.
Parks Superintendent Dmitri Paris briefed the council on tree maintenance practices and emerging disease pressures that will increase removal work over the next two to three years.
Paris explained the town differentiates calls by urgency and responsibility, conducts surveys to determine property lines, sends certified letters to homeowners when private trees pose hazards, and sometimes removes trees on private property to mitigate immediate safety risks while seeking restitution. He said beech leaf disease, caused by a nematode in the bud, has been identified and is likely to cause tree failures over several years; the emerald ash borer was cited as another invasive threat. Paris apologized for not providing regular Board of Finance updates about tree maintenance and storm events and said he thought updates had been occurring.
Council discussion clarified that utility companies are responsible for pruning trees that threaten power lines but that the town is often responsible for cleanup and may incur full removal costs; utilities’ ground-to-sky clearing programs require homeowner permission.
