Could Public Works do some of the necessary tree trimming to reduce outstanding costs?
All tree trimming was done by Public Works prior to the implementation of a contractual arrangement. About 99% of all removals and emergency trimming are still done by Public Works. That is the same amount we were able to do before the contract. Prior to the contractual arrangement we were trimming trees every 20 to 25 years. Now we are on a 5-year cycle. If we were to eliminate the contract, we would either have to divert resources from other important needs or reduce the effort. The result would be a much less well cared for urban forest with many more sick and dangerous trees. The current level of effort exclusively by Public Works with no diversion of resources would be much more expensive than the present arrangement. Can we ask the non profit business organizations to make a contribution toward their use of public services such as Police, Fire and Public Works? Asking for such contributions in lieu of taxes is always possible. It is a question of whether the results will be worth
