A friend of mine has been researching other cities when it comes to boulevard tree trimming, and the results are (not) surprising.
In Brookings they trim the city owned boulevard trees due to liability, and property owners are encouraged NOT to do it because of that liability.
Which got me thinking. If the city of Sioux Falls is responsible for the liability of the tree branches damaging vehicles (snowplows), why aren’t they responsible for trimming those trees? It’s like insuring your car, the insurance company insures the individual or individuals who drive and own the car and pay the insurance bill. So if the city is paying the liability insurance on the trees, and they own them, why aren’t they trimming them? Or fixing the sidewalks for that matter?
She also found out that Kansas City also trims boulevard trees and has basically the same policy of Brookings. Kansas city has approximately 500,000 people living in it’s core area, and 2.5 million in the metro area. If a city that is almost ten times the size of Sioux Falls has figured out how to budget for tree trimming, you would think we could. Oh that’s right, we need the money to build $170,000 crappers in McKennan Park instead.
For every city you find that takes it upon themselves to trim trees you can find one that doesn’t. It is simply a matter of differences between cities and finding the financial resources to handle this internally.
For instance, both Mitchell and Vermillion require property owners to trim their own trees, so this isn’t as if Sioux Falls is the only city to force this upon property owners.
We can probably all agree that the city wastes money that could be to better use elsewhere, and you may consider trees a priority – but clearly this issue is not so black and white.
Personally I see no reason why my tax dollars should maintain trees on private property. If someone doesn’t wish to be bothered to maintain their trees, then either don’t buy a house with existing trees or don’t plant any new ones. Problem solved.
“you may consider trees a priority”
No, I don’t – the city does, and that’s the problem, they are passing the buck as usual. It has to due with budgeting responsibly and having our Parks and Rec do what they are supposed to be doing.
“Personally I see no reason why my tax dollars should maintain trees on private property.”
Who was saying that? I think every property owner is responsible for the trees on THEIR property. It’s simple, I don’t own the trees in the blvd and I am not liable for them.
You know full well you are responsible for trees on the boulevard, and you knew that when you bought your house.
When the city goes around planting trees in boulevards without asking I’ll consider them their responsibility. Until then suck it up and if you don’t like maintaining trees a drill bit and a little swig of Round-up can go a long way towards eliminating the problem. Of course you will need to dispose of the tree after it dies, but at least you won’t have to worry about it requiring a yearly trim.
“You know full well you are responsible for trees on the boulevard, and you knew that when you bought your house.”
No, I didn’t until the first year I lived there. Doesn’t matter anyway. I don’t own them or are liable for them. It would be like your neighbor asking you to insure his car because he parks it on his driveway next to yours.
I think general maintenance of water sprouts should be done by the adjoining property owner, but cutting down and disposing of two 12 foot branches like I had to is bullshit. I had almost 6 hours of my own time into doing the city’s work. I ask again? What do I pay taxes for?
They are not responsible for banches that fall on trees.
i had called the city numerous times over the nighbors half dead boulavard tree. never once was it trimmed, until a branch fell on our car and smashed it in. The city was not liable, neither was my neighbor. MY homeowners insurance or MY car insurance would have to pay. NOT the CITY and NOT my NEIGHBOR.
I called again to complain and they sent the neighbor a notice to TRIM the tree, and also sent me one to trim my tree.
banches that fall on trees=
branches that fall off trees.
You could have made the city pay. They pay the snowplow contractors when windshields get busted out. They have insurance for that stuff.
yah, so they’ll give me dirty looks when i go downtown, like they do you?
Wink and nod, Wink and nod.