The common sense of the city of Sioux Falls trimming the boulevard trees
l3wis [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4lbv8b2EPg[/youtube]
(November 18, 2015)
Let’s talk trees. Especially the trees growing in the boulevard area between your house and the street. It is city property and in many cases you have been required to plant trees on it. They look nice and help cool the city but do you know the damage they cause?
The City Councils of Sioux Falls and Brandon got together for dinner at Leonardo’s Cafe on Wednesday evening November 18, 2015. Cameraman Bruce showed up also to capture the event for all to see and hear. There was a lot of talk about sewers, roads, car shows and more until closer to the end when Councilman Jamison talked of the boulevards. This part of the meeting is here for you.
We learn about Brandon’s determination to trim boulevard trees. To them, tree trimming is the responsibility of the city, not the homeowners. The city contracts with a certified arborist to trim the trees with branches below the safe height. As the Brandon members stated, it was cheaper for the city to hire the tree trimming on the city’s property than to leave it to inexperienced homeowners.
After the measurements, letters and ticketing the fines / fees were shown not be a cost effective program. They could hire the work done, have it performed properly and save not only the taxpayers but the city as well. At one point Rex Rolfing mentioned a Sioux Falls city plan to spend $1,000,000 to buy the equipment necessary to do the trimming plus hire employees to which a Brandon member stated they had other things they would rather spend a million dollars on.