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Q&A
Critique of the new tree planting approach and its impact on constituents
1:38:22
·
3 min
Council Member Restler strongly criticizes the new tree planting approach, arguing that it's impractical and unfair to constituents. Parks Department staff defend the policy as more equitable and efficient.
- Restler expresses concern about the long wait times for tree planting in some areas, potentially up to nine years.
- He argues that the policy doesn't consider the different needs of various neighborhoods within a community board.
- Parks Department staff defend the approach as more predictable and equitable, serving all communities rather than just those who know how to request trees.
- Restler suggests that more resources should be allocated to tree planting and calls for a reconsideration of the policy.
Lincoln Restler
1:38:22
think about it.
1:38:22
None of us are gonna be here in nine years.
1:38:24
Right?
1:38:25
I mean, even if we're all lucky enough to to stick around for another term, we're gone in four years.
1:38:29
So what am I supposed to do to look my constituents in Northern Greenpoint or South Williamsburg or wherever that area is in the eye and tell them, I'm sorry, the Parks Department isn't gonna come by to plant a tree for nine years?
1:38:39
I don't understand how that's a logical policy.
1:38:42
That's that's like leaving communities out in the cold for a very long time, certainly longer than any of us are gonna be around.
Jennifer Greenfeld
1:38:49
Thank you for the question.
1:38:50
I understand, and it's something we really tried to work through when we designed this program.
1:38:54
Yeah.
1:38:54
And that's one reason we didn't we split things up into sort of waves of three, like you were saying.
1:39:00
So every community board we'd go by community boards, not council districts Yes.
1:39:05
Because they're more stable.
1:39:07
But but you understand that we'll get something.
Lincoln Restler
1:39:09
And We'll stick with Williamsburg and Greenpoint.
1:39:10
South Williamsburg, Northside, Greenpoint.
1:39:12
For the folks in Greenpoint, they don't care that you've went to plant trees in South Williamsburg last year and that you're not going be in Greenpoint for nine years.
1:39:18
It's three miles away, it's a different neighborhood, it's a different community.
1:39:22
It doesn't help.
1:39:23
So to me, this is a plan that makes sense on paper and is a good operational plan.
1:39:27
But to tell my community members, or for you to come out and try and tell my community members that you're going be there in nine years, they're going to scream at you.
1:39:33
Right?
1:39:34
And they're going to be really pissed.
1:39:35
They want to see if there's a spot on their block where they're looking for a tree, telling them that it's a nine year wait is is that's it's never gonna happen.
1:39:45
Right?
1:39:46
I just I really I I made this clear to your staff.
1:39:49
I'm raising it in a hearing after I've already said it to you all privately.
1:39:52
I don't think this policy makes any sense.
1:39:54
I really think you should revisit it.
1:39:55
I I think it it's something that works on paper and doesn't work in practice and doesn't work in our communities.
1:40:01
So I'd really hope that you'll rethink it and make exceptions and make different approaches so that we don't have to tell our constituents that there's a nine year wait until the parks departments come in and plant a tree.
Jennifer Greenfeld
1:40:09
I appreciate that.
1:40:10
I understand why it's change is very complicated and difficult.
1:40:15
We really believe that this is more equity driven.
1:40:18
This is more efficient, and also it's more predictable.
1:40:22
Today, when you make a service request, we can't really tell you when we're going to inspect it.
1:40:28
It's at least a year, if not more or longer.
1:40:31
We can't tell you when that tree is going to come.
1:40:33
And we don't feel comfortable with that approach where we're really just serving communities who know how to request trees and yet still cannot provide sort of predictable responses to even those people who are asking.
1:40:49
So when we have a choice of serving some over serving everybody, we're choosing an equitable approach and a predictable and efficient approach.
1:40:58
We think that's an excellent use of city resources.
Lincoln Restler
1:41:01
Think to say that a predictable approach is coming by essentially once a decade.
1:41:04
Right?
1:41:06
Once, you know, you have a mayor has or council member, it's eight years.
1:41:09
Over the course of our whole eight years in office, we're going to have to tell constituents that the Parks Department is never coming by to plant trees during that period.
1:41:16
Right?
1:41:16
It's like we makes it just is, to me, doesn't I understand that you don't have enough resources.
1:41:22
We should fix that.
1:41:22
We should put more resources into planting trees.
1:41:25
I've certainly put a lot of resources into planting trees in District 33, and I know other some of my colleagues have as well.
1:41:30
But to try and tell us that it's a once a decade opportunity to get a tree planted on your block, I can't look my constituent in the eye and have that conversation without being without being screamed at.
1:41:39
Right?
1:41:39
And so I don't think that the solution you've come up with actually works.
1:41:43
We're happy to continue to give feedback and give input on how to do something more equitably, more fairly, but this to me is a bad policy.
1:41:51
Thank you.