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Q&A
Discussion on tree pruning cycle and constituent concerns
4:14:05
·
113 sec
Council Member Linda Lee inquires about the tree pruning process, expressing concerns from constituents who claim their trees haven't been pruned in over seven years. Matt Drury from the Parks Department explains the seven-year block pruning program and how it works.
- The block pruning program is largely conducted by contractors
- Every community board district is inspected on a seven-year cycle
- Trees may not be pruned if inspection determines it's not necessary or advisable
- The program includes trees on city properties that may affect private properties
Linda Lee
4:14:05
Okay, great.
4:14:06
And the pruning issue as well, I know that it's a seven year, I know that a lot of folks in our district have said that they haven't had their trees pruned in more than seven years, but I'm just trying to understand because I would imagine also that that's a very hard position to fill and just wanting to know if it's a worker shortage issue even if you had like if you had all the money to be able to do it, would you have the staffing to be able to do it capacity wise, I guess?
4:15:34
Okay.
4:15:34
And this includes this trees that are on city properties but are going into private properties, correct?
4:15:40
Like maybe potentially poking into windows or roofs or potentially falling on, you know, the property as
4:15:55
Okay.
4:15:56
right.
4:15:56
And sorry, just two more questions, chairs, if that's okay.
Sue Donoghue
4:14:34
Do want
Constance Lesold
4:14:35
to take Yeah, sure.
Matt Drury
4:14:35
So to clarify, so our block pruning program, which is sort of the preventative sort of cycle, if you will, of seven years, is largely conducted by contractors, external entities.
4:14:44
We have in house climbers and pruners that do assessments and emergency work, if you will.
4:14:50
So the block pruning program is largely handled.
4:14:55
If you're hearing oneseven, because we're on the seven year cycle, oneseven of every community board district gets inspected.
4:15:02
And if the inspection determines that pruning is necessary and warranted, then it takes place.
4:15:08
So I would suggest that it's probably most likely that it's unlikely that a tree hasn't, it may not have been pruned, but in that case it would have been inspected and a determination would have been made that pruning in that case was either not warranted or would have been inadvisable for some reason.
4:15:24
So if there's specific addresses or constituents, we're happy to work with you and try to determine exactly what happened there.
4:15:29
But generally speaking, everything's getting kind of touched, if you will, at least once every seven years.
4:15:47
So it's part of the tree risk management sort of approach that the commissioner mentioned earlier.
4:15:51
Proximity to property is sort of part of that calculus as well.
4:15:55
That's
Christopher Leon Johnson
4:15:47
well.