September 18

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Many of the big maple trees which line our street are sad.  Many have dead branches, and some of the trees ... well, some of them should come down, I fear.

The one that is in our lawn extension (between the sidewalk and the road) had been dropping branches, mostly into our neighbors' driveway, for a while.

Several months ago, I called the city (who plants those trees, and who, I think, is responsible for their maintenance), and asked to have our tree trimmed, before some of the biggest of the dead branches fell (maybe on a car, or worse, a person....).  I was told "they'd look at it," whatever that may mean in terms of anything actually happening.

 Last week, they came and trimmed some deadwood out of the tree immediately south of our driveway, which is in the other neighbors' lawn extension.  I went out when they were cutting, and asked if they might be able to trim our tree, too.   No, I was told, they could only trim the one tree they'd been asked to trim.  And that one only partly, apparently -- there were still several dead branches when they left, mostly on our side of the tree.

Later that day, I encountered the neighbor whose tree had been trimmed, and I inquired as to when she'd called about her tree, assuming it had been before I called.  She said she'd never called.  Hmmm.

On the 17th, I called the city again, and inquired as to why the next-door tree had been trimmed, though no one had asked, and mine had not been trimmed, though I had asked.

I was told that city crews might decide that this tree or that tree needed to be trimmed, for reasons that were not visible to mere citizens.

 Hmmm.

I informed her that the crew that worked on the neighbors' tree had not finished; that there were more dead branches than they had removed.

On the 18th, the crew showed up again. They trimmed a lot of the deadwood out of our tree.   I went out to say thanks, and to ask if they were planning to finish with the tree next door.  I was told that there had been "a paperwork mixup" last week, and that they would do our tree and finish the neighbors' tree.

Well then.

The woman I spoke to on the phone flat out lied to me about why the neighbors' tree was done and ours wasn't.  How nice.  Not.  And no one had any explanation for why the neighbors' tree was half-done last week.

 Sigh.

It's hard to feel like my tax dollars are being spent well and efficiently by workers who are on top of things.

Alas.

I'm glad the biggest of the dead branches have been removed from the two city trees that are most likely to impact us.  I wish the city were taking care of the trees in a systematic way (trimming all the trees on one street at one time, say).   But apparently that is not how it works.  "Ask and ye may receive," I guess......  Especially if you take the trouble to call again, should they have "a paperwork mixup".............

 -- just sign me "Squeaky Wheel"

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