The Mount Vernon Shade Tree and Beautification Committee heard at its June 30 meeting that recent storms created budget constraints that will cause the postponement of its invasive tree removal program this year.
Jim Brown, chairman of the committee, said, "We remove the autumn olive, the honeysuckle, and the pear trees, and then do some replacements, and try to get those out of our environment. But we've had some really nice storms so far this year. We have lost a lot of trees, and our tree removal budget has been stressed immensely," according to a video recording of the meeting.
City Forester Zane Mikesell told the committee that he did not know the exact number of street trees and park trees lost but said it has consumed a large part of the budget. He also said Mayor Matt Starr planned to reach out to International Paper regarding a grant application made last year to help fund invasive species removal. The city has not received any updates about the grant since applying, according to a video recording of the meeting.
Brown said when street trees come down, the city handles their removal while replacement costs are covered by the Shade Tree and Beautification budget. As a result, more money will be spent than anticipated on replacing trees. Mikesell reported that 25 to 30 trees were lost in recent storms and ideally will be replanted. City zoning code requires replacement of trees in city-maintained locations.
Mikesell explained that Mount Vernon maintains more than 17,000 trees on city right-of-ways. He said it is difficult for staff to inspect all these trees regularly, and they rely on residents' input for maintenance needs. A form is available in the Engineering Department office and online for residents to request maintenance or removal for right-of-way trees. The Streets Department manages work on fallen trees while Mikesell oversees removals or pruning of standing ones.
