Jul 4, 2008 12:07 am US/Pacific
SJ To No Longer Pay For Street Tree Maintenance
SAN JOSE (BCN) ―
San Jose officials announced that beginning Thursday the city will no longer pay for trimming and maintenance services on trees located in sidewalk and parking strip areas.
Property owners will now be responsible for the cost of trimming and maintaining the trees in the areas adjacent to their property. The city can no longer afford to maintain street side trees because of the budget deficit, according to San Jose Transportation Department Deputy Director Kevin O'Connor.
"When times are good and the city has adequate funding, there are services that we like to provide that we know residents appreciate, such as trimming street trees, fixing sidewalks and so on. However, we have had several consecutive years of budget reductions and we just aren't able to continue funding street tree maintenance in light of our many other service needs like pavement repairs, for example," O'Connor said in a statement.
Maintenance crews contracted by the city will continue to respond to emergency situations such as fallen trees and limbs that block streets and sidewalks or interfere with traffic lights or signs. However, beginning Thursday, the owner of the property adjacent to the damaged tree will be billed for the work. Unpaid bills will result in a lien being placed against the property, according to city officials.
More information about the policy can be found at
www.sanjoseca.gov/tree.
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