Another resident protests trimming

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Logan C. Adams / The Sun City crews trim trees Monday morning in southwest Jamestown.

Talk about it

A third person will receive an official apology from the Jamestown city engineer’s office regarding over-trimmed trees, after airing a complaint at the Jamestown City Council meeting Monday.

“This is the third time in 14 years they’ve over-trimmed and butchered my trees,” said Marvin Erickson, who lives on Second Avenue Southwest.

While several property owners complained about city crews’ aggressive tree-trimming at a Jan. 26 Jamestown Public Works Committee meeting, only two people placed their names on a list for residents wanting written apologies from the city.

Those two letters went out Monday, said Reed Schwartzkopf, city engineer.

“The city forester has been instructed to be out with the street crews now on each of their tree-trimming projects, and we are also trying to look at all our tree-trimming policies in a committee meeting,” said Katie Andersen, Jamestown mayor.

Andersen said the city will work to make tree and weed policies regarding the boulevard more consistent.

One possible policy change would have the city informing property owners when boulevard trees need trimming and giving them a set period of time in which to accomplish that, Schwartzkopf said.

Under that model, “they could use our guidelines and then they could go and take care of the trimming themselves, in a way that they think is conducive and good-looking,” Schwartzkopf said.

Erickson said he tried talking to the city crew that was doing the trimming, but they wouldn’t stop cutting the trees. He also reported that one of the city workers “got into (his) face” during the trimming incident.

Due to health problems, Erickson said he stays in his house most of the time, and relies on the shade the two trees provided to help keep his living room cool.

“I’m going to have a real hot summer this year,” Erickson said.

Sun reporter Kari Lucin can be reached at 701-952-8453

or by email at klucin@jamestownsun.com

Tags: local news, news, trees