Jefferson city officials are re-evaluating how to best handle dead tree removals on private property.

City Administrator Scott Peterson tells Raccoon Valley Radio that after discussing the process of having landowners remove dead or dying trees from the private property area, the enforcement will not be pushed forward as what was first announced. However, he says with the city educating the public about tree removal, it is still the landowner’s responsibility to take down dead trees. Code Enforcer Chad Stevens adds that dead trees can still be declared a public nuisance if they are not addressed. 

“I’ve had several calls about, ‘Well my neighbor’s ash tree is hanging over my house and I’m afraid that it’s going to fall on my house over the winter and the wind’s going to blow,’ or ‘It’s hanging over a sidewalk, hanging over a street.’ Last thing you want something to happen is for somebody to be walking up and down the sidewalk and having a big limb come down or even you have something that’s hanging over somebody’s house and it falls on their roof.”   

Peterson points out that the city is working to provide some information for residents to aid with tree removal such as a list of contractors who can do the work, as well as another potential financial program.

“Another item that is going back to committee yet for further discussion is it still causes me some concern, especially for our low income homeowners that tree removal could truly be a financial burden. Is there any way that the city might be able to assist? Not with cost necessarily but maybe with financing and payments would occur over time.”   

Stevens reports that he has seen some homeowners take the initiative to remove trees already in town and is hoping that most of the other trees will be taken down by next spring.