Storm cleanup costs not yet calculated

Carol Bressi examines the damage to her car and home on Donica Road in York, Maine, after a severe thunderstorm pounded the town on July 15. Bressi was eating in her kitchen when trees started to come down all around her house.Ioanna Raptis/iraptis@seacoastonline.com

YORK, Maine The Board of Selectmen on Monday deferred releasing $100,000 from a contingency account to pay for tree cleanup from last week's microburst storm, but said the town would pay its bills.

In an unanimous vote, the five-member board moved to have the town manager pay the bills as necessary and wait for a full accounting of expenses prior to releasing contingency funds.

Selectmen agreed to allow residents to put tree debris curbside for town pickup to the transfer station. Department of Public Works Director Dean Lessard is requesting residents move material to the side of the road for pickup by Monday, July 28.

The town's contingency account of $100,000 is on the town budget referendum each May. It authorizes selectmen to spend up to $100,000 for emergencies and other needs not known at the time of budget preparation, according to the warrant article approved by voters this past May and in previous years.

The last time the contingency was used was in 2010, when York experienced a June microburst storm that also felled trees and cut power lines.

Lessard estimated $90,000 to $100,000 was spent in 2010 for tree removal, and said Monday he expected to need a similar amount to clean up damage from the microburst of July 15. The bulk of the funds is to pay three private contractors hired to remove trees and limbs from streets, rights of way and sidewalks, he said.

Lessard has employed Lee Tree Co., Abbott Bros Inc. and Pierre Puffer, and has yet to get a bill, according to Lessard. He estimated each so far had put in about 75 hours, at $100 an hour for the cost of the crew, for an estimated $7,500 for each contractor.

That doesn't include hiring the contractors to pick up tree debris curbside, as was approved Monday and has been past practice, he said.

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York waits to release funds for tree work

Published: Monday, July 21, 2014 at 8:05 p.m. Last Modified: Monday, July 21, 2014 at 8:05 p.m.

A proposal to prune New Hanover County's tree-protection rules was rejected by the county commissioners Monday night.

The county's current rules penalize illegal timbering by putting a hold of up to five years if the action is deemed willful on development permits for any post-clearing construction.

That language, which was adopted in 2008, had been challenged by L.P. Britton Jr., who was cited for illegally clearing five acres on Chesterfield Drive in the northern part of the county without a permit.

Attorney Matt Nichols said his client was not aware of the county's tree ordinance when he moved forward with the tree clearing in January.

To seek relief, Britton submitted a proposed change that would reduce any penalty to six months if the illegal tree clearing was done by a professional tree-removal company which this work was. The changes also would have made any penalty an administrative decision, in other words at the discretion of staff.

The county Planning Board last month rejected the idea of reducing the penalty to six months, but kept the proposal to make an enforcement action a staff decision.

But county planning and zoning supervisor Ken Vafier on Monday said including that language could put officials in an awkward position in trying to weigh the offense and determine the appropriate penalty.

So the staff proposed removing that language. The changes also would have included a provision allowing for the permit-delay penalty to be only six months in return for a payment $10,000 an acre to the county's tree-improvement fund. The enforcement provision also would stay with the land, meaning it would transfer if the property goes under new ownership.

But a divided board couldn't agree on making any changes to the ordinance.

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New Hanover officials reject changes to tree rules

Princeton residents likely will need to pay $25 for a permit from the town before being allowed to cut down trees on their property.

The council was due Monday to adopt a tree protection ordinance mandating residential and commercial property owners meet those and other requirements. In explaining the rationale behind the ordinance, officials said trees are good for the environment and that the protections are necessary given all the trees that have been lost to storms since 2010.

"A 50-year-old tree is very hard to replace," said Councilwoman Jenny Crumiller by phone Friday. She said she expected the council to support the ordinance.

The measure would require anyone to seek a permit to cut down the following: trees with a diameter greater than 8 inches measured at a point 4.5 feet off the ground; ornamental or evergreen trees 10 feet or taller; trees whose canopy extends over a public right-of-way, and specimen or significant trees. Permits would be issued per property, not by per tree.

The former township and borough used to have tree protection ordinances. The town last week said it had issued between 225 and 250 tree removal permits in 2013.

In 2013, the all-volunteer Princeton Shade Commission started working toward producing an ordinance. Part of that included looking at what other communities around the state did and comparing tree protection measures in the old township and borough.

Sharon Ainsworth, the chairwoman of the commission, on Friday listed some of the benefits of trees, such as providing shade, filtering the air and helping with the aesthetics of town.

Enforcement is in the hands of Greg ONeil, assistant director of public works. His job will be to inspect trees to determine whether a permit should be granted. Residents will not have to get a permit to remove a dead or diseased tree. But they would have to get a written confirmation from Mr. ONeil saying that he had inspected the tree or trees and deemed them dead or substantially diseased.

Residents could appeal Mr. ONeils denial of their application either to the Shade Tree Commission or directly to the mayor and council. They would have to file an appeal in writing within 10 days of a denial.

Violators of the ordinance could face a municipal court summons. A judge could order the person to make restitution for the value of the destroyed tree and or replace illegally removed trees.

Read more:
PRINCETON: Tree-cutting ordinance likely

Antrim County Deputy Accused of Theft Antrim County Deputy Accused of Theft

Updated: Tuesday, July 22 2014 5:41 PM EDT2014-07-22 21:41:51 GMT

An Antrim County Sheriff's deputy is being charged with theft crimes today. The Antrim County court says Deputy Michael Bingham is accused of taking money that was seized during the search of a home in Mancelona.

An Antrim County Sheriff's deputy is being charged with theft crimes today. The Antrim County court says Deputy Michael Bingham is accused of taking money that was seized during the search of a home in Mancelona.

Updated: Tuesday, July 22 2014 1:00 PM EDT2014-07-22 17:00:59 GMT

Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office is investigating a retail fraud complaint. The incident occurred Monday, July 21 around 7:40 p.m. at Meijer in Traverse City.

Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office is investigating a retail fraud complaint. The incident occurred Monday, July 21 around 7:40 p.m. at Meijer in Traverse City.

Updated: Tuesday, July 22 2014 5:30 PM EDT2014-07-22 21:30:38 GMT

U.S. officials say intel suggests Malaysia Airline Flight 17 was shot down by separatists, and currently there is no link to Russian involvement.

U.S. officials say intel suggests Malaysia Airline Flight 17 was shot down by separatists, and currently there is no link to Russian involvement.

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DNR Plans to Remove Acres of Trees

A crane being used by a tree trimming service toppled and hit a Marlborough home Tuesday afternoon.

Watch the report | Images: Crane falls onto home

Monkey Men Tree Removal was in the process of removing branches near homes when the crane fell.

The fiance of the operator said the pavement gave way, and that's why the crane toppled, hitting the Lake Shore Drive home and landing on the back deck.

Jake Navarro, of National Grid, said two transformers were damaged during the incident and 16 customers were left without power.

Navarro said the company is hoping to have power restored by 6 p.m.

Emergency officials said no injuries were reported.

Officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the incident.

Tree trimmer falls onto roof of Marlborough home

A tree trimmer topples and hits a Marlborough home Tuesday afternoon.

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Tree-trimming crane topples, hits home

Tree Removal Headaches
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (CBS2/FOX28)- Tree removal companies are still picking up the mess Mother Nature left behind just over two weeks ago. Storm damage can cause...

By: KGAN CBS 2

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Tree Removal Headaches - Video

DTE Energy tree-trimming crews will work in several communities over the next two months to improve electrical service reliability and enhance safety for customers. Allen Park is the only Downriver community on the list.

By trimming to a 10-foot distance between tree branches and our power lines, we can significantly reduce tree-related power outages, said Vince Dow, DTE Energy vice president of distribution, engineering and construction. Our goal is to keep customers trees healthy and out of harms way. The pruning method we use removes only the branches too close to power lines and helps ensure that future growth is directed away from power lines.

For the past 15 years, the company has received the National Tree Line USA award for quality tree care. Tree trim crews follow International Society of Arboriculture standards to maintain the health of trees.

After trimming, trees are less susceptible to disease and insect problems, and because theyre stronger, theyre more resistant to high winds and heavy ice. During severe weather, fallen limbs and tree branches account for about two-thirds of power outages.

Once tree trim work is completed, DTE Energy removes small branches and debris from customer properties. Larger trimmed branches are cut to firewood length and left behind for customer use or disposal.

DTE Energy does not remove diseased tree debris. And like most utilities nationwide, DTE Energy does not remove debris caused by severe storms.

When severe weather hits, our first priority is working quickly to remove downed wire hazards and restore power to customers, Dow said.

In these emergency situations, crews will cut broken and uprooted trees so repairs can be made. Customers are advised to contact their trash collectors or a professional tree-removal company for advice on disposing of tree debris.

Customers are responsible for keeping tree branches away from their service drops, which are the lines that run from utility poles to their homes. Although the voltage running through the service drop is much lower than pole-to-pole wires, DTE Energy recommends hiring a professional tree service to do this trimming. Visit dteenergy.com/treetrim to find more information about line clearance and proper tree planting.

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DTE will trim trees in Allen Park this month and next

Surgical Tree removal

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2 Investigators: City Way Behind On Tree Removal
There #39;s a huge backlog of thousands of requests for city trees to be trimmed or removed--often because residents believe they are damaged or dead and could be dangerous. Official Site:...

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Tree Surgeons - Douglas Stephen- Professional Treework
Welcome to Douglas Stephen- Professional Treework. We have 28 years experience for your peace of mind, carrying out comprehensive tree work. Our services include dangerous tree removal, crown...

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