City of Charles City Wrestles with Ash Tree Removal
The City of Charles City is wrestling with how to approach removal of numerous ash trees along city streets being killed by the Emerald Ash Borer.
The City has a budget of $30,000 for ash tree removal, but Street Department Superintendent Cory Spieker told the City Council Monday night that’s not enough to keep up the growing number of ash trees needing to be taken down in City right-of-ways.
In addition to the dead ash trees being unsightly, Spieker says they present a safety issue for homeowners and pedestrians.
City Administrator Steve Diers says the City may need to triple its yearly budget for ash tree removal, but it still could take six to seven years to get caught up. He also asked, “Then what?”
The Council took no action on how to address the ash tree removal financially, but options discussed include imposing a tree utility fee and short-term borrowing.
