OSWEGO – Resident disapproval over tree trimming in Oswego was discussed at last night’s Common Council meeting, Monday, June 8.
Speaking on behalf of area constituents, Third Ward Councilor Kevin Hill led the discussion, noting residents’ dissatisfaction with tree trimming done along their properties.
Contractors, hired by National Grid, are trimming trees around electrical wires in the City of Oswego for safety reasons. This process is done on a five-year rotation.
Area constituents took photos to show the damage done by the contractors, revealing trees in unfavorable conditions.
“At first glance, these trees appear to be severely damaged [and] heavily pruned in a way I can’t recall ever seeing anytime in the past,” Hill said.
Hill spoke with National Grid Forestry Supervisor Scott Saladin, who said they used the same forestry specifications in all of their service areas.
Hill argued during last night’s meeting that using the same standards along a highway is not appropriate in a city or suburban neighborhood.
“It seems that they can take a lot more care when they’re doing things like trimming in neighborhoods, especially when it’s in historic neighborhoods with land-marked trees [and] trees that are decades old,” Hill said.
Hill quoted from the American National Standards Institute A300 Pruning Standards Guide, stating more than 25% of tree foliage should not be removed from a tree in a single year.
Neighborhood photos reveal a 30-50% removal rate of foliage from area trees, which can cause older trees to become diseased and/or die, according to Hill.
“I feel that saying this in an appropriate way to handle the trees would be disingenuous on the part of National Grid,” Hill said. “And I think that we need to really let them know that our neighborhoods are worth more than saving a few dollars, trimming every five years, doing really drastic and dramatic jobs. They just have to do better.”
Hill also expressed concern over residents not knowing the project was being done on behalf of National Grid. Hill said contractors did not reveal who they worked for when asked by residents; residents then assumed it was a city-led project.
Hill said it was important for people to know that the City of Oswego did not contract for this project; it was something done by National Grid only.
“Hopefully they take a little better care, and have a little more respect; however, I doubt that will happen,” Mayor Billy Barlow said. “It’s really too bad there’s not another utility company, because I’d be the first one in line to go with them. Not just on the tree pruning issue, but just about everything else I’ve had to deal with, with this company.”
Other items discussed during the meeting were the cancellation of Harborfest and the Fourth of July parade, due to the COVID-19 restrictions.
The fireworks display will be held on Sunday, July 5 beginning at 9:45 p.m. The display will launch from the Pedestrian Railroad Tunnel “to allow for more viewing sites throughout the city.” Barlow said. Nothing will be held at Brietbeck Park.
The mayor also mentioned the reopening of City Hall. Hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closing from noon to 1:00 p.m. during lunch.
Entry into City Hall is through the 1st and 2nd Street entrances, the Oneida Street entrance closed. Public access is limited to the first floor; the other floors open to government employees only.
“Public access is only allowed on the first floor where we have a desk in the lobby set up with two staff members to facilitate your transactions for any other city department,” Barlow said. “This was the format before we shut down, and that will be the format for the foreseeable future.”
For more information about tree trimming in Oswego, please contact National Grid Forestry Supervisor Scott Saladin at: work – 315-452-7628/ cell -315-447-8148
Common Council meetings are held the second and fourth Monday of every month.
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Granted National Grid is a questionable entity, but are all of them but here is a fact. I received a letter awhile ago stating not only that NG was going to be in the area trimming trees but clearly stated the name of the contractor doing the work. I don’t doubt they trimmed too much, but given the leaf coverage maybe it looks worse than it really is. Some people in Oswego complain just to complain. These are the same people who complain if a new business wants to open and make things difficult all while screaming their taxes are going up.
Because trees live so long compared to humans, we become immune to the fact that they don’t last forever and as they grow near overhead utility lines they become a hazard. The same people complaining about excessive trimming will be the first to call City Hall when broken tree branches from a windstorm knocks out their Faux News and OneAmerica programs.
I must admit I live in the Rural area,However after the Ice Storm of 2002 I am more than grateful that trees have cut down or” trimmed” In my area alone this has caused at least a 80% reduction in Interruptions