City council: Tree ordinance to be updated after hearing recommendations

By Matt Lee

GREENSBORO- The Greensboro City Council has sent its working group back to work on updating the city’s tree ordinance in order to protect trees from utility company pruning.

The request comes after Duke Energy cut down trees in several Greensboro residential neighborhoods in December leaving citizens outraged by the destruction and cleanup. Many of these same citizens showed up at Tuesday night’s crowded city council meeting hoping that the council would enact new legislation to protect the city’s trees.

After its December council meeting, city council members created a city-utility group to identify the issues in the tree dilemma and recommend solutions. The team collaborated with Duke Energy and identified inadequate communications and advance work notification as the core issues.

“We think there is some benefit and direct ability for us to do a better job as it relates to planning,” said Deputy City Manager Jim Westmoreland, who led the city-utility group.

The city-utility group recommended that Duke Energy provide advanced notice of which trees will be removed and to ask for permission before removing trees on private property.

Duke Energy’s District Manager Davis Montgomery said that the company plans on reestablishing trust with local residents.

“Tree removal is our option of last resort,” Montgomery said.

But residents like Drew Perry of Westerwood are worried that trees are still vulnerable to utility companies.

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“This is not a problem of communication,” Perry said. “The problem is haphazard pruning of trees.”

Perry and other residents request a new ordinance with tighter line clearance standards for cutting down trees, one that insists utility companies prune not clear cut trees. Many residents also asked for utility companies to provide an honest and comprehensive appeal process.

Councilwoman T. Dianne Bellamy-Small sympathizes with residents who lost trees but also understands the importance of freeing power lines from trees to limit power outages.

“We must try to figure out how to coexist,” Bellamy-Small said. “I don’t ever want to see beautiful tree ripped apart and violated, but at the same time understand that when you’re cold and we do get an ice storm, it takes them several days to remove a tree if it fell on the power line.”

Mayor Pro Tem Yvonne Johnson is pleased with the progress the city is making.

“ [Citizens] you are going to get what you want,” Johnson said. “And Duke Energy we’re going to be fair in giving that.”

For now, Duke Energy will halt all tree pruning until a new ordinance is approved. The city-utility group’s plans for an updated tree ordinance will be presented during the February 26^th city council work session.

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