Tree Trimming to Continue, Despite High Cost

Warren Township has spent about $20,000 so far this year on removing tree limbs growing on right-of-way areas, as a service to residents.

According to Township Administrator Mark Krane, the practice has been a long-standing policy for the township, but with so many trees damaged last year and the costs of removing any increasing, he and Department of Public Work Supervisor Doug Buro wanted to be sure the committee wanted to continue the practice, at Thursday's meeting. He said the township could see the total cost add up to as much as $30,000.

The answer was a resounding yes. 

"I know we need to keep within our 2 percent cap, and some townships are kind of nickel and diming residents, and I would be concerned if we suddenly changed," Mayor Carolann Garafola said.

She added "it's really expensive to remove a tree," and noted the areas primarily impacted by the trees on right-of-way areas are in the township's older neighborhoods. 

Deputy Mayor Vic Sordillo concurred, noting that while the township administration is "looking at every penny to save," some elderly residents worry about taking care of the trees, and the potential costs of doing so, or the damage that could result if they don't.

Sordillo pointed to a recent instance where a Mountain Avenue resident was "really stressing out" a tree branch hanging over his driveway.

"It meant the world to him knowing the township would come out and help him," Sordillo said. "That took the stress away."

When asked if the PWD is fielding too many unnecessary requests, Krane said it hasn't been an issue.

"We do periodically have issues where a neighbor will call up and want to have a tree in front of his neighbor's house cut down," he said.