My name is Larry Byers. I live here in Los Banos.
At a most recent city council meeting, Major Pro Tem Deborah Lewis questioned why trees within the city right-of-way were not being properly maintained by our current landscape maintenance contractor. She spoke about issues including:
• Poorly maintained city trees
• Broken or damaged branches
• Trees needing stakes or similar supports
• Unsightly vegetation growing up the sides of city trees Our Director of Parks and Recreation, Joe Heim, explained that the current landscape maintenance contract does not include provisions for ongoing tree maintenance throughout the year.
So, here’s my question:
Can Council consider budgeting extra funds for a comprehensive tree maintenance program to provide ongoing tree care in the city right-of-way? This must be done by a certified arborist company. Such companies employ tree care professionals with proper knowledge of tree biology, maintenance, and safety. They can inspect trees to find diseases, pests, or structural damage to keep our city’s trees healthy and safe.
Such a program would protect the city’s investment in our 13,000 trees.
Thank you for listening.
Larry Byers, Chairman, Los Banos City Tree Commission