It’s official – Minto now has a tree carving policy.
The decision was made with little discussion at a recent Minto council meeting.
Council considered it to be in the public interest to have such a policy. Minto’s works department cuts trees on municipally owned properties – primarily to ensure the safety of its residents.
The policy states that an unhealthy tree leads to potential liability for the municipality, with broken branches falling on private property and, in an extreme case, on people.
Traditionally, trees that are scheduled for removal are marked with an orange painted X and throughout the year the Public Works Department removes dead and dangerous trees from Minto properties.
Generally, it costs the municipality approximately $500 to remove the stump of the tree, fill the cavity with soil, and plant grass in the area.
Now, any residents who note a tree is scheduled for removal can contact the director of public works with a written request to have the tree stump carved rather than having it removed.
But there is a cost. The price for a tree stump to be carved would be anything incurred above the $500 that the municipality would pay to have the stump removed.
Plus, the town must also agree to what would be carved prior to work starting.
