Plandome Heights trustees are considering whether to continue the village’s annual tree survey and weighing the possibility of hiring an independent certified arborist to conduct the survey.
Trustees on Monday said the annual survey is conducted by a member of the board who has certification to inspect the village’s trees, but questioned whether the $3,000 tree survey is necessary each year.
The board agreed to obtain price quotes for the retention of an independent arborist as well as for conducting the tree survey – in which the number of trees in the village are tallied and the health of each tree is determined – on a more infrequent basis.
“We don’t want to keep doing something just because it has always been done that way,” Plandome Heights Mayor Ken Riscica said.
The question of how often to conduct the tree survey arose because Trustee Norman Taylor, who conducts the survey for the village, has certification that is currently out of date. Trustee Lawrence Bourguet, who was not in attendance at the board’s meeting Monday, is also certified to conduct tree surveys.
Riscica said the village hired an intern to conduct the survey last year, but the village would still be liable if an improper recommendation on a tree led to a healthy tree being removed.
“If we’re not going to do it every year I’d want to get it the heck out of the code,” Village Attorney Christopher Prior said. “With it in the code and you don’t do it and a tree happens, whether or not you knew about it beforehand, or should have known, you’ve now created another liability.”
Trustees suggested modifying the village’s tree inspection practices to instead survey trees every few years or on an as-needed basis.
“Why spend $3,000 if he’s just going to walk around and count the trees,” Trustee Daniel Cataldo said. “What else is he doing? Is he telling us where our issues and liability to the village are?
Taylor said a more infrequent survey schedule would be a more cost-effective option for the village.
“If I can save this village a few thousand dollars I’m going to suggest ways of saving that money,” he said.
The board also discussed a code modification that would increase the fee to remove a tree on one’s property without the village’s consent from $250 to $2,500.
The village charges $2,500 to residents who Indiscriminately remove trees from village property.
“If the village determines you have to take a tree down and you don’t take it down, it’s $2,500. If you take a tree down and the village doesn’t give you permission it goes to the general provisions of the code, which have a limit of $250,” Riscica said.
