Nassau County Comptroller George M. Maragos announced in a report Thursday that the 343 trees removed from the six-mile length of Searingtown Road and Shelter Rock Road following Superstorm Sandy were done so because they were damaged either by the hurricane or snowstorm that ensued or diseased before the storm occurred.
According to the report, contractor tickets revealed that only 323 trees were removed and billed to the county, leaving 20 removed trees without records or billings.
Auditors from the Office of the Comptroller undertook a review beyond their usual audit of claims amid allegations that tree contractors were excessive or indiscriminate in their tree removal in that area.
The comptroller’s auditors interviewed personnel, reviewed tree removal records and examined the procedures from the county’s Department of Public Works, in addition to conducting a physical inspection of Searingtown Road and Shelter Rock Road and including photographs of trees in the report.
The auditors concluded that the 20-tree difference was likely due to the clearing of roadways immediately after the storm or the removal by the Long Island Power Authority to help restore power.
“Following the devastation caused by Sandy the County’s top priority was the safety of our residents and the return to normalcy for Nassau,” Maragos said in a statement. “Unfortunately, during this process hundreds of trees had to be removed and residents wanted to know why. My field audit team found that every tree removed was done for the safety of our residents. The Bradford Pear trees that lined the roads were no match for Superstorm Sandy and the snowstorm that followed.”
Reach reporter Bill San Antonio by e-mail at bsanantonio@theislandnow.com, by phone at 516.307.1045 x215 or on Twitter @b_sanantonio. Also follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/theislandnow.
