Aldermen will have three options before them next week when they decide on the future of trees in a conservation easement.
Residents of the Pine Valley subdivision sparked a debate after they approached the City Council last month asking that the conservation easement be eliminated so they could remove trees that are dying as a result of a beetle infestation.
Debate on who has the responsibility and the right to care for the area has erupted. The easement was created to protect the ecology and open space of the area from development.
At a council meeting Wednesday, officials said they should have been monitoring the area since it was established in 1998.
Pine Valley residents told aldermen that they consider the dead trees a safety issue and will take legal action if the city does not remove them.
The City Council will decide if the city will pay the approximately $9,000 to remove the trees, insist the residents foot the bill because the easement and trees are part of their property or split the cost.
Some residents, although they agree the dead trees should be removed and replaced, don’t believe it should be done with taxpayer money.
Mayor Tim Murphy suggested the Public Works Committee look at other issues involved, such as reviewing the arborist’s report to see if surviving trees can be treated and to discuss flooding concerns if trees are removed.
