This story was originally published by BridgeDetroit.
Less than half of the residents who requested the city’s help to remove or trim trees hanging precariously over their property will receive service before funding runs out.
Roughly 3,500 dead, dangerous or diseased trees on private property will be trimmed or removed through a $10.8 million program launched in 2023. But more than twice as many residents applied. The city received 7,500 requests during a three-month application window.
The city has serviced 1,124 trees under the program and expects to complete 525 more by the end of this year. Approximately 1,851 homeowners will still need help in 2025. Vendors hired by the city are required to tend to a minimum of 15 trees per week. At that pace, it would take more than four years to service all 3,500 trees the program has funding for and nearly a decade to address all 7,500 who applied.
The Detroit City Council allocated $8.3 million in funding for the first year and added $2.5 million in the 2024-25 budget. But it could cost up to $23 million to service all 7,500 requests, according to the city.
General Services Department Deputy Director Jerrell Harris said Detroit will survey all who applied to catalog the condition of their tree. People who aren’t served will be kept on a list to receive service if new funding becomes available. The city doesn’t currently anticipate opening another round of applications. Residents can call (313) 244-4444 for an update on their status.
Jelani Bayi applied for the program after a tree limb behind his house fell on the power lines, knocking out his neighbor’s electricity and trapping their car behind a powered garage door. Seedlings from the tree clogged his gutters and caused other issues.
“During a really bad storm one of the limbs hit my gutters and knocked it out, which caused flooding into my house,” Bayi said. “All of my books and memorabilia from grad school, my fraternity, things like that, were all ruined. My flooring started to buckle, my desk was ruined, electronics too. It was a big mess.”
Inspectors visited his home in northwest Detroit last fall and the tree was removed in June. Bayi moved into his home in 2021. He said it would have cost $1,200 to remove the tree, which is “never in the budget.”
“Certain services in Detroit can be frustrating because it takes a long time to get resolved,” said Bayi, adding he’s noticed in the past couple of years the city is responding quicker. “You can tell improvements are being made to Detroit, slowly but surely. I’m patient when it comes to my city.”
Seniors and disabled residents were given first priority under the program. Before a tree is serviced, city inspectors visit to determine if it qualifies as dead, dangerous or diseased. If it does, the property owner signs an agreement granting permission for contractors to access their private property. The city reports an average wait time of 90 days after an inspection before a tree is serviced.
Branden Bufford signed up for tree services at seven rental properties he owns in Detroit. He was number 5,046 on the city’s wait list for an inspection, making it unlikely that Bufford will get aid from the program. He didn’t know that only 3,500 households would be served and hasn’t received an update from the city since March.
Meanwhile, Bufford cut down a tree that was worrying a tenant at one of his rental properties and removed tree branches that were precariously dangling over power lines at another.
“It’s been five months with no communication,” Bufford said. “I’m not waiting for them to do this for me. With these programs, everybody won’t get it. I’m neutral about the situation.”
An email from the city’s General Services Department states that people will remain on the waitlist as long as the program remains active. Residents will be notified if funds are exhausted before getting to them.
Council President Pro Tem James Tate, who lobbied for the creation of the program, said he knows first-hand how old trees can be a major problem.
It cost $7,000 to trim thick limbs that were extending toward his neighbor’s house. Tate said the price tag was eye-popping.
Tate said the program is years in the making and is meant to reduce the potential for falling trees to damage homes and power lines. He worked with the Law Department to navigate questions about whether the program runs afoul of a state ban on “lending of credit” for private purposes. That provision of the Michigan Constitution has stymied other efforts to seal lead hazards in private homes or repay homeowners who were overtaxed by the city.
The city is responsible for maintaining trees in public spaces between the sidewalk and streets, while homeowners are responsible for trees on their own property. Residents can report issues with trees under the city’s jurisdiction by calling (313) 871-5461.
The councilman said it’s “imperative” that the program continue and that he plans to push for additional funding in the next budget cycle.
“Hopefully we can open another round but I’m not under the impression that we can address every single privately owned tree,” Tate said. “I can’t make that promise. This is the first time we’ve done this and we still have to find funds.”
Tate attributed the seemingly slow pace of the tree removal to difficulties in finding vendors who are available to do the work.
“The one group that is never out of business is tree trimmers,” Tate said. “They’re filled to the brim with work. That reduced the pool (of vendors), then we looked at those with the capacity to do 15 trees per week and some don’t have the capacity to do that.”
As of Aug. 18, 2024, the program helped remove 868 trees and 256 were trimmed.
The city plans to service trees year-round. Rain, high winds, snow and ice makes the work dangerous and can cause delays.
“I know it’s frustrating for someone who called the first week and hasn’t gotten service yet,” Tate said. “I’ve seen a number of seniors on fixed incomes and have deferred maintenance issues for years. It’s a huge relief for them. Others are still waiting. By staying in touch, we’ve realized how large the issue is.”