Corvallis to assess street tree funding issue

Corvallis will soon consider five new initiatives that fall within their Sustainability Coalition, including one specifically geared for street tree and sidewalk maintenance, reports the Corvallis Gazette-Times.

The move would slide sidewalk and tree maintenance away from the homeowner and become city responsibility. If approved, the monthly utility bill increase for tree maintenance would be $.50, and $.80 for sidewalk maintenance.

The total for all five proposals would be $1.4 million.

An excerpt from Friday’s story:

Sidewalk and tree maintenance are separate programs, but inherently linked. Current city rules require property owners to maintain sidewalks along their property that are often broken by expanding roots of the street trees that are also required by city code. Public Works staff estimate they would need about $150,000 per year to identify and repair problems in sidewalks and another $90,000 for tree maintenance.

–Toshio Suzuki