City tree maintenance

A large tree next to the street.

The city monitors the safety and health of trees on public property and those along the road right-of-ways. While trees along the road are not owned by the city, the city shares the responsibility with homeowners to maintain the trees in the right-of-way with to ensure safety for traffic and pedestrians. The city has a small crew in the public works department to trim trees along the street within the right-of-way, and to remove hazard trees. They have received training in proper pruning and tree removal techniques.

Most pruning takes place between November and March, when the crew is available for tree work and disease transmission is not a concern. The first priority for tree work is to ensure safety along the right of way. This includes mitigating sightline concerns and removing hazard trees and branches. Next, crews prune in advance of roads slated for paving through the city’s thin overlay program, or prior to road reconstruction.

Tree concerns on the right-of-way (road edge)

Tree concerns on city-owned property

  • Report a storm-damaged or hazard tree on city property
  • Report a diseased tree on city property (June–September 1)

Tree concerns in city parks and along trails

Tree concerns on a neighbor’s property

Tree concerns on your property

Utility pruning along wires (Xcel Energy)

Utility pruning along wires is done by Xcel Energy, not by city crews. Xcel uses Wright Tree Service and Asplundh. See links below for more information.