The Davis city manager’s proposal to privatize the tree and parks’ work is already in practice in North Davis. On the North Davis greenbelt, east of Anderson Road, city crews take pride in keeping it up. It is well done and well cared for.

The city has essentially abandoned everything west of Anderson Road. They have hired a “blow and go” group to do it, and it shows. Lawn rarely gets mowed, bushes haven’t been trimmed for more than a year, trees are dead or dying, downed branches are everywhere, many of the sprinklers don’t work and the lawn is dying (cuts down on mowing time). The “blow and go” crew doesn’t care, because they get paid regardless and they don’t have to live around it. They take no pride in what they do.

Get ready, Davis, your park area is next.

It is also proposed to privatize the tree work. This is also in practice in North Davis. Just look at the 17 flowering pear trees (20-year old trees) in the center divide of Covell Boulevard between Anderson Road and Oak Avenue that are either dead or dying. (Even the star jasmine under the trees is dead.)

Why? They haven’t been watered since the last rain in March. The sprinklers don’t work in this section but the private tree company that takes care of this area doesn’t notice or doesn’t care to. Maybe the idea is to let them die, then they can be hired to cut them down and then the city will ask for volunteers to replant the area as a show of how it can be done.

Without someone who cares and takes pride in their work, we will see more of this, and the trees that we cherish will slowly begin to disappear unless there is enough money and volunteers to replant a lot of trees.

Privatization of this type of work is a bad idea.

Dennis Westcot
Davis

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