The city of Perry has contracted with Walton Tree Service to trim all trees in the public right-of-ways and alleys and to begin removing ash trees from the right-of-ways, the Perry City Hall said in a statement Wednesday.
The general trimming is for the sake of compliance, safety, aesthetics and growth of the trees, the city said, and large or dangerous ash trees will be cut down. City crews have already begun removing smaller ash trees from the right-of-ways.
The tree trimming will be done at no cost to the homeowner, and the removal of ash trees in the right-of-ways will be done at no cost to the homeowner, the city said.
The tree trimming and removal operations will take place in Zone 1 (the green area on the map) from Third Street westward to the city limits. The tree service will work in one-block increments, trimming trees and removing ash trees.
Once an ash tree is removed, the contractor will return to grind the stump and fill the hole in.
Residents are asked to limit their parking on the street or driveway in the work zone where the trees are located. Your cooperation will help the efficiency and safety of tree trimming and removal.
If you have an ash tree on your property and do not want it removed, then you must contact the Perry City Hall at 515-465-2481 in order to apply for an exception. The application will be notarized and filed with Dallas County. The filing fee is the responsibility of the homeowner.
Residents should be aware that once an application is filed, any costs associated with damage or future removals are the responsibility of the homeowner and not the city of Perry. If the ash tree becomes dangerous and needs to be removed, then the homeowner will be responsible for that cost.
Walton Tree Service has seen its contracts with the city of Perry increase more than sevenfold in recent years, from less than $12,000 in 2018 to nearly $90,000 in 2021. The August 2020 derecho wind storm was a contracting windfall for the local tree service.
