Tree-gate: Girdling at High Ridge Community Park

Click to enlarge image.

Tree-gate continues.

The picture above was taken by someone who knows trees and plants and gardening and owns a dog. Here is his report:

"This is the west side dog park at the bottom (west) end of High Ridge. This is the section for small dogs where I've been walking my dog for the last three years since the official ribbon cutting. The trees that the city Parks Dept. people planted the first year died, so they were replaced the second year. Those trees didn't make it either, so last year the trees, ten of them, were replaced yet again! These trees will never leaf out, because they have been girdled around the base; the living bark has been stripped away by the mowers and/or weed-whackers. This is really ignorance in action. Any suggestions? Call the Mayor?"

Quoting from the Policy and Standards Manual for the Care of Trees and Shrubs in the City of El Paso, section 10.4 (Other prohibited actions):


"Taking any action foreseeable leading to the death of a tree or shrub or permanent damage to its health, including but not limited to excessive pruning, cutting, girdling,poisoning, improper irrigation, unauthorized relocation or transportation of a tree, or trenching, excavating, altering the grade, soil compaction, or paving within the drip line area of a tree." [Emphasis mine]

Usually Parks and Recreation (or, up until recently, General Services) subcontracts the mowing of parks. Were the sub-contractors informed about the prohibitive actions not to mention the entire City's Tree Manual? Were they properly trained? Did Parks and Rec inform and consult with the City Arborist? Did Parks and Rec supervise and/or inspect? 

No. No. No. And Hell No.

Three years in a row and ten trees have died each year. Thirty trees! And El Paso needs more trees.

When will Parks and Recreation properly manage our parks and our park trees?

Advice on who to contact: Your City Representative in this case Cortney Niland, nilandcc@elpasotexas.gov. Also, Parks and Rec Director, Tracy Novak, novakta@elpasotexas.gov. Most especially Tommy Gonzalez, TGonzalez@elpasotexas.gov, our esteemed City Manager.

[One warning about Gonzalez. He doesn't know proper tree care either. In an email from him to Fred Lopez and others on December 10, 2014 with subject of San Jacinto Plaza, he wrote: "I saw a tree today that I was told was used for a Christmas tree. It is not representative of a xmas tree. Would you make sure we trim it in the shape of a true xmas tree….don’t make it a Charlie brown tree – but for sure make it triangular. That make sense? Make sure we get that done this week. Thanks! Tommy Gonzalez." More on what email shows about Tree-gate soon.]

BTW, the main search engine for the City web site still won't take you to the Tree Manual. A friend pointed out that one could find it at the Parks and Recreation page. Indeed you can, if you look under "Administration". In essence still hidden. Certainly not intuitive - requires psychic ability. A casual visitor would never take the time to find it.

"The 50 foot pine tree will remain in the Plaza"

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Those were the words from an official City of El Paso press release dated yesterday.

Read Diana Washington Valdez's story, San Jacinto Plaza reopening delayed until May, in this morning's El Paso Times. Yesterday afternoon she called me for a comment. That is when I learned about the press release. I chose to wait to do a post about the story until this morning after the Times had published. It was her story and so many of us are so glad that she has stayed on top of it (along with many other "stories" from City Hall.)

No doubt elpasonaturally's online petition helped to save the tree. (It is now clear that the City had no intention of saving the tree in the first place and was going to use "damage" as an excuse.) 

What really saved the tree was the fact that elpasonaturally and then the Times brought to light that the tree was on the "chopping block". (Sadly, the pun is intended.) This resulted in the City Manager, Tommy Gonzalez, decrying the fact that the story had come to public attention followed by a concerted effort to cya the entire affair.

Of course, there is more than just the saving of El Pasoan's beloved Holiday Christmas tree. elpasonaturally learned and posted that the Plaza's California palms had not been salvaged but disposed in a landfill. More revelations about the failure by the Department of Engineering to follow city guidelines and policies keep coming to light. Clicking on the link to the "Policy and Standards Manual for the Care of Trees and Shrubs in the City of El Paso" on the new City web site still results in a 404 Error. If you want to read the manual or download a copy, go HERE. Otherwise it will probably be deleted from memory. So much for the strategic goal to "Promote Transparent and Consistent Communication Among All Members of the Community".

By the way, the public didn't even participate in developing those strategic goals. Or does "all members of the community" refer just to a tight-knit City Hall group?

Things Don't Change in Tree-gate Town

Click on image to enlarge.

The picture above was taken several years ago when some work was done in Vista de Valle Park in El Paso's Cielo Vista neighborhood. Where was the supervision of the site in accordance with the Policy and Standards Manual for the Care of Trees and Shrubs in El Paso? Engineering failed. Parks and Recreation failed. The City of El Paso failed. The trees were damaged.

As you can see the total disregard of city policy by its inspectors and city engineers has been going on for years.

By the way, elpasonaturally has a link to the Policy and Standards Manual for the Care of Trees and Shrubs in El Paso as found on the city web site. That link is no longer good.  Now when you search for that document, you get this:

So elpasonaturally has uploaded that document HERE just in case the City has either lost it or intends to lose it.

Tree-gate continues.

Mr. Mayor, Tear Down that Barrier to City Hall

In my last post, More Than Just One Tree, I explained that Tree-gate is more about the lack of openness and transparency in our city government and the cavalier way that many city departments disregard policies and procedures.

Have you been to the new City Hall since the 2013 elections? We supposedly elected a whole new group that was going to bring more openness and transparency to city government. If you have been to the new City Hall over the past year or so, you will know that it is not easy to visit with the Mayor, your Representative or anyone else. You must first sign-in. A guard/receptionist asks for your destination and they call to confirm that you have an appointment. You then must pass through a metal detector - something that was only required for City Council meetings in the now demolished City building. 

Not long ago I had a meeting with the Mayor at his invitation. Although I made it through gestapo-gate, I was detained downstairs and not allowed to go to the Mayor's waiting area on the 2nd floor until I was summoned. 

On another occasion I went to another city building to get something from a friend who works there. I was confronted by one of El Paso's finest (really?) and had to explain where I was going and why I came through a door supposedly for city officials only. 

None of the check-in procedures represent good customer service or openness. 

I have never been to Mayor Leeser's Hyundai dealership but something tells me that there is not the check-point with the guards that clear you before you can gain entry to see a salesperson.

Not only is the El Paso government our government - they serve us and we don't serve them - we are their customers.

Here's a modest proposal: Move the Mayor and City Representatives and the graduate of the Tricky Dick Nixon School of Government, our City Manager, to offices downstairs, each office having a large glass window. Now that would be openness and transparency. The bunch who got elected because the previous city government and staff were supposedly so secret wouldn't be able to hide behind check-points and intimidating officers. Well - at least not the ones who are accountable enough to be full-time servants available to citizens at all time.