First Selectman James Zeoli doesn’t think he needs to be a certified arborist in order to take over as Orange’s Tree Warden. The Tree Warden’s Association would beg to differ.
“There is no provision that I know of that exempts a town from having a qualified person,” Dr. Robert Richard said in reply to an email query. He is a board member of the Tree Warden’s Association, and his comments mirrored those of other board members who spoke with The Orange Times. “This person can be a tree warden or a deputy tree warden. That person must be either a CT licensed arborist or have gone through and passed the Tree Warden School. In cases where the town CEO is the tree warden, some of them have one of these credentials, or they have appointed a deputy tree warden who has them or who will be getting them.”
Zeoli said that the laws for tree wardens are new and under them a town’s chief executive does not need to be certified as an arborist. At the time he was asked, Zeoli declined to offer any assistance on finding a statute that agrees with his assessment.
Multiple tree wardens from around the state however, all agreed that a town’s tree warden, regardless of whether or not the position is being filled by the chief executive, must comply with certification guidelines.
The new regulations, added to the Connecticut General Statutes in 2013, reflect Richard’s statement.
Zeoli is not certified nor has he given any indication that he is pursuing it.
The situation stems from the absence of Ed Vaughn, who was Orange’s Tree Warden for years. Vaughn is not currently able to fulfill his duties as tree warden and it is not expected that he will return to the position.
Zeoli, who runs his family farm when not managing the town’s affairs, is positive that he does not need to be certified to step in and take over the tree warden’s duties.
The lack of certification is of particular concern for residents who’s trees are being pruned by the United Illuminating Company (UI).
David Goodson, UI’s manager of vegetation, said part of the process for pruning trees is to receive a permit from the town’s tree warden. He then reviews the areas of growth that might require cutting and a contract crew is then assigned.
Lewis Tree Service is the company contracted to do the cutting in Orange. Under statutes they are required to have one arborist for every ten employees on a crew cutting trees. However according to Goodson there are some exemptions for utility maintenance.
Residents have complained about the condition of their trees following cutting. Some feel too much was taken and their trees are now vulnerable to insects and disease.
Goodson said they notify residents at least 10 days in advance of any cutting. If the resident objects or otherwise disagrees they can appeal to the town’s tree warden to review the situation and render an opinion.
That responsibility would now fall on Zeoli.
Some residents want to know when their streets are scheduled for trimming. A list of streets was released to the town noting which ones were slated for each year over the next eight years.
However there is no breakdown of streets by anything more succinct. No mention of days, weeks or even months when a particular street’s trees would be trimmed.
Goodson said it isn’t possible to give more exact dates for the most part, because too many factors can affect when the a crew makes it to a particular neighborhood. They can’t tell a neighborhood they will arrive until they begin that 10 day notification process.
If a tree dies as a result of cutting by the utility company, there is a process to petition the company for tree removal. When a tree is taken down, the utility must cut as close to the ground as possible but is not required to remove the stump.
UI officials said they would be happy to have community meetings to discuss the process.
Sen. Gayle Slossberg has expressed interest in helping coordinate those efforts
For the time being, Orange will have to get by without a dedicated tree warden. If Zeoli maintains the role for more than a year without getting certified or appointing a deputy, the Tree Wardens Association believes he would be in violation of state statutes.