Debate of who is to water thirsty trees continues in Dallas

www.nbcdfw.com...

Hundreds of trees planted along newly widened Samuel Boulevard are dying in the scorching summer heat as the city of Dallas debates who was supposed to water them.

Neighbor Carolyn Johnson went to Wednesday's Dallas City Council meeting to complain about the waste of taxpayer money paid to install the trees and the unsightly blemish on her neighborhood.

Around 600 crepe myrtle trees were planted for about $230,000 after a $17.7 million project to widen Samuel Boulevard to four lanes, according to Texas Department of Transportation spokeswoman Michelle Releford.

The state paid another $33,000 for the first two years of irrigation and maintenance for the trees and then Dallas was supposed to take over tree maintenance this spring Releford said.

The state managed the lengthy Samuel Boulevard construction project because 80 percent of the money came from the federal government.

I was listening to a local radio show the other day and heard this story being discussed, and was a little more indepth than the above article. A sprinkler system was already in place, but the city didnt turn it on after the 2 years TXDOT operated it. Also, the pricetag was around $350,000 instead of $230,000. I'll post another link with that amount below.

The response the city gave was....they thought the community was going to water the trees for them....even though the city already made a contract to to water them after the first 2 years.

Dallas pays $350,000 for landscaping and sprinklers, stops watering

Asked by the city council to explain, the Dallas Director of Public Works and Transportation Rick Galceran said the city hoped the neighborhoods would take over watering the median when TxDOT's responsibility ended in May.

...really? How many more city services would you like the citizens to take over? Seriously...you, the city, have a watering service for a reason....to water!

"There was never an agreement that the homeowners association would take control of the median after two years," Johnson said.

TxDOT said the agreement with the city is clear.

The city took over maintenance June 11. Galceran said the streets department will now take over watering.

Seems like a big waste of money to me.

I have a great idea to fix this problem though.......instead of debating back and forth and wasting city time, how about the city just turns on the sprinklers.

Dallas had to skip watering the trees to save money for all the insecticide they are spraying in the air because of West Nile... maybe?

I'm sure if they created an "Adopt a tree" program, many citizens would come forward to take responsibility for at least one. Bring a bucket of water every day or 2 and it could make all the difference.

Waiting for politicians to finish their posing and posturing will just result in the deaths of hundreds of trees...kinda like what happens overseas.

Peace

reply to post by toolstarr


I dont think that's the reason for this. I think it's just city inefficiency. Dallas is kind of known to do stupid stuff like this, and ends in a loss of taxpayer money over something as simple as sending an email to their city service that waters plants. I dont hear Ft. Worth doing as much stupid stuff as Dallas does

DO these guys know ANYTHING about contracts? Stupid, stupid, stupid.


Oh come on! How can it be impossible to find a solution for this? There is even a contract!
And BTW I don't understand that thing about the installed sprinklers - TXDOT, what is that?

never blame ineficiency
when corruption is a possiblity.

if those trees die
the contract for replacing them will pay mo' money
than a contract for watering and maintenance.

reply to post by jude11

I'm sure if they created an "Adopt a tree" program, many citizens would come forward to take responsibility for at least one. Bring a bucket of water every day or 2 and it could make all the difference.

They could of tried that, and I think it would work. Instead though, they just made up a story where they "thought the community was going to water the plants", even though they never told the community.

reply to post by ManFromEurope

And BTW I don't understand that thing about the installed sprinklers - TXDOT, what is that?

TxDOT = Texas Department of Transportation. They were covering the watering for the first 2 years of the contract, then left the city of Dallas to water after those 2 years were up this spring