West Memphis to go on tree-trimming spree

West Memphis to go on tree-trimming spree

City gearing up for major effort in 2017

news@theeveningtimes.com

A huge section of West Memphis will see tree trimmers at work in the coming year. The electrical department and Centerpoint Entergy are working out details for clearing around utility lines in the southeast part of the Wonder City.

The trimming work will wait pending final budget approval by City Council according to Electrical Superintendent Foster Rash.

The area is huge and so is the expense to get the work contracted. The work recommendation for the awarded went to ABC Professional Tree Service, the lowest of three bids in the half million dollar range.

“The largest area is $322,000,” said Rash. That will start at the Lawman Mobile Home Park, work south of Broadway all the way to 7th Street. That is a large area.”

It will be a tough row to hoe according to the Superintendent.

“In that area there are easements with a lot of vegetation,” said Rash. We are going to clean all that out.”

Once the trees are cut down to size in the selected area spray will be applied to keep down new growth.

That is where Counterpoint Entergy comes into help. A one, two punch of cutting and spraying has the City Utilities and the private energy provider working together.

“Our part is we cut the trees and they’ll come in to spray the alley ways,” said Rash. “Centerpoint Entergy came to me earlier this year,” said Rash. “They are regulated and have to be able to see the lines in an area to comply. So we will hopefully partner with them. They will do the spraying and pay for it.”

“Once you cut the shade canopy out, new vegetation starts growing in the alleys,” said Rash. “You can’t walk through there unless you spray.”

Work in Shady Grove and along Mimosa St. in the Westwood neighborhood were two more areas covered under the bid that accounted for the remaining expense.

By John Rech