Escalating a tree safety concern

What happened

Juan raised concerns about a tree leaning against a hydro wire. Juan believed the situation posed a safety risk, but the City told him that it could take up to eight weeks for the City to inspect and assess the tree and a further six to eight months for the City to prune the tree.

Concerned about the immediate potential harm the tree posed to the public, Juan contacted our office.

What we did

We contacted the City’s Urban Forestry branch in the Environment, Climate and Forestry division to explore options to escalate the concern. Urban Forestry determined that an inspection was warranted and assessed the tree.

The result

Urban Forestry confirmed the tree posed a safety risk and removed it in three weeks.

Why this matters

Timely responses and clear pathways for people to escalate their concerns support fair and effective public service, particularly where safety concerns are involved.