Street trees benefit the community in many ways. They add character to our neighborhoods, cool our homes and cities, clean our air, increase property values and provide aesthetic beauty just to name a few. New Albany is a Tree City USA community and has maintained that designation since 2010.
The city places a high priority on the responsibility for proper care of street trees within the public right-of-way. During the months between December and April, public service crews actively prune trees along city streets to encourage growth of strong, healthy and attractive trees. Once tree limbs and branches are removed, crews use a wood chipper to pulverize the wood into fine chips. The chips are then processed for use in mulch and topsoil. Proper clearing of lower lying branches provides the needed clearance for delivery trucks, snow plows, city street sweeper and trash collection vehicles.
Generally, trees located on a homeowner’s private property but not in the right-of-way are the homeowner’s responsibility to maintain.