The battle over trimming Tulsa's trees continues

Dozens of residents gathered Tuesday night for another meeting with PSO on the subject and this time they heard something new. <br/><br/>News on 6 reporter Heather Lewin says for months they've been

Wednesday, September 14th 2005, 5:47 am

By: News On 6

Dozens of residents gathered Tuesday night for another meeting with PSO on the subject and this time they heard something new.

News on 6 reporter Heather Lewin says for months they've been telling tales of trees trimmed well beyond what many consider reasonable, some with limbs hacked back to the trunk, all part of an increased cutting plan by PSO, which has homeowners in an uproar. Now company officials say they are listening.

Working together with the city of Tulsa and the state Corporation Commission, PSO devised a new tree trimming policy, hoping to do a better job of striking a balance customers approve of between reliable power and saving trees. Bill McKamey with PSO: "Certainly we have learned in our last meeting that what we were doing did not do that."

Officials say under the new agreement, trimming will occur only if the homeowner agrees to the proposed cutting. PSO promises timely removal of debris and more supervision of crews in the field. Also a tree replacement program is in the works to re-plant or provide vouchers for new trees if any are removed. That doesn't mean you're off the hook around power lines. If you don't like how PSO does it, then you can hire your own crew, but you foot the bill and you have to agree to a maintenance schedule.

Despite the new plan, some say the problems aren't over. Tulsa homeowner John McMahon: "Some yards were fine, they did a really good job and then we've got the complaints from little old ladies in tears because they've lost trees and they weren't cut according to what the man at the door had said to them."

Some homeowners like the new cutting plan. One couple at Tuesday nightâ€™s meeting says the trimming is careful and necessary, every time a strong wind blew, they saw sparks. But PSO officials admitted some of the trimming crews simply aren't doing what they're supposed to and they apologized. Preston Kissman with PSO: "Folks who are not learning, and sometimes people have a difficult time learning, won't be working for us anymore."

PSO is having a "tree stand down" this Thursday. Company officials will halt all cutting and meet with crews to go over the new policy once again.