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| Forestry Division The Forestry Division is responsible for the care and maintenance of all Village owned property as well as the majority of rights-of-way within the Village. Areas of responsibility include the maintenance of over 8,000 parkway trees, 60 acres of public rights-of-way, the Village Center, portions of Route 14, 11 municipal sites, 9 passive parks, Barrington Memorial Park and 4 wetland restoration projects located within our community. While smaller jobs are completed with in house staff, the majority of this work is completed through the use of outside contractors.
The Forestry Division is also responsible for reviewing new development projects and confirming adherence to the Village's Tree Preservation and Management Ordinance, meeting with residents to discuss plant health care on both public and private property, coordinating individual permit review and compliance as it relates to public and private tree protection & preservation, securing compliance of tree preservation and native area out lots maintenance requirements within many of our subdivisions. |
Major Service Activities |
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Parkway Tree Maintenance |
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- Insect & disease identification and treatment
- Remove dead, dying or diseased trees
- Replacement of those trees annually
- Inspect & trim approximately 1/4 of the Village's parkway trees annually
- Install cable & bracing to extend useful street life
- Install newly planted trees
- Respond to emergency storm damage
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Turf Maintenance |
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- Mow & trim, fertilize & weed control application, litter pick up, shrub & tree trimming, planting bed maintenance
- Village Hall
- Public Safety
- Public Works
- 6 remote Public Works sites
- Fire Station #4
- Train station grounds & commuter parking lot
- 11 parking lot areas & 9 passive parks
- Northwest Hwy between Hart Rd & Ela Rd - Some of these areas are maintained by the adjacent owner
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Steetscape |
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- Install & maintain 190 summer & winter baskets annually
- Maintain over a dozen planting beds
- Daily watering, fertilizing as necessary, weeding, litter, May - October
- Water & trim streetscape trees
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Other Activities |
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- Village chipper program
- Review & inspect commercial & residential development
- Assist residents in watering newly planted trees
- Participate in Arbor Day activities at the 9 area grade schools
- Maintain wetland/native areas owned by the Village
- Assist other Public Works divisions in operational emergencies including snow & ice, water distribution and sanitary collection repairs.
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| Frequently Asked Questions |
| Q |
Is Emerald Ash Bore in our community? How will we know if it arrives? What can we do? What will happen to our trees? |
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The Emerald Ash Bore has not been identified within our community. As seen in local news coverage this insect has been found in Kane County as well as along the north shore (Wilmette and Evanston) in the summer of 2006. Authorities believe the Emerald Ash Bore has been within those communities for at least 5 years and suspect the movement of firewood from infested areas as a leading cause of the rapid movement of this insect. Symptoms of the Emerald Ash Bore are similar to many other ash distress symptoms including a general appearance of poor health. Specific signs include very small "D" shaped exit hole in the bark and unusual sprouts on the trunk. All the communities within the Chicagoland region are working closely with Federal and State agencies in the tracking and identification of this insect. Village crews and contractors have been trained by Federal and State agencies in the procedure for identification of this insect. While it is not a question of if, but when, the Emerald Ash Bore will make its way into our community, the Village will notify the community of its presence. Currently, State law requires the removal of any ash tree found with this insect and specific procedures for dealing with this will be in set in place. There has been some talk considering the use of systemic insecticides to prevent the insect from attacking the ash trees, but there is no solid evidence that this method will work. Additionally, the cost is extremely high and applications must be performed annually. For these reasons the Federal, State and Village are not recommending this course of treatment at this time.
Should you suspect Emerald Ash Bore please contact the Forestry Division, Mon - Fri, 7:00 am until 3:30 pm at 847-381-7903 and staff will inspect your tree. Remember, this insect only attacks ash trees. You can also go to the web site www.emeraldashborer.info for further information. |
| Q |
When will the chipper be in my neighborhood? |
| A |
The Chipper is scheduled for pick up 4 times a year, mid-April, mid-July, mid-October and mid-January. Please check your Village Newsletter for specific dates. |
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What can we put out for the chipper?
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| A: |
Any logs or large tree branches that you can get to the curb. Public
Works is not permitted on private property for the purpose of removing
chipping material. All chipper material must be free from foreign
objects. Material should be placed on the parkway, facing one direction.
Remember the chipper is designed to process large amounts of wood;
therefore, the longer the better. The chipper is not designed to
process small plant material such as clippings from hedge trimmers
or small branches under 2" in diameter or root balls from dug
up plants. This material should be placed in your "Green Monster."
For safety consideration Public Works cannot pick up any material that contains
hazardous chemicals or foreign objects. Items that will not be picked up
include: any landscape material such as timbers or fencing, any branches
or logs with nails or wire, wreaths, holiday trees with lights, decorations
or bags. If you are unsure, please contact Public Works, Monday – Friday,
7:00 am until 3:30 pm at (847) 381-7903. |
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| Q: |
When will my parkway tree be trimmed?
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| A: |
The town is divided into 4 quadrants or districts for tree trimming
and each district is trimmed once every 4 years. Trimming occurs
in the winter months between January and March and typically includes
all those trees located in the parkway area from the curb to approximately
15 feet back. The actual trimming consists of the removal of dead
wood and interfering or crossing branches, and many times the street
side of the trees will be elevated to allow for safe passage of vehicular
traffic. All attempts will be made to balance the form of the tree.
In 2009, we are scheduled to trim parkway trees in Dist 1 and Dist 2, which includes the following subdivisions and neighborhoods:
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Steeplechase subdivision |
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Flint Creek subdivision |
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North Ave neighborhood (this section is bordered by Hough St. on the west, Main St. on the south and Rt. 14 to the east and north |
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Portions of the west end of town south of Otis Rd, west of Rt. 59 and south of Roslyn Rd. |
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If you have specific trimming needs, or would like further
information about the tree- trimming program, please contact
the Forestry Division, Monday – Friday, 7:00 am until
3:30 pm at (847) 381-7903. |
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| Q: |
Can I plant a tree in the parkway?
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| A: |
The Village prohibits the planting of any trees in the rights-of-way.
We ask this for many reasons, but mostly to protect you. Unfortunately,
many trees and shrubs that you find at stores or garden centers,
like Home Depot or Menards, import their plant material from all
over the country. This is very hard on the plant because it has not
and will not acclimate to our climate. We also try to stay away from
some of the plant material that is typically "pushed" at
these retail establishments such as red maple and pin oak. These
plants look great in the nursery, but after a few years in our heavy
clay soils they just don't perform. Lastly, there are many buried
utilities within not only the parkway but many times within your
yard. Striking one of these utilities during planting can be very
harmful or even fatal. Also, planting over a buried utility can be
costly later on when a repair is required and your tree has matured.
Instead of planting a tree on your own, we ask that you work with the Village
to achieve your landscape needs within the parkway. The Village offers a
50/50 Cost Share Tree Planting Program every year, where the Village will
plant a 2 ½" caliper tree in your parkway. We will meet you at your
property to discuss appropriate planting options available to you based on
such things as your desires for size and shape and color along with the physical
constraints of the site such as overhead wires, size of parkway and species
diversity. We take care of ordering, (all our plant material is grown for
our area and typically comes form the Cook, McHenry or Lake County areas)
locate buried utilities, plant and the best part is we guarantee it…for
life! All we ask of you is to assist in supplemental watering. For more information
about the 50/50 Cost Share Tree Planting Program, please contact the Forestry
Division, Monday – Friday, 7:00 am until 3:30 pm at (847) 381-7903. |
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| Q: |
Why does ComEd "butcher" the trees?
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| A: |
First, it really isn't ComEd. The ICC mandates that each power
company provide safe and efficient power to its customers. A large
part of that includes vegetative management or tree trimming. While
the cuts you see along the road don't always look pretty they really
are best for the tree. Tree biology dictates where a cut needs to
be made and in many cases when crews are trimming for "line
clearance" they must cut back a bit farther than might be thought,
to make a proper cut and not injure the tree or leave it more exposed
to decay.
In an effort to reduce the affects of "line clearance" trimming,
the Village continues to work with the power company to plant the "right
tree in the right place." I know it sounds kind of corny, but it really
is true. Burying lines is outrageously expensive and will probably not happen
in established neighborhoods with existing overhead wires. The solution the
Village chooses is to make wiser plant selections and/or a better tree planting
location. When no other option exists, we will plant a lower growing species
that will not interfere with the overhead utilities and be "butchered" by
trimming crews once the tree matures. Where space does exist, we can plant
a larger tree, keeping it away from the overhead utility. |
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| Q: |
What are my responsibilities regarding tree protection and tree
preservation when building or adding on to my home?
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| A: |
Your responsibilities are fairly basic. You as a property owner
are required to preserve and protect any and all plant material within
the Village rights-of-way and/or on neighboring property, applying
techniques, recommended, reviewed and ultimately approved by the
Village. In addition, if you live within one of the following subdivisions:
Lakeview, Chateaux Bourne, or Carriage Trail, not only are your neighbors'
trees protected but also the trees on your lot must be preserved
and protected. If you are contemplating construction, please contact
the Forestry Division so that we can explain the details of all required
tree preservation activities to you. There are many techniques available
which aid in the preservation of trees, not only on your neighbors'
property, but within yours as well. |
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The Village Property Maintenance Division is responsible for the maintenance and repair of most of the buildings, grounds and appurtenant fixtures owned or lease by the Village, including the Village Hall, the Public Safety facility, the Public Works facility, Fire Station 4 and the train station.
Activities include maintenance of the fire detection and suppression, H.V.A.C., telephone & voice mail, emergency generation, electrical and plumbing systems, as well as, address windows & doors, carpentry and custodial needs and coordinates disposal of surplus equipment. |
Major Service Activities |
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Basic maintenance, repairs, adjustments & alterations are performed by staff. |
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Major repairs are serviced by outside contractors |
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Janitorial needs are addressed by staff and contractually. |
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Assist other Public Works divisions in operational emergencies including snow & ice, water distribution and sanitary collection repairs |
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Assist all Village Departments with operational activities, including equipment set up, meeting preparation and other related tasks. |
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