One of the basic responsibilities of LPOA is the maintenance of approximately 210 trees of which approximately 109 are acacias.

After a few years of neglect, Davey Tree was selected to perform the maintenance of LPOA trees. The pruning of LPOA trees has been on a rotational basis of every three years. It is acknowledged that the maximum pruning cannot exceed 20-25% each year to ensure the health of the tree. However, LPOA is now pruning 20-25% after it has grown three years, not 20-25% each year.

Overall there has been a mixed reaction to the current performance and cost. Because of limited financial resources, approximately 40 acacia trees are selected for rotational pruning every year. LPOA has not been able to prune every tree every year.

However, at the June board meeting, the issue that we discussed is whether in utilizing a smaller company with lower capital costs, can more trees be maintained per year within the same budget?

In seeking alternative proposals, LPOA has received a price quote from Timberwood Tree Service for $375/large, $275/medium, and $175/small. Timberwood has confirmed that the initial pruning of LPOA trees would require 6 months. Upon the inital pruning, Timberwood would maintain the trees on an alternating schedule in which 109 Acacia would be pruned one year and the remaining 101 trees would be pruned the next year.

This schedule permits the maintenance of all acacia trees on a regular basis (all acacia trees pruned in a given year on a bi-annual basis), as opposed to the rotational pruning of 40 trees every three years and overgrown trees being addressed selectively when needed.


During the last calendar year (2009) Davey Tree charged the following amounts for selective pruning of acacia trees out of rotation:

*280 Stratford (11-09) $765
*155 Broadmoor (10-21) 425
*1032 Junipero Serra
(tree debris removal) (10-13) 380
*1445 Holloway (8-10) 510
*residence
not noted (7-22) 1105
*residence
not noted (7-15) 820
*112 Denslowe (7-17) 410
*126 Stratford (4-15)
storm damage, tree surgery 160
*354 Stratford (4-8)
removal tree debris 160

total non rotational cost 4735

remainder of 40 trees on
rotational basis @225 9000

Costs charged by Davey Tree for selective pruning of acacia trees out of rotation thus far in 2010 have been in the following amounts:

*residence not noted $1275
*146 Stratford 850
*75 Broadmoor/336 Stratford 680
*30 Denslowe 765


Total $3570


For your information, in walking about Lakeside, the following was noted:

140 Stratford: Bartlett was in the process of pruning other trees on the property. The owner of 140 Stratford and the Bartlett crew confirmed that they also pruned the acacia for a price of approximately $200-300. The owner also stated that he independently contracts with Bartlett to prune his acacia tree on a yearly basis .

The issue before the Board is to use our limited financial resources in the most effective manner so that trees can be best maintained at a reasonable cost.

For your information, Timberwood has pruned the acacia trees at 155 and 169 Stratford. Both residents have been pleased with the work.

At the next board meeting we should further discuss this issue and decide upon a course of action for future tree pruning in our neighborhood.