If you’ve been waiting for tree trimming from the Forestry to come by for weeks and you’re tired, you can call one of our tree specialists. It appears that there have been worker shortages.
Residents have expressed their dissatisfaction through letters to myBurbank regarding the pruning of City-owned trees at their homes, citing inadequate timing and consideration. To address this demand, the City has acknowledged a significant shortage of forestry professionals and has had to resort to hiring an independent contractor in order to keep up.
According to Burbank Public Information Officer Jonathan Jones, between 2004 and 2015, Forestry lost 17% of its employment as a result of recent City budget constraints. The City now only has one forestry team, which consists of four people and a supervisor.
The City of Burbank has found itself in a conundrum regarding its Forestry Division, as there are currently 11 open positions in the division, including eight in the Forestry Division. Despite making 12 attempts at recruitment since 2017, the City has been unable to fill these positions, with few applicants and those who do apply often failing to meet the qualifications.
To address this challenge, the City has had to resort to hiring an independent contractor, using funds from three of the 11 unfilled positions and one for a supervisor to pay for the services. The open positions in the Forestry Division include Senior Tree Trimmer, Tree Trimmer, Tree Trimmer Helper, and Forestry Supervisor.
According to the City, the qualifications for the Senior Tree Trimmer and Tree Trimmer positions had to be met at the time of appointment before April 2022. However, the requirements for the Tree Trimmer position were altered in April 2022, with certification no longer a requirement at the time of appointment but rather expected to be obtained within a year of appointment.
In a bid to attract more competent individuals, the job descriptions for the Senior Tree Trimmer, Tree Trimmer, and Tree Trimmer Helper positions have been rewritten and expanded. The City remains committed to filling these open positions and ensuring that its Forestry Division is fully staffed to maintain the 29,000 parkway trees in the area.
Additionally, he claims that the City mandates the presence of a Certified Arborist in the field in charge of the crew, in addition to a Certified Tree Worker who has been validated by the City.
Jones asserts that in order to maintain a six-year tree pruning cycle by hiring the contractor, all 29,000 parkway trees in the City will be trimmed and/or inspected every six years.
The City of Burbank is currently accepting applications and according to Jones, new job advertisements will be posted on the City website every Friday. Following another unsuccessful recruitment effort, three Senior Tree Trimmer positions will soon be made available on the website.
Should a candidate be hired, the City will provide support throughout the certification process, including covering the cost for the employee to obtain a Certified Tree Worker certification. So, if you’re looking for an opportunity to join the City’s Forestry Division, be sure to keep an eye on the City website for the latest job openings.
Original news source at https://myburbank.com/burbank-trees-looking-for-some-love-with-shortage-of-forestry-workers/
If you have a palm tree that you’d like to prune yourself, check out our detailed guide on how to safely prune palm trees.
