Mayor says contractor had no permission to cut Brickdam trees
Mayor Hamilton Green on Monday said that the City Council was not responsible for the mutilating of trees on Brickdam though the contractor told Stabroek News he had been contracted by the city to do that task and had been at it for 21 years.
Green told this newspaper that he is “appalled” by the entire situation.
Several trees along Brickdam were hacked this week in a bid to prune them. When Stabroek News had visited the area, there were trees on both sides of the scenic street that appeared to have been chopped without professional knowledge. The small branches and leaves were left around the trunk of the trees that looked like skeletons of their former selves.
When Stabroek News had questioned Town Clerk Royston King on whether the council was responsible for the ‘trimming’, he had denied this and had asked for the person responsible to cease their operations and seek professional help.
However, when Stabroek News was able to make contact with Lloyd Medas, the man who was cutting the trees with cutlasses, he said that he was contracted by the city council to trim the trees regularly and had been doing it for some 21 years.
He also said that he was aware that he was doing an unprofessional job but could not improve since he lacks the tools. He added that he has professional training on how to trim trees.
Green emphasised his discontent with what had occurred. “I made it clear several weeks ago about the trimming of trees without professional help,” he said, asserting that Medas had no instructions from the council to trim the trees.
He said that there are always overly enthusiastic people who tend to take things into their own hands.
It is unclear whether Medas is to be paid for his recent work.
Green also confirmed that there will be a meeting today with the horticultural community and other per- sons who have professional knowledge on the care of trees in a bid to formulate a plan for the proper pruning of the city’s trees.
While the improper trimming of the trees was one problem, another arose after the trimmed parts that were left on the ground, around the trees, started becoming mini garbage heaps. When Stabroek News visited the trees again, plastic bags, bottles, and all sorts of other garbage could be seen amongst the leaves.