City’s Eager Tree-Cutter In LIne For Discipline

[SirTreeRat]

City’s Eager Tree-Cutter In Line For Discipline

http://newhavenindependent.org/index.php...ipline/id_27315

A parks employee used his chainsaw to help out a neighbor of a city-owned property—and now faces discipline.

The incident took place Saturday on Mountain Top Lane in Fair Haven. (A reader sent in the above photo.)

The parks department assigned two workers to cut down a dead tree on a city-owned land there. One man was on the ground assisting another worker using in an aerial bucket truck, according to parks Director Robert Levine.

“While in the air he noticed three dead branches on a neighboring tree and proceeded to remove them,” reported mayoral spokeswoman Jessica Mayorga. “However, the neighboring tree was on private property, so the employee should not have removed those three branches. As a result, the
employee will receive appropriate discipline for his decision.”

Supervisors plan to meet later Monday to decide on the appropriate discipline. First they’ll look at the worker’s file to see if he had previous disciplinary incidents, Levine said. He said the “typical progression” in these cases is to give someone a verbal warning first, then a written warning; then suspensions of increasing length upon future offenses. He declined to name the employee.

The groundsman in the incident does not face disciplinary action, Levine said. “He’s just on the ground. He doesn’t make the decision what to do.”

Jack Mesner, president of Local 71, which represents blue-collar parks workers, said Monday he hadn’t yet heard about the incident.

“I would definitely fight that for sure,” if the worker is disciplined, Mesner said. “You’re in the air. You cut the tree back—you save somebody from being hurt. You’re not going out of your way.”

Levine said the parks department has a firm policy about cutting down trees only on public property.

“There’s always people asking. ‘This tree is right next to your tree,’” Levine said. “We’re always supposed to say no.”

The private property with the dead tree branches, 89 Mountain Top Lane, is owned by a limited-liability corporation called Beltway Capital.

 

[Raven]

Gimme a break already! Three dead limbs? I would say "Thank you" and leave it alone. Whoever ratted on this guy obviously has way too much time on their hands. It's not like he's out doing side jobs with City equipment, he probably felt a responsibility as a "tree trimmer" to mitigate the hazard while he was right there in the bucket with a saw.

Maybe it's different than I read it, like if he actually moved the truck to the other tree just to get those limbs and earn some lunch money - that's obviously a no-no.

I know about following policy and all, but if my common sense decision making ability ever becomes controlled by which buttons are or aren't on the McD's cash register screen then I'll just have to shoot myself - this is exactly why I'm self employed.

 

[southsoundtree]

This might be the case of the good samaritan, as the property is owned by a corporation, not a regular resident.

The cheaters are the cause of the problem. If nobody ever padded their wallet with sidejobs, while being paid by taxpayer money, using equipment paid for by tax payer money, then this would probably be a lot lesser issue.

Before getting too, too excited, you have to remember that the job of the news is not to inform you, it is to make money for the shareholders of the news organization by and large. Further, we know that the news sometimes gets the truth right.

If reality is just as reported, and the scenario is as simple as reported, and those three branches were small branches, not large branches, then it seems overboard. Many, if not most, of the facts have been omitted.

 

[cerviarborist]

It's been often said, that "No good deed goes unpunished."

 

[jmcscrap]

B.S. - if reported as is.
Who ever this person is that ratted the guy out was probably told no by another tree crew for a much bigger job!

 

[southsoundtree]

I agree, if it is as reported, then its symptomatic of our society. All the channels that would have to be gone through to mitigate a hazard (was the public at risk, or were the branches out of park property/ access???) through a corporation landowner, etc.

 

[Toparboring]

Either way it goes just think about if one of those branches brakes out do to storm or natural drop and does damage to property or human do you think that he would feel man should have done something. He did something so that piece of mind is gone. As for the ratter outter well I hope they hear about his out come and feel some what guilty for it. We did a job out in a very rural area took down some dead Maples , in doing the job check before leaving I noticed the neighbor had a small 18 foot dead tree on the border of the property. I walked over to the tree to hear a elderly lady say"i don't have any money to pay you for that tree". I shrugged my shoulders cut the tree and chipped it up . With a smile and a wave we drove to the next job. That night ring a ding from boss 1 day off for doing it. I took it with a smile and still will do the small things to help out. Ask yourself would you have done the same thing this tree trimmer did or leave it?

 

[farmergardiner]

Branch falls and kills baby, 3 dead branches beside public property?????!!!!!

 

[Tom Dunlap]

If I were faced with this decision I would get in touch with my supervisor and let them know before going 'out of bounds'.

Once the city employee started doing any work on the tree the city assumed responsibility for the whole tree...not fair, but that is the way it works.

A good turn like toparboring did could result in an unexpected result.

That said, I've added lanyap to many, most, jobs that I've done.

 

[treehumper]

It's the world we live in. Fear of liability, typical politics for the public servants, damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Yeah, it's a bad situation. They'll go through the process and probably the only thing that will come of it is a note in his file.

If this were a private sector employee he'd be dressed down by his boss for doing free work on the boss' time. We'd just not read about it in the paper...

 

[Northwind]

Oh hell. I've been there.

If it helps the Muni worker or not, this is the report I would write:

Tasked to remove the dead xxx tree, at xxx street, as per work order #xxx, I noted that our work exposed immediate hazards in an xxx tree at xxx(address).

Working to ensure the saftey of the public and my crew, as per policy xxx, and following my personal committment to safe work pratices, I acted to remove the hazards quickly and efficiently.

Sincerely.

Blah, blah, blah.

 

[tcsafety]

I have a standing order at the company I work for. If it will not take long (5-10 minutes), will not expose you or others to risk, then a little extra for the client is OK, i.e., cut a small branch or pull out a dead shrub. Customer service goes a long way, especially in the name of safety.

Cudos for the union rep backing his guy. I agree with the previous posts as well.

 

[DanielSon]

I agree with this.

We do a LOT of small things for free. A quick cut goes miles for reputation.

If the dude had the bucket in the air and it was nothing but flying over and making a quick couple cuts, I think it is silly to not do it.

How much grief could have been saved if that branch would have fallen and killed the complainers dog, child, or spouse.

We are all in the business and we all know how heave the material we work with is.

for a quick couple cuts to potentially save a life, I say no big deal.

In perspective, what is to say that those 3 branches wern't growing off the trees he was supposed to cut?

what I am saying is that if they were in his "scope" of work, there it would have been less than a "non-issue".

so why fuss? The guy did a good thing. He helped someone out.

Complainer needs to stop b#tch#n.

Just my thoughts.

 

[southsoundtree]

I know there is the good samaritan sentiment for most people with this situation.

What do you say about someone directly going against your instructions, opening up your company to risk, and using unauthorized resources in a way that could risk litigation and loss?

If it is a private company that is staying within their customer's property, and within legal standards, then it should be a no-brainer to knock off a couple of small dead limbs while flying the bucket. It is important to remember that this does not seem to be the case here.

 

[treesandsurf]

I'd bet the trimmer ruffled someone's feathers higher up before that happened. Hard to imagine them going through all the effort of discipline (in a municipal setting) for that. They're probably developing a case against him.

jp