JAMESTOWN (NewsDakota.com) – The City of Jamestown will issue formal written apologies to several residents in town who complained about how city crews trimmed trees on their boulevard.

Dann Holm of 601 8th St. SE says city crews butchered the trim job on his tree, calling it vandalism. He was one of at least four residents who attended Thursday’s Public Works Committee meeting to voice concerns over excessive trimming.

City crews regularly trim boulevard trees that hang over the street. Holm says his tree branches did not. Mayor Katie Andersen says the city has started sending the city forester out with trimming crews to prevent excessive trimming. The city is also thinking about starting to send advance notices to homeowners whose boulevard trees need trimming, allowing them a chance to do it themselves.

A few of the homeowners said they would like some compensation or replacement trees, but Andersen and the committee said they were uncomfortable doing that because the boulevard is city property, making the trees city property.

Doug Pieske disputed that, saying a few years ago he bought and planted the trees on his boulevard to replace diseased trees the city cut down. After the trim job, he says he now has two half trees.