Cookeville Public Works Director Mary Beth Elrod said the city does receive complaints about how the city trims trees and brush along roadways.
Crews have been out across the city in the last several weeks. Elrod said the city uses heavy-duty long-arm mowers that are designed to mow leafy vegetation. Elrod said the mowers can sometimes leave an unpleasant view behind.
“Sometimes we do have larger limbs that have overgrown, and when the mower hits that, it does splinter because that mower is not made to bush hog and cut the larger limbs,” Elrod said.
Elrod said the trimming helps with safety issues, especially with sight views at certain intersections. Elrod said the brush can obscure stop signs and create traffic hazards.
Elrod said sometimes the city has to use polesaws to trim the larger limbs, and then will follow up with a pickup crew. Elrod said using a mower to trim trees and brush out of the right-of-ways is more efficient.
“We can get large amounts of roadsides mowed quickly because we have several miles of roads we do have to keep cleared because of sight distance,” Elrod said. “Allowing people to pull out properly. Be able to see over grass and weeds, and vegetation. It’s a safety concern.”
Elrod said the city has a planned route that they follow when trimming. Elrod said the city does about three rounds of trimming every mowing season.
“We have a route throughout the city that we mow yearly, and we mow it,” Elrod said. “It takes about four to six weeks to mow the route, and then by then you know how grass grows, we start all over.”
Elrod said the city has not considered changing its operating procedure when it comes to trimming trees and brush. Elrod said Putnam County and the state use similar processes, but with heavier machines designed to get the bigger limbs.
