Woodbury launches program to help homeowners remove infected ash trees
The Woodbury City Council introduced a new financing program to help homeowners pay for removing ash trees infected by the Emerald Ash Borer, a destructive pest. The city will cover upfront removal costs, with homeowners repaying through their property taxes over time.
The Private Ash Tree Removal Assessment Program represents the city's effort to address the spread of Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive insect that kills ash trees. Under the program, Woodbury will pay for tree removal upfront, then add the cost plus bond interest to homeowners' property tax bills for repayment.
The program is available only to homeowners with privately owned properties. Rental properties, homes in homeowners associations, and commercial properties are excluded from the program. Applicants must provide their 2024 property tax statement from Washington County as part of the application process.
The program operates on a first-come, first-served basis with a set yearly budget. The city has committed funding for three years, meaning homeowners should apply early to secure a spot. Once approved, homeowners receive a conditional approval letter, then must sign and have notarized an assessment agreement and waiver document. After that, they receive an authorization letter permitting them to begin removal work. Once the work is complete, homeowners submit a final invoice to the city, which then pays the contractor.
Homeowners interested in the program should contact the city's Public Works Department, which handles the return of notarized documents and manages the application process. The city has not announced specific dollar limits per property or total program funding amounts.
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▸Meeting Analysis
▸Source Document
[0:00] The Emerald
Ash Borer is destroying
[0:03] ash trees across the area,
and as they die,
[0:05] they become brittle, unstable
and a serious safety hazard.
[0:08] The city of Woodbury
has a new program
[0:10] to help homeowners
cover the upfront costs
[0:12] of removing dying
ash trees from their yards.
[0:15] The city already manages
[0:16] trees in public spaces,
but we know removing trees on
[0:18] private
property can be expensive.
[0:20] So we created the Private Ash
Tree Removal Assessment Program.
[0:24] It's a financing option
to help homeowners
[0:26] pay for the upfront costs of ash
tree removal.
[0:29] Here's how it works.
[0:30] The city pays
upfront costs of the removal.
[0:32] Then that cost is added
[0:33] to your property taxes,
just like a road repair project.
[0:37] Plus, the bond interest rates
set for that year.
[0:39] The program runs on a first
come, first served basis
[0:42] with a yearly budget
for the next three years.
[0:45] To pre-qualify for the program.
[0:46] The tree must be an ash tree
[0:48] and the property
must be privately owned,
[0:50] and the homeowner is the one
applying for the program.
[0:54] Rental properties,
homeowner associations,
[0:56] and commercial properties
are not eligible
[0:58] because the cost is tied
to individual property taxes.
[1:01] To apply.
[1:02] Start by answering two quick
pre-approval questions online.
[1:05] If you qualify, you'll need
[1:06] to submit your contact
information
[1:08] and two quotes
from Certified Arborist
[1:10] and a PDF of your 2024 property
tax statement.
[1:13] You can get this
on the Washington
[1:15] County Taxpayer website.
[1:16] City staff
will review your application.
[1:18] If approved, you'll receive
a conditional approval letter
[1:21] and an assessment agreement
and waiver document.
[1:24] You'll have seven days
to sign a notarize the document
[1:27] and return it to Public Works.
[1:29] Once we get it back and sign it,
[1:30] you'll receive an authorization
letter to begin tree removal.
[1:34] After the work is done,
[1:36] send us the final invoice
and photos of the removal.
[1:39] The city will
then pay your contractor
[1:40] and the cost will be added
[1:41] to your property taxes
for repayment.
[1:44] To learn more,
visit woodbury.gov/AshRemoval.
This story was created by artificial intelligence (a large language model) based on the proceedings captured in the video below.
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