DETROIT – A Detroit homeowner says she spent weeks trying to get storm-related tree damage near her property cleaned up, with little response, until Local 4 contacted the city.
“I’ve been living in misery looking at this tree for a month,” said Kathie Sykes, who lives in Detroit’s Grandmont neighborhood.
She said large limbs and branches came down during severe storms on July 3, falling from a tree on the city right-of-way.
Sykes said the heavy debris blocked the sidewalk and left limbs hanging in a way that damaged her fence.
“It’s a headache to have to look out your window and see this every day,” Sykes said.
Sykes said she and her husband tried to remove what they could but stopped when the debris shifted and risked making the damage worse.
“Me and my husband tried to get as much of what we could out of the yard, but it began to move,” Sykes said. “And I said if we move it any more, it’s going to bust the fence even more.”
Sykes said she followed the steps the city of Detroit recommends: she reported the issue using the Improve Detroit app and also called the city’s Forestry Division. But she said days turned into weeks without the debris being removed.
“I want it removed, so I can have my yard back,” Sykes said.
Local 4 reached out to Detroit’s General Services Department, which provided a statement explaining the delay.
“We apologize for this delay in service and inconvenience it’s caused,” the department said in part. “The initial request for service was entered in Improve Detroit under a blocked basin issue and was sent to another department. Eventually it was sent to us but under a non-urgent category. Upon learning about this situation, we sent crews to this location immediately to resolve the issue.”
After Local 4 made calls Thursday, the General Services Department sent crews out to address the issue, Sykes said.
“You work fast. And I really appreciate it. And it looks better now,” Sykes said. But she added she still wants clearer communication when residents are waiting.
“At least get back and reach out to somebody and let them know how long it’s going to take for you to remove the tree,” Sykes said.
The General Services Department said it received a record number of calls following last month’s storms. Of roughly 1,000 calls during that period, more than 500 involved tree service requests.
City staff said residents with an open downed-tree issue in Improve Detroit are advised to follow up and check the status directly through the Improve Detroit site.