Council eyes vote on tree cutters

By By Fredie Carmichael / staff writer
March 8, 2004
The president of the Meridian City Council said today that councilmen may vote next week to require workers who cut trees inside the city limits to be licensed by the state rather than just granted a one-year permit.
Barbara Henson, who represents Ward 3, said the council could vote on the new ordinance at its March 16 meeting, which begins at 5:30 p.m.
The vote would come a few years after councilmen tweaked their current policy, which requires tree cutters to only carry a one-year permit to do the work. Some local licensed tree cutters have said a stricter policy is needed because they say it is dangerous for unlicensed workers to cut trees.
Ward 2 Councilman Mary Perry agreed. Perry said two recent tree cutting accidents, one about two weeks ago when a man was seriously injured when a tree he was cutting fell on top of him, have caused councilmen to revisit their policy.
Also today, District 1 Supervisor Eddie Harper said the board of supervisors has worked out a deal with contractors tearing down the old Wal-Mart building in Bonita, where workers are making way for the new Sam's Club.
The deal: Concrete and other debris from the demolition site will be transported and dumped at the Lauderdale County Agri-Center to help resolve erosion problems.