A federal grant will provide Minneapolis with $8 million to remove ash trees on private properties in disadvantaged neighborhoods, a significant relief effort for homeowners who would be otherwise assessed hundreds of dollars in removal costs.
But those resources can't be used retroactively — meaning there's no relief in sight for thousands of homeowners who are paying off tree removals previously ordered by the city.
They include Amoke Kubat, who reluctantly removed two ash trees from her North Side yard that city inspectors tagged in 2021 as infested with emerald ash borer, leaving her with two large stumps and a $6,000 bill. She's glad the federal funding will help homeowners with future tree removals, but thinks the process of identifying and removing infested trees is flawed.
"The bottom line is, the ship has sailed for me. It's on my bill," she said.
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, the agency that condemns infested trees on private property, has condemned more than 18,000 ash trees since 2013, with homeowners either paying up front for their removal or the city handling the job and then assessing their property taxes.
Tree removal assessments total more than $7.3 million, according to the Park Board.
Homeowners in more affluent neighborhoods typically pay out of pocket for a contractor to remove a tree, according to Park Board data. But residents of low-income neighborhoods, such as in north Minneapolis, disproportionately pay for tree removal via assessments and then see increased monthly costs. The $8 million funding is targeted at residents in such neighborhoods.
"We're really grateful to have these resources," said Kelly Muellman, environmental manager with the Minneapolis Health Department.