In this month’s Far North Dallas Advocate, columnist Sandy Greyson sheds some light on Oncor’s tree trimming practices, and those “deep V” cutouts they typically leave behind, which infuriate some homeowners.
A group of fed up homeowners are now petitioning the Public Utility Commission in an effort to make Oncor change its ways. The group points to cities like Nashville and Oklahoma City, which have been able to improve tree-trimming standards.
Some of the proposed changes on that petition include cutting trees back 3 feet from power lines, instead of the current 10 feet; trimming trees every three years, instead of every 12 years; and notifying homeowners about trimmings six weeks in advance, instead of five days. They’d also like Oncor to tailor trimming practices based on the species of tree, and have a real person answer the phone when homeowners call in with questions or complaints, instead of the automated system currently in place.
You can see a complete list of what’s on that petition here. And if you’d like to download the petition and mail it into the Public Utility Commission, you can find it here.
