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AF-CE - 35533��F:: F c� <>::::" -< PUBLIC WORKS MEMORANDUM TO: 7ohn G. Flora, Director of Public Works FROM: Paul Lawrence, Superintendent of Public Works DATE: May 24, 1996 SUB7ECT: Helen Wojciak - 6280 Able Street -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Helen Wojciak, 6280 Able Street contracted with Gene Deden Tree Service to have a tree removed in her backyard. (Gene Deden is the tree service used by the City.) She has called the City because she is not satisfied with the work done by Deden Tree Service. We have talked to Gene Deden and found that she paid him to drop the tree and grind the stump. Mrs. Wojciak was going to have her family members remove the wood and stump grindings. Mrs. Wojciak has had problems getting her family to remove this material. Gene, although, he wasn't paid for removing the woad did so, because Mrs. Wojciak complained so much. However, he is not going back to pick up the grindings unless she pays him for the work. The work Deden Tree Service did for Mrs. Wojciak was between Deden Tree Service and Mrs. Wojciak atxi not coru�ecte�i to the City in any way. It appears from our discussion with Gene Deden that he provided more service than he was paid for and Mrs. Wojciak is trying to use the City to force Gene to provide additional service at no extra compensation. We of course were not present at the time when Mrs. Wojciak and Gene Deden agreed on what services were to be provided. We ha.ve, however, found that Gene has provided services for the City in a responsible manor. The contract between the City and Deden Tree Service provides for removing all materiai, including stump grindings and filling the void with black dirt. Each of these items is a unit cost, however, and we believe that Mrs. Wojaak wanted to keep the total cost dQwn by having family members provide some of the work. This didn't work out for Mrs. Wojciak a� �w she is trying to have someone else do the work. We have talked to Mrs. Wojciak several times advising her of the City's position on the matter. She contuwes to call however, and it is my feeling that she will ca11 the City Manager or City Council next and that maybe they should be aware of the situation so they can be better prepared to address her concems. �_ � . � �'Cf.�.�..� �'�'�c.c�t-e�� Tun e 6, 1996 �i�� 1 3 lgg6 '�le had an ice storm in January and I am wondering if there was anyother Senior tha-'- had to go through what I did up to JuaE lst, six moraths almost. � few people in City Hall should be looking for another job as far as I am concarned or they should be taking classes on how to deal with the public and what the procedures of their jobs are. I had started by getting three bids on the removal of a tree ia my backyard�r, which was leaning on my house. I wasn't sure what to do so I called the City of Fridley and asked them if they would re- commend someoae that would do the job. I called the company that was recommended thinking this would take care of it. H� did a beautiful job taking the tree �own. The brush was frozen in the ground so he took only th.e brapches that were loose. I paid for this, which included the brush to be hauled away. When it melted, I�aked the debris together and called the compny. Called the company again and th.en I called Ken �iolstrom of Publi c Works and he got in touch with the company a4d it was �.nal.ly cleared away. I had a friend cvme to remove the wood aad had to call th?s company back to cut two big pieces so they could be moved, �inally it was done. I met this s ame company at a job in my block aod asked him how I would get someone to re�nove the st�xmp and he �ave me a name on his card and I called this fellow. He came over ane�,�e me a price on the back of his business card and while we were talking, I emphasized the mess being cleaned up after. I called his number and hi� wife went on and on about his cleaping the mess aad i would be satisfied. I hired him and he ca.me over on S�.turday afteraoon aad when he finished chip�ing the stump, he said he was ail through and could he be paid. I asked whea he was goiag to clean the mess and he said he couldn'�do it because he had a bad back from a car acciiient. Did I want to see his pictures of his car accident. I paid him, which I regret doiag, but thep how do you argue with a man and I was alone. I � �� i s -2- I then called Zisa at Recycling at City �all and asked her where I would dispose of these chips. She said that you could mot dispose of them at the 3unker Hill Center and I told her of my situation. I mentioned several times tizat the tree was in my backyard. She said she would call me back after she found out how this would be handled. She called me back in about fifteen minutes and said that Public Works woul� remove the chips but I would have to wait uatil they got around to it. I called in two weeks for �n idea when this would be done. I lef.t messages on several occasions. Twic�a day at least and she did not call me back. Then wnen I was �one, a messdge on my answering machine stated that they wou�d not take the cnips because the tree was in my backyard. I called agaia to see why this was not known from the beginning. paul T,awrence from Public Wor�s go�- 0o the phone and I told him who I was and he started yelling at me. Z then asked him to listen to my side of the story and he went on and on. The conversation weat to where I told him to go to school aqd take some PR Ciasses. �I didn't need to have public servants talk to me in this manner. I told him that I wouid ca11 �et�er Business Bureau. I hung up and later Scot, a coordiaa�or, called and I told him the story. i�e said that they wer2 under the impress- ion my tree was �n the front. 3e said �e would check a:nd ca11 me back about this. He aalle� bac?� and �aid Coleen would help �e, so I called her and she said she had someone that would bag the cips for �7 an�ag�`�ut she didn�tknow where I could get rid of them.� I called th.e number in .�n�ka sh� gave me but no answer.or it �as i�USJ�. My Grandsons came home from college and I paid t�s�r��';�r k3=�. I called the trash man, ��h.ich I sh.ould have done in t'r,.E first place and he was so kir.d to me, I couldn't believe it. �' P� S0� A -bN� �'cr �i �liqS li I haTre�.h3d �e�1? n;;s with Paul �awrence before ar�d he yelled at �ne th� same way and would aot listen to my story. � ha,;;. ::. �_� tree in front a: my h.ouse knocked down by a truck. I cwlled th:� �'- - . � y -3-- Public Works becau�e T was sl�ding right past my house because of the slippery street. I would slide right past my house and I couldnt make a_i��t hand turn. I explained it was across the street from my house. He did pot listen and had the front of my house sanded and not the other side. I camehome in the evening and the tree was down--someone skidded right into it and knocked it flat. I called the polii�e and they came out apd made a report but that was it. I decided the next mo�rning to go down to the Office because I felt so bad. paul ca.me out of the office and all he 3id was holler at me. I asked �en 3olstrom if he would lo�k, just look at the tree. Iie came over and told me that it would cost �100 to have it remaved and after he talked, I asked him if the tree was on the bou�evard. He checked with the office and he said the city would have to removed the tree. They came out with two trucks, some sod, and four fellows to sod the grass but I could not get a tree�.rQSouaded stupid to me. Not to go on. I remind you that ?' pay taxes jus�t like everyone else. I expect same respect and little attention when I call. I expect answers and if the person I am talking to doesa't know the answer, I expect that they can get the information for me. I do not want a city servaat mout�iag off to me. I am 74 years old and h3ve never been treated this way in my life. Yot�r attention to this would certainly restore �ome of my faith in City Hall. Please reply. Sincerely� �� ,-"� . �� Iielen M. ��lo� ciak� 6280 able St. �i. �. �'ridley, Mn 55432. 572-3888' P.S. �a m sorry tina.t this is so long, but six months is a long time to carry all of this stress. I will de�ide whether or not to file a complaint after I receive your answer...... 6-14-96 Both JoAnn vaughn and I spoke to Helen Wojciak many times re�arding her tree. When we discovered the tree was in her back yard 3oAnn told her that Deden Tree Service was the City's contractor, but she also gave her one or two other contractor's names. So the choice of a contractor was hers. After the tree was down and the stump ground, she called JoAnn, Lisa Campbell, David Lindquist, Paul La.wrence, and myself many times complaining about the job Gene Deden and his subcontractor did on her tree. Basically I told her that it was between her and the contractor because it was a private tree, but I told her I would call Gene and tell him she was very unhappy with the job. When I contacted Gene he told me that Helen had paid for having the tree cut down by him, and the stump ground out by his subcontractor. He WAS NOT paid to remove the wood or the stump grindings, and Helen agreed to this. Gene finally went back and picked up the wood, without pay, just to satisfy her. Dealing with Helen was made more difficult by the fact that she is hard of hearing, and doesn't always wear her hearing aid. Sometimes it was necessary to talk very loudly to her many times before she could comprehend what you were saying to her. Basically she was a very difficult person to deal with. I was present both times when Paul talked to Mrs. Wojciak, and he was always pleasant and helpful to her. He did not yell at her, but talked loudly just as we all did, so that she could hear what he was saying. I feel that Paul, JoAnn, and myself were very polite and understanding, and as helpful as we could be. I did not hear the conversations that David Lindquist and Li�sa Campbell had with her, but I am sure they dealt fairly with her also. ..�, - � � � � �� TO FROM �pF F � <»`� -� PUBLIC WORKS M E M O RA N Q U M William Burns, City Manager Paul Lawrence, Superintendent of Public Works DATE: June 14, 1996 -�" . 9 � !� � � % � � y� , �,. � � �,t ,. SUBJECT: Complaint Letter from Helen Wo�ciak_____�v 2-�''__ ,�� ____________ -------------------- I read the letter from Helen Wojeiak, and would like to clarify some of the items that she states in her letter. When we were first advised of Mrs. Wojciak's problem regarding the wood and stump chips not being cleared from her property, we were under the impression that it was a boulevard tree, because she stated it was the City's contractor that did the work. The contract the City has requires that all materials be removed, and that the hole is filled with black dirt. As you will recail, the City had considerable tree damage at that time and our contractor had trees down all over the City. Lisa Campbell called Mrs. Wojciak and told her that the City would take care of the chips because Mrs. Wojciak lead her to believe that the tree removed was a City tree. The Public Works Department contacted the City tree contractor, G. L. Deden's Tree Service, and found that Mrs. Wojciak had only contracted to have the tree dropped and the stump ground, stating that her family would take care of the cleanup. He did reluctantly return to pick up the wood, but wouldn't do the stump grindings because that work was done by another contractor (his subcontractor). The Public VVorks Department communicated our findings to Mrs. Wojciak suggesting that she contact the tree and stump services and have them take care of the cleanup for an additional cost. I did talk to Mrs. Wojciak regarding h�r insistence that the City come or have the contractor come and remove the chips from her yard. As for yelling at Mrs. Wojciak, this was not the case. Mrs. Wojciak has difficulty hearing oyer the telephone, and requested that you speak up so that she could hear what you were saying. I told Mrs.Wojciak that although Gene Deden is the City tree contractor, that in this instance he was working for her and there was nothing we could do to force him to do the work she wanted done. She indicated that she didn't want to spend any money to get the area cleaned up. She asked what she should do with the chips, and I suggested that she try her garbage man, as contractors such as BFI will take this kind of material. . Complaint Letter ` Page 2 Mrs. Wojciak 's complaint regarding the fir tree that was kttocked over by a vehicle happened two or three winters ago, and she wanted the City to pay for the damage to the tree because the streets were slippery. I advised Mrs. Wojciak that the person who struck the tree should be responsible for any damages, but we did agree to remove the tree and resod the area. I think the damage was caused by a hit and run driver, and Mrs. Wojciak didn't know who did the damage. Again Mrs. Wojciak was not yelled at, and she did receive answers to her questions regarding tree removal and replacement. The tree, although it was in the boulevard, was not an actual boulevard tree because the City has never planted fir trees on the boulevard. It is the City's policy to replace only boulevard trees of the type specified by the City that have been removed because they were diseased. I am sorry that Mrs. Wojciak feels that she wasn't treated properly, but I can assure you that her questions were answered in a timely manner. She was not yelled at, although you have to talk to her in a loud voice at her request, because she can't understand or hear you at a normal voice level. Public Works personnel went the extra mile in assisting City residents in removing broken branches and entire trees caused by the January ice storm. There were no instances where City personnel performed any work in property owner's rear yards. Mrs. Wojciak was provided service equal to or better than all other residents of the City. I think generally based on the positive communications the City received from other residents that the public was more than satisfied with the level of service received from the Public Works Department. � ry�. ...�. "�°'� �� [�� C° �� `.��:.< � ,,, April 5, 1�98 � Mr. Ken Holmstrom, Supervisor Fridley Street Department City of Fridley 6431 University Avenue N.F. �ridley, Minnesot�. 55432 �ear Mr. 'iolmstrom, I th.ought I woul d write to you because I want you to be aware of what is going on in my backyard. Evidently my neighbor is planning to put up a fence between our lots, which is fine. The only thing th.at I am coacerned about is that she is planning to put the fence up with a, water hose as a guidline for the lot. I think someone should question her about following this line and if this is the proper way to go about this. I would rath.er have her warned that she will have to use a better tool to meaure by. If everyone puts a fence in their backyard �` in Fridley is going to �.00k worse than it does now t�}e cars and junk pile around their houses. It worse than better. th.is way, with alj is getting I h.ope that you will take a look at th.is and a�so question the people as to what kind of fence and where th.ey are going to put it. I would feel better about it. Thank you for your effort and interest. Also you have my permission to come in my yard and view it from this angle. Sincerely, ��n.,.�., �` �� • \l Helen Nl. wo j clak 6280 Able St. N.r�. �'ridley, Mn 55432 572-3888 ��_ � �F�� J'��}°"'�A�UI•� �� . //l C. �+'% ( \ �` 1 �,i �ys'7� ,.P'R r.+ '' V A% w �� k �' t� 3 0 7 =� °� f � ,�`' � � �,_.... �� ,��. ,�„�..� 'r' �� Cr� ��tik �� i � J Apri1 10, 1998 Helen M. Wojciak 6280 Able St. NE Fridley, MN 55432 Dear Ms. Wojciak: Thank you for your letter of April 5, 1998, regarding the fence installation occurring on your neighbor's property. Today, I accepted your offer to view the fence line of the neighbor's property (from your back yard). I knocked on your door, then proceeded to the back yard. I saw the neighbor's hose loosely stretched, but did not see any post hole digging or other work proceeding at this time. I have sent a copy of the fence regulations to the property owner. Those regulations have been attached for your convenience as welL The City does not require a building permit for residential fences, consequently, this was a good opportunity to catch any fence placement issues before they arise. Thank you for your interest in keeping Fridley a quality environment. Sincerely, CITY OF FRIDLEY Scott J. Hickok Planning Coordinator C-98-62 April 10, 1998 Stuart V. Dobberpuhl 6281 Van Buren St. NE Fridley, MN 55432 Dear Mr. Dobberpuhl: I received an inquiry Wednesday regarding fence placement in residential districts. The inquiry came from an individual who had observed the hose stretched across the rear of your property. I looked at the hose and figured you were probably in the process of doing what I have done at my home. That is, to use something with length and flexibility to represent a future improvement on the property. Nothing wrong with that process, I've found it to work quite well. In your case, I assumed that a fence may be going up shortly. For your convenience, I have sent a copy of the City's fence regulations. The City does not require a building permit for residential fences, consequently, this was a good opportunity to catch any fence regulation questions that you may have. Please give me a call at 572-3599, if you have any questions. Sincerely, CITY OF FRIDLEY Scott J. Hickok Pfanning Coordinator C-98-63