Rocky Mountain Power To Start Vegetation Work in Summit Park

Hi neighbors – Rocky Mountain Power reached out earlier this month to let us know they are going to start some tree work in the neighborhood. Here is what they said:

“Greetings, Rocky Mountain Power will begin vegetation management activities in the Summit Park area in the next few weeks. This work is focused on reducing the risk of fire and increasing safety and reliability. A Certified Arborist has started inspecting and lining up work with property owners.

Activities will include:

  • The clearing of vegetation and herbicide application around subject poles that have been identified with the potential to create a spark.
  • Inspection and mitigation of any off right of way trees that have the potential to fail and strike the conductors.
  • Inspection and mitigation of trees that have the potential to grow into the conductors.

Asplundh Tree Experts will be the contractor performing this work and will have a fire plan in place including proper firefighting tools on each truck; Fire can, shovels, Pulaski, fire blankets, and fire extinguishers. Each employee has also completed an annual fire training, put on by their company.”

During this month’s HOA meetings, residents asked a few questions. We sent those questions to RMP, and this is what they had to say:

Can you write out for us what residents should expect if their lot will be worked on? I know they should be notified ahead of time – how soon before the work starts and how does that communication take place? When work is identified we attempt to notify property owners at least two weeks but no more than six weeks before work is completed on their property. Notification is made personally if someone is home or a door card is left describing the work with contact information of the arborist that identified the work for them to call if they have questions.

How can homeowners let contractors know they would like the tree trunk bucked into more manageable pieces? They can call the arborist listed on the notification door hanger to discuss these types of things. It is much easier to communicate work specifics on the front end when they receive notification of work rather than wait for the work to take place and then request a crew to come back. This upfront communication helps to ensure property owners understand what will take place on their property and are not surprised by the results.

Can you clarify when a tree gets cut down vs. limbed? Trees that are identified as a “high risk” of failure with the potential to contact our facilities will be pursued for removal, trees that are healthy and growing near our facilities will be pruned to provide adequate clearance. Dead, diseased and or leaning trees are examples of “high risk” trees.

Can you share a copy of the contractor agreement? Many residents in previous years got passed back and forth between RMP and the contractor – each saying it was the others’ responsibility. If we can better understand what that agreement looks like, we can better direct people to the right person(s). The contract arborist that will be lining up the work is Sean Sortland with Asplundh Tree Experts his number is (385) 535-8819, he can be contacted directly to discuss work specifics from property owners. If customers would like to reach out to Rocky Mountain Power they can call our customer service line at 888-221-7070.

Why does RMP partner with an out-of-state contractor? We maintain multiple vendors on our system and work is bid out, evaluated and awarded based on many factors.. Rocky Mountain Power does not maintain any “in house” tree crews and all vegetation management work is contracted out.

We know there have been a lot of pain points in the past when this work with Rocky Mountain Power has cut down or limbed high risk trees. We appreciate that they are proactively letting our neighborhood know they will be starting this work and how to get in touch with the appropriate people, but we still encourage residents to raise concerns if you feel like something is not right. Please see the contact information and numbers above and feel free to reach out to the HOA if you have issues: summitparkutah@gmail.com