As has been well documented this week, there was genuine surprise and outrage in Ybor City last Friday when workers with the city's Parks and Recreation Department tore down more than 100 trees in the historic district, with little to no public announcement beforehand.
Earlier this week, Mayor Bob Buckhorn's communications officer, Ali Glisson, reported that 102 trees in Ybor were replaced and removed, costing $112,000 of the total $422,000 that was allocated for tree removal in Downtown Tampa and Ybor City.
When Parks & Rec. Director Greg Bayor went before the City Council Thursday morning to discuss Bayshore Boulevard landscaping, he appeared ready to hear about the incident.
For some people, such as Councilwoman Mary Mulhern, the tearing down of the trees was reminiscent of what former Mayor Pam Iorio did years ago with the Crepe Myrtle trees in Kiley Park.
"I'm not scolding you, because I don't hold you responsible for any of this," she told Bayor. "I hold the mayor responsible for making these really big decisions without any public input."
