Residents press city over tree size and survival after council awards 2026 planting contract

The Livonia Department of Public Works told council the 2026 right-of-way tree planting program will plant approximately 450 trees across about 38 species, and the low bidder is Cremeboli Nursery with a 2026 program cost of $155,250 and a proposed 2027 option of $144,800.

Residents spoke during audience communication and questioned tree size and survival rates after past plantings. "The trees we get are as big as my pinky and they most of them don't survive a year," said a resident. Another resident, Cindy Fleming, said an arborist advised that a recently planted boulevard oak was unlikely to survive and said stakes were removed without a summer assessment.

DPW's Doug Moore responded that the city requires trees to meet contract specifications, that Cremeboli Nursery hand-digs holes and has worked successfully for nearby communities, and that the city is trying to diversify species to guard against pests (noting prior losses to emerald ash borer). Councilmembers asked staff to provide comparative information about how contractor planting practices and tree sizes meet specifications.

The council previewed placing the award on the Feb. 9 consent agenda; no final contract execution occurred at the study session.