A little praise for CA Open Space management

   Handling snow removal can be a task that can trip up mayors in many cities.  Just ask the newly sworn in mayor of New York.  

     With that reality in mind I think those of us in Columbia should all take time to thank the Open Space management and workers of CA for the great job they do in clearing our local paths.  They were even out Tuesday plowing some of the more heavily used paths to make them usable during the height of the snow.  This great service is seen additionally when there is debris on the paths that is quickly cleared.  Fallen trees are gone the next day.

      I saw an example of this recently when I emailed a picture of a tree leaning over the path that goes along Dobbin Road.  I had always assumed that this was a CA managed path but I found out that it was managed by the County.  This may have explained why the tree had been leaning this way for a week.  I emailed CA about the tree and received a quick email about the fact that it was a County managed path and that they had been contacted about addressing the issue.  The next day I received a phone call about the matter from a CA staff person with the information that the County would be cutting the tree down soon.  The tree was cut down the next day by the County.  I have to say that to get a quick email and a personal call about this manner is amazing customer service.  Not mentioning any names but I wish some other county organizations were this good.

P.S.

      To me nothing is more important in path system management then dealing with trees that could injure users of the path if they fell.  A few years ago I noticed this damaged tree limb hanging over the path from Lake Elkhorn to Savage Park.  This County managed path is my favorite path for running.  It is a beautiful escape with lots of nature along the path.  Unfortunately this limb was left like this for weeks.  To the County's credit they did have a contractor clear away some of the dead trees along this path recently.  It is great that our County works to provide paths that blend nicely with the CA paths.  The County could learn from CA about how to manage paths for safety and snow removal.  I hate to pick on the County today as I almost always feel we have a first rate County government.  OK, as a former County employee maybe I am a little biased!

hocoblogs@@@