Deadline extended to apply for Ike tree removal in Clear Lake Shores

The deadline to apply for free removal of trees killed by Hurricane Ike's storm surge in Clear Lake Shores has been extended until noon Friday, Aug. 21.
Last Thursday had been the original deadline, but city officials decided to extend it because many residents still need time to apply to have trees removed, City Administrator/Police Chief Paul Shelley said.
Residents who want to request that a tree be examined for removal must go to City Hall, 1006 South Shore Drive, and fill out an application. For a tree to be removed, it must have been killed by Ike and be at least 6 inches in diameter.
The city and Federal Emergency Management Agency have been making a list of trees to be removed, Shelley said. So far, 30 trees on city right-of-ways have been identified for removal, he said.
Another 150 trees on private propery will be removed, Shelley said. He anticipates that a approximately 300 trees will end up being removed in the city.
In neighboring Kemah, only about 25 trees were removed.
It's going to be a lot of trees," Shelley said. Some are small, but a lot are big."
The trees that make the list for removal in Clear Lake Shores will be removed by a city contractor at no charge to residents, possibly as soon as later this month. The city will be reimbursed by FEMA for the cost of the tree removal.
For more information, call City Hall at 281-334-2799.