Budget Board balances numbers and nature

By Coral Gables Gazette staff

Lines of credit, capital reserves — and trees. That was the unlikely lineup at the Coral Gables Budget and Audit Advisory Board meeting on Oct. 22, where financial oversight met environmental stewardship in a discussion that spanned from the city’s borrowing power to the value of its shade.

The presentation came courtesy of Deena Bell-Llewellyn, the city’s assistant director of Public Works, who briefed board members on the Tree Succession Project, an initiative to maintain and expand Coral Gables’ renowned tree canopy. The topic was unusual for a budget meeting but, as Bell-Llewellyn reminded the board, the city’s greenery is not just an amenity — it’s an asset.

“They increase property values,” she said. “Trees have a proven financial benefit to the city.”

According to Bell-Llewellyn, Coral Gables manages roughly 40,000 trees located in parks and public rights-of-way. The city has earned the Tree City USA designation every year since 1985 and plants between 100 and 200 new trees annually. That investment has paid off: about 42 percent of the city’s total land area is shaded by tree canopy, the second-highest coverage in Florida — behind Gainesville, which she noted lacks Coral Gables’ urban density.

The cost of the canopy

To sustain the canopy, the city dedicates $1.9 million annually to tree care, maintenance, and replacements. Bell-Llewellyn described a meticulous operation that includes pruning, relocating trees, and removing those deemed unsafe or beyond recovery.

“We remove trees only when they’re hazardous or in extreme decline,” she said. “We’re very conservative because we want to maintain our tree canopy.”

The benefits extend well beyond aesthetics. Trees help reduce heat, filter air pollutants, manage stormwater runoff, and even lower neighborhood cooling costs.

Staffing and strategy

When board members asked what her department most needed, Bell-Llewellyn didn’t hesitate. “Staff,” she said.

Her division of Public Works has about 30 employees, including six certified arborists who monitor contractors responsible for pruning and maintenance. With seven designated tree zones across the city, she said having one arborist per zone would be ideal.

She also clarified the city’s tree permit rules: on private property, homeowners can prune up to 25 percent of a tree without a permit, but all work on public trees or right-of-way trees requires one.

Mapping every branch

One of the most forward-looking parts of the city’s tree management strategy is its use of geographic information systems (GIS). Bell-Llewellyn introduced the board to Cartographer, a new database that tracks every city-managed tree and its maintenance history. The platform provides real-time updates to staff and contractors and will soon be accessible to the public.

Nod to Merrick’s vision

Bell-Llewellyn also gave credit where it was due — to city founder George Merrick, whose early design for Coral Gables wove tree-lined streets and public green spaces into the urban fabric.

Her presentation ended with words of appreciation from the board, whose members seemed surprised by the scale and complexity of managing the city’s canopy. Several board members thanked her for connecting the dots between finance and the city’s tree maintenance efforts.

Line of credit scrapped

After the environmental interlude, the board returned to more conventional business. Members revisited a proposal to recommend that the City Commission establish a $100 million line of credit for use in emergencies such as hurricanes or natural disasters.

City financial adviser Jay Glover advised against it, citing unnecessary costs. “Banks are very willing to lend that type of money on short notice,” he said. “But there’s a cost — at least 25 basis points per year, or about $250,000 annually — just to keep it open.”

The board agreed with his assessment and voted not to move the recommendation forward. Instead, members opted to explore other post-disaster financing tools available through federal and state recovery programs.

Balancing budgets, branches

The meeting closed with a brief discussion of upcoming fiscal reports and capital reserve strategies. But it was clear that the morning’s most engaging conversation wasn’t about numbers.

In Coral Gables, where civic pride is measured as much in shade as in balance sheets, the Budget Board’s deep dive into the city’s urban forest underscored an essential truth: stewardship of “The City Beautiful” is both an aesthetic and a fiscal responsibility.