Carolyn Cooper Emails – Exhibit C

May 1, 2012

City Commissioner Carolyn Cooper sent this email concerning tree trimming to at least 1,200 Winter Park residents on April 22, 2012.

City staff reviewed the city’s tree trimming policies and reasoning during the April 23, 2012 city commission meeting, including this slide presentation.

Comparing Ms. Cooper’s email with the city staff presentation, it appears Ms. Cooper is more interested in carpet bombing our citizens with pictures of dead babies than being part of a well considered effort to assure our tree canopy is managed intelligently and with an appropriate balance between aesthetics, public safely, electric reliability, and budgetary concerns.

When placed in the context that roughly 5,000 of 22,000 trees on city right of ways are in proximity to overhead power lines, that our city has an estimated 75,000 total trees, that tree trimming practices involve important tradeoffs, and that we are working toward fully undergrounding the overhead power lines within seventeen years, Ms. Cooper’s choice to politicize this issue demonstrates questionable judgment.

Ms. Cooper’s continual grandstanding distracts city staff and the city commission from reaching thoughtful decisions on tree trimming as well as on subjects of equal or greater importance to our city’s social and financial well being.

Regards, Pete Weldon