Letter: Gratitude for Milpitas City Manager Steven McHarris

My neighbors next door have four very tall palm trees at the entrance of their house. Due to the lack of maintenance and pruning, the trunks have severely leaned over time, swaying and creaking especially during windy weather, which is quite frightening. Our neighborhood is a circular shape, so many of the neighbors have reached out to the
landlord multiple times to ask for the trees to be trimmed or removed. Unfortunately, the landlord has not been able to provide a solution due to financial constraints, leaving the situation unresolved for over three years.

As the trunks continue to lean and large leaves fall onto our cars, our five-year-old child is afraid to play in the front yard and the elderly in our household avoid walking near the trees. On windy and rainy nights, the trees shake and it feels like they could topple onto
our house at any moment. I have nightmares of the trees falling and destroying our home. In desperation, I reached out to the city to see if there was anything that could be done to help our situation.

I was lucky enough to get in touch with Milpitas City Manager Steven McHarris, who quickly responded to my request. After evaluating our situation and the health of the trees, he put the tree removal enforcement on the agenda. The process was a very long and costly one, but through it all, Steven was always available to provide updates and keep us informed of the progress and time schedule. His communication and support gave my family a glimmer of hope and a sense of warmth in an otherwise difficult situation.

Finally, on February 6th, the trees came down. The construction crew arrived in the afternoon and the entire neighborhood was excited. We all cooperated to move our cars, provide water for the crew, and help with the cleanup process. After the trees were removed, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and the weight of the situation was lifted
from our hearts. The community came together in a way that was truly touching and demonstrated the power of working towards a common goal. The removal of these trees brought our neighborhood closer and created a safer, happier living environment for everyone.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Steven for his dedication and hard work in helping us resolve this difficult situation. His prompt response to our request and constant communication throughout the process showed his genuine care for our safety and well-being. Steven truly went above and beyond to ensure that the tree removal process was smooth and successful.

His unwavering support and encouragement gave us the strength to persevere and see this situation through to its end. The end result is a safer, more beautiful neighborhood for all of us to enjoy. Steven’s actions have made a significant impact on our lives and our community, and for that, we are eternally grateful.

We will always remember Steven as the hero who helped us navigate a difficult and stressful situation and brought our community closer together. His kindness and compassion will never be forgotten, and we hope that his efforts will inspire others to help their neighbors in need. Thank you, Steven, from the bottom of our hearts!

Cathy Wang

Milpitas Resident