(La Porte, IN) - A huge chunk of money remaining from a $1 million federal grant the City of La Porte was using for removing old and unhealthy trees has been snatched back.

 

Mayor Tom Dermody plans to meet soon with representatives of Congressman Rudy Yakym and decision makers involved in awarding the grant in an attempt to recover the lost revenue.

 

Dermody said about $750,000 was remaining from the grant awarded last year by the U.S. Forest Service to conduct more tree removal in the future.

 

On the “Morning Mayhem” program on 96.7 The Eagle this morning, Dermody said he supports tightening the financial belt on federal spending but taking back already awarded funds should not part of it.

 

“I’m a big believer the federal government has to live within their means and start getting control financially but you honor what you did,” he said.

 

He went on to say tree removal here is in the best interest of public safety given the threat of property damage and harm posed by some of the trees.

 

A high percentage of the city’s old trees are maples from mass plantings a century or more ago. The plan is replacing those trees with different species of trees that won’t result in the sidewalk damage that occurred from the roots on the maples.

 

Dermody said he hopes the decision is not a misunderstanding over the wording contained in the city’s grant application about the desire to achieve a more diverse urban forest given the opposing stance on human diversity by the new administration in the White House and the charge on spending cuts led by the president’s new federal Department of Government Efficiency.

 

“We hope the word diverse hasn’t caused a problem.  You know what I’m saying?,” he said.