Maggie LaNoue, Contributing Writer
A larger-than-usual crowd filled Albion City Council chambers on Monday, April 6, drawn largely by concern over the city’s aggressive tree removal program. They stayed for a conversation that went much deeper — raw sewage backing up into manholes, a sewer fund nearly exhausted, and a warning from the city’s own insurance carrier that Albion’s neglected sidewalks and trees had become a liability risk.
Public Services Director Jason Kern described the winter as a “perfect storm” — colder than normal, with frost driving deep into the ground. Water mains broke first. Then the sanitary sewer mains began to fail. Emergency repairs were required on North Ionia, North Monroe, Hall, Fitch, and West Center Streets, with the council approving $121,000 for the work.
On Fitch Street, Kern told council, sewage had backed up all the way to the brim of manholes. Tree roots had encased sections of clay pipe so completely that a contractor had to use a cement saw to cut them out before new pipe could be laid.
The insurance pressure came earlier. In February 2025, Kern met with the city’s risk management carrier. “They asked me, ‘What do you have for trees? What’s the condition of your sidewalks?” he told the council. The carrier’s message was direct: get a tree inventory, develop a sidewalk plan, and address heaves greater than 1.5 inches — or risk losing coverage if an injury results from conditions the city knew about and ignored.
The deeper problem, Kern said, is years of inaction. “There has been no consistency, no following through with any of this stuff,” he said. He noted the city has had six city managers and six DPW directors since a 2018 sewer evaluation identified nearly 1,900 feet of high-risk pipe requiring attention within one to two years. “Nothing has been done,” he said. “We have 44,000 feet, almost 45,000 feet of sewer line that should have been dealt with already.”
Finance Director David Clark told council the sewer fund is “pretty much at our end.” The $121,000 emergency can be covered, barely, but Clark said the city must find a new financing tool. He is exploring direct infrastructure lending, a credit line from banks that specialize in municipal infrastructure, repayable over 20 to 30 years.
The crowd that had gathered over concern for the trees was patient. They sat through budget constraints, sewer failures, and emergency repair votes before public comment was called. When their turn came, they spoke.
Dr. Wesley Arlen Dick invoked Albion’s Earth Day legacy and asked whether the city would be remembered for mass tree removal or for “a renewed reverence for nature.” Dr. Dale Kennedy urged caution in timing oak removal, citing oak wilt season rules and the ecological value of native species. Celeste Connemacher asked whether arborists had assessed the marked trees and outlined alternatives — root barriers, curved sidewalk alignments, permeable pavers.
City Manager Sheryl Theriot closed by acknowledging the community’s concern and promising a systematic approach. She said the city is pursuing grants and has been in contact with Consumers Energy about additional tree-planting resources. “We will remain a beautiful Tree City,” she said, “moving forward and being thoughtful in how we approach tree planting and preservation.”
The tree conversation is not over. Coverage of Albion’s tree program will continue in The Recorder as the city develops its approach to assessment, removal, and replanting.
