The city of Atlanta has named a new director of the Bureau of Buildings and is replacing a city arborist who had come under fire from a tree advocacy group, according to an e-mail from the city’s chief operating officer.
In his e-mail to the chairman of The Trees Next Door organization, Shel Schlegman, Atlanta Chief Operating Officer Peter Aman said Don Rosenthal will be the new director of the bureau and that Arboricultural Manager Ainsley Caldwell would be reassigned.
Aman called Rosenthal “a highly experienced and capable new director.”
Aman said Rosenthal has been charged with improving operations in the arborist division.
“We are extremely encouraged that the city of Atlanta has not only heard our complaints, but is taking significant actions to address them,” Schlegman said.
Schlegman said the Tree Next Door group looks forward “to supporting the new arborist division manager, once named, and the new bureau of buildings director, Don Rosenthal, to help Atlanta be both an economically vibrant city and a ‘city of trees.’”
Aman said the Law Department will review actions of several employees in the arborist division and plans to complete the review within 45 days or so.
-John Schaffner