Benicia prides itself on being a Tree City USA and a tree friendly city.

Recent street and bus stop improvements to the entrance to Benicia’s downtown shopping area included trees in a new median area. The Benicia Tree Foundation has promised to plant hundreds of trees, and Benicia Community Gardens has committed to developing community orchards.

So when Pacific Gas and Electric comes in and cuts deep V and L shapes into some of those trees, City Hall anticipates complaints from residents.

In some cases, particularly with palm trees that can be trimmed only a few times, the trees must be cut severely. Palms often have to have the top cut off, leaving a tall stump for property owners to remove.

Unlike other tree types, palms can’t be shredded into mulch, said Mike Dotson, director of Parks and Community Services. Other trees can be mulched, with the chips used throughout the city.

PG&E’s peculiar tree trimming is the utility’s way of keeping power lines clear of branches, Dotson said. It’s not for aesthetic purposes.

The style of those cuts is designed to keep branches from damaging lines and to train the tree to send new growth in the opposite direction, he explained during the City Council meeting Tuesday night.

Because such actions are governed at the state level, PG&E’s contractor — in Benicia’s case, Davey Tree Inc. — doesn’t need a city permit before it brings out the branch cutters, Dotson said.

Benicia staff discovered this in 2008, shortly after the Council approved the city tree ordinance, he said. Davey Tree employees had started clearing lines along East Second Street, and city employees told them to stop because they didn’t have a city permit.

Representatives of PG&E then advised the city that no such permits were needed.

The encounter started a dialogue between Benicia and the utility that has remained cordial, Dotson said.

“We have had positive conversations with them,” he said.

PG&E continues to protect its lines and other infrastructure, and the city received assurances the trimming will be done according to industry standards.

City employees still may get residents’ complaints each time the utility trims trees, but they average only three a year, Dotson said.

PG&E sends the city a copy of its work orders, which is shared among the city arborist and superintendents of parks and building maintenance, Public Works and water and wastewater.

Those employees monitor the utility’s work — and get ready for citizens’ objections, Dotson told the Council.

The city sends its arborist to inspect the work as well as to explain to residents that the utility is cutting trees in those distinctive patterns to protect the lines and ensure safe and reliable electrical service.

The utility works hard to explain what it does and why it does it, Dotson said.

A recent joint agency meeting organized by PG&E and Davey Tree was attended by representatives of Marin, Sonoma and Napa counties, as well as Benicia’s and other municipalities’ employees, and Cal Fire.

“The purpose of the meeting was to educate agencies on PG&E’s vegetation management program, and develop better cooperation and coordination between agencies,” Dotson said.

Benicia is trying to develop additional solutions, too, especially when trees have to be cut down.

Dotson said it’s possible to look at moving some trees, especially palms, to new sites rather than have them destroyed.

He told the Council that city employees are reaching out to local Scouts and the Tree Foundation to see if they can help replant some of those trees.

Meanwhile, he said, his department is looking at additional ways to remind the public that the utility needs to protect power lines by trimming trees.

“I’m glad to hear we have good relations,” Mayor Elizabeth Patterson said, adding that the utility has authorization to trim limbs to the joint.

Dotson said a video on the utility’s Web page gives viewers information about the subject of trees and power lines. Those interested can view the clip at www.pge.com/en/myhome/servicerequests/treetrimming/index.page?.