Are they lombardy poplars?

Nope...much more refined and slower growing than Lombardy poplar.

Possibly columnar European hornbeam, Carpinus betulus 'Fastigiata'. These can start out quite narrow but eventually get rather wide, more so with great age.

They tend to have a very dense, more or less upright branch structure.......I could see where a 'hedge trimmer' might be thought appropriate :-)

Thank you....looking at pictures I believe you are right.
So now what? Obviously they were planted in the wrong place....under wires and too close to the building. Is it appropriate to do the hedge trimmers trim? Or will that just promote more tip growth at the expense of interior structure?
Maybe I should just wait until my time on the board is up and let the next person handle it...
Thanks for any advice!
Linda C