New city arborist proposes city take over large park-strip trees
August 1, 2023, 4:00 p.m. · City Administration Conference Room, 51 E. Main St.
New city arborist Ben Ash proposed rewriting the urban forestry code to clarify who owns and maintains park-strip trees, with the city assuming responsibility for nonconforming trees 10 inches or wider and owners handling smaller ones after a 30-day notice. Council members favored giving residents a 'fix-it' notice first; parks staff said correcting large trees can cost residents $5,000 to $10,000. The council also received open-meetings and conflict-of-interest training.
From the approved minutes.
Decisions at a glance
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| City arborist report on urban forestry code | Discussed |
| Open meetings and confidentiality training | Discussed |
Agenda, item by item
Item 1 · City code
City arborist report on urban forestry code
Discussed
Ash proposed clarifying public versus private trees (Sec. 12.16.040), pruning clearances, planting specs and TCIA standards; the city would own and correct trees 10 inches or larger in diameter that do not fit park strips, protect valuable trees during utility work and restore landscaping it damages. City Attorney Cherylyn Egner said park strips in the right-of-way are city property and shifting ownership would be complicated. Parks' Jason Thomson said fix-it notices on large trees could cost residents $5,000-$10,000. Carroll suggested giving residents credit for replacement trees.
- Threshold: trees 10 inches or more in diameter
- Proposed notice period: 30 days
Item 2 · Other
Open meetings and confidentiality training
Discussed
Egner reviewed open meeting law, limits on closed sessions, that disclosing closed-session discussions is a class B misdemeanor, conflict-of-interest disclosures and gift rules. Shelton praised the planning commission's AI-assisted minutes.