10-14-2020 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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STAFF REPORT TO: Mayor Keis and Members of the City Council FROM: Bill Dircks, Public Works Director DATE: October 14, 2020 RE: Tree Policy ACTION TO BE CONSIDERED: Motion to adopt the tree policy. BACKGROUND: Trees and the responsibility for trees are the basis for a large number of communications with City staff. The typical topics of discussion are ownership of the tree, trees encroaching on streets and sidewalks, trees encroaching on another property, and dead trees. The policy has been written to include information and policies on those issues with regard to the City’s responsibility. Many cities in the area have tree guidelines of some sort and Little Canada has used the same guidelines over the years but thought it would be beneficial to create a policy that can be used when necessary. In the past there have been requests for the City to remove trees from City-owned property that abutted private property. The City will remove dead, dangerous, or diseased trees if they are a potential threat to an abutting property. If the tree is deemed to be healthy the City has not removed it. Another example is trees at intersections. There have been intersections in the City that have trees or bushes growing in areas that make it difficult for people in vehicles to see traffic coming from one or more directions. In those cases, the policy allows for the City to clear the trees and/or bushes to improve sight distance from all directions. Another topic covered in the proposed policy involves storm damage cleanup efforts. In the past, City staff has made a decision on whether or not to perform a city-wide brush cleanup based on the severity of the storm and the number of properties affected. Staff has added this to the tree policy for future storm events. Also covered in the policy is diseased trees on public and private property. Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is starting to affect trees in the City and will likely only get worse. City staff will attempt to inventory all ash trees on public property and will formulate a plan for the treatment or removal of diseased trees. Diseased trees on private property are the responsibility of the property owner and should be removed as soon as possible to prevent the spread of the disease to other trees. Other topics covered include tree trimming performed by the City and required licensing of tree contractors in order to work in the City. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends adopting the tree policy as presented. ATTACHMENTS: Draft Tree Policy