A. To manage, preserve and protect the Village's Urban Forest by way of planting, pruning, removal, construction, accidents/vandalism, and natural disasters. This plan also is to provide for the proper parkway and right-of-way standards and establishment of new trees, the protection and maintenance of existing trees and timely removal of hazardous or infectious diseased trees on both public and private lands. The Village's trees, landscape, and parks are critical infrastructure to the Village, residents, wildlife, and planet, and must be protected and cared for responsibly.
B. It is further intended to balance the property rights of individual property owners with those of the overall health, safety and welfare interests of the Village. Trees enhance and preserve the air quality of the village through the filtering effect of trees on air pollutants, reduce noise within the village through the baffle and barrier effect of trees on the spread of noise, reduce topsoil erosion through the soil retention effect of tree roots, reduce energy consumption through windbreak and shade effects, provide nesting areas for birds and other wildlife which in turn assist in the control of insects, reduce storm-water runoff and the costs associated therewith, replenish groundwater supplies and protect as well as increase property values.
C. The Director of the Public Works Department and/or their designee, hereinafter referred to as the "Director", shall have full authority and responsibility to plant, prune, maintain and remove trees and woody plants growing in or upon all municipal streets, rights-of ways, city parks, and other public property. This shall include the removal of trees that may threaten electrical, telephone, gas, or any municipal water or sewer line, or any tree that is affected by fungus, insect, or other pest disease. All city departments will coordinate as necessary with the Director and will provide services as required to ensure compliance with this chapter as it relates to streets, alleys, rights-of-way, drainage, easements, and other public properties not under direct jurisdiction of the Director. No person shall hinder, prevent, delay, or interfere with the Director or his agents while engaged in carrying out the execution or enforcement.
(Ord. 17-2012, 3-28-2012; amd. Ord. 32-2019, 5-28-2019; Ord. 30-2023, 6-20-2023)