A. Pruning And Removal: No topping or dehorning of trees shall be permitted, except by written permission of the Director of Public Works. Proper cabling and bracing shall be substituted for this practice wherever possible.
1. All large, established trees shall be pruned to the following height to allow free passage of pedestrians and vehicular traffic: at least seven feet (7') over sidewalks and a minimum clearance of fourteen feet (14') over all streets.
2. It shall be the policy of the Director of Public Works to cooperate with the Municipal or utility lighting engineer, and vice versa, in the placement and selection of lighting standards and the development of a system of tree pruning that will give effective street illumination.
3. All cuts shall be made with a saw or pruner and only at the nodes or crotches. No stubs shall be left. No spurs or climbing irons shall be used in the trees, except when trees are to be removed.
4. All dead branches shall be removed; branches that cross or rub should be pruned to eliminate the problem.
5. To prevent the spread of infectious diseases, all pruning tools must be disinfected before being used on a new tree.
6. Whenever streets are to be blocked off to public service, all Police and Fire Departments shall be notified of the location and length of time the street will be blocked. Notifications shall be given these departments upon the removal of such barriers or if such barriers are to remain longer than originally expected.
7. To protect the public from danger, suitable street and sidewalk barriers, highway cones, or signs shall be used when pruning a tree. Signals, flares or flasher lights shall be placed on all barriers or obstructions remaining in the street after dark.
8. The stumps of all removed trees shall be cut to at least six inches (6") below the ground level, the soil cavity shall be filled with soil and then leveled. (Ord. 649-2019, 7-15-2019)
B. Spraying: Suitable precautions shall be taken to protect and warn the public that spraying is being done.
1. Spraying shall be done only for the control of specific diseases or insects, with the proper materials in the necessary strength, and applied at the proper time, to obtain the desired control. All spraying practices shall conform to Federal and State regulations.
2. Dormant oil sprays shall not be applied to Sugar Maple, Japanese Maple, Beech, Flowering Dogwood, Hickory, Walnut, and most crabapple trees. Dormant oil sprays shall be applied only when the air temperature is at least forty degrees Fahrenheit (40°F) for a period of twenty four (24) hours after spraying.
C. Fertilization: Fertilization of public trees shall follow the recommendations of the Natural History Survey or other accepted arboricultural standards.
Methods of application of fertilizers shall be specified by the Director of Public Works. (Ord. 642-2018, 9-28-2018)
D. Cavities: Trees with an extensive cavity(ies) shall be removed promptly. (Ord. 649-2019, 7-15-2019)
E. Cabling And Bracing: As a general rule, cables should be located above the crotch at a point approximately two-thirds (2/3) of the distance between the crotch and tops of the branch ends. Rust-resistant cables, thimbles, and lags should be used. The ends of a cable should be attached to hooks or eyes of lags or bolts inserted near the ends of the branches; thimbles must be used in the eye splice in each end of the cable. In no instance shall cable be wrapped around a branch.
All cabling and bracing practices with screw rods shall follow National Arborist Association or other accepted arboricultural standards. (Ord. 642-2018, 9-28-2018)