For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
“Adjacent property owner” means a person that owns property immediately next to something, such as a public street or right-of-way.
“American National Standards Institute (ANSI)” means the professional specifications and standards governing safe and appropriate horticultural and tree care practices, as periodically updated or revised, including but not limited to the following American National Standard for Tree Care Operations chapters:
1. ANSI A300 Tree, Shrub, and other Woody Plant Management - Standard Practices:
a. Management of Trees and Shrubs During Site Planning, Site Development, and Construction, most current edition;
b. Planting and Transplanting, most current edition;
c. Pruning, most current edition;
d. Root Management, most current edition; and
e. Tree Risk Assessment - Tree Structure Assessment, most current edition.
2. ANSI Z133.1 - American National Standards for Arboricultural Operations - Safety Requirements, most current edition.
3. ANSI Z60.1 - American Standard for Nursery Stock, most current edition.
“Arborist” means a professional who possesses the technical competence gained through experience and related training to provide for or supervise the management of trees and other woody plants in residential, commercial, and public landscapes.
“Boundary tree” means a tree that straddles boundary lines of privately-owned property and public property or public streets.
“City” means the City of Columbus, Indiana, including, but not limited to, the Common Council, boards, departments and agencies, the City Arborist, or the Street Tree Committee.
“Median tree” means a tree located within a strip or island of land that separates opposing lanes of traffic.
“Nuisance” means any tree, or limb or root thereof, that has an infectious disease or insect; is dead or dying; obstructs the view of traffic signs or the free passage of pedestrians or vehicles; is an undesirable tree species; or threatens public health, safety, and welfare.
“Person” means a person, firm, partnership, association, corporation, company, or organization of any kind.
“Public property” means any property owned or controlled by the city.
“Public street” means the entire area between the boundary lines of dedicated right-of-way open to the use of the public, as a matter of right, for the purpose of vehicular and pedestrian traffic within the corporate limits of the city.
“Public tree” means a tree located within the boundary lines of land owned or controlled by the city, including public street, medians, parks, and other public properties.
“Owner” means the person in whom is vested the ownership, dominion, or title of property.
“Right-of-way” means a strip of land reserved for, occupied, or intended to be occupied by transportation facilities, public utilities or other special public uses. Right-of-way may be held in the form of easement or fee.
“Street tree” means a tree next to a public street on a right-of-way that is owned or controlled by the city.
“Top” means the non-standard practice of cutting back limbs to stubs within a tree's crown to such a degree that normal canopy removed disfigures the tree.
“Tree” means a woody perennial plant, typically having a single stem or trunk growing to a considerable height and bearing lateral branches at some distance from the ground.
“Tree care” means the planting, pruning, removal, treating, spraying, and any other tree maintenance or planning or horticultural work intended for the enhancement or preservation of trees and tree canopy, and the removal or prevention of biotic agents like pests and diseases with potential to cause tree damage. Tree care may also include pruning of tree limbs for above ground utility clearance and care of tree roots for soil excavation near neighboring construction improvements.
“Tree work manual” means the official arboricultural specifications manual of tree care as adopted by the city which specifies the policies, programs and recommended best management practices of urban forestry in the city, including a plan to plant and maintain trees on public property and within public streets and descriptions of planting recommendations for size, spacing, and tree species that are desirable and undesirable. (Ord. 4-2022, 2022)