(A) If a person, company or public utility wishes to plant, cut, remove or excavate within a ten-foot radius of, or trench within the critical root zone of any tree within the lines of any street or other public place, they must first secure written permission from the Street Superintendent in the form of a tree care permit. Permits are not required for minor maintenance activities described herein as leaf removal, shrub, plant and grass maintenance, or the cutting of any dead or live limb three inches or less in diameter. No permit shall be necessary for tree removal or trimming in the emergency situations detailed in § 95.052. Any town department performing tree care is not required to obtain a tree care permit.
(B) In order to maintain a proper inventory of tree care activities and to assure proper practices in tree care are being implemented on public trees, all tree care work shall follow proper arboricultural standards set forth in this chapter and all tree care work completed shall be reported to the Street Superintendent.
(C) Permits are available, without a charge or fee, to the owner-occupants who own property adjoining the street right-of-way or their agents. The granting or denial of these permits shall be made in accordance with the policies and principles of urban forest management set forth in this chapter or as otherwise adopted by the town.
(D) An annual permit shall be issued to any public electric utilities trimming trees in the public right-of-way. The permit application shall include utility trimming schedules and locations.
(Ord. 06-004, passed 8-8-2006) Penalty, see § 95.999