(a) Permit Required. No person shall plant, remove, destroy, cut, prune, treat, break, climb, injure or spray any tree existing on any public place in the City, or authorize or procure any person to do so, or remove or tamper with any device placed for the protection of any such tree, or attach any rope, wire, chain, sign or other device placed for the protection of such tree, or authorize or cause the same to be done, without having first obtained a permit from the City Arborist.
(b) Species, Spacing, Size, Supports. Such permit, when granted for the planting of any tree to be located on any public place in the City, shall designate the species of tree to be planted, the required spacing and required minimum planting size, as specified in the Master Street Tree Plan as such Plan now exists or as it may be amended from time to time. All newly planted trees, whether installed by the abutting property owner or contractor, shall be supported by a ninety-six inch iron fence post placed on the street side of the tree. No person shall guy any tree less than four inches in caliper with wires or rope. For trees over four inches in caliper, special permission must be obtained, and the permitted must assume liability for accidents occurring therefrom.
(c) Application Data. The application for the permit herein required shall state the number and kind of trees to be trimmed, sprayed, preserved, removed or planted, and kind of treatment to be administered and such other information as the City Arborist shall find reasonably necessary to a fair determination of whether a permit should issue hereunder.
(d) Standards for Issuance. The City Arborist shall issue the permit provided for herein when he finds that the desired action or treatment is necessary and that the proposed method and workmanship are satisfactory.
(e) Supervision. The City Arborist shall have the authority and it shall be his duty to supervise all work done under a permit issued in accordance with the terms of this chapter.
(f) Conditional Permit. The City Arborist shall have the authority to affix reasonable conditions to the grant of a permit hereunder.
(g) Exemptions. No permit shall be required to cultivate, fertilize or water public trees or shrubs. The City Arborist may authorize any person to do any work or act described in subsection (a) herein without written permit whenever he determines that such work or act will not be detrimental to the public interest and will be in accord with the spirit and other requirements of this chapter.