(a) The City shall have the power to plant, prune, maintain and remove trees, plants and shrubs within established right-of-way lines of all public streets, highways, and alleys as may be necessary to insure public safety, enhance the symmetry and beauty of such public grounds, or remove such trees as may be injurious to sewers, electric power lines, gas lines, water lines or other public improvements.
(b) No person shall, as a normal practice, top any tree within the public right-of-way. "Topping" means the severe cutting back of limbs within the tree's crown to such a degree so as to remove the normal canopy or disfigure the tree.
(c) Tree limbs extending over a public sidewalk shall be trimmed to such an extent that no portion of the tree limbs shall be less than seven (7) feet above the sidewalk. Tree limbs extending over streets shall be trimmed so that no portion of the limb or foliage shall interfere with the normal flow of traffic.
(d) Trees within the limits of public parks shall be subject to the provisions of Chapter 971. Trees within the limits of public parks that have limbs extending over a public street, roadway, avenue or public sidewalk adjacent to a public street, roadway, avenue, shall be maintained in accordance with the standards of this chapter.
(e) The Director of Public Service, Director of Public Safety and Director of Parks and Recreation shall have the power to take any other action to properly maintain a public tree upon the advice of a horticulturalist or arborist.
(Ord. 21-16. Passed 3-28-16.)