905.06 ABUSE OR MUTILATION OF TREES.
   (a)    Unless specifically authorized by the Director, no person shall intentionally damage, cut, carve, transplant, or remove any public tree; or attach any rope, wire, nail, advertising poster, or order contrivance to any public tree; or allow any gaseous, liquid, or solid substance which is harmful to such trees to come in contact with them, or set fire or permit any fire to burn when such a fire or heat thereof will injure any portion of any tree.
   (b)    No person shall excavate any ditch, tunnel, or trench, or lay any drive within ten (10) feet of a public tree without first obtaining a written permit therefore from the City Engineer.
   (c)    A person excavating or constructing a building or structure near a public tree shall construct a substantial fence, frame, or box to guard the drip line of such a tree and shall keep all building materials, dirt, or other debris outside such barrier.
   
   (d)    No person shall deposit, place, store, or maintain upon any public place or right of way in the City, any stone, brick, sand, concrete, or other material which may impede the free passage of water, air, and fertilizer to the roots of a tree growing therein except by the written
permission of the City Engineer.
   (e)    Flat topping of any public trees is hereby prohibited with the exception of trees severely damaged by storms or other causes, or certain trees under utility wires or other obstructions where standard pruning practices are impractical may be exempted from this section at the determination of the Director or Tree Commission. Where existing street trees within the tree lawn are located under overhead utility lines and line clearance work is required, the utility company or its contractor shall consider complete removal of the tree instead of repetitive line clearance work. (Ord. 4159-20. Passed 1-21-20.)