It shall be the duty of any person owning private property to comply with the following.
(A) Planting on private property. No person shall plant or allow to be planted on any privately- owned property any tree listed on the city tree plan as prohibited.
(B) Acceptable plant materials. All plant materials shall not have characteristics detrimental to the public welfare such as susceptibility to disease and wind damage or a tendency to interfere with utilities or public easements or rights-of-way.
(C) Prohibited obstructions.
(1) Obstructing view. No tree or herbaceous plant or shrub shall be planted or allowed to grow so as to obstruct the view of any vehicular traffic on streets or pathways or pedestrians on pathways.
(2) Utilities. No trees may be planted under or within ten level feet of any overhead utility wire or over or within ten lateral feet of any underground water line.
(D) Trimming of trees. Private property trees must be trimmed so as not to cause a hazard to persons or property on abutting property. All trees shall be pruned to sufficient height to allow free passage of pedestrians and vehicular traffic: nine feet over sidewalks and 16 feet over streets.
(E) Tree inspection. The City Forester may enter on any private lands which may harbor diseased or dangerous trees as listed in the official Comprehensive Tree Plan to inspect trees located on the premises.
(F) Removal of diseased or dangerous trees. Diseased and/or insect-ridden trees, dead or injured trees deemed to be a health or safety hazard by the City Forester must be treated or removed so as not to constitute a health or safety hazard to the public or other trees or plants in the city.
(G) Storm-damaged trees. Storm-damaged trees within the city right-of-way will be removed by the city. Removal of stumps will be the responsibility of the adjacent property owner.
(H) Stockpiling and storage of elm logs. No person shall stockpile or store elm logs with the bark intact without first having obtained a permit to do so, The City Forester may issue permits, upon proper application, for the stockpiling or storage of the logs only between September 15 and April 1 of the following year and only at locations which are specified in the permit.
(I) Abatement of Dutch elm disease. The City Forester shall cause the infected tree or wood to be removed or otherwise effectively treated so as to destroy and prevent, as fully as possible, the spread of Dutch elm disease fungus and elm bark beetles. The abatement procedures shall be carried out in accordance with current technical and expert opinions and plans as may be designated by the City Forester.
(Prior Code, § 1220.07) (Ord. passed 3-1-2011)