(a) No person shall knowingly and maliciously permit any natural or artificial gas, salt, brine, oil, liquid dye, chemicals, rinsates, petroleum products or any other substance deleterious to trees to come in contact with the soil surrounding the roots of any tree upon any public place in the Municipality in such a manner as to kill, injure, deface, destroy or affect the growth of such tree.
(b) No person shall place or maintain upon the ground in any public place any stone,
concrete, brick or other impervious material or substance in such a manner as may obstruct the free access of air and water to the roots of any tree upon any public place without first having obtained written permission from the Public Works Director or his or her designee. Unless otherwise provided for, there shall be maintained about the base of the trunk of each public tree at least nine square feet of open ground for a tree three inches in diameter, and for every two inches of increase in such diameter there shall be an increase of at least one square foot of open ground.
(c) No person in charge of or responsible for the erection, alteration or removal of any building or structure in the Municipality shall permit any tree upon any public place in the vicinity of such operation to stand without a good and sufficient guard or protection as shall prevent injury, damage or defacement to such tree arising out of, in connection with, or by reason of, such operation. The quality of the guard or protection shall be determined by the Public Works Director or his or her designee.
(Ord. 07-05. Passed 4-11-05.)