No person shall plant, remove, destroy, cut, prune, fertilize, 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 to such tree or authorize or cause the same to be done, without having first obtained a written permit from the Director of Public Service to do so.
(a) Such permit 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 for the City.
(b) A five dollar ($5.00) permit fee per tree shall be paid when requesting a permit to plant a tree in any public place in the City.
(c) Funds generated from the fee as stated in subsection (a) above will be placed in a special fund to be used for replacing damaged, dying or dead trees on tree lawns previously sanctioned by permit.
(d) If a permit was not obtained for the planting of an existing tree, replacement or removal shall be at the tree owner's expense.
(e) Trees planted without a permit, dead, diseased or hazardous trees or those prohibited by Section 949.10, may be removed by the Urban Forestry Manager. Before removal, the property owner shall be notified in writing that said tree is in violation of Section 949.03. The property owner shall have fifteen days to remove said tree. After the expiration of the fifteen days, the City may enter upon the premises and remove the tree.
(Ord. 1994-37. Passed 6-2-94; Ord. 2003-167. Passed 7-17-03.)