No person with the exception of the City shall remove any public tree without replacing such tree with a tree of equivalent dollar value in the vicinity of the removed tree. The dollar value of the tree shall be determined by the Urban Forest Manager in accordance with regulations considering the species, size, condition and location of trees adopted by the Urban Forestry Board. If no suitable location exists in the vicinity of the tree removed. or if the replacement tree is of lesser value. the person causing the tree to be removed shall make a compensatory payment to the City equal to the difference in dollar value between the tree removed and replacement trees and if no tree is replaced, the entire value of the tree.
Any public tree that is damaged, but not badly enough to justify its removal as determined by the Urban Forest Manager, shall be considered to be devalued. The dollar amount of devaluation shall be paid to the City by the person causing the damage. Such compensatory payment, either for removal or devaluation shall be paid into a fund established by the Director of Finance for that purpose and used solely by the Urban Forest Manager for the purpose of enhancing the Urban Forest. (Ord. 6-1986. Passed 3-17-86.)