For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
DAMAGE shall refer to the injury or destruction of a tree, including but not limited to: uprooting; severance of all or part of the root system or main trunk; storage of material on or compaction of surrounding soil; a substantial change in the natural grade above a root system or around a trunk; surrounding the tree with impervious paving materials; or any trauma caused by accident or collision.
MUNICIPAL TREE shall mean any tree owned or maintained by the City of Yuma, including those growing in city rights-of-way, parks, retention basins, and other facilities.
NUISANCE shall be any tree, or limb, that has an infectious disease or insect; is dead or dying; obstructs the view of traffic signs or the free passage of pedestrians or vehicles; or threatens public health, safety and welfare.
PARKWAY is the area along a public street between the curb and the sidewalk; or if there is no curb or sidewalk, the unpaved portion of the area between the street right-of-way line and the paved portion of the street or alley.
PUBLIC PROPERTY shall be all grounds and rights-of-way (ROWs) owned or maintained by the City.
REMOVAL shall mean any intentional or negligent moving, carrying away, elimination or taking away of part or all of a tree.
STREET TREE shall refer to, for the purpose of this chapter, any tree that grows to an average mature height of 30 feet or more, generally has a high branching pattern, and upright or rounded crown form. STREET TREES are planted near the sidewalk or street to provide shade to pedestrians and visual enclosure to the street. The best species for street trees are low maintenance and produce low litter. STREET TREES shall be pruned and maintained to allow for minimum of 12 feet of clearance over any roadway and seven feet of clearance over any sidewalk.
TOP or TOPPING is considered the non-standard practice of cutting back limbs to stubs within a tree’s crown to such a degree as to remove the normal canopy and disfigure the tree.
(Ord. O2019-038, passed 12-4-19; Ord. O2021-041, passed 12-15-2021)