(A) All municipal trees, shrubs, and cacti shall be planted, managed, and cared for through adherence to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), ANSI A300 Standards for Tree Care Operations - Tree, Shrub, and Other Woody Plant Management (most current revisions).
(B) With the exception of required maintenance, no person shall damage, cut, carve, attach any rope, wire, nails, advertising posters, or other contrivance to any municipal tree; allow any gaseous, liquid, chemical, or solid substance that is harmful to municipal trees to come in contact with them; or set fire or permit fire to burn when such fire or the heat will injure any portion of any municipal trees.
(C) Tree-topping shall not be allowed on municipal trees.
(D) The maintenance of public trees for utility clearance shall conform to all applicable utility industry standards. Only permitted trees, identified in the City of Yuma Recommended Plants List, may be planted under or within fifteen feet of any overhead utility wire.
(E) Any person, firm, corporation, or city department performing construction near any public tree must employ appropriate measures to protect the tree, including, but not limited to, placing barriers around the tree to prevent damage.
(F) The owner of land adjacent to any city street or highway, when acting within the provisions of this chapter, may plant and maintain trees in the adjacent parkway area, subject to obtaining a free encroachment permit from the Engineering Department and free blue staking prior to any digging. Property owners are responsible for the reasonable and routine maintenance of trees and other landscaping in the adjacent parkway area.
(G) Property owners shall not allow a tree, or other plant growing on private property or within the adjacent parkway to obstruct or interfere with pedestrians or the view of drivers, thereby creating a hazard. If an obstruction persists, the City shall notify the property owner to prune or remove the tree or plant. If the owner fails to comply with the notice, the City may undertake the necessary work and charge the cost to the property owner.
(H) 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.
(Ord. O2019-038, passed 12-4-19; Ord. O2021-041, passed 12-15-2021) Penalty, see § 137-99