the original ordinance language (see above). They do not address mitigation of the removal of heritage trees. They are routine city expenditures. At its July 11th meeting the Tree Advisory Board made a significant decision to advise the City Commission to retain the language as currently written regarding expenditure of the and fund’s monies, did approve three additional uses of the tree fund monies: An ecological assessment of the urban forest every five years. An update of the urban forest management plan every ten years. To allow developers to use money that they would pay for mitigation on improvements for trees planted in the right-of-way adjacent to their development. These could take the form of strategies that would provide more room for street trees (expand the planting area) or would prevent soil compaction (a very common cause of trees failing to thrive on busy roads). Whether the Department of Doing will honor the counsel of the Tree Advisory Board regarding the changes to the Land Development Code in its presentation to the Plan Board on July 26th at 6:30 PM in City Hall is unknown. However, the Tree Advisory decisions are clear confirmation that the tree Board’s experts charged with advising the City Commission would like to preserve the integrity of the community’s efforts to protect our heritage trees, and, ultimately, whether the present City Commission will approve the Tree Advisory advice and not follow the to weaken the Tree Board’s previous Commission’s desire Ordinance.
the original ordinance language (see above). They do not address mitigation of the removal of heritage trees. They are routine city expenditures. At its July 11th meeting the Tree Advisory Board made a significant decision to advise the City Commission to retain the language as currently written regarding expenditure of the fund’s monies, and did approve three additional uses of the tree fund monies: An ecological assessment of the urban forest every five years. An update of the urban forest management plan every ten years. To allow developers to use money that they would pay for mitigation on improvements for trees planted in the right-of-way adjacent to their development. These could take the form of strategies that would provide more room for street trees (expand the planting area) or would prevent soil compaction (a very common cause of trees failing to thrive on busy roads). Whether the Department of Doing will honor the counsel of the Tree Advisory Board regarding the changes to the Land Development Code in its presentation to the Plan Board on July 26th at 6:30 PM in City Hall is unknown. However, the Tree Advisory Board’s decisions are clear confirmation that the tree experts charged with advising the City Commission would like to preserve the integrity of the community’s efforts to protect our heritage trees, and, ultimately, whether the present City Commission will approve the Tree Advisory Board’s advice and not follow the previous Commission’s desire to weaken the Tree Ordinance.