Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Urban Forestry topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee advances tree ordinance revisions and creation of Urban Forestry Commission to public hearing
Summary
The Ordinance Committee voted to send an updated tree ordinance to public hearing that replaces the Tree Advisory Committee with an Urban Forestry Commission, clarifies definitions, and establishes staggered commission terms. Staff said the commission will support the tree warden and Park & Recreation; committee members asked for a final scrub of
The Ordinance Committee voted to send revisions to the city’s tree ordinance to public hearing, including creation of a new Urban Forestry Commission to replace the existing Tree Advisory Committee. Staff described the package as largely definitional and organizational and asked the committee to approve sending the current draft to public hearing so implementation can proceed before year-end.
Key changes include a new definition for a Tree Stewardship Program (formerly the tree liaison concept), the formal establishment of an Urban Forestry Commission, updated terminology to use gender-neutral pronouns, and replacement of several references to the tree warden and deputy tree warden. The draft staggers initial commission terms so the five-member body does not expire all at once; staff proposed term expirations in 2027, 2028 and 2029 to create a rotation.
Staff and committee members said the commission would be a nonvoting, ex‑officio partner for the tree warden and Parks & Recreation Department and would advise on the city’s tree master plan. Committee members asked staff to confirm that the draft aligns with recent charter changes that affect commissions, to scrub pronoun usage and to make small drafting cleanups before the public hearing.
Nora moved to send the ordinance to public hearing; the motion passed unanimously. Staff said they will do a final editorial and charter-conformance pass and circulate the updated text to committee members before the hearing.
