Rockwall City Council debated whether to rescind a 2005 resolution that enables city‑coordinated tree transplant days and decided to keep the resolution in force after extended discussion July 21. Councilmembers split on liability and the program’s usefulness; several argued the city should update its tree ordinance rather than abolish the transplant‑day mechanism.

Councilmember Lewis led the proposal to repeal the transplant‑day resolution, saying private property owners should not be obliged to allow volunteers onto their land and expressing concern about potential legal exposure and injuries during transplant work. “It only takes one time for it to be a catastrophe,” he told colleagues, arguing the city should not require property owners to host a public tree‑transplant event.

Other members defended the program as a mitigation tool that saves developers money and allows conservation of trees that otherwise would be cleared. Councilwoman Campbell and others said the transplant events can be effective when professionally run and suggested an ordinance update rather than elimination. Staff noted that under the current UDC developers can still receive mitigation credit for transplanting trees outside a transplant day, and that transplanting authority and criteria are already in the tree ordinance.

After debate, the motion to rescind the 2005 resolution was withdrawn and then reintroduced for discussion; the council ultimately left the resolution in place and agreed the tree ordinance should be reviewed comprehensively at a later date. Several members asked staff to return with an agenda item to consider revisions to the tree ordinance and program rules, including options to make transplant days optional, set criteria for when they apply, and improve public outreach.

The decision keeps the transplant‑day program available as a mitigation option while prompting staff to coordinate a broader review of tree‑mitigation policy and outreach. No immediate changes to the city’s tree mitigation credit process were made that night.