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Residents, Shade Tree and Environmental commissioners urge action on road salt and tree losses; council introduces salt-storage and stormwater rules
Summary
Public commenters and commissioners told the council Jan. 28 that heavy salting and vandalism in the business district are damaging street trees; the council later introduced ordinances on privately owned salt storage and updated stormwater control rules for future public hearing.
Morristown — Members of the Morristown Shade Tree Commission and the town's Environmental Commission told the council Jan. 28 they are seeing excessive road-salt application and vandalism that threaten street trees in the business district, and they requested help from the administration and council.
Kristen Ace, chair of the Shade Tree Commission, said the commission has logged volunteer hours and planted trees across town, then described damage she said was caused by salt and by vandalism: "This amount of salt in a tree will kill it," Ace said, adding that salt had been ground into the flexi-pave in tree wells and was entering the root zone. She said flyers and outreach had not reached the correct business contacts and appealed to the council and administration for support.
Casey Ziske, chair of the Environmental Commission and a water-resource manager by profession, told the council that excess salting is corrosive, harms vehicles, lawns and infrastructure and costs the town money. Ziske also noted a permit requirement: "The new MS4 permits require removal of excess salt within 72 hours after application," she said, and suggested the town consider alternatives such as brine rather than rock salt.
Council members and administration staff were credited with stepping in to investigate vandalism in the business district; the Shade Tree Commission said it had coordinated with town staff and the Morristown Partnership but that some outreach had failed to reach business decision-makers.
On the agenda later in the meeting the council introduced two ordinances related to environmental controls that staff said are relevant to salt handling and stormwater: Ordinance O-4-2025, amending the town code on privately owned salt storage (land development, environmental regulations, grading, privately owned salt storage), and Ordinance O-5-2025, replacing the town's stormwater control regulations (part of environmental regulations, stormwater control). Both ordinances were introduced by title and received roll-call votes to set public hearings for Feb. 11, 2025.
Why it matters: Salt that migrates into planter wells and soil can injure or kill urban trees and affects water quality and infrastructure. Commissioners urged quicker administrative action, better business outreach, and consideration of alternative materials and practices to protect the urban canopy and comply with state MS4 stormwater requirements.
Next steps: Ordinances O-4-2025 and O-5-2025 were introduced and will be considered at public hearings on Feb. 11, 2025. Commissioners asked staff for deeper follow-up and earlier notification to the Shade Tree Commission and Environmental Commission as the town develops implementation details.
