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Residents press township on tree removal and electric police cars; committee cites street-tree program and EV constraints
Summary
Public commenters urged stricter limits on tree removal and recommended electric police vehicles; officials said a tree ordinance will limit clear-cutting, the township has funded large‑caliper street-tree plantings, and EV procurement is constrained by supplier availability and co-op timelines.
Several residents used public comment at the Feb. 19 Morris Township Committee meeting to call for stronger protections for the township’s tree canopy and to encourage a move toward electric vehicles in the municipal fleet, including police cars.
Steve Lares told the committee that residents move to the township for trees and asked for an ordinance limiting the number of trees that can be removed on private property: "We need to really focus on why people move to this township... We need to put up some type of ordinance about how many trees you can take down on your property," he said. Lares also urged the township to explore procuring electric police vehicles, saying they would reduce idling and emissions.
Officials responded with program details and procurement constraints. The mayor and other committee members said a formal tree ordinance is in development and that it will limit clear-cutting and restrict the number of trees removed on residential properties. Township staff said the municipality has funded a street-tree planting program for the past four years, allocating roughly $75,000 to $100,000 annually for large-caliper street-trees and reporting that the township has planted "probably close to 500" such trees in recent years.
On electric police vehicles, the committee and a member of the public acknowledged supply challenges. An elected official said the township set a policy to replace fleet vehicles with hybrid or electric models, but dealers and co-op purchasing organizations have not been able to fill orders: "We had ordered 2 hybrid police interceptors a few years ago, and then the dealer said they couldn't fill the order," a committee member said. The official explained that cooperative contracts (co-ops) used to procure vehicles, which save taxpayers money, have limited inventory and that vehicle prices have risen significantly, increasing budget line items for future vehicle purchases.
Committee members said the township is pursuing EV charging stations in new developments and is committed to longer-term electrification where feasible, but warned that vehicle availability and state procurement constraints limit immediate fleet conversions.
Other environmental measures referenced at the meeting included a resolution supporting anti-idling measures for government agencies, schools and businesses and expansion of the township’s grant-funded street-tree program to additional neighborhoods beyond those impacted by emerald ash borer.
Officials encouraged residents with specific concerns to review the draft tree ordinance when it is posted and to continue participating in environmental-commission initiatives. The committee said the environmental commission has added associate members and plans public programming on sustainable landscaping.
