Lake City council tables tree-management ordinance after questions on maintenance, utilities and funding

Lake City — The City Council on Feb. 26 voted unanimously to table Ordinance 2025.001, a first-reading measure that would establish policies, regulations and standards for management of public trees and create an advisory tree board.

The ordinance’s stated purpose, read into the record by Mayor Umika Robinson, is “to establish policies, regulations, and standards for the management of public trees within the city limits. Public tree management shall include but not be limited to tree establishment, maintenance, protection, and removal.” Council members and members of the public pressed staff for details on planting locations, long-term maintenance, utility-line clearance and likely costs before the council considered a first-reading vote.

Lisa Jones, a city staff member speaking for the administration, described the advisory role the proposed tree board would play: “The policies regarding public trees will have an advisory council, the tree board, constituted under this ordinance that will make recommendations to the city in regards to how we will handle any issues related to public trees.” Jones said the current tree-planting activities tied to the city’s program are predominantly on private property and school grounds and are supported by outside partners including Trees for SC, the South Carolina Forestry Commission, the Green Infrastructure Center and Clemson Extension. She said some plantings are scheduled for next month in the Martha Law neighborhood and that trees ordered for school grounds are on order.

Several residents described concerns about roots affecting sidewalks, underground utilities and sewer lines. One resident said, “I’m also concerned about, as far as the roots of the trees... with the underground well, sidewalks and also the piping and stuff like that.” Jones responded that areas within SCDOT easements are governed by South Carolina Department of Transportation rules and that the city had not yet decided to plant public trees as part of this project; current expectations, she said, are to augment the city canopy mainly through private-property plantings.

Council members asked about tree size, planting stock and maintenance. Jones said tree sizes vary by species — some planted stock is shrub-like while shade trees can grow as high as about 30 feet — and that three arborists are advising the project: one from the Green Infrastructure Center, one from the South Carolina Forestry Commission and one from Moore Farms acting as consultant. She said arborists determine appropriate species and locations and favor indigenous trees.

The proposed ordinance also spells out administration and enforcement language, including that “shall” is mandatory when used in the ordinance text. Council members raised specific edit suggestions, including loosening language on utility-line clearance to allow leeway for emergency situations, and refining requirements on topping restrictions, tree-protection fencing and removal permits.

Jones and council members discussed funding. Jones said the city has a “good relationship” with the South Carolina Forestry Commission and that the Green Infrastructure Center procures trees through several nurseries; she also said the city recently secured a grant from the South Carolina Forestry Commission for planting a food forest. She said a separate maintenance grant application — funded through provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act — remained unresolved at the time of the meeting. Council staff also noted past federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) work: a previously funded demolition project identified 38 properties and the city completed work on 18 of them, and future CDBG funds could help address additional blight if available.

On process and responsibility, Jones said private landowners who request and receive trees are expected to install and maintain them on their property. If the tree board recommends planting public trees, Jones said, council would make the final decision on whether to plant and how to fund maintenance: “If the tree board were to make a recommendation to the city council and city council were to say we want to plant tree, then yes,” Jones said. Council members asked staff to circulate the ordinance text for suggested edits before the item returned to the council.

After discussion, Councilman Brown moved to table the ordinance so members could receive and submit edits; the motion to table was seconded and passed by a unanimous show-of-hands vote. Council staff said they would send the ordinance text to council members with instructions for submitting edits and that the item would be brought back for consideration at the next meeting.

Other formal actions recorded on the Feb. 26 agenda included a unanimous vote to enter executive session under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act, sections 30-4-70(a)(1) and (2), for discussion of personnel and receipt of legal advice, and a subsequent unanimous vote to adjourn.

The council did not approve Ordinance 2025.001 on first reading. The ordinance remains under revision and will return to the council after staff circulates draft language and members provide edit requests.