County commissioners direct staff to draft uniform policy on boulevard trees

County staff briefed the board on repeated city requests to plant boulevard trees within county right-of-way and asked for direction on whether the county should allow new plantings and what conditions to require.

A county staff member summarized tradeoffs: large trees can create sight-distance and root-conflict problems, while boulevard trees can slow traffic and provide aesthetic and air-quality benefits. The staff member said boulevard widths vary across county roads and that some areas are too narrow for new trees.

Commissioners discussed options and supported a single countywide policy that would set an approved list of boulevard trees and require cities to maintain any trees they plant on county right-of-way. "I'd like to see in that policy that if the city wants to have these trees on our county roads, that they would be the ones maintaining them," one commissioner said. The board asked staff to draft a sample agreement or permit for cities to follow and to present it back to the board for review.

Commissioners noted the county should reference existing guidance on appropriate boulevard species; staff mentioned guidance from the University of Minnesota (extension/arboreal recommendations) as a starting point. The board discussed safety concerns — sight lines, trimming for signs and vehicle clearance, and removal after storms or disease — and emphasized that the policy should require cities to assume liability for maintenance costs and for damage to curb, gutter or roadway when trees are planted by municipalities.

The board did not adopt a final policy at the meeting. Staff agreed to draft a model county policy and permit language for review and to notify the City of La Crescent that the county will proceed with the policy development process.

No formal vote was taken; the board's action was direction to staff to prepare policy language and sample agreements.