Atlanta council raises tree-recompense fees, OKs administrative changes and nonprofit removal assistance

Unnamed official, a City official, said the City Council passed revisions to Atlanta’s tree protection ordinance that increase fees paid into the city’s tree recompense fund and add administrative clarifications for development near trees.

The revisions raise the fees that feed the tree recompense fund — the first increase in almost 25 years — and create a partnership with a soon‑to‑be‑designated nonprofit to assist homeowners, primarily senior citizens and economically similar residents, with removal of unsafe or fallen trees, the official said. “These fees go into our tree recompense fund, which helps us maintain, acquire other forested areas, within the city of Atlanta for the growth of trees,” the official said.

Why it matters: The ordinance changes alter both the financial penalty that developers pay when a protected tree is removed and the city’s administrative processes for development affecting trees. The fee increase is intended to align replacement penalties with rising development costs, while the administrative changes aim to clarify how developers should proceed when work is proposed near protected trees.

Details and discussion: The speaker emphasized that the fee increase is significant because it is the first adjustment in nearly a quarter century and because “the cost of development has gone up and the penalty to replace a tree that you take down has not kept pace with, the developmental increases in the economy.” The official said the fund is used to maintain and acquire forested areas within Atlanta.

On assistance for homeowners, the official said the ordinance will enable citizens with dangerous or fallen trees to seek help through a partnership between the city and a nonprofit that will be designated later. “They'll be able to get assistance from the city of Atlanta through a partnership we'll have with a soon to be designated nonprofit so that they can have unsafe trees or fallen trees removed from their property. This will target primarily senior citizens, but those who are also economically situated like those citizens will also have the ability to appeal, to that nonprofit in partnership with us for those funds so that they can have those trees removed,” the official said.

Process and next steps: The official said the changes represent an amendment, not a full replacement, of the city’s tree protection ordinance and that negotiations and further study will continue. The official also said the council introduced a separate ordinance — signed by all members — to monitor how the planning department ensures the tree ordinance and the zoning ordinance work together; that study will continue through the remainder of the year.

Distinction between discussion and action: The transcript indicates the tree protection ordinance was passed; the speaker described both adopted elements (fee increases and administrative clarifications) and ongoing work (further negotiations and a monitoring ordinance introduced by the council). No vote tallies or individual mover/second information were provided in the transcript.