Committee sends revised street-tree code back to council with permit-fee language removed

An ordinance to replace Chapter 10.30 (Street Trees) and repeal Chapter 10.32 (Master Tree Plan) of the North Ridgeville Streets, Utilities and Public Service Code was referred back to council Monday with an amendment removing language that specified an $80 permit fee.

The ordinance, introduced by Mayor Corcoran, would clarify the authority and duties of a city arborist, establish notice-and-abatement procedures for hazardous or poorly maintained trees, require registration of tree contractors working in the public right-of-way, and create a separate, administratively updated Master Tree Plan to be reviewed by the Planning Commission and maintained by the city arborist.

Planning and Development Director Kim Lieber said the city updated the decades-old rules after the appointment of a new city arborist, Ryan Thomas, and a review that began in October. “Much of [the ordinance] dates back to the 1960s, and so it really was in dire need of a refresh,” Lieber said, adding the code changes are intended to align the city’s regulations with current best practices and to give the arborist clearer enforcement tools.

City arborist Ryan Thomas said the ordinance intentionally leaves compliance timeframes flexible so the arborist can match the required abatement period to the level of risk. “The severity of the risk that the tree presents will dictate the amount of time given to abate the hazard,” Thomas said, noting he has previously given 30 days for less-urgent matters and shorter timeframes for immediate hazards.

Under the draft, some tree species would be prohibited from new planting; officials said existing prohibited trees would generally be allowed to remain unless they became diseased or presented a hazard. Lieber said the separate Master Tree Plan would be an administrative document that includes planting diagrams and best practices and can be updated without a formal code change.

Councilmembers questioned the permit fee tied to planting/removal activity. Councilmember Abrams noted the $80 fee is listed elsewhere in the code and can be changed independently; Councilmember Swank suggested a nominal fee or no fee to encourage compliance. Mayor Corcoran and staff said they are open to amendments and that placing fee language in a single fee chapter (10.10) would make future adjustments simpler.

After discussion, Councilmember Jacobson moved, and Councilmember Winkle seconded, to send the ordinance back to council with the amendment removing the words “in the amount of $80” from section 3. Clerk roll call recorded votes of yes by Swank, Shaffer, Abens, Winkle, [Awake], De Vries and Jacobs; the motion carried.

Next steps include submission of a draft Master Tree Plan to the Planning Commission for review and recommendation; council will consider the revised ordinance and any fee-location amendments at a future meeting.