Crafton council delays decision on $10,000 shade-tree penalty after public hearing

Crafton Borough Council on Thursday heard an appeal from the owner of 52 Bradford Avenue challenging a $10,000 penalty levied after a public street shade tree was removed without a borough permit, then deferred a final decision to an executive session and the next council meeting.

The appellant, Megan Fontaine, owner and landlord of 52 Bradford Avenue, told the council she did not know the tree in front of her property belonged to the borough, said she had paid $2,300 to have it removed, and asked the council to reduce or eliminate the penalty. "I do regret. I am a rule follower, and this would not be my regular behavior," Fontaine said during her remarks.

The borough's solicitor, Steve Korbel, summarized the hearing process and the council's options under the borough ordinance: approve the appeal and reject the penalty, deny the appeal and let the $10,000 penalty stand, or approve the appeal but select a different penalty amount. Korbel said the penalty was assessed under Chapter 29 of the Crafton Borough Code and that council was hearing an appeal on the amount of the penalty, not on liability.

Nut graf: The hearing brought technical evidence and community perspective: an independent arborist contracted by the borough presented an appraisal that…