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Council committee approves substitute to allow tree fund to pay for arboriculture staff, change mitigation rules
Summary
The finance committee approved a neighborhood substitute to broaden permitted uses of the Tree Fund, allow funding of additional arboriculture positions and equipment, reduce required replacement caliper sizes in some cases, and waive mitigation fees for affordable/workforce housing. The substitute passed 8-0.
The Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee voted 8-0 on April 1 to approve a neighborhood substitute that changes how the city's Tree Fund can be used and modifies tree replacement and mitigation rules.
The substitute amends several ordinance sections to allow Tree Fund and Charter-funded dollars to pay for salary and benefits of not only the city arborist currently funded by the fund, but also additional landscape architects, arborists and urban foresters — subject to review by the Tree Commission for necessity before recommendations reach the mayor and council. The substitute also permits purchases of equipment related to tree-planting duties, with equipment expenditures over $75,000 subject to Tree Commission review.
Why it matters: Proponents said the fund contains excess dollars and more staff would let the city plant and maintain more trees across Jacksonville's large service area. Opponents and some council members warned the change could expand government scope or divert funds away from planting, and one proposed amendment to remove the…
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