Council delays tree-preservation ordinance, asks staff and community to finish rules

The Saint Paul City Council voted 6 in favor and 1 opposed to lay over Ordinance 25-4, which would add Chapter 92 (Tree Preservation for City-Sponsored Projects) to the administrative code, until Aug. 27 to allow staff and community members more time to finalize implementing rules.

Why it matters: Sponsors and community members told the council that the ordinance—s substantive effect depends on the accompanying rules, and that adopting both at the same time would allow clearer, actionable standards for city projects. The sponsor said six months would give Public Works and Parks staff time to craft rules in partnership with the community.

Discussion highlights: The sponsor told the council that trees are a strong community concern and that community participants asked to adopt rules simultaneously with the ordinance so the ordinance could take effect in a usable form. "One of the things that came out of that conversation was a desire for more time for more advice from the community and also to adopt the rules at the same time as the ordinance," the sponsor said during floor remarks.

Next steps: The council—s motion lays the ordinance over to Aug. 27 and directs staff in Public Works and Parks to continue stakeholder engagement and prepare both an amended ordinance and proposed rules for final council consideration on that date. No final ordinance language was adopted at the Feb. 26 meeting.