Commission asks City Council to initiate amendment of Chapter 12.08 (tree ordinance) to allow administrative tree removals

The commission voted unanimously to request that the City Council initiate amendments to Chapter 12.08 of the Sonoma Municipal Code (the citys tree ordinance). The requested amendment would move tree removal permit approvals to an administrative process handled by city staff and the city arborist, clarify replacement and cash-in-lieu rules, and update violation penalties.

Commissioners framed the change as a way to streamline a process that can now take many months for homeowners seeking removals and to create more consistent, predictable outcomes. Under the proposal discussed, staff-level decisions would be subject to appeal to the commission; applicants would retain an appeal path to the commission and then to the City Council if desired.

Speakers flagged several topics they want addressed in the ordinance rewrite: reasonable caps and formulas for replacement or cash-in-lieu where lot constraints make literal replacement counts impractical; bonding or security to ensure newly planted trees are maintained for an establishment period (staff and some jurisdictions use multi-year bonds); and adjusting penalty amounts that staff described as low compared with nearby municipalities.

The motion passed unanimously. Commissioners and staff agreed the amendment process will be lengthy and should be coordinated with the planned urban forestry inventory and canopy study; staff will follow up with the city attorney and city manager to bring an ordinance initiation item to council.