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Council tightens oak-wilt rules; ordinance updates treatment timelines and contractor standards
Summary
Council approved an updated ordinance clarifying responses to oak wilt, revising timelines and technical requirements for treating infected trees and contractor practices based on recent guidance.
Lago Vista city council on Feb. 6 approved revisions to the city’s oak-wilt control ordinance after staff and councilors discussed the changes with volunteers and a forestry consultant.
Councilor Matt Prince and others described the update as aligning city rules with recent technical guidance about differences between red oaks and live oaks and clarifying timelines for removal and treatment. City staff and consultant input led the council to adopt language that focused enforcement and removal requirements on red oaks — a major vector for spread — while easing immediate removal mandates for live oaks and lengthening some response windows to reflect current science.
Councilors debated the ordinance’s nuisance language and enforcement tools. A resident speaker said he objected to labeling infected trees or related material as a “public nuisance” and warned about enforcement overreach; city legal counsel and staff pointed out that Texas law and sister cities grant municipalities authority to declare certain plant or pest conditions nuisances and to adopt abatement procedures. Councilor Owen praised staff and Councilor Benefield for refining the draft with the state agency’s input.
The council approved the ordinance with a 5–1 vote. It will be incorporated into the city code and enforcement will continue to rely on education, contractor requirements (for covering cuts and timing of pruning) and targeted abatement where necessary.
