Terrace Park council adopts emergency ordinance to address shade-tree blight, authorize 2025 assessments

The Village of Terrace Park Council voted Sept. 3 to adopt Ordinance 9-1-2024 as an emergency, authorizing the village to control blight and disease of shade trees in public rights-of-way and to levy assessments on real property to pay for planting, maintenance, trimming and removal work for 2025.

Orders-and-grounds member Mrs. Sharp introduced the measure, describing it as necessary to address shade-tree disease and maintenance needs in the village. "I move to adopt this ordinance as emergency," Mrs. Sharp said before a second was called and a roll-call vote followed.

In the roll call recorded during the meeting, council members Gasky, Ingebretson, Lehman, LeMay, Lindell and Sharp each voted "Aye," and the ordinance was declared adopted as an emergency. Mayor and councilors noted that the village's new tree contractor has been doing a good job and that trees "within and coextensive to Terrace Park will be taken care of appropriately." (quote as spoken during the meeting)

The ordinance text, as described at the meeting, covers declaration of necessity; authority for village officers to perform planting, maintenance, trimming and removal in public rights-of-way; and provisions for levying an assessment on real property to cover the costs and expenses of that work. Specific assessment rates were discussed as remaining the same as last year, according to speakers at the meeting.

The council did not record any amendments to the ordinance during the session. Mr. Forbes was noted as absent from the meeting; no dissenting votes were recorded on the adoption motion.

Next steps: because the council adopted the ordinance as an emergency, it takes effect immediately under the village procedures discussed at the meeting. Council members indicated the village will continue to oversee contractor performance and notify residents about work schedules as details are finalized.