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Commission recommends raising tree-surety fee to $550 per tree; measure sent to council
Summary
Park staff presented a resolution to raise the developer tree-surety fee from $350 to $550 per tree (proposal effective 2026), with a planned second increase to $600 and annual inflation indexing starting in 2030; the commission approved forwarding the resolution to the common council for approval on April 20.
Rick, a parks staff member, presented a resolution asking the commission to recommend increasing the tree-surety fee developers pay when required to guarantee new tree plantings. “The fee charged to developers is currently $350 per tree, which was approved on 02/10/2003,” Rick said, noting contractor bids and planting costs have risen.
Rick recommended increasing the fee to $550 per tree in 2026 and to $600 per tree in 2029, then instituting an annual increase tied to inflation beginning in 2030. He told the commission that recent contractor low bids have risen and second-low bids in recent years have been in the $500–$550 range, which justified the adjustment.
Commissioners discussed possibly moving the second step forward (to 2028) and compared local costs rather than relying solely on other communities’ figures. Rick said the Department of Community Development would manage the escrow account and would have authority to revisit the fee annually if needed.
The commission voted to forward the resolution to the common council; staff said the council would consider the item on April 20. The commission’s approval will make the proposed schedule and indexing a recommendation for council action.
