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Council sets new fee structure to implement tree‑preservation ordinance, adopts $200 single‑tree concession
Summary
After extended debate about fairness and administrative cost estimates, the council adopted a package of fees to implement the recently adopted Tree Preservation Ordinance, directing staff to set a $200 flat fee for single‑tree removal (inclusive of any street‑tree encroachment fee) and preserving the $381 fee for 2–3 trees and a cost‑recovery approach for 4+ trees; administrative citation fines were extended to a 36‑month lookback.
The City Council adopted a set of fees to implement the Tree Preservation Ordinance after an extended discussion about cost recovery, equity and administrative efficiency.
Staff recommended a mix of flat fees and cost‑recovery charges: a proposed flat fee of $381 for removal of 1–3 trees on a property, a 100% cost‑recovery approach for removal of 4 or more trees with a $1,000 deposit, a $240 site‑visit fee for in‑field arborist consultation, a $300 in‑lieu tree replacement fee, and a revised $122 encroachment permit for street‑tree removals. Staff also proposed raising administrative citation amounts for tree violations.
Council members raised concerns that a $381 fee for a single homeowner would discourage compliance. After substantial debate about the appropriate balance between recovering city processing costs and encouraging voluntary compliance, council directed staff to adopt a reduced single‑tree fee of $200 that would be inclusive of any necessary encroachment permit on street trees; the 2–3 tree flat fee remained at $381 and the 4+ trees cost‑recovery approach and consulting arborist deposit remained in the staff proposal. The council also extended the administrative citation lookback period to 36 months for escalation.
Staff noted the ordinance requires findings for each tree and that consulting arborist time can be a limiting cost driver. Council requested process improvements to make single‑tree reviews quicker for homeowners and asked staff to track volume and return within a year for adjustments if needed. The city will post notification to local tree contractors and adjust its permit portal to help applicants provide complete documentation to keep arborist desk review time low.
