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Hamtramck council keeps existing $500 fine after amending tree ordinance update
Summary
Council set first reading for updates to its tree and shrub ordinance tied to a tree-planting grant, but amended Resolution 2026-69 to remove a proposed increase in the penalty for damaging city trees, keeping the fine at $500.
Hamtramck's City Council set a first reading on updates to the city's tree and shrub ordinance and then voted to remove a proposed fine increase, keeping the penalty at $500.
City staff told the council the ordinance changes are tied to the Grow Hamtramck program, a grant-funded effort to plant and protect trees on city property, and are intended to protect the urban canopy. A staff presenter said the update would require someone who removes a city-owned tree to replace it or to pay the assessed value into a fund, and would use the city's inventory software to calculate replacement value.
The presenter summarized how the ordinance would translate canopy loss into replanting: "if someone were to remove a tree that's say like 10 inches wide, there's a provision in this ordinance that says ... you have to plant, let's say, 10 one-inch trees to make up for the width," the staff presenter said. The presenter also noted the city received a $1 million U.S. Forest Service grant to support planting appropriate trees under the Grow Hamtramck program.
Council members and several residents questioned a staff recommendation to raise the penalty for damaging city trees from $500 to $1,000, citing concerns about enforcement, evidence-gathering and the effect on residents who remove hazardous limbs. One council member said that often the city lacks the documentation to prove who damaged a tree and urged more public education and clearer DPS response timelines.
After debate a council member moved to amend Resolution 2026-69 to remove the section increasing the fine; the amendment passed by roll call and the council then approved the amended resolution. The motion to amend and the final vote were recorded as passed unanimously.
The council directed staff to continue public outreach explaining the difference between city and private trees and to use grant funds to prioritize planting species suited to Hamtramck's streets and sidewalks. A second reading and a public hearing on the ordinance were scheduled for the next council meeting.
