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Resident tells city council he will move boulevard fruit trees after dispute over enforcement
Summary
At the June 8 New Richland City Council meeting, resident Eric Kylin criticized selective enforcement over trees in the boulevard, said he would remove the trees by July 1, and asked staff for clearer property-line records and better communication; the council agreed to have the tree board meet with him.
Eric Kylin, a resident who identified himself as a retired Army veteran, used the public-comment period at the June 8 New Richland City Council meeting to challenge a city letter that said he violated an ordinance by planting trees in the boulevard. Kylin said he had called 811 before digging, that he planted cherry and apple trees to support pollinators and his family, and that he believed enforcement—specifically an officer he named as “Drew”—had targeted his neighbor while overlooking other violations elsewhere in town.
Kylin said he had been given a screenshot from the city’s Beacon parcel viewer rather than a formal plat or blueprint and asked whether the city would explain which parts of the space are public right-of-way and which are private property. He said he would move the trees out of the boulevard and into private property before July 1 but requested clearer guidance about what the city allows in boulevards and better, in-person communication from staff.
Council members and staff explained that boulevard trees are typically a city responsibility because the right-of-way is used for utilities and road work, that spacing guidelines vary by tree size and type, and that some older trees predate current ordinances. A council member suggested the tree board review Kylin’s planting and meet with him to find a solution; the council asked tree-board members (Matt and Luke were named as possible contacts) to reach out so staff and the resident could align on options and on property-line information.
The exchange included repeated questions from Kylin about whether property taxes already cover maintenance and whether the city could produce a more precise lot drawing; staff said the recorder/assessor functions maintain deed/plat records and that the city would provide the plat map that exists. Kylin told the council he would move the trees but asked that the city consider allowing pollinator plants in boulevards when feasible. The council did not change any ordinances at the meeting but agreed to follow up by having the tree board meet with Kylin.
The council recorded the public comment and then proceeded with the agenda.
