Council sends contested tree issue back to Tree Commission after public objections

Trussville’s City Council voted to remove a scheduled discussion of the city tree ordinance and send the matter back to the Tree Commission for further review after members of the commission and residents said they had not been consulted.

A council member told the chamber that she had spoken with Councilor Cook, the mayor and other parties and asked the council to delay the ordinance so those parties and the person involved, identified by council members as Mr. Russo, could meet with the Tree Commission and attempt a mediated resolution. The council approved the motion to remove the item and refer it back to the commission by voice vote.

During public comment, a Tree Commission member said the commission had not been contacted before the ordinance discussion and urged the council to formalize a process so protected trees are identified during plan and plot‑plan review. "We just would like to see this not happen again," the member said, asking that the building inspector and commission be part of pre‑approval reviews to prevent inadvertent removals.

Council members and the mayor said they supported having all parties meet at a Tree Commission meeting, calling the next step a "learning experience" to avoid similar incidents in the future. One council member thanked commission members for attending and said a recommendation from the commission would be welcome once the parties meet.

The council did not vote on any ordinance changes tonight; instead it set the item to return to the Tree Commission, with a meeting expected before the council takes further action.