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Pitman council adopts tree-removal rules after debate over exemptions
Summary
After divided council debate over exemption language, Pitman adopted Ordinance No. 13 to amend stormwater management rules and regulate tree removal and replacement; the vote was 4–2, with Council President Fitzpatrick and Councilwoman Milward dissenting.
Pitman’s borough council adopted Ordinance No. 13 on Aug. 12, 2024, amending Chapter 26 on stormwater management to regulate the removal and replacement of trees. The ordinance passed after a contentious second-reading and public hearing in which councilmembers debated exemption language and replacement requirements.
Council President John Fitzpatrick moved to remove the phrase "property is one quarter acre or greater" from the exemptions but withdrew the motion after colleagues said additional language would also need to be changed. Councilwoman Milward later proposed limiting private removals to "During any one-year period, residents may remove no more than one tree per property," but she withdrew that motion following legal review and discussion of conflicting exemption language. "If changes are found to be necessary, amendments could be made at a later date," Councilperson Vanessa James said, urging adoption of the version recommended by the Environmental Commission.
Solicitor Vigilante told council members that the ordinance closely models the NJDEP sample ordinance and noted the borough's deadline had passed, framing the timetable for adopting the regulation. The final roll call on adoption recorded: Bially — Yes; Fitzpatrick — No; James — Yes; Mazzola — Yes; Milward — No; Uyehara — Yes (ordinance adopted).
