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Council adopts ordinance extending suspension of Parkway Tree Manual through 2028 after 4–1 vote
Summary
Council adopted Ordinance No. 3176 to extend the temporary suspension of the Parkway Tree Manual and Municipal Code Section 12.40.100(D) through January 1, 2028. Council Member Mary Ann Pacheco voted no, citing insufficient public input; staff responded to questions about removal counts, insurance and CEQA exemptions.
The Whittier City Council conducted a second reading and adopted Ordinance No. 3176 on March 24, 2026, extending the temporary suspension of the Parkway Tree Manual and Municipal Code Section 12.40.100(D) through January 1, 2028. The motion to adopt the ordinance carried 4–1, with Council Member Mary Ann Pacheco recorded as the lone dissent.
Council Member Pacheco said she was voting against the ordinance because she believed there should have been more public input. City Manager Conal McNamara, City Attorney Keith Collins, and Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services Virginia Santana answered council questions about the suspension date, creation of a replacement document for the Tree Manual, the number and locations of tree removals, insurance implications (including a letter from the California Joint Powers Authority insurance pool), CEQA exemptions, and claim procedures.
The ordinance extends the temporary suspension to address potential future health and safety hazards and includes a finding that the action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) through January 1, 2028. The adoption was recorded in the official meeting minutes.
