Chapter 12-24
TREES AND SHRUBS

Sections:

12-24-010    Planting permit.

12-24-020    Permit for removal.

12-24-030    Injury.

12-24-040    Advertisements—Notices.

12-24-050    Dangerous trees.

12-24-060    Wires.

12-24-070    Utility lines.

12-24-080    Gas pipes.

12-24-090    Excavations.

12-24-100    License.

12-24-010 Planting permit.

A.    It is unlawful to plant any tree or bush in any public street or parkway or other public place without having secured a permit therefor. Applications for such permits shall be made to the clerk and referred by her to the superintendent of public works before issuance. All trees and shrubs so planted shall be placed subject to the direction and the approval of the council. No rock gardens, boulders, benches or fences shall be built or maintained in any parkway.

B.    It is unlawful to plant, set out or propagate in any public street, parkway or any other public place any of those species of trees commonly known as soft maple, poplar, willow or catalpa or any variety thereof. (Ord. 2910 § 5 (Par. J (part)), 1995: prior code § 4-2-1)

12-24-020 Permit for removal.

It is unlawful to remove or cut down any tree or shrub in any such public place without having secured a permit therefor. Applications for such permits shall be made to the clerk and shall be referred to and approved by the council before issuance. (Prior code § 4-2-2)

12-24-030 Injury.

It is unlawful to injure any tree or shrub planted or growing in any public place. (Prior code § 4-2-3)

12-24-040 Advertisements—Notices.

It is unlawful to attach any sign, advertisement or notice to any tree or shrub in any public place. (Prior code § 4-2-4)

12-24-050 Dangerous trees.

A.    Any tree or shrub which overhangs any sidewalk, street or other public place in such a manner as to impede or interfere with traffic or travel, or within ten feet of a street or seven feet of a sidewalk level, shall be trimmed by the owner of the premises abutting or of the premises on which such tree or shrub grows so that the obstruction shall cease.

B.    Any tree or limb of a tree which has become likely to fall on or across any public way or place shall be removed by the owner of the premises on which such tree grows or stands.

C.    The superintendent of public works may trim any such tree or shrub or remove any such tree or branch thereof so that the obstruction or danger to traffic or passage shall be eliminated. (Ord. 2910 § 5 (Par. J (part)), 1995: prior code § 4-2-5)

12-24-060 Wires.

It is unlawful to attach any wire or rope to any tree or shrub in any public street, parkway or other public place without the permission of the council. (Prior code § 4-2-6)

12-24-070 Utility lines.

Any person who maintains poles and wires in the streets, alleys or other public places, in the absence of provision in the franchise concerning the subject, shall keep such wires and poles free from and away from any trees and shrubs in such places as far as possible, and shall keep all such trees and shrubs near such wires and poles properly trimmed, subject to the supervision of the superintendent of public works, so that no injury shall be done either to the poles or wires or to the shrubs and trees by their contact. (Ord. 2910 § 5 (Par. J (part)), 1995: prior code § 4-2-7)

12-24-080 Gas pipes.

Any person or company maintaining any gas pipe shall keep such pipes free from leaks so that no injury shall be done thereby to any trees or shrubs (Prior code § 4-2-8)

12-24-090 Excavations.

In making excavations in streets or other public places proper care shall be taken, wherever possible, to avoid injury to the roots of any trees or shrubs. (Prior code § 4-2-9)

12-24-100 License.

Any person regularly engaged in the business of planting, removing, trimming, spraying or otherwise caring for trees shall secure a license from the clerk, the fee for which license shall be the sum of twenty dollars ($20.00) per annum. The clerk shall not issue such license unless the application therefor shall first be approved by the council. The holding of such license shall not abrogate the necessity for securing the permits as herein required. (Prior code § 4-2-10)