ORDINANCE NO. 07-TI-63
TREE ORDINANCE.
AN oRDINANCE CREATING A NEw SECTIoN oF TF{E
AMERICAN FORK CITY CODE REGULATING THE PROMOTION, PLACEMENT,
MAINTENANCE, AND REMOVAL OF TREES WITHIN AMEzuCAN FORK CITY; ALSO
PROVIDING A SAVINGS CLAUSE AND EFFECTIVE DATE FOR THE ORDINANCE
PREAMBLE:
WHEREAS, Sections2 04.080and2.08.020of the AmericanFork City Code empowerthe City
Councilwith the authorityto enactordinances
that prornotethe health,safety,morals,
convenience,order, prosperity,and generalwelfareof AmericanFork City;
WHEREAS, Title l0 Chapter3 and Section10-8-84of the Utah CodeAnnotatedauthorizethe
City Councilto passordinances
which arereasonably
relatedto the objectives
and appropriately
power,
of that
i.e. providingforthe publicsafety"health,morals,weltbre,peaceandgood order,
comfort,and convenience
of the City and its residents,
WHEREAS, the City Council hasdeterminedthat in order to promotethe health,safety,morals,
convenience,order, prosperity,and generalwelfareof the City, the AmericanFork City Code
shouldbe amendedto includethe provisionsregulatingthe promotion,placement,maintenance,
and removalof treeswithin AmericanFork City;
WHEREAS, treesare recognizedas a valid assetto the City in that they createa more healthful
and beautifulenvironmentin which to live by providing oxygen,shade,and beauty;
WHERIAS, the welfareof the City will be promotedby regulatingthe promotion,placement,
maintenance,
and removalof treesin order to improvethe aestheticquality,wildlife habitat,and
appearanae
of the City;
NOW THEREFORE,be it ordainedby the City Councilof AmericanFork City, that the
AmericanFork City Codebe amendedas follows:
12.16.010
Definitions.
For the purposesof this section,the followingwords shallhavethe followingmeanings:
A.
HEzuTAGE TREE: A tree characterized
by one or more of the following: having
historicalsignificance,beingpart of a historicalsite, or being of a rare or unusual
species.The TreeBoard andthe City Forestershallwork togetherin determining
whethera tree shouldbe designated
as a HeritageTree.
B.
HAZARD TREE: A tree which hasbeendeemedby the City Foresteras having
the potentialto causephysicaldamageor harmto humanlife, existingstructures,
or utilities;including(but not limited to) anytree that is host to a communicable
diseaseor destructivediseaseor otherpestilence,
a tree whoseroots causethe
surfaceof a publicstreet,curb,gutter,or sidewalkto be up-heavedor otherwise
disturbed,or anytreewhoseconditionor locationconstitutesa dangerto the
health,safety,or well-beingof the public.
C
PROTECTIVE MEASURES. Any stepstakento safeguardthe appearance,
health,condition,or continuedviabilityof a protectedtree. Typicalexamplesare:
physicalstructureslimiting aceessto a protectedtree, pruningto allow accessto a
site, supplementalwateringor fertilization,washingof canopyto removedust or
other residues,bermsor gradingto preventerosionor silting in a protectedroot
zone, signageindicatingprotectedstatusof trees,or other methodsdeemed
necessaryat the time of authorization.
D
PLBLIC PROPERTY. Any right-of-way, park, street,sidewalk,easement,or
other ground owned by AmericanFork City.
E.
PUBLIC TREE: Any treelocatedon publicpropertywithin AmericanFork City.
F
STREET TREE: Any tree plantedwithin any right-of-way or easementadjacent
thereto.
G
TREE TOPPING:The severecuttingbackwithin the tree'scrown to sucha
degreeso asto removethe normalcanopyand disfigurethe tree.
H
TREE MAINTENANCE: Measuresperformedto promotethe desirablegrowth
and healthof a tree, suchas (but not limited to) watering,ferlrlization,mulching,
weeding,pest management,
pruning,and physicalprotection.
t2.16.020
Creationand Establishmentof the City Tree Advisory Board.
A
The Beautificationand ShadeTree Cornmittee,as established
by Resolution9504-l5R, shallbe the Tree AdvisoryBoard for AmericanFork City. This
committeeshallact in an advisorycapacityto the City Foresterand shallfocus its
activitieson thosepurposesspecifiedin its charter,
B
The City shalldesignatean employeeto act asthe City Forester.
1 2 . 1 6 . 0 30 Tree Planting"Maintenance.Protection.and Removal.
A
The City of AmericanFork shallhavethe right to plant, prune,maintain,and
removetrees,plants,and shrubswithin the linesof all streets,alleys,avenues,
to
lanes,squares,publicgrounds,publicutilitiesor elsewhere,
as may be necessary
insurepublic safety,
B
When locatingtreesbeneathpower lines,treesshouldbe placedfar enoughfrom
the power linesthat branchingwill not reachpower lines at maturity.
C
Debris resultingfrom tree maintenanceor removalshallbe removedfrom any
street,sidewalk,right-of-way,or other public areaby sunsetof the sameday,
unlessspecifically
authorizedto do otherwiseby the City Forester.
No privatepersonshallengagein the pruning,planting,spraying,removing,
relocatingor toppingof PublicTreeswithout the authorizationof the City Forester
E
No personshallwillfully injureor destroyanyPublicTree,including(but not
limited to) piling or storingbuildingmaterialsor equipmenton or neara Public
Tree so as to causeinjury, postingsignson PublicTrees,pouring injuriousmatter
on or aroundPublic Treesincludingthat which would shut offair, water, and light
to Public Trees"or otherwisepermittinganimalsto damagePublic Trees.
F
Public Treesmay not overhangor encroachupon adjacentproperties,sidewalks,
streets,or public right-of-ways,nor shallthey obstructthe view of traffic signsor
streetintersections,PublicTreesunderwhich pedestrians
may walk shallbe
prunedclearof all branchesbetweenthe groundand a heightof seven(7) feet.
Whenevera Public Tree is removed,the stumpshallnot project abovethe surface
level of the ground,unlessauthorizedto do otherwiseby the City Forester
The City may establisha fund to removetreesthat are in conflictwith sidewalksor
power linesand replacethemwith treescompatibleto the situation.The City may
cooperatewith utility companiesand othersto mitigatesuchconflicts. This
program shallbe administeredby the City Forester.
12.16.040
Coordination
BetweenDepartments.
A
City departmentsshallseekthe counseland recommendationof the City Forester
prior to the removalor major alterationof any Public Tree unlessthe tree poses
immediatedangerto the public.
B
Plansfor all lighting,powertransmission
and distribution,sewer,irrigation"water,
streetand other public works projectsshallbe consideredwith referenceto their
effectupon PublicTrees.
Prior to plantingor replacingany Public Tree, the departmentor employeeshall
first obtainwritten authorizationfrom the City Forester. In the written
authorization,
the City Forestermay indicatespeciesand locationof tree,its
currentor futureirnpacton publicor privateutilities,and any other conditionsor
protectivemeasures
deemednecessary
to ensurethe well-beingof the tree.
1 2 . 1 6 . 0 5 0 HazardTrees.
A
It shallbe unlawfulto keep or maintaina tree which is a dangeror hazardto other
treesor humans.The Citj'Forestershalldetermineif the tree presentsa dangeror
hazard. Where aHazard Tree existsupon privateproperty,the owner, landlord,
tenant,or otherpersonin controlof the propertyon which suchhazardexists,shall
be deemedto be the causethereof,and shallbe liabletherefore.
The City may servenoticein writing upon the ownerof propertyupon which a
Hazard Tree is found, or other personwho may be the causethereof,and require
the personor owner to abatetheHazard Tree within fifteen (i5) calendardays
lf an owneror responsible
partyrefusesto abateaHazardTree afterwritten notice
and the time specifiedtherein,the City may abateor procurethe abatement
of the
tree at the expenseof the personor entityfailingto removethe tree.
t2.r7.060
HeritageTrees.
A
Privateproperty ownersshallrecommendor nominateHeritageTreeson their
property on a voluntarybasis. The Tree Advisory Board shallinventorysuch
Treesand makeits recommendation
to the City Foresteras to whether suchtree
shouldbe classifiedas a HeritageTree.In no easeshallthe City nominateand
inventorya HeritageTree on privatepropertywithout voluntaryconsentof the
owner of the tree. The designation
of a tree as a Heritagetree that is ownedby
privatelandownershallonly applyto the landownerwho consentsto such
designation.
B
The Tree AdvisoryBoard shallrecommendandnominatePublicTreesas Heritage
Treesto the City Forester.
Thosetreesthat havebeenclassified
as HeritageTreesby the City Foresterare
protected.As such,HeritageTreesmay not be removedor damagedwithout the
authorizationof the City Foresterand a majority ratifying vote of the Tree
AdvisoryBoard.
12.16.070
Appeals.
A.
Appealsof any requirementsunderthis ordinanceshallbe madeto the City
Foresterin writing, signedby the applicantwith a statementof reasonssupporting
the appeal. The City Forestershallrendera decisionwithin thirty (30) daysin
writins.
B.
The decisionof the City Forestermay be appealed
to the City Councilwithin
twenty (20) days. The City Council shallhavefinal authority.
12.16.080
Enforcement.
A
The City Forestershallhavepowerto enforceall regulationswithin this ordinance
as they applyto PublicTrees.
B.
Criminal. Any personfoundin wilful violationof any provisionof this chapter
shallbe guilty of a ClassC misdemeanor.
Civil. A party who violatesany of the provisionsof this chaptercausingthe injury
or deathof Public Tree shallbe requiredto replacethe value of the tree in
accordancewith the most recentValuationof LandscapeTrees,Shrubs,and Other
Plants,as publishedby the InternationalSocietyof Arboriculture.
C.
D.
The City may pursueboth criminalandcivil actionsagainstany personor entity
that violatesthis chapter.
E.
Eachtree on which a violationoccursshallconstitutea separateofIense.
SEVERABTLITY:
lf any provisionor clauseof this chapteror the applicationthereofto anypersonor circumstances
is heldto be unconstitutional
or otherwiseinvalidby any court of competentjurisdiction,such
invalidityshallnot affectothersections,provisions,clauses,or applications
which canbe
implemented
without the invalidprovision,clause,or application.To this end"the provisionsof
this chapterare declaredto be severable.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This ordinanceshalltake effectimmediatelyupon its passage
and publicationas prescribedby
law
PASSEDAND ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF AMERICAN FORK CITY,
STATE OF UTAH, ON THIS TH.E 27 DAY OF NOVEMBER, 2007.
ATTEST
By
h-t't4,M
City Recorder
AMERICANFORK CITY
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