[HISTORY:[1] Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Hanover as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Ch. 258, Trees, adopted 12-22-1993 by Ord. No. 44-93; amended in its entirety 12-14-2000 by Ord. No. 18-2000, as subsequently amended, was repealed 12-19-2011 by Ord. No. 30-11. See now Ch. 166, Land Use and Development.
[Adopted 6-11-2020 by Ord. No. 18-2020]
For purposes of this article, the following terms shall be defined as follows:
COMMERCIAL TREE SERVICE OR COMPANY
A company performing tree trimming, removal or related tree services on public or private property within the Township of Hanover.
LICENSES
License Tree Expert and/or License Tree Care Operator issued by the New Jersey State Forestry Service in the Department of Environmental Protection.
Any commercial tree service licensed by the State of New Jersey and engaged in cutting, trimming or removing in whole or in part any tree branches, limbs or fully grown trees, including wood chipping, on private or public property shall comply with the following regulations:
A. 
To warn the operators of vehicles and pedestrians of the presence of a tree service truck or related equipment such as a tree chipper parked along any Township street or public right-of-way, or along any Morris County road or public right-of-way, the tree service shall be equipped with and display safety markers consisting of orange reflective, diamond-shaped panels having a minimum size of 18 inches by 18 inches. These reflective panels shall be placed on all four sides of a vehicle or equipment; that is, at the front and rear of each vehicle so that they are visible to oncoming traffic. In the alternative, a tree service may utilize four reflective orange cones along each side of the vehicles and equipment.
B. 
In the event a tree service deems it essential and necessary to close a lane of traffic on any multi-lane Township street or multi-lane county road, or the Police Department deems it necessary to close a lane of traffic, the tree service shall obtain prior approval of the the Hanover Township Police Department. The Police Department must receive at least 48 hours' notice before the commencement of the work including the length of time of the lane closure. The decision to permit the lane closure shall rest with the Chief of Police or his/her designee. The tree service shall comply with the same safety measures described in § 258-2A above.
C. 
It shall be within the discretion of the Chief of Police or his/her designee to determine if a commercial tree company will be required to employ the services of an off-duty police officer and vehicle to perform safety and traffic control.
D. 
A commercial tree service shall not perform any tree work on Sundays unless it is due to an emergent or unforeseeable condition that affects the public safety and welfare of the Township such as a severe storm or other natural or man-made disaster. In such cases, it shall be the responsibility of the tree company to notify the Police Department immediately as to the location of the work and time frame for completion.
E. 
This provision does not affect the performance of any tree work by a public utility or its commercial subcontractor(s) retained to assist in the restoration of electric, cable or internet services.
A. 
In order to perform tree services in the Township, a commercial tree service must show evidence that the company possesses a current and valid Licensed Tree Expert and/or Licensed Tree Care Operator certificate(s). A copy of the license certificate must be visibly displayed on the driver-side window of the vehicle.
B. 
The Engineering Department is authorized and directed to amend the Tree Permit Application Form to include the New Jersey State license number(s) of the commercial tree service/company that is employed by a resident or business to perform tree services.
Any person, corporation or entity that violates or fails to comply with any provisions of this article shall, upon conviction in Municipal Court, be subject to a fine of not more than $1,000, community service and/or to imprisonment in the County Jail for a term not exceeding 90 days. Each and every day a violation occurs shall be deemed a separate and distinct violation.