There is hereby created the position of Tree Specialist for
the Borough of Franklin Lakes.
The Tree Specialist shall be appointed annually by the Mayor
with the advice and consent of the Council.
The Tree Specialist shall be responsible for the conservation of trees and soil within the Borough and shall administer the provisions of Chapter
453 and Article
XV of Chapter
300 of the Borough Code. The Tree Specialist shall also provide assistance, support and advice to the Borough’s Shade Tree Commission and shall attend meetings of the Commission. The Tree Specialist shall be responsible for the inspection of sites for which application(s) are filed under these chapters. The Tree Specialist will be responsible for the administration and protection requirements of these chapters and enforcement of ordinances as directed by the Shade Tree Commission.
When enforcing applicable Borough ordinances, the Tree Specialist
shall give the property owner a reasonable opportunity to comply with
the requirements of the Tree Specialist in accordance with this section.
The time period for compliance shall depend on the severity and urgency
of the issue. If the property owner shall fail or refuse to comply
with the requirements of the Tree Specialist after being given a reasonable
opportunity to comply, then the Tree Specialist may forthwith proceed
to take such actions as may be appropriate, including, but not limited
to, administering treatment or removal of any tree. The cost thereof
shall be certified to the Tax Collector and shall thereupon become
a lien upon the property in the same manner as taxes against the property.
The Tree Specialist has the authority to issue summonses and stop-work
orders and authorize the release of tree bonds.