For the purpose of this article, the following definitions shall apply, unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning:
Park trees.
Trees, shrubs, bushes and all other woody vegetation in public parks having individual names, and all areas owned by the city, or to which the public has free access as a park.
Plant.
Any hedge, bush, shrub, vine, palm or other vegetation, except trees.
Property line.
The boundary line of any street, which line marks the division between the street area and the property abutting upon same.
Street trees.
Trees, shrubs, bushes and all other woody vegetation on land lying between property lines on either side of all streets, avenues, or ways within the city.
(Ordinance 193 adopted 8/15/1961; 1972 Code, sec. 22-18; Ordinance 332 adopted 7/3/1984; 1995 Code, sec. 98.01)
Any person, firm, association, partnership or corporation, or agent or employee thereof, who shall violate any of the provisions of this article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof in the municipal court of the city shall be subject to a fine of not more than $500.00.
(1972 Code, sec. 22-36; Ordinance 332 adopted 7/3/1984; 1995 Code, sec. 98.99)
The city manager is hereby expressly granted the authority to delegate any responsibility designated to his office hereunder to any employee or department within the city, and the action of such employee or department so designated shall constitute the action required of the office of the city manager as provided for hereunder.
(1972 Code, sec. 22-35; Ordinance 332 adopted 7/3/1984; 1995 Code, sec. 98.14)
It shall be unlawful for any person to prevent, delay or interfere with the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, or any of its agents, while engaging in and about the planting, cultivating, mulching, pruning, spraying, or removing of any street trees, park trees, or trees on city-owned grounds or rights-of-way, as authorized in this article.
(1972 Code, sec. 22-33; Ordinance 332 adopted 7/3/1984; 1995 Code, sec. 98.12; Ordinance 5146 adopted 1/6/2026)
The city shall have the right to prune the branches of trees so that such branches shall not obstruct the light from any street lamp or obstruct the view of any street intersection and so that there shall be a clear space of 14 feet above the surface of the street or sidewalk. The owners shall remove all dead, diseased or dangerous trees, or broken or decayed limbs which constitute a menace to the safety of the public. The city shall have the right to prune any tree or shrub on private property when it interferes with the proper spread of light along the street from a streetlight or interferes with visibility of any traffic-control device or sign.
(1972 Code, sec. 22-30; Ordinance 332 adopted 7/3/1984; 1995 Code, sec. 98.09; Ordinance 3738 adopted 2/15/2005)
Editor's note–Former section 1.12.006 pertaining to the removal of dead or diseased trees on private property, was repealed by Ordinance 5147 adopted 1/6/2026. Prior to the deletion this section derived from the following: 1972 Code, sec. 22-31; Ordinance 332 adopted 7/3/1984; 1995 Code, sec. 98.10; Ordinance 3405 adopted 9/7/1999.
It shall be unlawful for any person to place or cause to be placed any plant having a height greater than three feet above the level of the center of the nearest abutting street, on or in that portion of any corner lot in the city, which portion is included in a triangle on the street corner of the lot formed by a diagonal line intersecting the property lines at points 20 feet from the street corner intersection of the property lines.
(Ordinance 193 adopted 8/15/1961; 1972 Code, sec. 22-37; 1995 Code, sec. 98.15)
(a) 
Plants taller than three feet prohibited near street corner.
It shall be unlawful for either the owner or the occupant of any corner lot in the city to place, maintain or permit or cause to be placed or maintained any plant having a height greater than three feet above the level of the center of the nearest abutting street on or in that area which lies between the property lines of such corner lot and the curblines of streets abutting such property lines and which area extends for a distance of 50 feet back from the intersection of the curblines of such abutting streets.
(b) 
Trees or plants obstructing passage.
It shall be unlawful for either the owner or the occupant of any lot in the city to place, maintain or permit or cause to be placed or maintained any tree or plant on or in the area between the property line thereof and the curbline of any street abutting such property line, in such a way as to obstruct the free passage on and use of that area by the public.
(c) 
Clearance of tree limbs.
It shall be unlawful for the owner or occupant of any property in the city to maintain or permit limbs of trees growing thereon to overhang or grow above the area between his property line and the curbline of any abutting street unless such limbs and all branches and foliage thereon are kept trimmed and pruned to a minimum clearance of eight feet above the street level at the nearest curbline.
(d) 
Correction of violations.
It shall be the duty of the chief of police to cause a written notice to be served upon the owner or occupant of any property upon which any violation of subsections (a) through (c) of this section exists to correct such condition as constitutes a violation of these subsections within ten days after serving such notice. If such condition is not corrected or remedied or caused to be corrected or remedied by such person by the end of such ten days’ notice, the city manager is hereby authorized and directed to cause the tree or plant or part thereof constituting such violation to be so trimmed, pruned or removed as to eliminate the prohibited condition.
(Ordinance 193 adopted 8/15/1961; 1972 Code, secs. 22-37.1–22-37.4; 1995 Code, secs. 98-16–98.19)