As used in this chapter:
"Groundcover"
means and includes grass, turf or perennial plants that normally grow in a prostrate manner so as to conceal the ground surface and do not exceed eight inches in height.
"Maintenance" or "maintain"
means and includes pruning, drop crotching, bracing, staking, treating for disease or injuries. Use of the term shall not include the watering or fertilizing of such trees.
"Official tree"
means and includes those trees designated and determined by the parkway maintenance division supervisor to be the best suited to plant along city streets because of their desirable characteristics of growth and beauty with reference to their crown, root structure, disease susceptibilities and adaptability to local climatic, soil and street conditions. A list of official trees will be available to the public at the foreman's office during normal working hours.
"Parkway maintenance division foreman"
means the person having control and management of street tree maintenance operations for the city or the incumbent's designated representative.
"Shrub"
means and includes woody vegetation or woody plant three feet or more in height having multiple stems and bearing foliage from the ground level up.
"Undesirable tree"
means and includes those trees planted along city streets prior to the official tree list and which do not qualify as official trees because of certain undesirable characteristics of growth with reference to their crowns, root structure, disease susceptibilities and are not adaptable to local climatic, soil or street conditions.
(Ord. 1003, 1977)
Any person desiring permission to plant, cut down, trim, prune, remove or in any way interfere with the natural growth of any tree planted along city streets or on other city property shall make a formal request in writing to the parkway maintenance division supervisor for permission therefor. The supervisor may require all or any part of such work so approved to be performed under the supervision of city parkway maintenance personnel.
(Ord. 1003, 1977)
A. 
The parkway maintenance division foreman shall regulate and control the planting and removal of any and all trees planted along any city street. The supervisor shall designate the species, kind, number, spacing and method of planting. No tree shall be planted closer than fifty feet to a parkway tree, closer than twenty feet to utility poles or light standards, closer than twenty feet from any driveway or approach or closer than ten feet from any gas meter, water meter or fire hydrant.
B. 
No tree shall be planted in a parkway which is less than thirty inches in width between the sidewalk and curb, except upon approval by division supervisor; provided, that species of designated official trees may be planted in other parkways not less than twenty-four inches in width between the sidewalk and curb.
(Ord. 1003, 1977)
A. 
The parkway maintenance division foreman will, except for watering and fertilizing, direct and assume responsibility for maintenance, planting and removal of all official trees planted along city streets.
B. 
Property owners shall assume full responsibility for watering and fertilizing parkway trees immediately adjacent to their respective properties along city streets as needed to ensure tree survival.
C. 
Trees planted along city street shall be pruned to give a clearance of not less than twelve feet over sidewalks and not less than sixteen feet over streets as the size of the tree permits.
(Ord. 1003, 1977)
No person shall perform any maintenance, except for watering and fertilizing, upon any tree planted along a city street, or on any other city property, unless the person is determined to be qualified and whose actions are approved by the division supervisor.
(Ord. 1003, 1977)
No person shall place, or cause to be placed, any stone, cement or other substance about any tree planted along any street, or on city-owned property, which impedes the free entrance of water or aid to the roots, without leaving an open space of ground around the trunk of not less than eighteen inches.
(Ord. 1003, 1977)
A. 
No person shall deface, mutilate or attach or place any rope, wire, sign, poster, handbill or other thing to or on any tree growing along any city street or public place.
B. 
No person shall allow any brine, oil, liquid dye, salt or other substances injurious or harmful to plant life to lie, leak, flow, drip into or onto, or to come into contact with the tree or the soil about the base of such plant.
(Ord. 1003, 1977)
A. 
No person shall plant, or cause to be planted, any tree, shrub, plant or groundcover between the sidewalk and curb, except as provided in this part.
B. 
Grass, turf or other groundcover planting are permitted, provided that such plantings shall not be allowed to attach themselves to or ascend the trunk of any tree.
C. 
Planting, cutting, mowing, watering, fertilizing and all other maintenance of grass, turf or other groundcovers in such parkways will be performed by the adjacent property owner.
D. 
Violation of this section shall cause notice to be served upon adjacent property owner requesting correction within ten days. Failure to comply will grant authority to the parkway maintenance division to provide for, and remove the violation.
E. 
All costs incurred by the division in the correction of such violation shall be billed to the adjacent property owner.
(Ord. 1003, 1977)
In the erection, alteration, construction or repairing of any building or structure, the owner thereof shall place or cause to be placed barriers around all nearby trees located along the street, alley or other public place as shall effectively prevent injury to them.
(Ord. 1003, 1977)
A. 
Any tree, shrub or groundcover, growing or standing on private property in such a manner that any portion thereof interferes with any public street, sidewalk, alley or restricts the flow of traffic or visibility of such street, sidewalk, alley or intersection thereof to any person or persons lawfully using such streets, sidewalks, alleys or intersections shall constitute a public nuisance.
B. 
The parkway maintenance division foremen shall cause notice to be served upon such property owner directing that such public nuisance be abated within ten days. If such public nuisance is not corrected within ten days after notice is served, the parkway maintenance division will abate or cause to be abated by trimming, pruning, cutting or removing all or such portion of tree, shrub or plant as may be necessary to eliminate such public nuisance. All costs incurred in such work shall be billed to the property owner.
(Ord. 1003, 1977)
Any person aggrieved by any determination exercised by this division may appeal such action to the division supervisor, supervisor, department head, city manager or city council.
(Ord. 1003, 1977)