The Franklin City Tree Advisory Committee discussed a partially completed draft of the city tree care manual and corresponding updates to the city tree ordinance, focusing committee attention on permitting fees and fines the committee said it cannot enforce.

Committee members said the draft tree care manual was circulated to members shortly before the meeting and asked staff to provide a final draft for review ahead of the committee’s next official meeting on May 15 so the committee can vote and forward a recommendation to the City Council. Committee members said Council consideration would likely follow in June or July.

Jason Wilson, Tree Advisory Committee member, said the committee had received part of the draft manual but had not had time for a full review. "My only concern is, again, with the ordinance, is just the permit fees and the fines... my department oversees the street trees and we have no way of issuing permits or fines or any of that. We don't want any part of it anyway," Wilson said. Committee members agreed that permitting and fines should be removed from the draft if the city departments responsible for enforcement will not take those duties.

Members discussed the origin of some draft language. A committee member said staff writer Lindsay adapted language from an ordinance used in Lafayette; the committee asked staff to highlight any permitting or fine provisions to consider removing them before the committee votes. Members described the practical enforcement challenge, saying that if departments outside the committee (for example, code enforcement or planning) would be required to administer permits or fines, the ordinance text should reflect which department would undertake that role.

Committee members also noted that some permitting and fine provisions appeared in the city’s earlier ordinance (dated 02/2007) but had not been enforced. One committee member said that historically the provisions existed but were not applied.

The committee did not adopt changes during the meeting. Members directed staff to circulate the remaining portions of the tree care manual and to highlight language in the ordinance related to permitting and fines so the committee could review it before the May meeting.

Votes at a glance

• Approval of minutes: The committee moved and seconded approval of the Jan. 16 meeting minutes; the committee called the question and recorded "all in favor." Attendance on roll call indicated seven members present; the committee recorded the minutes as approved.

Next steps and context

Committee members asked staff to provide a final draft of the tree care manual and a version of the ordinance with permitting and fine language highlighted so members could prepare for the May meeting. Members noted that the city must maintain a qualifying ordinance to meet Tree City program requirements and that the goal of the update is to bring existing policy up to current standards, not to rewrite the entire ordinance.