01-27-2003 CC MIN - Laserfiche WebLink

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City Council Minutes Page 3 January 27, 2003 ............................. Allan Wallace - 12516 Ridgewood Drive - indicated that the 10-foot rule would eliminate too many trees in the City. He suggested a policy that would take fewer trees. He also suggested basing the policy on actual obstruction of trees versus distance. Lou Pertl - 19796 Lowell St - Indicated that he has two trees marked to be cut. He stated that he endorses the City's policy in relation to safety; however, he would like to see more trees trimmed rather than removed. He suggested changing the blanket statement of the 10- foot rule. Greg Castagneri - 19764 Rush Street - Suggested trimming instead of cutting down the trees. Vicki Stevenson - 19850 Watson Cir - Talked about trees that have been marked to be cut down in the Ridgewood area. She indicated that the trees do not block the view. She further stated that the trees are a protection for vehicles that may go off the road, as the area is very steep. She suggested that oak wilt be considered when trimming or cutting trees. Ron Woeste - 19776 Gary Street - Indicated that he realizes that there are trees in the right-of-way that must be trimmed for safety purposes, but he is opposed to the 10-foot blanket policy. He indicated that there are pines on his lot marked for removal that he does not want removed. Thomas Kielty - 19856 Ironton St. - Talked about some trees located in an empty lot marked for cutting and indicated that he did not feel they needed to be removed. Phil Hals spoke about the need for removing trees for plowing purposes. He indicated that there is a need for about 5-feet beyond the blacktop for plowing purposes. Sharon Johnston - 13299 199th Ave - Questioned the speed of the trucks as they are plowing. She also questioned whether the trees would be replaced and indicated her concern about cutting the trees off at the stumps. She indicated some people will not be able to afford to completely remove the stumps. Mike Niziolek - Stated that 10 feet versus 5 feet would make a big difference in the number of trees removed. He requested that that the policy be changed from 10 feet to 5 feet. He also spoke about the canopy effect of trees and suggested planting trees that are conducive to canopies. The Council discussed the issue. It was noted that 5 feet would be better than 10 feet, however, a blanket rule of 5-feet would take away the option of discretion as to whether a tree really needs to be cut down. The Council suggested that the City try to be more selective in the removal of trees rather than automatically removing trees at 5 feet. Dan Schwark - 19785 Irving Street - indicated that some of the trees are a sound barrier for traffic along Highway 169. He indicated that safety should be the first consideration and suggested that tree removal be negotiated with residents directly on a case-by-case basis. A letter opposing the policy to cut trees from Gary Kfleis of 19815 Irving Street was submitted to the City Clerk for the record.