Another northeast Johnson County city is getting closer to adopting a tree preservation ordinance.
The Mission City Council during the Nov. 6 community development committee moved a draft tree preservation ordinance forward to a city council meeting for formal consideration.
This comes a few months after the city of Mission began discussing a tree preservation ordinance, with a focus on protecting mature trees on commercial or a big residential project.
In nearby Roeland Park, the city council recently adopted a tree preservation ordinance after years of discussion on the issue. Other cities like Fairway and Prairie Village have had such ordinances on the books but have revisited these policies in recent years.
Here’s a look at the direction Mission is taking, though no formal action was taken on Nov. 6.
A look at the drafted ordinance
Generally, the drafted tree preservation ordinance specifies which trees are protected in the city of Mission and how trees can be removed.
There are exceptions for removing a protected tree if the tree is dead, diseased or dying, or if its removal is necessary for construction, according to city documents.
The tree preservation ordinance outlines the following, according to city documents:
- Requires applicants to submit a tree protection and removal plan in order to obtain a related permit.
- Updates the list of permissible and impermissible tree species for streets and parks.
- Adds dead trees, dead tree limbs and diseased trees to the list of “unlawful nuisances,” requiring homeowners to remove such trees or limbs.
- Specifies that tree protection is based on the size of a tree; for instance, when a construction fence needs to be built around a tree that would be protected under the ordinance.
- The city council wants code enforcement officers to educate residents about the new policy first, but ultimately, violators would face a fine of up to $1,000 or six months in jail.
- Establishes a city tree fund for individuals to make a cash contribution into, in lieu of replacing removed trees, and bases the dollar amount on the size of the tree, which is measured in caliper inches. The city policy would suggest $100 to $400 per caliper inch, compelling an individual to contribute hundreds to perhaps thousands of dollars in order to remove a protected tree.
Councilmember, mayor want higher costs to cut down trees
- Councilmember Ben Chociej said the suggested costs for cash contributions made to a tree fund instead of replacing a removed tree “seems cheap.”
- Chociej said some bad actors may rather pay $5,000 to remove a larger tree rather than protect that tree.
- Mayor Sollie Flora agreed and said the ordinance needs a “little bit more bite” for the cost to cut down trees.
- Flora said a higher cost to cut down trees is especially important when considering how much it will cost for the city to replace a removed tree as well as the loss of a mature tree in light of the city’s sustainability goals.
Next steps:
- City staff is revisiting the cost to cut down trees as outlined in the ordinance.
- The city council during the community development committee agreed to place the tree preservation ordinance on a city council regular agenda.
- City council meetings start at 7 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month at city hall, 6090 Woodson St.
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