11.70.080 Correcting Violations of this Title.

City Code Section

(Amended by Ordinances 188278, 188647, 191030 and 191736, effective July 1, 2024.)

  1. A.  General. The following list of remedies gives the City Forester and PP&D Director broad discretion in applying a reasonable and effective means to restore a tree or site where trees have been illegally removed or damaged, or where a dead, dying, dangerous, or nuisance species tree has been identified to be preserved to meet Subsection 11.50.040 C.1. The rights and remedies provided in this Chapter are cumulative, are not mutually exclusive, and are in addition to any other rights, remedies and penalties available to the City under any other provision of law including the enforcement actions described in Section 11.70.090. The City Forester or PP&D Director may adopt administrative rules to establish priorities and guidelines for the following remedies.
  2. B.  Standard remedies. Standard remedies are intended to address a wide variety of violations of this Title. Additional remedies specific to City and Street Trees, and trees in development situations are described in Subsections C. and D. When the City determines that a violation of this Title has occurred, any or all of the standard remedies described in this Subsection, and any applicable additional remedies described in this Section may be required depending on the severity and extent of the violation.
    1. 1.  Minor Infractions. For minor infractions that do not result in damage to a tree, the City will first seek to correct the violation without penalties. These infractions may include failing to prune or remove a tree in violation of Chapter 11.60, failing to install or maintain tree protection when prohibited activities have not occurred within the root protection zone, or failing to plant a tree as required by a development permit or condition of granting a tree removal permit.
    2. 2.  Treatment. For trees that are damaged but were not removed and where the City Forester concurs that the tree may still be viable, the violation will not be considered an "illegal tree removal" provided:
      1. a.  The property owner or responsible party contracts for the services of an arborist to assess the damage and prescribe a treatment regimen;
      2. b.  The property owner or responsible party enters into a contract with an arborist to complete the treatment regimen. The treatment and associated monitoring period shall be at least 1 year, but may be longer; and
      3. c.  The arborist shall provide the City with updates on the services performed, when they were performed, and the status of the tree’s condition at intervals determined by the original treatment regimen. If the tree dies at any time during the treatment and monitoring period, the property owner or responsible party shall remove and replace the tree subject to the tree replacement requirements described in Subsection B.3.
      4. d.  In lieu of the treatment regimen and monitoring period described above, the City Forester may instead accept a performance guarantee per Chapter 11.10. The performance guarantee shall be sufficient to cover the cost of removing the tree plus the cost of tree replacement as described in Subsection B.3. When the property owner or responsible party selects this option, death of the tree within the 3 year timeframe may be deemed prima facie evidence that the damage was the sole cause of the tree’s death.
    3. 3.  Revised Tree Plan and Payment in Lieu. In cases where a dead, dying, dangerous or nuisance species tree is identified to be preserved to meet Subsection 11.50.040 C.1., the City Forester may require a revision to the submitted tree plan to ensure that only healthy, viable trees are preserved to meet the requirement. If the applicant disagrees with the City’s determination on the health or species of a tree to be preserved, an arborist report can be submitted by the applicant to demonstrate compliance. If no trees remain on site to meet the preservation requirement, the applicant may pay the applicable mitigation fee, as defined in Subsection 11.50.040 C. 
    4. 4.  Tree Replacement and Payment in Lieu. The City may require replacement for any trees removed illegally. The City may require greater than tree-for-tree replacement, but may not require greater than inch-for-inch replacement. For each tree that the City positively determines was dead, dying, or dangerous, the replacement will be limited to one tree. The responsible party shall enter into a replanting and maintenance plan agreement approved by the City. When the responsible party is unable to accommodate the required replacement planting on the site or adjacent street, the balance of required inches may be paid as a fee in lieu of planting to the Tree Planting and Preservation Fund.
    5. 5.  Tree Permit Violation Review. The City may require any person who cuts, removes, or damages any tree without a permit as required by this Title or is in non-compliance with any term, condition, limitation or requirement of a tree permit or Tree Plan, to submit an application for a Tree Permit Violation Review. Trees removed in violation of Title 33 Planning and Zoning requirements may also be processed in accordance with the enforcement provisions of that Title.
    6. Tree Permit Violation Applications are processed as Type B permits, and are subject to public notice but not the public appeal procedures of Chapter 11.30. The purpose of this review is to establish appropriate replacement requirements and notify interested parties. Failure to abide by the conditions of the approval will be treated as a repeat offense.
  3. C.  Additional remedies for City and Street Trees. In addition to the remedies provided by any other provision of this Chapter, when the City Forester determines that a violation of this Title has occurred involving a City Tree or Street Tree, the City Forester may seek additional remedies as described below.
    1. 1.  Restoration Fees. The City may require any person to pay into the City’s Urban Forestry Fund a restoration fee for the damaged or removed tree according to the City’s adopted fee schedule. The restoration fee may be doubled if any of the following apply:
      1. a.  The person has been convicted of a previous violation of this Title; or
      2. b.  The tree was subject to the protection requirements of a Tree Plan.
    2. 2.  Civil Remedies. The City will have the right to obtain, in any court of competent jurisdiction, a judgment against any person removing or causing damage to any City tree or Street Tree in violation of this Title. In any such action, the measure of damages is the actual replacement value of the damaged or destroyed trees as well as any other consequential damage to other public facilities within the street.
  4. D.  Additional remedies for Private Trees Subject to a Tree Plan. In addition to the remedies provided by any other provision of this Chapter or other Titles, when the PP&D Director determines that a violation of this Title has occurred involving a Private Tree shown to be protected on a Tree Plan, the PP&D Director may require the property owner or responsible party to correct the violation using any of the following remedies.
    1. 1.  Tree Protection Re-inspection Fee. When an inspection of a site subject to development under an approved Tree Plan finds that tree protection measures have not been installed as required or are not properly maintained, the City may issue a correction notice and require the responsible party to pay a Tree Protection Re-inspection Fee. Payment of the fee is required prior to final inspection.
    2. 2.  Tree Plan Revision. For tree removal or injury which results in removal, and where the tree was not required to be preserved by virtue of a land use approval, the PP&D Director may require the applicant to prepare a revision to the approved plans and demonstrate conformance with the applicable tree preservation and tree density standards in Chapter 11.50, including any additional tree planting, payments, or preservation of alternate trees.
  5. E.  Additional remedies for Heritage Trees. In addition to the remedies provided by any other provision of this Chapter, when the City Forester determines that a violation of this Title has occurred involving a Heritage Tree, the City Forester may seek additional remedies as described below.
    1. 1.  Restoration Fees.
      1. a.  Private Heritage Trees. The City may require any person to pay into the City’s Tree Planting and Preservation Fund for the damage or removal of a Heritage Tree, according to the City’s adopted Title 11 Tree Fee Schedule.
      2. b.  City and Street Heritage Trees. The City may require any person to pay into the City’s Urban Forestry Fund for the damage or removal of a Heritage Tree, according to the City’s adopted Title 11 Tree Fee Schedule.

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