PRK-2.03 - Tree Review, Tree Inspections, Tree Permits, and Tree Related Enforcement Fee Schedule

TREE REVIEW, TREE INSPECTIONS, TREE PERMITS, AND TREE RELATED ENFORCEMENT FEE SCHEDULE

Binding City Policy

BCP-PRK-2.03

Section 1.  The Council finds:

1. Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) promotes safety, livability, economic vitality, and environmental quality through management of the city’s urban forest including efficient and collaborative application of tree regulations.
    
2. In January 2015, the city’s new tree code, Title 11 Trees, was implemented. Title 11 is intended to streamline and consolidate tree regulations, improve tree retention and protection especially during site development, and provide for better enforcement of the city’s tree regulations. Better customer service in tree permitting is also an expectation for implementation of Title 11.
    
3. PP&R is largely a general fund bureau, however it practices cost recovery for some services, and collects certain fees under a fee schedule for certain tree permits.  These fees are used by PP&R to fund tree inspections, plan review, permit issuance, land use review, code enforcement, customer assistance and other tree-regulation-related functions.
    
4. PP&R charges fees to partially compensate for the costs of the services provided. PP&R does not charge fees for some services, for example tree planting permits, in order to encourage these activities and reduce potential barriers to voluntary compliance with regulatory requirements.
    
5. Other infrastructure and regulatory bureaus, such as Bureau of Environmental Services, Portland Water Bureau, Portland Bureau of Transportation, and Bureau of Development Services, charge fees for their services in comparable processes.
    
6. PP&R has been proactive in informing and seeking input from customers regarding the need and rationale for the proposed fee changes. The bureau has published information about the proposed changes on its website and has met with relevant stakeholder groups including the Urban Forestry Commission and Development Review Advisory Committee.
    
7. PP&R is proposing to increase certain tree permit fees to recover more of the costs of delivering those services.

NOW, THEREFORE, the Council directs:

1. The Tree Fee Schedule is amended as shown in Exhibit A.
    
2. This ordinance is binding City policy.