California City Municipal Code Ch. 8 Public Trees

This chapter describes how the City may plant and maintain trees in public places.

(Ord. No. 07-648, 5-15-2007)

The spacing of street trees will be in accordance with recommendations of the Civic Beautification Commission.

(Ord. No. 07-648, 5-15-2007)

The City shall plant, prune, maintain and remove trees, plants, and shrubs within the lines of streets, alleys, avenues, squares, parkways and public grounds, as necessary, to ensure public safety or preserve or enhance the symmetry and aesthetics of public grounds. The City may remove or cause to be removed trees or parts thereof which are in an unsafe condition or which by reason of its nature are injurious to sewers, electric, power lines, gas lines, water lines, or other public improvements or is affected with any injurious fungus, insect, or pest.

(Ord. No. 07-648, 5-15-2007)

The City shall maintain the City's urban forest on an average 4 1/2-year trimming cycle based on species, the recommendations of a certified arborist, and the International Society of Arboricultural Tree Pruning Standards. The City shall maintain and prune any public tree with limbs or branches so that branches shall not obstruct the light from any street lamp or obstruct the view of any street intersection so there shall be a clear space of fourteen (14) feet above the surface of the street or sidewalk.

(Ord. No. 07-648, 5-15-2007)

It shall be unlawful as a normal practice for any person, firm or city department to top a public tree on public property in such a way as to cut limbs to stubs larger than three (3) in. in diameter within a tree's crown so as to remove the normal canopy and disfigure the tree.

(Ord. No. 07-648, 5-15-2007)

No person shall post or affix to any tree or shrub, tree stake or guard, in any street in the City, any bill, poster, placard, picture, announcement, notice, advertisement or sign, or cut, paint, print or mark any of the same upon such tree or shrub, tree stake or guard, or affix or attach in any manner any other thing whatsoever, including any guy wire or rope, to any such tree or shrub, tree stake, or guard, except for the purpose of protecting it or other purpose authorized by this Code. Tree stakes or guards may be placed around trees, shrubs or plants by property owners, provided the same are merely placed near a tree, shrub, or plant, for the purpose of protecting or training such trees, shrubs or plants.

(Ord. No. 07-648, 5-15-2007)

No person shall dump, pour or spill any oil, salt, salt water or other deleterious matter upon any tree or tree space in any street, or maintain upon any sidewalk within ten (10) ft. of any such tree or tree space on any street, any receptacle from which oil or salt water leaks or drips, or pour oil or salt water onto any parking or concrete gutter, so as to injure any tree on any street.

(Ord. No. 07-648, 5-15-2007)

No person shall pile building material, or other material, about any tree, plant or shrub in a street in any manner that will in any way injure such tree, plant or shrub.

(Ord. No. 07-648, 5-15-2007)