9068-19 - City Tree Lawn Planting Program

Home Browse Search

Placed on 1st reading and referred to Public Works 4/15/19 Anderson, Bullock, George, Litten, O'Leary, O'Malley, Rader RESOLUTION NO. 9068 -19 BY: A RESOLUTION establishing a program on certain streets in Lakewood to enable the City to plant street trees on front lawns of private properties, contingent upon a signed contract with the property owner. WHEREAS, the City of Lakewood has established tree canopy goals to improve property values, lower energy bills, manage stormwater, and beautify neighborhoods, among other bene- fits of street trees; and WHEREAS, to attain those goals, it is necessary to maximize the number of planting sites for City - planted street trees; and WHEREAS, upon certain streets in Lakewood, the tree lawn is too narrow to allow for viable planting and establishment of street trees, or utility poles and wires and other obstacles prevent the same; and WHEREAS, in a spirit of equity, property owners on those streets ought to be afforded the same opportunity to receive a City- purchased and - planted street tree, if they agree to it; and WHEREAS, this program is a means to achieve the above -named goals; and WHEREAS, pursuant to the Constitution of the State of Ohio and the Ohio Revised Code, municipalities have the power of local self - government, and the power to enact laws that are for the health, safety, welfare; now, therefore BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY OF LAKEWOOD, OHIO: Section 1. The City hereby establishes a program on certain streets in Lakewood to ena- ble the City to plant street trees on front lawns of privately -owned properties where permission from the owner is granted and contingent upon a contract signed by both the City and said owner specifying the terms of the agreement, including such details as the location of the tree and obli- gations of each party for planting and care, with the contract substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A. Section 2. The streets eligible for this program shall be annually designated and commu- nicated to Council by the Director of Public Works or his or her designee. The primary factors for inclusion of a street in this program shall be the lack of availability of viable street tree plant- ing sites on tree lawns of a street due to their narrowness, the presence of obstacles to planting or viability, or both. Section 3. It is found and determined that all formal actions of this Council concerning and relating to the passage of this resolution were adopted in an open meeting of this Council