HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-05-06 PACKET 05.A. REQUEST OF CITY COUNCIL ACTION COUNCIL AGENDA
MEETING ITEM #
DATE 5/6/2015 � .
PREPARED BY: Administration Ryan Schroeder
ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT HEAD
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COUNCIL ACTION REQUEST:
Receive response to previously raised open forum issue regarding maintenance of trees on
private property.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Receive response.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
� MEMO/LETTER: Letter from Ryan Schroeder.
❑ RESOLUTION:
❑ ORDINANCE:
❑ ENGINEERING RECOMMENDATION:
❑ LEGAL RECOMMENDATION:
❑ OTHER:
ADMINISTRATORS COMMENTS:
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'"City Administrator Date
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Cottage
� Grove
�here Pride and Prosperity Meet
April 21,2015
Mr.AI Stosl<opf
. 8162 Ideal Avenue South
Cottage Grove, MN 55016
Dear Mr.Stosl<opf , �
This correspondence is in response to your comments at the April 15, 2015 meeting of the Cottage
Grove City Council. In your presentation you submitted that your home was built in 1968 and that trees
were planted on your property the following spring. You further submitted that these trees were
intended to be boulevard trees or planted in lieu of boulevard trees as a test by the City. You noted that
you had, in the past, requested that City contracted services provide trimming of your front yard tree
but were denied in that the tree is located outside of the City easement(on your private property).
Finally,you suggested that the City should tal<e responsibility for the care and/or removal and
replacement of your front yard tree as if it was a boulevard tree.
Mr.Stosl<opf,the City has over the years planted or caused to be planted trees on both private property
and within the right of way. There have been various developments over the years where the City has
caused tree planting on private property outside of the right of way,similar to your situation. In no case
has the City ever tal<en on responsibility for maintenance of trees or any other asset located outside of
the right of way on private property, regardless of how the physical asset came to be there. To tal<e on
responsibility for your front yard tree would necessarily suggest that the City should somehow tal<e on
responsibility for maintenance of additional front yard trees throughout the community as the City has
similarly caused the planting of thousands of front yard trees. As you confirmed in your comments,you
have been alerted to this long standing position over the past 47 years when informed that City
contractors do not trim or maintain front yard trees.
I certainly understand your concern that either removing or treating an Ash tree can be expensive. In
my own situation I have been treating two Ash trees, one of which is on the boulevard, at a property I
own in another community over the last eight years. While expensive, I have determined this approach
preferable to losing the asset to my property that these trees provide.
Thanl<you for the opportunity to respond and thanl<you for 47 years of dedication to this community.
Sinc ,
R .Schroeder
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City Administrator
cc. Mayor and City Council
CITY OF COTTAGE GROVE•12800 Ravine Parkway•Cottage Grove, Minnesota 55016
www.cottage-grove.org•651-458-2800• Fax 651-458-2897• Equal Opportunity Employer