7-2-14: COMPENSATORY PAYMENTS:

In the event any person removes, destroys or damages any public tree, except as otherwise required by law, that person shall be required to replace such tree with a tree of equivalent dollar value on public property, unless otherwise determined by the City Forester. The value of a tree shall be determined by the City Forester in accordance with accepted plant appraisal methods as set forth in the 8th edition of "The Guide for Plant Appraisal", published by the International Society of Arboriculture, or the same as amended from time to time. If no suitable location exists in the vicinity of the tree removed or if the replacement tree is of lesser value, the person causing the tree to be removed shall make a compensatory payment to the City equal to the difference in value between the tree removed and any replacement tree. Any public tree that is determined by the City Forester to be damaged, but not sufficiently to justify its removal, shall be considered to be devalued. The amount of devaluation shall be paid to the City by the person causing the damage. Compensatory payments shall be paid into a fund established for that purpose and restricted to use for community forestry programs. Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit the City from negotiating agreements with other governmental entities regarding penalties and compensatory payment for removal, damage or destruction of public trees. (1952 Code § 9-16-11)