Issue Paper No. 4 -Tree Maintenance City of Tigard
Department Name: Community Development
Board Name: Tree Board
Issue Paper No. 4
Funding- Urban Forestry Master Plan
Activity—Urban Forestry Program Management (Tree Maintenance)
ISSUE: How can the city improve the management of the City's urban forestry program? Which
trees should be maintained by the City of Tigard or with city funds?
BACKGROUND
Implementation Goal 5 of the Urban Forestry Master Plan seeks to improve the coordination and
management of the city's urban forest program. Maintenance is a key component of this program.
Maintenance of mature trees is currently implemented by several divisions of the city's Public Works
Department and is generally limited to care or removal of hazardous or declining trees. Early
establishment care is provided by the Public Works and Community Development Departments for
trees planted by the city (with the exception of trees planted as part of the free street tree program).
As more land is acquired by the city for parks and open spaces, forest resources age and decline, and
more trees are planted through the Urban Forestry Program and along the city's collector and
arterial streets, additional funding for maintenance will be required. A sustainable funding source is
needed to address long term care of these trees and expand urban forest management beyond just
maintenance or removal of hazardous and declining trees.
FISCAL INFORMATION
Historical Fiscal Impact
Maintenance is funded by money from many sources. Trees planted using the Urban Forestry Fund
receive three years of early establishment care funded from the same source.
Other Maintenance:
Parks and Grounds
• General Fund supports Public Works staff responsible for maintenance of trees in parks,
open spaces, and city owned properties, and heritage trees.
• 2011 budgeted approximately $30,000, and the Parks Supervisor states that, "the amount
budgeted is exceeded three out of four years on average."
• The budgeted amount has been steadily increasing, and a larger increase is expected next
year due to the number of trees located on lands acquired through the Parks and Open
Space Bond.
Streets Division
• 2011 budgeted $4000 for Hazard Tree Removal. The removal of one tree last year
exceeded that amount (large sequoia on Durham Road near Durham Elementary). These
funds from the gas tax are used to pay contractors for removal if the city crews cannot do
the work.
• The Street Maintenance Fee is used for road maintenance and also has a component for right
of way maintenance. Once the fee is fully implemented in January 2012, there will be$100,000
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annually available for both types of maintenaneeright of way maintenance. These funds can
only be used for collectors and arterials and not local streets. Tree planting and trimming can
be funded by the fee dollars but must be related to beautification or safety purposes.
Stormwater Division
• As part of the Healthy Streams Program, this division expended $110,000 in 2010 on
contractor services, 700 hours of staff time ($21,000) and 735 volunteer hours in natural
restoration of riparian (streamside) forest areas. This restoration includes planting and
maintenance of trees and other vegetation for the first five years. Funding for contractor
services is from stormwater and sanitary sewer fees,while staffing is funded by the General
Fund. In 2011, $70,000 is budgeted for these activities.
Future Fiscal Impact
As discussed in previous issue papers, many sources of funding (General Fund and Urban Forestry
Fund) are limited and the Urban Forestry Fund is not likely sustainable for long term maintenance.
Some street tree maintenance is funded by the Street Maintenance Fee. A majority of the Money
goes to sft--- i9ee and repair, but eoti4d more eare be provided to trees on . Tree
maintenance is again typically limited to care and removal of hazardous or declining trees. Other
sustainable funding options for a long term maintenance program include new taxes, fees, or charges
or re-assignment of general fund dollars from a lower priority activity or service.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Tree maintenance, whether kept to a minimum for the growing number of trees or expanded to
include other forestry management, is an on-going activity. In addition, it is more likely that the
funds necessary to support such a program will only increase. The funding source should match the
need; therefore a growing, sustainable source will be necessary.
RECOMMENDATION: The City of Tigard manages to provide tree maintenance from a number
of sources. Each of these sources has limitations. Tree maintenance is a secondary outgrowth from
the primary functions of providing parks and maintaining streets. Staff recommends modifying the
Urban Forestry Fund resolution to allow a modest utilization of these funds over the next couple of
years to sustain tree maintenance and use the interim time to develop a recommendation for a
dedicated funding source.
TREE BOARD COMMENTS
This area will summari.Ze the Board's discussion and comments on the staff recommendation.
TREE BOARD RECOMMENDATION
This area will idenfifi the Tree Boards final recommendation to City Council as one of the three:
• Recommend(carry forward the staff recommendation)
• Recommend as modified(minor changes to the staff recommendation)
• Not recommend(major changes to or disapproval of the staff recommendation)
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