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Ordinance 229CITY OF CHANHASSEN • CARVER AND HENNEPIN COUNTIES, MINNESOTA ORDINANCE NO. 229 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 13 OF THE CHANHASSEN CITY CODE, RELATING TO THE CONTROL AND PREVENTION OF DUTCH ELM AND OTHER ARBOREAL DISEASES WITHIN THE CITY OF CHANHASSEN THE CITY COUNCIL OF CHANHASSEN ORDAINS: Section 1. Chapter 13 of the Chanhassen City Code is amended by adding Article IV to read: ARTICLE IV. CONTROL AND PREVENTION OF DISEASED TREES. Sec. 13-27. Declaration of Policy. The City of Chanhassen has determined that the health of the Elm and Oak trees within the municipal limits is threatened by the fatal diseases known as Dutch Elm disease and Oak Wilt disease and by other epidemic diseases of shade trees. It has further • determined that the loss of Elm and Oak and other shade trees growing upon public and private property will substantially depreciate the value of property within the City and impair the safety, good order, general welfare and convenience of the public. It is declared to be the intention of the Council to control and prevent the spread of these diseases and this ordinance is enacted for that purpose. Sec. 13-28. Forester. (a) Position Created. The position of a part-time or intern City Forester or Tree Inspector is hereby created within the City. The City Forester or Tree Inspector must meet the qualifications as defined in Minnesota Statutes Sections 1505.0050, 1505.0070, and 1505.0080. (b) Duties of Forester. It is the duty of the Forester to coordinate all activities of the municipality relating to the control and prevention of Dutch Elm disease and Oak Wilt disease and other epidemic diseases of shade trees and perform the duties incident to such a program. 0 Sec. 13.29 Shade Tree Disease Program. • It is the intention of the City Council to conduct a program of plant pest control pursuant to the authority granted by Minnesota Statutes Sections 18.022 and 18.023. This program is directed specifically at the control and elimination of Dutch Elm disease fungus and elm bark beetles and Oak Wilt fungus and is undertaken at the recommendation of the Commissioner of Agriculture. The City Forester shall act as coordinator between the Commissioner of Agriculture and the Gouneil City in the conduct of this program. Sec. 13.30 Nuisances Declared; Abatement; Firewood Storage. Nuisances Declared. The following are public nuisances whenever they may be found within the City of Chanhassen: (a) Any living or standing elm tree or part thereof infected to any degree with the Dutch elm disease fungus Ceratocvstis ulmi (Buisman) Moreau or which harbors any of the elm bark beetles Scolytus multistriatus (Eichh.) or Hylurgopinus rufipes (Marsh). (b) Any dead Elm tree or part thereof, including logs, branches, stumps, firewood, or other Elm material from which the bark has not been removed as provided in Minnesota statute 4.03. (c) Any living or standing Oak tree or part thereof infected to any degree with the • Oak Wilt fungus Ceratocvstis faaacearum. (d) Any dead tree in the Red Oak group, or part of any such tree, including logs, branches, stumps, firewood, or other Red Oak material from which the bark has not been removed. (e) Other shade trees with epidemic diseases. Sec. 13-31. Abatement. It is unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to permit any public nuisance as defined in Section 13.30 to remain on any premises owned or controlled by him within the City of Chanhassen. Such nuisance may be abated in the manner prescribed by the ordinance in addition to the criminal penalties provided for in this ordinance. Sec. 13-32. Elm and Oak Wood Storage Stockpiling and storage of elm logs and branches with bark intact or tight -barked wood from an infected tree in the Red Oak group is prohibited except during the period September 15 through April 1 of the following year. Only during this period shall such 0 2 storage be permitted. Authorization for storage per this ordinance shall only be permitted for • residential premises. Sec. 13-33. Inspection and Investigation. (a) Annual Inspection. The Forester shall inspect all premises and places with the city as often as practicable to determine whether any condition described in Section 13.30 of this Ordinance exists thereon. He/She shall investigate all reported incidents of infestation by Dutch Elm fungus or elm bark beetles, or Oak Wilt, or other epidemic diseases of shade trees. (b) Entry of Private Premises. The Forester or his/her duly authorized agents may enter upon private premises at any reasonable time for the purpose of carrying out any of the duties assigned him/her under this Ordinance. (c) Diagnosis. The Forester or his/her duly authorized representatives shall identify diseased trees by generally accepted field symptoms such as wilting, yellowing of leaves, or staining of wood in accordance with Minnesota Department of Agriculture Rules and Regulations AGR 106. Laboratory confirmation by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture will be used only when it is necessary. Sec. 13-34. Abatement of Shade Tree Disease Nuisances • In abating the nuisances defined in Section 13.30, the Forester shall cause the infected tree or wood to be sprayed, removed, burned, or otherwise effectively treated so as to destroy and prevent as fully as possible the spread of epidemic diseases of shade trees, including, but not limited to, Dutch Elm disease fungus, elm bark beetles, and Oak Wilt Disease. Such abatement procedures shall be carried out in accordance with current technical and expert opinions and plans as may be designated by the Commissioner of Agriculture. Sec. 13-35. Procedure for Removal of Infected Trees and Wood (a) Forester's Abatement Order. Whenever the Forester finds with reasonable certainty that one or more of the infestations defined in Section 13.30 exists in any trees or wood in any public or private place, the owner shall be notified and ordered to remove the same in a manner approved by the Forester. If the owner fails to comply with the order, the City Manager may act to abate the nuisance. In the event that the owner cannot be contacted, the City shall send notice by certified mail to the last known address of the owner of record, and shall then proceed forthwith to abate the nuisance. (b) Methods of Disposal of Diseased Elm Trees. All diseased elm trees including the above ground parts thereof shall be properly disposed of by such methods including debarking, chipping, and utilization. 0 3 (c) Removal and Disposal of Diseased Trees in the Red Oak Group. All diseased • oak trees in the red oak group that wilt in July and August shall be identified, marked, and removed by April 1 of the following year in order to eliminate any spore formation on them the following May or June. Trees in the northern red oak group include the northern red oak (Quercus rubra), northern pin oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis), black oak (Quercus velutina), and scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea). Methods of disposal include chipping and utilization. (d) Control of Overland Spread of Oak Wilt. To control the overland spread of the disease, the City shall avoid pruning or other mechanical damage during the most susceptible period of May and June. The City Forester may determine that emergency pruning by utility companies is necessary during this susceptible period if trees interfere with utility lines. If wounding is unavoidable during this period, as in the aftermath of a storm or when the tree interferes with utility lines, a tree wound dressing shall be applied. (e) Stumps of Diseased Elms and Oaks and Other Trees Affected by Arboreal Disease. Stumps of all elm and oak trees shall be removed or debarked to the groundline to eliminate all possibilities of beetle habitation or possibilities of spore formation. (f) Special Assessments. From time to time, the City shall list the total unpaid costs of abatement attributable to each separate lot or parcel of land in this City. The council then may spread said costs or any portion thereof against the property involved as a special assessment under Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 429 and other pertinent statutes, for certification to the county auditor and collection the following year along with current taxes. • Council may consider deferments for hardship. The assessment may be deferred on homestead property if the owner is a person 65 years of age or older who is retired and/or by virtue of total or permanent disability for whom it would be a hardship to make the payments for tree removal(s). Sec. 13-36. Interference Prohibited. It is unlawful for any person to prevent, delay or interfere with the Forester or his/her agents while they are engaged in the performance of duties imposed by this Ordinance. Sec. 13-37. Penalty. Any person, firm, or corporation who violated this Ordinance is guilty of a misdemeanor. Section 2. This ordinance shall be effective immediately upon its passage and publication. PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Chanhassen City Council this 28th day of November , 1994. 0.1 • r1 U ATTEST: zL2—a2L Don Ashworth, City Manager volo , I "Nor—I'vAmA (Publish in the Chanhassen Villager on December 8, 1994.) SUMMARY ORDINANCE 229 ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 13 OF THE CHANHASSEN CITY CODE, RELATING TO THE CONTROL AND PREVENTION OF DUTCH ELM AND OTHER ARBOREAL DISEASES WITHIN THE CITY OF CHANHASSEN All elms and oaks, infected with Dutch elm disease and oak wilt respectively, will be required to be removed. Disposal of infected wood may be by debarking, chipping, and utilization. Inspections will be performed by a certified tree inspector who will inform homeowners of infected trees. If a homeowner fails to remove the infected tree(s) within a said amount of time, the city will do so and assess the cost to the property. Deferments of the assessment will be open to consideration by the Council. Passed and adopted by the Chanhassen City Council this 14th day of November, 1994. Kathryn R. Aanenson, AICP Planning Director (Published in the Chanhasasen Villager on December 8, 1994.) SUMMARY ORDINANCE 229 ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 13 OF THE CHANHASSEN CITY CODE, RELATING TO THE CONTROL AND PREVENTION OF DUTCH ELM AND OTHER ARBOREAL DISEASES WITHIN THE CITY OF CHANHASSEN All elms and oaks, infected with Dutch elm disease and oak wilt respec- tively, will be required to be removed. Disposal of infected wood may be by debarking, chipping, and utilization. In- spections will be perfamed b a cert. fiend,: ;;r ..nfgrm 0 -If' a homeat1tv'` "rfected tree(s) within a said amount of time, the city will do so and assess the cost to the property. Deferments of the assessment will be open to consideration by the Council. Passed and adopted by, the Chanhassen City Council this 14th' day of November, 1994. Kathryn R. Aanenson, AICP Planning Director (Published in the Chanhassen Villager on Thursday, December 8, 1994; No. 2312) Affidavit of Publication Southwest Suburban Publishing State of Minnesota) )SS. County of Carver ) Stan Rolfsrud, being duly sworn, on oath says that he is the publisher or the authorized agent of the publisher of the newspapers known as the Chaska Herald and the Chanhassen Villager and has full knowledge of the facts herein stated as follows: (A) This newspaper has complied with the requirements constituting qualification as a legal newspaper, as provided by Minnesota Statute 331 A.02, 331 A.07, and other applicable laws, as amended. (B) The printed public notice that is attached to this Affidavit and identified as No GW_�� was published on the date or dates and in the newspaper stated in the attached Notice and said Notice is hereby incorporated as part of this Affidavit. Said notice was cut from the columns of the newspaper specified. Printed below is a copy of the lower case alphabet from A to Z, both inclusive, and is hereby acknowledged as being the kind and size of type used in the composition and publication of the Notice: abcdefghijklm Subscribed and sworn before me on Lthis Y-4—day of , 1994 Notaryj ro WO-01r, GWEEN M. RADUENZ ®` r NOTARY P JB! ;C - %O INNESO T A SCOT"' COUNTY ..r My Gom,m;ss: ;r1 rxr;ires Feb. 24.1 99 RATE INFORMATION Lowest classified rate paid by commercial users for comparable space.. $8.00 per column inch Maximum rate allowed by law for the above matter ................... $8.00 per column inch Rate actually charged for the above matter ........................... .........$6.89 per column inch