Columbus, Georgia

An Ordinance

NO. _______



An Ordinance amending Ordinance No. _____ (Tree Preservation and Replacement)

by removing the requirement that for residential lots exceeding 7,500 square

feet, one tree must be planted in the front yard and by creating a new Tree

Protection Advisory Board (seven members) and a new Board of Arbor Appeals

(five members); and for other purposes.



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THE COUNCIL OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA, HEREBY ORDAINS:



SECTION 1.



Section 7 of Ordinance No. ______ is hereby amended by deleting the first

sentence of the subsection dealing with residential lots equal to or greater

than 7,500 feet and inserting a new first sentence in said subsection to read

as follows:



"Additionally, every residential lot containing 7,500 square feet in area

or greater shall have a minimum of two trees located thereon."



SECTION 2.



Section 4 of Ordinance No. ______ (Tree Board) is hereby deleted in its

entirety and there is substituted a new Section 4: Tree Protection Advisory

Board and Board of Arbor Appeals to read as follows:



"Section 4: TREE PROTECTION ADVISORY BOARD AND BOARD OF ARBOR APPPEALS



(a) A Tree Protection Advisory Board is hereby established to be composed of

seven (7) members appointed by the Council of Columbus. All appointments shall

be for a three-year term; except the initial appointments shall be as follows:

two (2) members appointed for a three-year term to terminate December 31, 2004;

two (2) members appointed for a two-year term to terminate December 31, 2003;

and three (3) members shall be appointed for a one-year term to terminate July

1, 2003. The initial term shall be considered a full term under the provisions

of "Sec. 2-1 Governing bodies, generally" of the Code of Ordinances.



The Mayor and Council, when appointing members to the Tree Protection Advisory

Board, shall give consideration to those persons who have demonstrated an

interest in the preservation and conservation of trees in the City.

Appointments shall be made so that the seven (7) members of the Tree Protection

Advisory Board consist of representatives from each of the following groups:



(1) A public utility providing service within the City;



(2) An educator employed by Columbus State University, the Muscogee County

School District, or Columbus Technical College whose principal field of

activity is science and/or the environment;



(3) The Director or a Commissioner of Keep Columbus Beautiful;



(4) A representative of the development or building community of the City

working primarily in commercial and/or industrial development;



(5) A representative of the development or building community of the City

working primarily in residential development;



(6) A representative of an environmental advocacy group headquartered in the

City; and



(7) A representative who is a landscape or forestry professional.



(b) The Tree Protection Advisory Board shall:



(1) Choose its own officers, make its own rules and regulations, establish

meeting dates and keep minutes of its proceedings. The Board rules and

regulations shall be approved by the City Attorney's Office and a copy shall be

forwarded to the Clerk of Council. A majority of the total members shall be a

quorum for the transaction of business.



(2) Advise and make recommendations to the City Arborist and the Columbus

Council with respect to all matters concerning tree preservation and tree

replacement in Columbus, Georgia.



(3) Prepare or update, annually, a written, City-wide ?Tree Master Plan? that

guides the care, preservation, pruning, planting, replanting, removal, or

disposition of trees on public lands; such plan shall consider existing and

future utility locations and environmental factors in relation to existing and

future tree species on public lands or on private lands, as provided in this

Ordinance or other Ordinances; such plan shall be recommended to the Mayor and

Council and upon their acceptance and approval shall be implemented as the

?Tree Master Plan."



(4) Act on other matters designated by this chapter or by the Mayor and Council

of Columbus, Georgia.



(c) The Board of Arbor Appeals is hereby created and shall be composed of five

(5) members appointed by the Columbus Council from the public at large. All

appointments shall be for a three-year term, except the initial appointments

shall be as follows: two (2) members appointed for a three-year term to

terminate December 31, 2004; two (2) members appointed for a two-year term to

terminate December 31, 2003; and one (1) member shall be appointed for a

one-year term to terminate July 1, 2003. The initial term shall be considered

a full term under the provisions of "Sec. 2-1 Governing bodies, generally" of

the Code of Ordinances.



(d) The Board of Arbor Appeals shall have the following responsibilities:



(1) The Board shall choose its own officers, make its own rules and

regulations, establish meeting dates and keep minutes of its proceedings. The

Board rules and regulations shall be approved by the City Attorney's Office and

a copy shall be forwarded to the Clerk of Council. A majority of the total

members shall be a quorum for the transaction of business.



(2) The Board shall grant appropriate variances and hear appeals from any

decision of the City Arborist regarding the enforcement of this Ordinance."



SECTION 3.



All ordinances and parts of ordinances in conflict with this ordinance are

hereby repealed.



SECTION 4.



This ordinance shall become effective on the same date which Ordinance

No. ______ (Tree Preservation and Replacement) becomes effective.



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Introduced at a regular meeting of the Council of Columbus, Georgia held

on the ____ day of ___________, 2002; introduced a second time at a regular

meeting of said Council held on the ______ day of _________, 2002, and adopted

at said meeting by the affirmative vote of _____ members of said Council.







Councilor Allen voting ______

Councilor Henderson voting ______

Councilor Hunter voting ______

Councilor McDaniel voting ______

Councilor Poydasheff voting ______

Councilor Rodgers voting ______

Councilor Smith voting ______

Councilor Suber voting ______

Councilor Pugh voting ______

Councilor Woodson voting ______







_______________________ ________________________

Tiny B. Washington, Bobby G. Peters,

Clerk Mayor