TO: COMMUNITY AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION
FROM: JEREMY SWAN, COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR
DATE: JANUARY 16, 2025
Reviewed by:
City Manager: n/a
SUBJECT:
Title
TREE PLANTINGS AND REMOVALS FOR OCTOBER 2024
Body
SUMMARY
The adopted Tree Policies and Guidelines Manual requires the Community Services Department to provide a monthly report on tree plantings and removals. This report includes information on City tree plantings and removals for the month of October 2024. Fifty-seven trees were planted and sixteen trees removed in October 2024.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends the Community and Human Services Commission receive and file the tree plantings and removals report for October 2024.
Body
ALTERNATIVES TO RECOMMENDATION
In addition to the recommendation, there is the following alternative:
• Refer the item back to staff for additional information.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Fifty-seven trees were planted during the month of October. Fifty-six trees were 15-gallon-size and planted by the City’s contractor, West Coast Arborists, Inc. (WCA) at a cost of $220 each. One 36”-box-size tree was planted at a cost of $1,100. The total cost to plant all fifty-seven trees was $13,420.
Sixteen trees were removed during the month of October 2024. Eleven trees were removed by City staff at no cost to the City, and five trees were removed by WCA. The removal cost is based on the diameter at breast height of the tree, and the total cost for removing the five trees was $4,312.
ANALYSIS
The Community Services Department is responsible for the daily management of the City’s urban forest, including the planting and removal of City trees. The City-Council-adopted Tree Policies and Guidelines Manual establishes the standards governing the tree planting and removal process.
Plantings
Fifty-seven trees were planted during the month of October. All fifty-seven trees were planted by WCA within the City’s rights-of-way and parks. All but one of the fifty-seven trees were 15-gallon-size. One tree planted as part of the Veteran’s Day ceremony was a 36”-box-size tree. A listing of trees planted by address is included as Attachment A.
Removals
It is the City's policy to protect and preserve healthy trees that provide valuable benefits to our environment and to the quality of life in Claremont. However, staff has the authority to remove City trees if a tree is considered dead, diseased, or hazardous. Additionally, per the Tree Policies and Guidelines Manual, staff has the authority to remove trees that are causing hardscape/infrastructure damage if the repairs cannot be made without severe root pruning that would jeopardize the health and stability of the tree. To be consistent with the Tree Policies and Guidelines Manual, the reason for removal listed in the report will be based upon the conditions listed in the manual.
Sixteen trees were removed during the month of October. City staff removed eleven trees from the City’s rights-of-way, and five trees were removed by WCA from the City’s rights-of-way. These removals include trees that were deemed dead, diseased, or hazardous by the City Arborist. A listing of trees removed by address is included as Attachment B. Samples of some of the trees removed during the month of October 2024 are included as Attachment C.
CEQA REVIEW
This item is not subject to environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
PUBLIC NOTICE PROCESS
The agenda and staff report for this item have been posted on the City website and distributed to interested parties. If you desire a copy, please contact the City Clerk’s Office.
Submitted by: Prepared by:
Jeremy Swan Cari Dillman
Community Services Director Community Services Manager
Attachments:
A - Trees Planted by Address - October 2024
B - Trees Removed by Address - October 2024
C - Photos of Removed Trees - October 2024