EAST PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
STAFF REPORT
DATE: May 3, 2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Patrick Heisinger, Interim City Manager
BY: Amy Chen, Community & Economic Development Director Elena Lee, Planning Manager
SUBJECT: Adoption of Amendments to Tree Ordinances Related to Urban Forest Master Plan
Recommendation
Waive the second reading and adopt an ordinance, set forth as Attachment 1 to this staff report, amending Chapter 12.16 and Chapter 18.28 of the East Palo Alto Municipal Code and miscellaneous provisions related to trees, to be effective October 1, 2022.
Alignment with City Council Strategic Plan
This recommendation is primarily aligned with:
Priority No. 1: Enhance Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Priority No. 4: Improve Public Facilities and Infrastructure Priority No. 6: Create a Healthy and Safe Community
Background
On April 19, 2022 the City Council waived the first reading and introduced an ordinance amending Chapter 12.16 and Chapter 18.28 of the East Palo Alto Municipal Code and miscellaneous provisions related to trees, to be effective October 1, 2022 (Attachment 1). The staff report and presentation also covered the development of an East Palo Alto Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP) and City Council unanimously approved the final UFMP.
Analysis
The City Council directed that staff make minor clarifications to the UFMP on a few items, including a clearer description about the City’s water supply and ensuring the document reflects a commitment to equity both with other cities and within East Palo Alto.
The City Council approved the ordinance as recommended by staff. The City Council recognized the Planning Commission’s recommendation and concerns regarding transparency. The introduced ordinance retained the tree removal permit as an administrative process, subject to an appeal to the Planning Commission. Staff will provide updates to the Commission on pending tree removal permits and implement enhancements to the website to provide more information to the public.
Council noted the UFMP represents a long-term vision for the City’s urban forest. The ordinance is only the first of potential implementation steps to realize the vision. Council can direct staff to study other actions in the future. The first will be to study the fee for tree permit appeals to see if there are ways to make it accessible to residents, while recognizing constraints.
Fiscal Impact
There is no fiscal impact to adopting the ordinance. Preparation of the UFMP and the ordinance updates were covered by a CalFire Grant. Staff will return with staffing recommendations and potential procurements for an on-call arborist to support the implementation of the UFMP and the tree ordinances. Any proposed changes to removal permit fees or consultant arborist services resulting in monetary impacts will be addressed through a separate City Council action and eventually reflected in the annual Master Fee schedule update. At this time there are no impacts on the City’s general fund or staffing.
Public Notice
The public was provided notice via publication in the Palo Alto Daily News on April 8, 2022, and by posting the agenda on the City’s official bulletin board outside City Hall and making the agenda and report available online at http://eastpaloalto.iqm2.com/Citizens/Default.aspx.
Environmental
The action being considered does not constitute a “Project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to CEQA Guideline section 15378 (b)(5), in that it is a government administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment.
Attachments
1. Ordinances