TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Philippe Eskandar, City Manager
BY: Amber Shah, Parks & Public Works Director/City Engineer DATE: September 9, 2026
SUBJECT: FALL 2026 PUBLIC TREE REMOVAL LIST
STRATEGIC PLAN CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS
Beautiful, Preserved, Single-Family Neighborhoods
Efficient, Responsive, and Effective City Services
Safe Community
Well-Maintained Infrastructure
BACKGROUND
On October 27, 2023, the City Council adopted revisions to the City’s Street Tree Policy and Procedures that amended the tree removal process. Under the revised Policy, the Parks & Public Works Department must submit a list of recommended tree removals to the City Council’s tree liaisons for review and comment before presenting the list to the full City Council as an informational item. City Council Member Shepherd Romey serves as the primary tree liaison, and City Council Member Hunter Chang serves as the alternate.
Pursuant to Section 7.1 of the City’s Street Tree Policy, the Department reviews the proposed tree removal list with the City Council tree liaison(s) so that the liaison(s) can verify the accuracy of the list and confirm that the proposed removals comply with the requirements of the Policy.
On June 26, 2026, the Department presented eleven (11) City-owned trees to the City Council for consideration as part of the Summer 2026 tree removal process. Following discussion, the City Council requested additional evaluation of three (3) of the eleven (11) trees before the Department proceeded with removal. The additional evaluation was intended to determine the extent of each tree’s decline and whether any treatment options may reasonably extend Tony Chou, Mayor
Calvin Lo, Vice Mayor
Hunter Chang, Council Member
John Chou, Council Member
Gretchen Shepherd Romey, Council Member
the trees’ useful life safely, including consideration of the potential cost and effectiveness of such treatments. The Department subsequently scheduled Sonic Tomography testing for all three (3) trees and additional root crown excavation for one (1) tree, consistent with the arborist’s recommendations.
The Department provided the proposed Fall 2026 tree removal list to the primary and alternate tree liaisons on August 28, 2026. The list includes twenty-two (22) City-owned trees considered as part of the Fall 2026 tree removal process. Of these, twenty-one (21) trees are recommended for removal, consisting of nineteen (19) trees newly identified for the Fall 2026 removal cycle and two (2) trees previously presented during the Summer 2026 removal cycle.
The Department provided photographs and arborist reports prepared by the City’s contracted arborist, Harnisch Tree Care Consulting Arborists, for the trees included in the Fall 2026 review. Following the liaison review, the Department is presenting the recommendations to the City Council as an informational item.
DISCUSSION
The Department has prepared a Fall 2026 City Tree Review List containing twenty-two (22) City-owned trees. Trees #1 through #3 were previously presented to the City Council as part of the Summer 2026 tree removal process and underwent additional evaluation following the City Council’s request. These trees are located at 1430 Cambridge Road (Tree #1), 1101 Lorain Road (Tree #2), and 2290 Sherwood Road (Tree #3). Trees #4 through #22 represent nineteen (19) trees newly identified for the Fall 2026 removal cycle.
The City recognizes that its street trees are an important community asset.
The City’s extensive tree canopy contributes significantly to the beauty, character, and quality of life of the community, and the City has established policies and procedures for public (and private) trees that are intended to protect this resource and prevent unwarranted removal. Accordingly, tree removal is not undertaken lightly. Staff recommendations in this report are based on documented arboricultural conditions and the specific removal criteria established by the City Council in Section 7.2 of the City’s Street Tree Policy.
Of the three (3) trees previously presented during the Summer 2026 process, Trees #2 and #3 are now recommended for removal based on the results of additional evaluation, while Tree #1 is not recommended for removal at this time. The twenty-one (21) trees recommended for removal have been identified as meeting one (1) or more of the applicable removal criteria established in Section 7.2 of the City’s Street Tree Policy. Section 7.2 of the Policy establishes the following justifications for tree removal:
• The tree is dead.
• The tree has reached an over-mature condition and is in declining health that will result in its death within the year.
• The tree is infected with a disease that cannot be treated successfully and/or there is a strong potential that the pathogen could spread to other trees in the immediate vicinity.
• The tree has been determined to be a public health and safety hazard because of its high potential for failure due to considerable dead or dying foliage, branches, roots, or trunk.
• The tree requires extensive root pruning because of excessive hardscape damage resulting in a severe reduction in its capacity to support itself and thereby creating a potential safety hazard. • The tree due to its growth habit and location creates a safety hazard. • Removal of the tree has been approved as part of a City Councilapproved capital improvement project.
The City’s contracted arborist, Harnisch Tree Care Consulting Arborists, evaluated the trees based on the documented arboricultural conditions and determined that each tree meets one (1) or more of the applicable removal criteria. While City staff continue to actively recruit to fill the Urban Forester position, the Parks & Public Works Department continues to utilize its contracted, licensed and certified arborist to perform tree evaluations and provide professional recommendations regarding tree maintenance and removal.
As part of the additional evaluation requested by the City Council, the Department completed Sonic Tomography testing for all three (3) trees previously presented to the City Council at a cost of $1,800 per tree. The entirety of that report is included as Attachment 3. The testing identified significant structural defects and decay in Tree #2, located at 1101 Lorain Road, and Tree #3, located at 2290 Sherwood Road. The arborist identified these conditions as presenting a significant potential for failure. Based on these findings, staff included both trees in the current Fall 2026 tree removal recommendations.
The Sonic Tomography testing for Tree #1, located at 1430 Cambridge Road, identified structural defects, decay, and excessive branch loading. Based on the arborist’s recommendation, the Department also completed a root crown excavation and inspection to further evaluate the tree’s condition. The root crown inspection did not identify significant decay at the trunk flare that would warrant removal at this time. However, the arborist did not recommend treatment options given the presence of Ganoderma conk, a parasitic and saprophytic fungus, on the lower trunk. There is no cure or effective fungicide to stop the internal decay associated with the fungus. The Department will continue to maintain Tree #1 at 1430 Cambridge Road, monitor the tree monthly, and obtain additional arborist recommendations as needed.
Staff recommend proceeding with the twenty-one (21) tree removals identified in the Fall 2026 City Tree Review List in accordance with the City’s Street Tree Policy and the recommendations of the City’s consulting arborist.
The recommendation is based on the documented arboricultural condition of each individual tree and its evaluation against the City’s established removal criteria. The timing of the work would also allow the City to address the recommended maintenance and risk-management work as part of its planned Fall maintenance cycle, before winter weather conditions may place additional stress on trees and their supporting root systems.
Recent staff responses to several large-limb failures and one whole-tree failure over the past month provide additional context for the City’s ongoing urban forestry and tree-risk management activities. These incidents are not attributed to any single weather condition and are not being used as a basis for determining whether any individual tree should be removed. Completing the recommended removals under planned and controlled conditions will allow staff to address documented hazards proactively, and avoid, where possible, potentially having to respond to failures involving these trees as emergency incidents. Current seasonal forecasts provide an additional consideration for completing the work in a timely manner. Such proactive work is particularly important in anticipation of the much discussed El Niño weather pattern which is forecast to potentially be the strongest since 1950.
Completing the recommended removals under planned and controlled conditions would allow the City to coordinate resident notification, contractor scheduling, traffic and pedestrian controls, and replacement planting in an orderly manner. Replacement trees will be scheduled based on plant availability, site conditions, and appropriate planting seasons, thereby allowing the City to continue investing in and replenishing its urban forest.
The Fall 2026 City Tree Review List is included as Attachment 2. The corresponding arborist reports and additional evaluation documentation for Trees #1 through #3, which were previously presented during the Summer 2026 tree removal process, are included as Attachment 3. Supporting documentation for Trees #4 through #22, which represent the nineteen (19) trees newly identified for the Fall 2026 removal cycle, is included as Attachment 4.
Residents at locations where tree removal is recommended will receive a minimum 10-day notice prior to any tree removal activities.
FISCAL IMPACT & PROCUREMENT REVIEW
The cost to remove each tree is approximately $700 per tree. The City’s adopted Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget includes $431,250 for tree maintenance, including tree removals, replacements, grid pruning, and emergency call-outs.
Funding is available in the Grounds Division – Other Contract Services account (Acct. No. 101-52-4150-0000) to cover the proposed work. Mariposa Tree Management, the City’s contracted tree maintenance vendor, performs tree removal services.
Proceeding with the recommended removals during the current planned maintenance cycle would allow the City to address the conditions identified in the arborist evaluations through scheduled work rather than, if a subsequent tree or limb failure were to occur, potentially relying on emergency response resources. Scheduled work may also reduce the potential for unplanned emergency response costs and any associated impacts to City operations.
Procurement review is not applicable.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney's office has reviewed and approved as to form.
RECOMMENDATION
This is an informational item; therefore, no action is required by the City Council.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Memorandum to City Council Tree Liaisons - August 28, 2026
2. Fall 2026 Public Tree Review List
3. Summer 2026 Trees Previously Presented to City Council (Trees #1-3) Arborist Reports, Photos, Location Information, and Additional Evaluation Documentation
4. Fall 2026 Proposed Tree Removals (Trees #4-22) Arborist Reports, Photos, and Location Information