File #: Int 2366-2021    Version: Name: Tree health assessments and inspections.
Type: Introduction Status: Enacted
Committee: Committee on Parks and Recreation
On agenda: 7/29/2021
Enactment date: 1/9/2022 Law number: 2022/020
Title: A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to tree health assessments and inspections
Sponsors: Peter A. Koo, James F. Gennaro, Kalman Yeger , Robert F. Holden, Justin L. Brannan, Paul A. Vallone, James G. Van Bramer, Adrienne E. Adams, Eric Dinowitz, Laurie A. Cumbo, Diana I. Ayala, Farah N. Louis, Kevin C. Riley, Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Alan N. Maisel, Ben Kallos, Eric A. Ulrich
Council Member Sponsors: 17
Summary: This bill would require the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) to conduct risk and health inspections of every street tree under its jurisdiction that has a caliper size greater than 6 inches at least once between each tree’s pruning cycles. DPR would be required to publicly post the criteria that it utilizes to inspect such trees and submit an annual report on how many trees are referred for inspection each year, how many are actually inspected each year and the results of such inspections. Finally, DPR would be required to maintain a regularly updated map on its website that displays each tree that was inspected, the result of such inspection and the action taken by the DPR in response to the result of such inspection.
Indexes: Report Required
Attachments: 1. Summary of Int. No. 2366-A, 2. Summary of Int. No. 2366, 3. Int. No. 2366, 4. July 29, 2021 - Stated Meeting Agenda with Links to Files, 5. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 7-29-21, 6. Minutes of the Stated Meeting - July 29, 2021, 7. Committee Report 9/27/21, 8. Hearing Testimony 9/27/21, 9. Hearing Transcript 9/27/21, 10. Proposed Int. No. 2366-A - 12/5/21, 11. Committee Report 12/8/21, 12. Hearing Transcript 12/8/21, 13. Committee Report - Stated Meeting, 14. December 9, 2021 - Stated Meeting Agenda, 15. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 12-9-21, 16. Minutes of the Stated Meeting - December 9, 2021, 17. Int. No. 2366-A (FINAL), 18. Fiscal Impact Statement, 19. Legislative Documents - Letter to the Mayor, 20. Local Law 20
Date Ver.Prime SponsorAction ByActionResultAction DetailsMeeting DetailsMultimedia
1/10/2022APeter A. Koo City Council Returned Unsigned by Mayor  Action details Meeting details Not available
1/9/2022APeter A. Koo Administration City Charter Rule Adopted  Action details Meeting details Not available
12/9/2021APeter A. Koo City Council Sent to Mayor by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available
12/9/2021APeter A. Koo City Council Approved by CouncilPass Action details Meeting details Not available
12/8/2021*Peter A. Koo Committee on Parks and Recreation Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
12/8/2021*Peter A. Koo Committee on Parks and Recreation Amendment Proposed by Comm  Action details Meeting details Not available
12/8/2021*Peter A. Koo Committee on Parks and Recreation Amended by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
12/8/2021APeter A. Koo Committee on Parks and Recreation Approved by CommitteePass Action details Meeting details Not available
9/27/2021*Peter A. Koo Committee on Parks and Recreation Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
9/27/2021*Peter A. Koo Committee on Parks and Recreation Laid Over by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
7/29/2021*Peter A. Koo City Council Referred to Comm by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available
7/29/2021*Peter A. Koo City Council Introduced by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available

Int. No. 2366-A

By Council Members Koo, Gennaro, Yeger, Holden, Brannan, Vallone, Van Bramer, Adams, Dinowitz, Cumbo, Ayala, Louis, Riley, Brooks-Powers, Maisel, Kallos and Ulrich

 

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to tree health assessments and inspections

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

                     Section 1. Chapter 1 of title 18 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 18-157 to read as follows:

§ 18-157 Tree inspections and health assessments. a. The department shall inspect each tree under its jurisdiction over 6 inches in caliper, to determine if any issue threatens the health of such tree or causes such tree to pose a threat to public safety, at least once between each time such tree is pruned by the department or by a person authorized by the department to perform routine scheduled maintenance of such tree. Such inspection shall not be required for trees in forests and natural areas, and shall be limited to inspections of trees located on streets and trees located in landscaped parks, which for purposes of this section are referred to as “covered trees”.

b. The department shall post on its website a description of the process used and the factors considered by the department, and by any person authorized by the department, to determine when inspections are performed on trees under the jurisdiction of the department in order to assess the health of such trees.

c. No later than November 1 of each year, the department shall, for the period covering the immediately preceding fiscal year, submit an annual report to the mayor and the speaker of the council that includes, but is not limited to, the following information:

1. The total number and location of all covered trees inspected by the department or persons authorized by the department, the result of such inspections and the actions taken by the department in response to such inspections;

2. The number and location of requests or referrals for inspection of a covered tree through the 311 citizen service center or other means and the number of such trees that were inspected by the department or a person authorized by the department;

3. The date of each referral or request for an inspection of a covered tree and the reason, if any, that was provided for such referral or request;

4. The action taken by the department in response to each request or referral for inspection and the date such action was taken; and

5. A regularly updated map on the website of the department that displays each covered tree that has been inspected, the result of such inspection and the action taken by the department in response to the result of such inspection.

§ 2.  This local law takes effect immediately; provided, however, that the requirement relating to the posting of a regularly updated map on the website of the department, as set forth in paragraph 5 of subdivision c of section 18-157, as added by the local law that added such section, shall take effect 1 year after the effective date of such local law.

 

KS

LS 16215, 16216

12/1/21 8:20PM