A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 18-70, regarding a report on tree removal hearings

October 29, 2018 To: Louis Depasquale, City Manager From: Owen O’Riordan Commissioner, DPW Re: Council order specific to city council being informed and a tree hearing being held for all city owned trees prior to such trees being taken down unless they are diseased or a threat to public safety. It is presently the practice of the City of Cambridge, through the Department of Public Works, and the City Arborists office to hold public hearings prior to the taking down of public shade trees, as required by MGL Chapter 87 Section 3, and in accordance with MGL Chapter 87, Section 7 unless such trees are removed because they are diseased or a threat to public safety. The City of Cambridge also owns trees in parks, school grounds, public cemeteries, Fresh Pond reservation, the water supply sub basin lands in Lincoln, Lexington, Weston and Waltham and along the water supply conduit route through Waltham and Watertown to Fresh Pond. The City is presently in the process of developing an Urban Forestry Master Plan (UFMP) that is expected to address topics such as the present municipal rules and procedures concerning the taking down of trees on both public and private property in Cambridge. The UFMP process is managed through the Department of Public Works who have hired a Landscape Architect, Reed Hildebrand. The process also includes an 18-member Task Force that advise, provide guidance and feedback to the URMP team. The process has been underway for approximately three months and is expected to continue for another nine months. The Department of Public Works does not unilaterally remove healthy trees in the City without some form of public process. In the past, park trees have been removed coincident with municipal building projects, school projects or public park projects. This work has only taken place after discussions have happened in the community as to the reasons for the removals. Similarly, on any park

projects, numerous discussions have and will take place with the community prior to any additional trees being taken down. It should also be noted that it is city policy that parks and building projects that impact city trees are presented to the Public Planting Committee (PPC) for their review before projects proceed. The Urban Forestry Division maintains a record of the tree characteristics and will endeavor to keep photographs of same moving forward. The Water Department operates in a fashion that is similar to that of the Department of Public Works and works with the Water Board and the Fresh Pond Advisory Board relative to trees under their control. They rarely if ever remove trees in the sub basin areas unless such are a threat to public safety and in instances where they lie adjacent to roadways the Water Department works with the local community; Waltham, Lexington, Lincoln or Weston to ensure that they comply with state and local rules specific to hearings or public presentations in those communities. As you may recall, the Water Department has an ongoing project, specific to the water supply conduit that runs through Watertown to Fresh Pond, where there are concerns about the impact numerous trees are having on the structural integrity of the conduit. The Water Department works with the City Arborist and the Watertown Tree Warden in their continuing assessment of the water pipe and the trees along the conduit route. If, and when additional trees are expected to be taken down, public discussions will take place in Watertown relative to such. City Council will also be informed in advance when additional trees are expected to be taken down. Moving forward, the City, through the Department of Public Works, the Water Department and the Community Development Department will continue to engage in the various public processes that they have heretofore engaged in relative to buildings and parks projects where city trees are expected to be impacted. The Department of Public Works will continue to present or schedule other departments to present projects to the Public Planting Committee regarding any healthy trees that are proposed to come down. Similarly, The Water Department expects to continue to operate as before and expects to inform the Water Board and the Fresh Pond Advisory Board of instances where good trees on Water Department property are expected to be taken down. In each instance where healthy trees are expected to be taken down on city property within other communities, the city expects to conform with the various processes that prevail in those communities. It is expected that the UFMP will examine the existing legal and procedural framework around trees and that the team involved will provide informed recommendations regarding changes in such to city staff and city council. It is of concern, that by preempting the UFMP deliberations such might serve to undermine or skew UFMP deliberations. Nevertheless, recognizing the concerns expressed in the Council Order, the city will ensure that all trees to be taken down on city property, save for those that are unhealthy and are a threat to public safety will remain in place until City Council is notified.