City looks at regulating trees, pets

A Havre City Council committee will consider two proposed ordinances Tuesday looking at parts of nature: one on regulating pets and one dealing with trees.

The Ordinance Committee during its 6 p.m. meeting will take one last look at a proposed ordinance on dogs, cats and other animals, and its first close read-through on a proposed ordinance on trees submitted by the city Parks and Recreation Department.

Tree ordinance proposed The tree ordinance was submitted at the last committee meeting but was tabled until Tuesday's meeting due to a lack of time for its consideration.

The ordinance proposes regulations dealing with trees in city parks, on public streets and on trees that encroach on public right of way or "create conditions that are hazardous to public safety, health, property or other trees within the City," the draft reads.

A tree commission would be created. The director of Parks and Recreation, two council members who serve on the Parks and Recreation Committee and two residents of the city who are not on the City Council would serve on the commission, without pay.

That commission would develop and update a written plan for care of trees in the city.

Parks and Recreation Department employees would be responsible for the care and maintenance of trees in the parks and on the streets, While property owners would be responsible for trees on their property and for trees on the streets adjacent to the property.

The ordinance would give city employees the ability to enter private property to inspect trees and to issue a notice or citation to the property owner if violation of the ordinance is found.

Problems listed as examples in the ordinance include a tree on the street or on private property that are dead or dying or are broken or split; obstruct the sight of traffic or traffic signs; have roots damaging sidewalks, curbs or public streets, or have roots damaging public sewers or water mains.

The ordinance also gives Parks and Recreation the ability to "cause the treatment or removal" of any tree infected by disease or infested by insects.

The work required by the notices or citations would have to be completed within 10 to 30 days, depending on the work and the severity of the problem.

The ordinance states that weather conditions would be taken into allowance.

If the property owner does not complete the work required, the ordinance allows Parks and Recreation Department employees to do the work, charging the cost to the property owner.

The ordinance also would prohibit topping trees and defines what is legal and illegal in that regard, as well as require people to follow established pruning standards. Those standards would be available from Parks and Recreation as well as through listed publications.

Permits also would be required for some work property owners might wish to do on trees on the streets.

The ordinance also would make vandalism or damage to trees illegal, and set regulations on replacing trees removed from streets and city parks.

Revisions to pet ordinance The pet ordinance, which Havre Animal Control Officer Gordon Inabnit helped to draft, primarily has two major changes.

The first is to separate aggressive and vicious animals into different parts of the law.

The two groups previously had been listed in one section.

The ordinance def ines aggressive animals as those destroying property or pets, or trying to bite or chase people or vehicles in public streets or accesses.

Vicious animals are defined as those biting and causing injury to people or animals.

The second major change is requiring pet owners to carry liability insurance covering pets designated as aggressive or vicious.

After an animal is designated as aggressive, the pet owner would have to provide proof of $100,000 of liability insurance on the animal as well as paying a $100 fine.

After an animal is designated as vicious, the owner would have to provide proof of $200,000 in liability insurance as well as paying a $300 fine.

After the third offense for an aggressive animal or the second offense for a vicious animal, the animal would be euthanized or banned from the city in addition to another fine, $300 and $500 respectively.

The second offense for an aggressive animal would require the owner to show proof of $200,000 in liability insurance and pay a $200 fine.