Comments on: Latest Tree Developments … http://willowglenextra.com/2007/01/latest-tree-developments/ Independent Neighborhood News & Talking Points Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:55:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Constant News in WG http://willowglenextra.com/2007/01/latest-tree-developments/#comment-293521 Constant News in WG Mon, 27 Aug 2007 17:14:53 +0000 http://www.willowglenextra.com/2007/01/latest-tree-developments/#comment-293521 [...] Trees in their yards, but you can’t talk about trees in San Jose without referencing the illegal sycamore cutting in WG this past [...] [...] Trees in their yards, but you can’t talk about trees in San Jose without referencing the illegal sycamore cutting in WG this past [...]

]]> By: CBS-5 ... http://willowglenextra.com/2007/01/latest-tree-developments/#comment-64444 CBS-5 ... Thu, 15 Feb 2007 19:10:22 +0000 http://www.willowglenextra.com/2007/01/latest-tree-developments/#comment-64444 Now that trees in Willow Glen are big news, the big TV channels all carried updates of the City's new ordinance, which will require anyone removing a tree to have the permit on hand at the time of demolition. <em>... not that they made a huge effort to cover the story on their own </em>... <a href="http://www.nbc11.com/news/11012486/detail.html?rss=bay&psp=news#" rel="nofollow">NBC-11</a> and <a href="http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=local&id=5032787" rel="nofollow">ABC-7</a> just picked up the identical wire story from another source. But CBS-5's Len Ramirez did write an <a href="http://cbs5.com/local/local_story_044222358.html" rel="nofollow">original report on the story</a>, and his "live report" was thorough and well-balanced. It's available for viewing right now ... Now that trees in Willow Glen are big news, the big TV channels all carried updates of the City’s new ordinance, which will require anyone removing a tree to have the permit on hand at the time of demolition. … not that they made a huge effort to cover the story on their own … NBC-11 and ABC-7 just picked up the identical wire story from another source.

But CBS-5’s Len Ramirez did write an original report on the story, and his “live report” was thorough and well-balanced. It’s available for viewing right now …

]]> By: Tree Permits on display ... http://willowglenextra.com/2007/01/latest-tree-developments/#comment-63799 Tree Permits on display ... Sun, 11 Feb 2007 00:51:10 +0000 http://www.willowglenextra.com/2007/01/latest-tree-developments/#comment-63799 The City Council will consider a slight revision to the tree ordinance at its meeting this Tuesday, which would mandate that anyone removing a tree have the required permit in their possession and available for display. The official proposal is consistent with Chief Davis' request, and is <a href="http://www.sanjoseca.gov/clerk/Agenda/021307/021307_05.02sup.pdf" rel="nofollow">available online for public review</a> (PDF). The City Council will consider a slight revision to the tree ordinance at its meeting this Tuesday, which would mandate that anyone removing a tree have the required permit in their possession and available for display.

The official proposal is consistent with Chief Davis’ request, and is available online for public review (PDF).

]]> By: Dave http://willowglenextra.com/2007/01/latest-tree-developments/#comment-60647 Dave Mon, 29 Jan 2007 17:43:09 +0000 http://www.willowglenextra.com/2007/01/latest-tree-developments/#comment-60647 It's insulting for J. Barnes to expect me to believe the Holts didn't know they needed a permit. If course they knew and that's why they found someone to come out on a Saturday morning. Finally, while Jamie Matthews may be "highly satisfied" that Barnes was not involved in the tree removal, I'm not and when I drive by Barnes' "Thank you Willow Glen" sign every day, somehow I always read it as <em>a snub</em>* from J. Barnes, PMC Tree Service and the Holts. *<em>[WGx: This comment was edited in accordance with WGx <a href="http://www.willowglenextra.com/contact-wgx/policies/" rel="nofollow">comment policies</a>.]</em> It’s insulting for J. Barnes to expect me to believe the Holts didn’t know they needed a permit. If course they knew and that’s why they found someone to come out on a Saturday morning. Finally, while Jamie Matthews may be “highly satisfied” that Barnes was not involved in the tree removal, I’m not and when I drive by Barnes’ “Thank you Willow Glen” sign every day, somehow I always read it as a snub* from J. Barnes, PMC Tree Service and the Holts.

*[WGx: This comment was edited in accordance with WGx comment policies.]

]]> By: SJPD Chief Rob Davis ... http://willowglenextra.com/2007/01/latest-tree-developments/#comment-60518 SJPD Chief Rob Davis ... Sun, 28 Jan 2007 22:09:13 +0000 http://www.willowglenextra.com/2007/01/latest-tree-developments/#comment-60518 <em>This eMail was originally sent to the WGNA eList, on behalf of Chief Rob Davis ... WGx</em> ----- Forwarded Message ---- To: elist@wgna.net Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2007 6:31:17 PM Subject: [WGNA] Forwarded Email - Police Chief Rob Davis Comments I also feel that you and the other leaders of the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association ran a very fair and objective meeting yesterday to discuss this issue. I believe the majority of the residents who had something to say at the meeting made some very useful suggestions about ways to make it more difficult for someone to remove a tree illegally as well as to empower responding City officials to intervene more effectively. This is indeed an issue that affects all of our City's neighborhoods, so it is important we strengthen our ability to enforce this law throughout all of the neighborhoods in San Jose. As a result of the discussion with you and your group, as well as discussion with other City officials, including Jamie Matthews of Code Enforcement, I thought it might be of some use to you to explain what our immediate actions and recommendations will be to improve the enforcement of the illegal tree removal ordinance. While recognizing that the Code Enforcement branch of the City has the lead on issuing permits and enforcing the code whenever a potential violation is occurring, we also recognize that there are times that Code Enforcement officials are not immediately available, such as holidays, late-night hours, etc. Since one of the dilemmas experienced by SJPD officers who respond to a call of an illegal tree removal during those hours in which Code Enforcement officials are not available is that officers currently have no independent way of knowing whether an individual does or does not have a permit to remove a tree, we have asked the City Attorney's Office to work with the Code Enforcement Unit to change the Municipal Code ordinance so that a person will be required to have a copy of a permit in hand during the process of cutting a tree. This will enable officers responding to the scene to focus immediately on whether or not there is a valid permit to remove a tree. We have also asked that the ordinance require that a local posting of the permit occur so that neighbors also would be able to know whether a valid permit is on file. Hence, officers responding to the scene, as well as neighbors already present, should be able to determine immediately whether or not a violation of the City's code was in progress, and if so officers would be able to issue orders to halt the tree cutting and issue citations or make arrests, as necessary. Up and until the time those changes are made to the Municipal Code and approved by the City Council, we have instructed officers who respond to these types of calls to verify if the people cutting a tree have a permit. If they do not have one in hand, officers will issue an order to cease cutting the tree(s) until we can conduct appropriate follow-up activity/investigation with Code Enforcement officials. It would be the failure to obey the order of the officer to cease cutting the tree(s) that would then subject the violator(s) to other enforcement action, such as the issuance of a criminal citation or arrest, should the person(s) choose to continue cutting the tree. A criminal citation may always be issued at a later time for the additional Municipal Code violation once it is determined that a violation of the permit ordinance has occurred. As you are well aware based upon our discussions, the other dilemma we will still face is in getting staff to the scene of the incident as soon as possible in order to save the trees from getting cut in the first place. This is a dilemma we run into with all our calls for service, in that we try to do the very best job of prioritizing all the calls we receive at any given moment and then dispatching officers to the scene of a call as soon as possible. I know you are aware of the staffing issues SJPD is experiencing, along with all of the other City Departments. I also know you are aware that City management and the City's elected officials are diligently striving to find ways to address these staffing issues. This is not an easy task. In the meantime, please rest assured that we at SJPD remain committed to doing everything we can to be as responsive as we can to help address the problem of illegal tree removal throughout San Jose. Warm regards, Rob Rob Davis Chief of Police San Jose, California This eMail was originally sent to the WGNA eList, on behalf of Chief Rob Davis … WGx

—– Forwarded Message —-

To: elist@wgna.net
Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2007 6:31:17 PM

Subject: [WGNA] Forwarded Email - Police Chief Rob Davis Comments

I also feel that you and the other leaders of the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association ran a very fair and objective meeting yesterday to discuss this issue. I believe the majority of the residents who had something to say at the meeting made some very useful suggestions about ways to make it more difficult for someone to remove a tree illegally as well as to empower responding City officials to intervene more effectively. This is indeed an issue that affects all of our City’s neighborhoods, so it is important we strengthen our ability to enforce this law throughout all of the neighborhoods in San Jose.

As a result of the discussion with you and your group, as well as discussion with other City officials, including Jamie Matthews of Code Enforcement, I thought it might be of some use to you to explain what our immediate actions and recommendations will be to improve the enforcement of the illegal tree removal ordinance. While recognizing that the Code Enforcement branch of the City has the lead on issuing permits and enforcing the code whenever a potential violation is occurring, we also recognize that there are times that Code Enforcement officials are not immediately available, such as
holidays, late-night hours, etc.

Since one of the dilemmas experienced by SJPD officers who respond to a call of an illegal tree removal during those hours in which Code Enforcement officials are not available is that officers currently have no independent way of knowing whether an individual does or does not have a permit to remove a tree, we have asked the City Attorney’s Office to work with the Code Enforcement Unit to change the Municipal Code ordinance so that a person will be required to have a copy of a permit in hand during the process of cutting a tree.

This will enable officers responding to the scene to focus immediately on whether or not there is a valid permit to remove a tree.

We have also asked that the ordinance require that a local posting of the permit occur so that neighbors also would be able to know whether a valid permit is on file. Hence, officers responding to the scene, as well as neighbors already present, should be able to determine immediately whether or not a violation of the City’s code was in progress, and if so officers would be able to issue orders to halt the tree cutting and issue citations or make arrests, as necessary.

Up and until the time those changes are made to the Municipal Code and approved by the City Council, we have instructed officers who respond to these types of calls to verify if the people cutting a tree have a permit. If they do not have one in hand, officers will issue an order to cease cutting the tree(s) until we can conduct appropriate follow-up activity/investigation with Code Enforcement officials. It would be the failure to obey the order of the officer to cease cutting the tree(s) that would then subject the violator(s) to other enforcement action, such as the issuance of a criminal citation or arrest, should the person(s) choose to continue cutting the tree. A criminal citation may always be issued at a later time for the additional Municipal Code violation once it is determined that a violation of the permit ordinance has occurred.

As you are well aware based upon our discussions, the other dilemma we will still face is in getting staff to the scene of the incident as soon as possible in order to save the trees from getting cut in the first place. This is a dilemma we run into with all our calls for service, in that we try to do the very best job of prioritizing all the calls we receive at any given moment and then dispatching officers to the scene of a call as soon as possible. I know you are aware of the staffing issues SJPD is experiencing, along with all of the other City Departments. I also know you are aware that City management and the City’s elected officials are diligently striving to find ways to address these staffing issues. This is not an easy task.

In the meantime, please rest assured that we at SJPD remain committed to doing everything we can to be as responsive as we can to help address the problem of illegal tree removal throughout San Jose.

Warm regards,

Rob

Rob Davis
Chief of Police
San Jose, California

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