Port Moody considers tree policy
Port Moody Coun. Rick Glumac wants there to be more consultation before trees are removed on city property.
He made the motion at Tuesday's meeting, noting in a report that recently 40 trees were cut down around the community garden on Murray Street with "no notice given to council to to residents."
As well, several trees were recently removed to make way for the cycling path along Murray Street.
Glumac's motion calls for staff to draft a policy requiring consultation with the environmental protection committee before healthy trees are removed from city land.
Coun. Diana Dilworth voted against the motion, calling it a piece of "micro-management" that would put tree-removal decisions in the hands of unqualified committee members when it should rest with the experts already on city staff.
Mayor Mike Clay also voted against it, saying the trees at the community garden were planted by that group 20 years ago and they needed to thin them out so the garden could get more sunlight.
"There's not a tree massacre going on here," he said. "Staff are capable of reviewing [tree removal requests]."
Coun. Rosemary Small also voted against the motion, which passed.
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