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City Council Lowers Tree Permit Fees

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By CHRISTIAN M. WADE

cwade@tampatrib.com

Published: February 6, 2009

TAMPA - The city council on Thursday voted to lower fees for tree pruning and removal, less than four months after approving an eightfold increase.

The revised fees would reduce the cost of removing a "grand tree" - or live oaks that measure 34 inches or more in diameter - to $128 from $286 and from $286 to $99 for pruning. Next year, however, those fees will increase to $150 and $116, respectively.

The previous rates were part of a package of increases for residential and commercial building permits that the council signed off on in October. The changes were aimed at allowing the construction services division to become more self-sufficient. Roughly 65 percent of the building department's $12 million budget is funded by property taxes.

The increases ignited an outcry from arborists and tree companies.

Reacting to those concerns, Mayor Pam Iorio asked the Growth Management and Development Services Department to submit revised fees to the city council for approval.

Fees for removing grand trees not considered a hazard would remain $514 each.

And the revised fees are still substantially higher than what the city used to charge; which until the end of the year was $35 to remove or trim up to three grand trees.

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