The City of West Park City Commission is considering final adoption of Ordinance 2019-02, which includes the following proposed policies:
Sec. 14-118. – Vegetation standards for proximity to electric facilities.
(a) Electric utilities shall have the right of ingress and egress at any time over property in order to maintain, trim and remove trees and other vegetation which may affect electric service in the judgment of the electric utility.
(b) No tree or vegetation shall be planted where at mature height it may be present within twenty (20) feet of overhead electric facilities. Any tree or vegetation must be planted at least the horizontal distance of its mature height from any overhead electric facility.
(c) Palm trees must be planted at a distance from overhead electric facilities of the greater distance of either twenty (20) feet or the mature maximum frond length plus ten feet. By way of example: a palm species that has a frond that is six (6) feet in length at time of maturity, shall be planted twenty (20) feet from the overhead electric facility, whereas a palm species that has a frond that is fifteen (15) feet in length at the time of maturity, shall be planted twenty-five (25) feet (15ʹ plus 10ʹ) from the overhead electric facility.
(d) Florida Power & Light Company’s then-existing “Right Tree-Right Place” Guidelines shall be used to facilitate the selection of trees to be planted in proximity to electric power facilities; and nothing herein shall be construed to permit planting of any exotic species of vegetation. A copy of the Guidelines shall be maintained at City Hall and made available for inspection and copying on request.
(e) Planting requirements described herein shall be mitigated or exempted when any portion of a tree and/or vegetation to be planted would be within the distances described in (b) or (c) of this section. This section shall be applicable to all new vegetation planted and to replacement planting of dead, destroyed or otherwise removed vegetation within the limits of the City.
Sec. 14-119. – Violation for interference with utility services.
(a) It shall be unlawful to interfere with, to disrupt, prevent or alter the flow of electric utility service or allow any implement or vegetation to be planted, grow or extend closer to any overhead electric facility than the distances in Section 14-118 (b) or (c) of any electric utility facilities.
(b) No individual shall refuse to permit Florida Power & Light Company or its designees’ ingress and egress to and from property for the purpose of pruning, trimming, maintaining or removing vegetation that may interfere with the delivery of safe and reliable electric service, provided that Florida Power & Light Company, or its designees give a minimum of forty-eight (48) hours’ notice to the property owner. Notice is not required when Florida Power & Light Company or its designees is responding to a power outage or threat of an imminent power outage.
(c) At all times, each person owning or controlling real property within the City shall cause all landscaping situated upon such real property, including, but not limited to, trees, branches, palm fronds, vines, bushes and any other vegetation matter, to be maintained and trimmed so that no tree branches, palm fronds, vines, bushes or other vegetative matter shall be allowed to be planted, grow or extend closer to any overhead electric facility than the distances in Section 14-118 (b) or (c). Failure to comply with this section shall be a violation of this article.
(d) Property owners must use a properly licensed tree trimming company to remove or trim vegetation which interferes with utility service and are not permitted to conduct trimming or cutting of any such trees or vegetation by themselves or by any non- licensed tree trimming company. A list of approved licensed tree trimming companies will be maintained at City Hall and made available for inspection and copying on request.
The Public Hearing on this ordinance will tentatively be held at the City Commission Meeting on Wednesday, May 15, 2019 at 7:00 pm at:
City Hall
Commission Chamber
1965 South State Road 7
West Park, FL 33023.
This Public Hearing will allow the public to engage in discussion about the proposed policy.
Should you have any questions prior to the Commission Meeting, please call 954.989.2688, Ext. 205, 220, or 222.
