Dearborn Heights council study session reviews tree permit and planting fees, member reads resolution to pause removals

Dearborn Heights — City staff and councilmembers spent a study session reviewing the city’s tree ordinance, with staff saying current permit and planting fees are not covering administrative costs or the full city cost of replanting.

A Public Works representative identified as Speaker 1 told the council the $65 permit fee for trimming or removing a city tree “should be more in the 85 to a $100 range” when administrative investigations, supervisor site visits and finance processing are included. The same speaker said the planting fee of $350 does not cover the city’s planted cost, which “roughly costs us $600” once trees and contractor work are included, and recommended contracting planting work and raising planting fees toward $600–$700.

Why it matters: Councilmembers said a dedicated planting program has not been funded for more than a year and that higher fees could seed an account to permit a spring planting bid. Speaker 1 said the office has identified 256 permits this year and will work with the treasurer and comptroller to determine exact revenue in the tree-related accounts before proposing budget amendments to fund planting.

Council debate and proposed resolution: Speakers raised differing priorities. Speaker 7 read a draft resolution that would “ask for an immediate halt on the removal of any trees and temporarily stop the issuing of any new tree removal permits and refund any permit fees that were paid where trees have not been removed yet,” excepting trees removed for construction, hazardous conditions, or disease. The reading did not produce a formal vote during the study session.

Other councilmembers pushed back on a blanket moratorium and highlighted maintenance and liability concerns. Speaker 4 cautioned against forcing homeowners to replant private trees, saying “you can't force somebody … to put another tree” on private property. Several speakers noted the city’s exposure when city-owned trees lift sidewalks; one speaker said when a city tree lifts a sidewalk “it's on the city.”

Accounting questions and next steps: Councilmembers and staff differed on whether past permit revenues were placed into a dedicated planting fund. Speaker 3 said the tree fund “has $0,” while Speaker 1 said permit revenues should exist in a tree revenue general ledger and the treasurer’s office must be consulted to confirm balances. The city attorney (Speaker 8) noted that the permit amount can be set by council resolution and may not require an ordinance change.

The study session ended with the council chair (Speaker 2) saying the item needs another study session and pausing the meeting for a break; no formal action was recorded on the draft resolution during this session. Staff said they will coordinate with finance to determine available funds and potentially bring a budget amendment and procurement plan to enable spring planting.

What remains unresolved: The council did not vote on any ordinance change or the resolution read during the meeting. Exact fund balances, whether prior permit fees were routed to a dedicated planting account, and any specific fee schedule changes remain to be clarified by the treasurer and finance staff.

Quotes (selected):
"It really should be more in the 85 to a $100 range," Speaker 1 said of the current $65 permit fee.
"We just got a huge influx of money from the state to our major and our local roads," Speaker 3 said while discussing funding sources and fund use.
"Therefore, we are asking for an immediate halt on the removal of any trees and temporarily stop the issuing of any new tree removal permits," Speaker 7 read from the draft resolution.

The council scheduled further discussion and signaled staff will follow up with finance for accounting and potential budget amendments.