On Aug. 25, Conroe City Council passed a new vegetation ordinance. The new ordinance includes amendments to the prior ordinance to include a longer list of allowed trees as well as a simplified process for administering permits.
Council has since established an urban forester position to benefit the city, as someone would be in charge of enforcing the ordinance, according to Tommy Woolley, the city's director of capital projects and transportation. Council Member Marsha Porter said she would like whoever fulfills the role to be an existing staff member.
According to Woolley, the role will not need additional funds set aside for it due to an enforcement fund established within the new ordinance. Woolley said the enforcement funds come from fines the city imposes on someone who violates the ordinance and become a pool the city can pull from to pay for the position as well as any other needs the position may have.
The council said they would like to enforce the vegetation ordinances more heavily, which means no longer waiving fines for violations.
“We are now very serious about our tree ordinance,” Porter said.
