2018-183 Tree Mitigation Fund UsesDate: December 14, 2018 Report No. 2018-183
INFORMAL STAFF REPORT
TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT:
During the Nov. 13, City Council Work Session, Council Member Keely Briggs asked if Tree
Mitigation Funding was used to support staff salaries.
BACKGROUND:
The Denton Development Code (DDC) Sec. 13.13.7 states that tree funds shall be used to purchase,
plant and maintain trees, to preserve wooded property that remains in a naturalistic state in
perpetuity, to perform and maintain a city-wide tree inventory and to educate citizens and
developers on the benefits and value of trees, all within the City of Denton. The Tree Fund may
also be used to support programs for the public purpose of increasing the tree canopy within the
City of Denton as approved by City Council.
The Tree Mitigation Fund supports many tree-related initiatives for Parks and Recreation and Keep
Denton Beautiful (KDB). The Tree Mitigation Fund is comprised of three separate accounting
groups with specific functions including Tree Preservation, Tree Rebates, and KDB Tree Initiative
Programs. The table below provides the fund balance of those separate accounting units dating
back to FY 2016-2017.
Tree Preservation - accounts for planting trees within the parks system and medians throughout
the City. The Parks and Recreation Department focuses on tree planting efforts primarily in areas
that can benefit the community. These areas include along trails, benches, gathering spaces to
maximize shade opportunities. Medians are also a focus area for planting to improve city
beautification, traffic calming measures, and the reduction of heat island impact. Expenses for
these functions totaled $231,746 in FY2017-2018.
Tree Rebates - refers to a program where residents purchasing trees are eligible for a $50 rebate
for planting a qualifying tree of a minimum size. In FY2017-2018, $7,900 in tree rebates were
Date: December 14, 2018 Report No. 2018-183
distributed. This accounting group also pays for an intern position to administer the program. Total
expenses related to the Tree Rebates were $16,692 in FY2017-2018. Tree Rebates were approved
as a qualified expenditure of Tree Mitigation Funds through Ordinance 2015-240.
Denton Tree Initiative - The remaining accounting group relates to the Denton Tree Initiative
(DTI). At the request of City Council, the City partnered with KDB, Inc. to use this funding source
to create the Denton Tree Initiative (www.dentontreeinitiative.com). Ordinance 2015-241
approved the adoption of the programs. The DTI programs are administered by KDB, and include
private property tree planting programs such as Trees Mean Business, a tree giveaway at the
Denton Redbud Festival, and Tree Your Block neighborhood tree giveaways. The City makes an
upfront payment to KDB based on the estimated budget approved by City Council and KDB remits
any unused program funds to the City. In FY2017-2018 the actual cost of these DTI programs was
$31,100. Prior to FY 2017-2018, interns were funded from the Tree Fund for implementation of
these programs. The FY2018-2019 DTI budget does not include funding for an intern.
DISCUSSION
The Tree Code was specifically amended through Ordinance 2015-252 to accommodate the
request by City Council for the uses outlined by KDB to increase the tree canopy (Tree Rebates
and the DTI). Staff presented to City Council a three year budget that included cost estimates for
each program, and costs for a part-time Tree Rebate Intern to process applications and a part-time
Community Forestry Intern to assist with the new programs to ensure success. Legal, Planning,
Finance, and CMO reviewed the Tree Code amendment, in addition to the Planning and Zoning
Commission and City Council, to ensure it would allow for the uses proposed by KDB.
The Tree Mitigation Fund includes revenue primarily from tree mitigation fees, totaling $303,984
in FY2017-2018. Generally, fees are paid by developers or other applicants when tree preservation
goals are not met.
STAFF CONTACT:
Gary Packan
Director of Parks and Recreation
940-349-7460
gary.packan@cityofdenton.com
Julie Anderson
KDB Program Manager
940-349-8739
julie.anderson@cityofdenton.com