Good evening, Madam Mayor, members of Council. Tonight in front of you for a position that was brought forward earlier this year. Um we had a part-time inspector that departed sooner than we had hoped. Uh that was filling a big kind of pivotal role for us.

The pan- panel unanimously agreed to offer Benjamin Turwi the position. Uh Ben brings with us 25 years of experience in plumbing and mechanical trades, his master plumber's license, and most recently he's been working as the general foreman with the Great West Mechanical.

What we're looking at the landscaping screening and tree preservation ordinance number 2026-15 for adoption tonight. That's what we're looking for. And just some background, um so current code sets minimum planting sizes, um but doesn't have a a specific uh required number of trees outside of um replacement obligations depending on what kind of development it is.

So the this is this doesn't retroactively apply the new landscaping numbers uh but it we it does allow us to enforce previously approved plans. So just um uh a basis we uh we're requiring a minimum number of um overstory trees and then a substitution for ornamentals and shrubs.

And I'd like to see something like this have some teeth in it. And you know, that's going to cost you if you don't pay attention to the plan and what we agreed to.

So the cost per inch that we would like to see is probably around a $300 per inch that that gets paid in the tree fund. Uh which covers the cost of a new planting, right? So, if you're 2-in minimum, a 1-in $300 for a new tree, basically, is what that would cost. Um so, it's it's a reasonable amount cuz that's just what a tree costs.

This is one of those subjects where if you really have a bad actor, right? A bad actor who's going to take out trees sort of in willful violation of the city's requirements, not replace them, and resist paying, you know, your tree fund, let's say. Uh and you want to punish that that party for doing that. I mean, really, the route for that in this case, and frankly in most cases, is that you would have to cite them and prosecute them.