Overview
- The City Council approved the full penalty against owners Matthew Bernard and Lynn Warner for cutting 38 protected trees on their lot, a neighbor’s parcel, and an adjacent city lot on Claremont Avenue.
- Public works staff set the amount using species and stump size, and the city can record a lien that would block any sale or construction until the fine and costs are paid.
- The council split on the question of fairness versus deterrence, with Ramachandran, Unger, Wang, Gallo and Jenkins voting yes, and Fife, Brown and Houston voting no.
- City records show workers responded to complaints five times in 2021–2022, and officials say Bernard kept cutting after verbal and written warnings, which a city arborist called the most egregious case in three decades.
- Environmental advocates warned the loss of mature oaks erases habitat and a natural shaded fuel break that slows fire, and some council members now want rule changes such as a statute of limitations and clearer enforcement steps.