# Springfield City Council┃Sustainability & Environment 11/09/26

The Springfield City Council Sustainability & Environment Committee met on November 9, 2026, to review proposed Urban Woodlands ordinance revisions before sending the measure to the full Council for introduction. The draft would require a permit for removal of five or more trees, establish application and appeal procedures, address environmental-burden mitigation and replacement planting, and clarify commission membership, reporting, exemptions, and enforcement. No vote was taken. The chair said the goal was to incorporate further edits by Wednesday and bring the ordinance to the Council the following Monday, with additional review expected afterward.

Discussion focused on the proposed permit fee and implementation. The draft fee would be tied to the annual cost of replacing a city tree; an estimate of about $700 per tree was cited, and members raised concerns about the burden on homeowners and smaller developers and discussed a possible $300 rate or other reductions for replacement planting. The fee structure, exemption threshold, and verification of replacement trees remained policy questions. Members also asked for clearer enforcement responsibilities and documentation of required planting; the attorney agreed to draft clarifying language. The city’s annual tree-replacement contract was mentioned as a basis for calculating the fee, but no contract award, procurement decision, or spending motion was identified.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Environment, Construction & Infrastructure
**Topics:** Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** November 09, 2026

### Sources
- [Springfield City Council┃Sustainability & Environment 11/09/26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whNzJx9R89U) - Springfield Municipal Meetings