Staff recommends approval of the ordinance amending Section 13-1701 as it relates to tree plantings within the Town.

On January 10, 2017, Town Council directed the Town Manager to explore the possibility of an ordinance to provide for provisions that address tree canopy protection throughout the Town, and to adopt the Town's Beautification Master Plan. The desire was to ensure the integrity of the Town signature appeal, its tree canopy, is properly maintained, restored in areas where it has diminished, and (re)planted with the appropriate materials (right tree right place). This effort is a reflection of a continuum of efforts to protect and reinforce the Town's image. The proposed ordinance builds upon the Towns Chapter 42 which seeks to preserve existing canopy, and it serves as the regulatory arm for the Town's more recently adopted Beautification Master Plan and Tree Management Plan. The provisions are intended to supplement existing landscape code requirements provided at Section 18-A of Miami-Dade County's code and to provide greater clarity of planting requirement s within Section 13-1701 of the Town's code. The attached ordinance has been reviewed by Miami-Dade County and was found to be acceptable.