Tree and Tree Limb Removal

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TREE AND TREE LIMB REMOVAL POLICY

The Roadways Division of the City of Joliet offers the following guidelines and helpful hints for tree and tree limb removal in the City of Joliet:

General Information

The City of Joliet has over 1000 miles of parkways throughout the City of Joliet. A parkway is generally defined as the area between the sidewalk and the road. Trees located in this parkway are maintained by the City of Joliet Forestry Division. The Forestry Division will provide periodic pruning of the branches on these trees to remove low level branches which cause problems with pedestrian and vehicular traffic. In addition, the Forestry Division will prune trees that inhibit sight lines at intersections and roadway signage such as stop signs. Low level branches cause problems for City of Joliet Roadways Division trucks when sweeping streets and removing snow and ice from roadways. The Roadways Division will work in conjunction with the Forestry Division to prune these low level branches from parkway trees.

Storm Related Debris

During a wind and/or rain storm tree limbs and branches and in some cases trees may come down due to the storm. In a minor event where there are isolated pockets of damage the Roadways Division will remove the limbs and branches that fall from parkway trees ONLY. In addition any limbs, branches or trees that fall from trees on private property but are blocking the roadway or alley right of way will be removed off of the right of way by the Roadways Division. In no instances will the City of Joliet Roadways Division remove tree limbs, branches or trees that fall from private properties. Residents are strongly discouraged from moving tree limbs and branches from private property on to the parkways or into the public right of way including streets and alleys. This is prohibited by local ordinance and the homeowner could face possible fines. Local ordinance does not allow citizens to remove storm related debris from backyards, side yards and front yards in minor storm events. In such minor events residents are instructed to cut branches and limbs into sections not exceeding four (4) feet in length, not weighing over fifty (50) pounds and bundled for easy removal by the City of Joliet’s refuse collection contractor, Waste Management, Inc. No single piece within each bundle shall exceed three (3) inches in diameter. The Waste Management contract provides for the separate pick up of yard waste on the same day as the regular refuse collection pick up. Citizens who notice a tree limb/branch hanging or down from a storm should contact the Forestry Division at (815) 724-4046 or the Roadways Division at (815) 724-3650.

Major Storms and related Debris Removal

In a major storm involving large wind damage up to and including tornado activity the City will declare an Emergency Event. In such an event the City of Joliet will notify the residents through press releases that the City of Joliet Roadways Division will remove all storm related debris from both the public and private properties throughout the City of Joliet. In a major storm event the Roadways Division top priority is to clear streets for vehicular and emergency vehicles and may or may not remove the trees and debris at that time. The Roadways Division will return to remove all debris once all streets have been opened to traffic. In such cases where the public is notified that it is an emergency event it will be allowable to remove tree debris from private property and placed on the parkways for the City to pick up. It will remain the homeowners’ responsibility to move such debris from back yards, side yards and front yards to the parkway for City Roadways Division crews to remove.

The City of Joliet Roadways Division will remove private tree debris for a specified number of days only. Residents will be given ample time to clear their respective properties and move debris to the parkways for this pick up. Once the specified time allotted is over it will return to the homeowners’ responsibility to cut up any storm and tree related debris into sections not exceeding four (4) feet in length, not weighing over fifty (50) pounds and bundled for easy removal by the City of Joliet’s refuse collection contractor, Waste Management, Inc. No single piece within each bundle shall exceed three (3) inches in diameter. The Waste Management contract provides for the separate pick up of yard waste on the same day as the regular refuse collection pick up.