| Mississauga folk shall never see, a bylaw to protect
a tree.
At least not if a recommendation going before politicians today is eventually
endorsed by City Council.
Lengthy report
In a lengthy report, the City's community services department concludes
there is no need for a bylaw to regulate the cutting of trees on private
property. After listening to input from a large number of Mississaugans
who expressed their strong opinions for and against the bylaw, City
staff
have concluded one isn't necessary.
Recommendation to be debated today
A number of ratepayers groups and individual citizens are expected
to
disagree with that recommendation beginning today, when it is debated
for the first time at general committee.
New regulation opposed
The expected high cost of the bylaw, difficulties with enforcement
and the
few number of trees expected to actually be saved are reasons cited
by
Community Services Commisioner Paul Mitcham for opposing a new
regulation. "The option of implementing a bylaw has the greatest
costs
associated with it and questionable results," says Mitcham's report.
Few cause the problems
Part of the problem with a bylaw is that it will restrict everyone's
rights to
remove trees from their own land, in order to deal with the actions
of a
relatively few people who actually cause the problems by slaughtering
a large number of trees.
Despite a few highly-publicized incidents in the city, there has generally
not been a big problem with trees being removed, says the report. |