Tori Goddard Speaks for the Trees…

QUESTION #1

The Fort Negley clear-cutting and the NFL cherry-tree incidents illustrated something obvious: When it comes to the urban canopy, there is a breakdown of communication between the segments of Metro Government responsible for trees. The problem is that trees fall under the jurisdiction of many different departments (codes, stormwater, electrical, parks). What internal operational changes need to be made to better protect the existing canopy?

I believe several internal operational changes need to be made to better protect the existing canopy. The handling of the canopy should be streamlined, so that property owners and developers can get clear and direct answers instead of sifting through a broken and ineffective bureaucracy. Nashville would be well-served by the creation of a task force that handled the Metro Government’s canopy protection effort.

QUESTION #2

Do you support the city’s first tree bill in over a decade (BL2018-1416) in its current form? If not, what changes do you want to see? Or should it be stronger and broader in scope? BL1416 impacts only commercial and multi-family land use types. Do you support enacting tree laws for single-family residential?

This bill has been replaced by Substitute Bill2018-1416, which I do support.

QUESTION #3

Atlanta, Charlotte and Austin all have laws protecting a class of trees they consider to be “heritage trees; property owners must get approval for cutting them down and pay into a tree bank to offset the loss of a large trees in their communities. We feel this sets a tone that makes people more aware and respectful of the urban tree canopy. Do you approve of such legislation?

Yes, I do support protections for heritage trees.

QUESTION #4

TREES ATLANTA is considered by many to be the model for a public/private cooperative that works to protect urban tree canopy. TREES ATLANTA employees even help the city as on-site inspectors who follow up to make sure developers have complied with tree ordinances. What do you think of this model, or what would you do to strengthen the implementation and enforcement of Nashville’s tree code?

I am very fond of TREES ATLANTA and would like to see Nashville implement a similar cooperative. Public-private partnerships present an effective way to use limited government resources to improve the quality of life in our city, and the tree code is no different.

QUESTION #5

How could we entice private property owners not to cut down mature trees? How can we encourage developers/builders to keep mature trees in the designing of the home and lot?

I believe that we must improve the perception of mature trees. If the public fully understands the benefits of trees, then private property owners will be more likely to retain mature trees and developers will be more likely to include them in the building of homes and businesses.

QUESTION #6

Metro Nashville has just 3 employees to oversee all of Davidson County trees, while other peer cities with less tree canopy coverage have 15 to 20 employees on staff for trees. As a result, the Nashville Tree Conservation Corps has cataloged countless incidents where developers eluded complying with tree codes, the city has hundreds of hazardous trees that need to be replaced, and staff have trouble keeping up with just their everyday responsibilities. Do you support spending the money to bring us up to a par with our peer cities? If not, how will you fix this issue?

While Metro Nashville certainly lacks the personnel to manage all of Davidson County trees, it would be unwise to hire 15 to 20 new employees when are already struggling with budget shortfalls across the board. We must responsibly spend money to better manage the tree canopy by implementing cooperatives like TREES ATLANTA, which better leverage limited government resources with the help of passionate and talented individuals and groups in the private sector.

BONUS QUESTION FOR COUNCIL CANDIDATES

QUESTION #7

How will you work to bridge the divisions we often experience when talking about advancing tree legislation in Nashville between the community-builder dynamic? How can we advance Nashville’s livability standards while avoiding the risk of State preemption?  

I am a three generation builder, so I understand both sides of the community-builder dynamic. I believe the public needs to be better educated on the benefits trees provide in terms of stormwater runoff, pollutants, and heat indexes. A better educated public can make better decisions and fight harder to preserve and expand our tree canopy, while also incentivizing builders to meet the community’s need.