Hydrant Information

City Code §13-404. Pruning and clearance. The city shall have the right to prune, cut, clear, or remove any tree, shrub, bush, or flower on public or private property which overhangs any street, right-of-way or public easement within the city so as to constitute a hazard to the safety or property of any person upon such street, right-of-way or easement, or to prune, cut, clear or remove any tree, shrub, bush or flower on public or private property when such interferes with the proper spread of light along the street from a street light, or interferes with the visibility of any traffic control device or sign, or interferes with pedestrian travel, or interferes with the safe line of sight along any street or roadway, or which is injurious or a potential threat to sewers, electrical power lines, gas lines, water lines, or other public improvement. When it becomes necessary to prune, cut, clear or remove any tree, shrub, bush or flower pursuant to this section, the city will attempt to minimize the amount of pruning, cutting, clearance and removal of trees necessary to accomplish the safety objective undertaken.

In an emergency fire situation, fire crews will do what they need to do to gain access.

If the area surrounding the hydrant is a:

Hazardous condition. The City can remove, cut, prune, clear, etc., without notice, on public and private property, if the vegetation "constitutes a hazard to the safety or property of any person upon [the] street, right-of-way or easement, vegetation around the fire hydrant that causes the hydrant to not be visible or accessible would be a hazard to the properties surrounding it. This authority to remove without notice is given in City Code §13-404 above.

Non-hazardous condition. When you have a situation with a little bit of vegetation that doesn't impede the ability to access the hydrant or locate it, it is a violation of IFC §507.5.4 and/or IFC §507.5.5 because the area is not clear.