Council Bluffs, IA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

Council Bluffs Municipal Code § 10.52.010 bars any person, firm, corporation or association from removing a tree in or upon a public right-of-way or other public property without a permit from the director of parks, recreation and public property. The application must go to the parks department on city-supplied forms giving the applicant's name and address, the nature of the proposed work, who will perform it, the location, and the names and addresses of the surrounding property owners, plus a signed agreement to indemnify and defend the city against claims from the work.

Section 10.52.020 lets the director deny the permit if the removal would violate this chapter or any other city or state law, if it would harm the aesthetic quality or symmetry of the area, or if the tree proposed for removal is a desirable species in a desirable location and the applicant has not given a reasonable justification. A denial is mailed to the applicant with the reasons stated, and the applicant has ten days to file a written appeal with the city manager, who must hold a hearing within thirty days after notifying the applicant at least five days ahead, and independently decide whether grounds for denial exist.

Once a permit issues, § 10.52.030 requires a cash bond or deposit sized to the estimated cost of restoring the site, plus proof of insurance, and § 10.52.040 requires the stump to be pulled, the hole filled and seeded, and all limbs and debris cleared from the street, parkway or sidewalk within forty-eight hours of cutting.