Blue Hill, NE Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Section 6-104 of the Blue Hill Municipal Code puts the duty to trim overhanging branches on the owner or occupant of the abutting lot, not the city, and it sets numeric clearances: 8 feet must be maintained over walkways and 12 feet over streets and alleys at all times. If limbs or branches extend over a street or sidewalk in violation of that standard, and they interfere with street lighting or the public's use of the street or sidewalk, the City Council may act at any regular or special meeting, passing a resolution that orders the owner or occupant to cut or remove the obstruction within five days of receiving a copy of the resolution.

The resolution itself carries a built-in enforcement mechanism: if the owner does not comply, the section states the city will remove the branches and charge the cost to the owner or occupant as a special assessment for improvements. As with other Chapter 6 notice provisions, a non-resident property owner must be sent a copy of any required notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the address listed on the current tax rolls before any special assessment is levied. This street/sidewalk clearance duty is separate from the electric-utility clearance requirement at Section 7-412, which addresses trees growing near power lines rather than pedestrian and vehicle clearance, and from the new-planting setbacks in Section 6-105 governing where street trees may go.