FARMINGTON — Farmington selectmen on Tuesday, May 28, approved a new tree ordinance which voters will consider when the next town meeting is held.

Town Manager Erica LaCroix was unable to attend the meeting. Chair Joshua Bell asked if the ordinance should be tabled until she was available.

“I believe the intent here was to have you sign off on it so a special town meeting can be scheduled so it can be enacted,” Leah Giusti, executive assistant, noted.

Selectman Byron Staples asked if code enforcement and Conservation Commission agreed with the latest version.

“Yes,” Giusti answered.

When asked, Bell said it came before the Select Board, a public hearing was held on it. There were a couple of things code wanted more in depth, the commission wanted to keep it simple, he noted.

“It is one of those things,” Selectman Matthew Smith said. “We have to have one in order to keep the Tree City USA [designation].”

“It is very comprehensive, very detailed,” Selectman Richard Morton stated. “Only in the implementation will we learn if it’s a problem.”

That was part of previous discussions, Selectman Dennis O’Neil said.

At the January 9 meeting the ordinance was first brought up with the expectation it would be ready for voter approval at the March 25 annual town meeting. An ordinance with all tree-related information in one document is needed in order to be named a Tree City USA, Conservation Commission Chair Bill Haslam told selectmen then.

On February 27 selectmen again reviewed the proposed tree ordinance. LaCroix said items were needed the next day in order for them to be placed on the warrant for the March 25 annual town meeting. No one from code enforcement was at that meeting.

“If one section isn’t right then they adjust it as you go along,” O’Neil stated. “It is important to have something in place as a baseline and it started with about five times the amount of paper.”

“It covers everything, is not too overbearing or too hard,” Bell said.

Morton asked if a special town meeting would need to be called, which could be expensive.

Farmington has been approved as a Tree City this year, there is often a meeting called in June or it could wait until November, Bell replied. “I am sure something else will come along, it would be rare not to,” he added.

This is the 47th year Farmington has been named a Tree City USA.

The tree ordinance is available on the town’s cloud agenda for May 28. Copies are available at the municipal building for those without computer access.