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CITY COUNCIL <br />REGULAR MEETING STAFF REPORT <br />AGENDA ITEM 6B <br />Andy Nelson, Environmental Coordinator <br />Claire Knopf, Community Development Intern <br />October 9, 2023 <br />Consider Ordinance No. 10-23 Amending City Code Section 904.08 <br />Relating to Managed Natural Landscapes <br />3/5 <br />STAFF ORIGINATOR: <br />MEETING DATE: <br />TOPIC: <br />VOTE REQUIRED: <br />INTRODUCTION <br />Staff is requesting City Council consideration to amend City Code Chapter 904 to conform with <br />Minn. Statutes § 412.925 regulating managed natural landscapes. <br />BACKGROUND <br />Effective July 1, 2023, Minnesota Statutes, section 412.925, mandates that cities <br />allow for managed natural and native landscaping on all parcels. In response, the City is <br />amending its local code and ordinances to conform with the statute. The statute states the <br />following: <br />Minn. Stat. § 412.925 – NATIVE LANDSCAPES <br />(a)A statutory city or home rule charter city shall allow an owner, authorized <br />agent, or authorized occupant of any privately owned lands or premises to install and <br />maintain a managed natural landscape. For purposes of this section, the following <br />terms have the meanings given: <br />(1)"managed natural landscape" means a planned, intentional, <br />and maintained planting of native or nonnative grasses, wildflowers, forbs, <br />ferns, shrubs, or trees, including but not limited to rain gardens, meadow <br />vegetation, and ornamental plants. Managed natural landscapes does not <br />include turf-grass lawns left unattended for the purpose of returning to a natural <br />state; <br />(2)"meadow vegetation" means grasses and flowering broad-leaf <br />plants that are native to, or adapted to, the state of Minnesota, and that are <br />commonly found in meadow and prairie plant communities, not including <br />noxious weeds. "Noxious weed" has the meaning given in section 18.77, <br />subdivision 8; <br />(3)"ornamental plants" means grasses, perennials, annuals, <br />and groundcovers purposely planted for aesthetic reasons; <br />(4)"rain garden" means a native plant garden that is designed not only <br />to aesthetically improve properties, but also to reduce the amount of <br />stormwater and accompanying pollutants from entering streams, lakes, and <br />rivers; and