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CITY COUNCIL <br />REGULAR MEETING STAFF REPORT <br />AGENDA ITEM 6A <br />STAFF ORIGINATOR: Andy Nelson, Environmental Coordinator <br />Claire Knopf, Community Development Intern <br />MEETING DATE: October 23, 2023 <br />TOPIC: Consider Ordinance No. 10-23 Amending City Code Section <br />904.08 Relating to Managed Natural Landscapes <br />VOTE REQUIRED: 3/5 <br />______________________________________________________________________________ <br />INTRODUCTION <br />Staff is requesting City Council consideration to amend City Code Chapter 9 04 to conform <br />with 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 terms <br />have the meanings given: <br />(1)"managed natural landscape" means a planned, intentional, and <br />maintained planting of native or nonnative grasses, wildflowers, forbs, ferns, shrubs, or <br />trees, including but not limited to rain gardens, meadow vegetation, and ornamental plants. <br />Managed natural landscapes does not include turf-grass lawns left unattended for the <br />purpose of returning to a natural state; <br />(2)"meadow vegetation" means grasses and flowering broad-leaf plants that are <br />native to, or adapted to, the state of Minnesota, and that are commonly found in <br />meadow and prairie plant communities, not including noxious weeds. "Noxious weed" has <br />the meaning given in section 18.77, subdivision 8; <br />(3)"ornamental plants" means grasses, perennials, annuals, and <br />groundcovers purposely planted for aesthetic reasons; <br />(4)"rain garden" means a native plant garden that is designed not only to <br />aesthetically improve properties, but also to reduce the amount of stormwater and <br />accompanying pollutants from entering streams, lakes, and rivers; and