HomeMy WebLinkAbout3.d. No Mow May Proclamation
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
City Council Meeting: April 19, 2022
AGENDA SECTION:
AGENDA ITEM: No Mow May Proclamation
Proclamations
PREPARED BY: Jane Byron, Stormwater Specialist AGENDA NO. 3.d.
ATTACHMENTS: Proposed No Mow May Resolution
APPROVED BY: LJM
Xerces Society No Mow May Yard Sign
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Motion to approve the attached resolution proclaiming May
2022 as No Mow May in the City of Rosemount
BACKGROUND
No Mow May is a program of Bee City USA, an initiative of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate
Conservation. The program seeks to create early season habitat and forage for pollinators through
suspension of lawn mowing during the month of May, a critical time for pollinators coming out of
hibernation when food sources may be scarce. To support this effort, the City would temporarily suspend
enforcement of lawn height (8”) weed ordinances on occupied properties during May in order to support
property owners that choose to participate in this voluntary program. Enforcement of lawn height weed
ordinances would continue for commercial properties, abandoned properties and properties with an active
enforcement case at the beginning of May. The City would also continue to enforce weed ordinances
related to noxious weeds, diseased trees, hazard trees, and tree pests. Lastly, the City would retain the right
to enforce the ordinance if a situation arises where it becomes necessary to respond.
The City was first approached about participating in No Mow May in late May of 2021 by Zero Waste
Advocates of Minnesota. Additionally, the Environment and Sustainability Commission incorporated
development of policies and promotion of a No Mow May campaign into its 2022 Goals in January.
Staff are working on a blog post and other communications to advertise the program. The City will also
provide a link on its website to the attached optional signage for residents that choose to post it on their
lawns.
Zero Waste Advocates of Minnesota will give a brief presentation about No Mow May at the regular
meeting.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council approve the attached resolution proclaiming May 2022 as No Mow
May
C:\\Users\\jab\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\3.d. No Mow May Proclamation_729151\\3.d. No Mow May Proclamation.docx
CITY OF ROSEMOUNT
DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA
RESOLUTION 2022 - 41
A RESOLUTION PROCLAIMING NO MOW MAY IN ROSEMOUNT
WHEREAS, bees, butterflies, moths, other insects, birds, and other animals, collectively known as
pollinators, are integral parts to a wide diversity of essential food production; and,
WHEREAS, pollinators are being threatened due to habitat loss, pesticide use, pathogens and
parasites; and,
WHEREAS, recent research suggests that bee pollinators make use of no mow spaces as key floral
resources during early spring in the upper Midwest of the United States; and,
WHEREAS, the formative period for establishment of pollinators and the many songbirds and
wildlife species that depend upon them occurs in late spring and early summer in Minnesota as they
emerge from dormancy and require flowering plants as crucial foraging habitat; and,
WHEREAS, the City of Rosemount would like to encourage interested residents to increase
pollinator-friendly habitat by encouraging pollinator friendly lawncare practices on their own
properties for the month of May during this formative period; and,
WHEREAS, “No Mow May” is a voluntary community initiative that encourages property owners
to limit lawn mowing during the month of May to provide early season foraging resources for
pollinators that emerge in the spring, especially in urban landscapes when few floral resources are
available;
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Mayor and City Council of Rosemount
recognizes No Mow May to actively promote and educate the community about the critical period of
pollinator emergence and the generation of crucial pollinator supporting early spring foraging
opportunities.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Rosemount City Council directs staff not to issue
correction notices for lawn height weed violations for the month of May on occupied properties in
good standing, allowing residents to voluntarily delay lawn care until June, allowing pollinator species
to emerge and early flowering grasses and forbs to establish, which may result in ground-cover
exceeding established ordinance height restrictions. The City retains the right to enforce the ordinance
if a situation arises where it becomes necessary to respond
th
ADOPTED this 19 day of April 2022.
William H. Droste, Mayor
ATTEST:
Jessie Paque, Deputy City Clerk
We are thrilled that you are participating in No Mow May! By leaving your property
unmown for the month of May, you’re creating habitat for pollinators and other
wildlife.
This sign is designed for printing at home, but if you take it to a copyshop or other
commercial printing facility, you should be asked to provide evidence that you have
permission to print it. Any professional printer will be conscious of copyright. Please
show them this statement:
The Xerces Society, which runs Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA, gives
permission for this No Mow May sign to be printed. It is released under a Creative
Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC 3.0) license.
We love hearing from you! If you post a picture of your habitat and installed
sign on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter please tag us @beecityusa and include
#nomowmay.
To learn more about No Mow May, visit beecityusa.org/no-mow-may.
An Initiative of the
21-010_01