At the councilpublic forum, students, wildlife advocates and members of the Coalition to Protect Urban Nature urged City Council to amend Charlotte code that makes it unlawful to allow grass, weeds or vegetation taller than a specified limit. Student speaker Celia Call cited declines in pollinator populations and said Charlotte has made pollinator commitments through Bee City USA but that the citycode (Chapter 10, Article 3, Division 4, Sec. 10-155 was cited in public comment) still forces property owners to remove native plantings.

Alden Picard of the Coalition to Protect Urban Nature and Hope Wright, and other community advocates asked council to "submit a policy referral to update the overgrown vegetation ordinance" and to codify a height exemption for naturalistic landscapes including native meadows and pollinator gardens.

Speakers thanked staff for recent improvements to the pollinator garden registration process; several urged council not to "stop short" of codifying the exemption, saying codification builds public trust and creates a clear standard across neighborhoods. Charlotte Wildlife Stewards and local residents described educational benefits for children and the ecological benefits of native plantings.

Councilmembers acknowledged the request. Several speakers asked that either the mayor or a councilmember formally file a policy referral to a council committee to draft ordinance language and that staff use the updated registration process as a starting point.

"Updating the city's ordinance by adding a height exemption for naturalistic landscapes remains the objective of our coalition," Alden Picard said. "We see no reason not to codify the exemption."

Council did not take a vote on an ordinance amendment at the meeting; speakers asked for a referral to committee so staff could draft language.