Committee advances update to St. Louis City vegetation ordinance to allow managed native and sustenance gardens

Alderwoman Anne Schweitzer, sponsor of Board Bill 78, told the St. Louis City Health and Human Development Committee on July 10 that the measure updates the citys vegetation ordinance to explicitly allow "managed native and sustenance gardens" and to strengthen the rules and fee collection that support Forestry enforcement.

"Today in front of us we have Board Bill 78, which is an update of the City's vegetation ordinance," Schweitzer said, explaining the substitute would add detailed definitions (including "chronic violator" and "meadow vegetation"), set maintenance requirements, and clarify sight-line limits near intersections.

The substitute reduces the maximum allowed plant height in the tree lawn from 36 inches to 24 inches and sets parameters for plantings that would remain outside the public right-of-way. Schweitzer said the bill also tightens procedures for assessing and collecting forestry fines and fees, and she estimated the updated collection process could bring in "millions of dollars, if not tens of millions of dollars" over time.

Alan Jankowski, Commissioner of Forestry, described the ordinances focus on active management: "the key term here is not allowing somebody just to have a lot and letting it go," he said, adding the measure would reference state lists of prohibited noxious plants and give Forestry staff clearer standards for distinguishing intentionally maintained gardens from unmanaged weeds.

Greg Hayes, Director of Parks, Recreation and Forestry, called the substitute "a vast improvement" on the 1986 rule referred to during the discussion and urged it would give staff more consistent, defensible enforcement tools. Hayes said Forestry already documents sites with photos and that the department expects to rely on nuisance inspectors and an automated tracking process to identify chronic violators.

Alderman Michael Browning, a co-sponsor, framed one neighborhood benefit: native plantings can improve stormwater absorption. "It's been like a giant sponge," he said of a native garden in front of his home, citing flood-mitigation benefits.

Committee members pressed about possible misuse or misclassification of overgrown lots as "native gardens." Schweitzer and Forestry staff said the bill requires purposeful, maintained plantings and excludes toxic or noxious species from permitted plant lists; Jankowski and Hayes said private-property disputes remain limited by law and staff first attempt neighbor-to-neighbor communication before enforcement steps.

Operational details discussed during the hearing include a plan to lean on three nuisance/weed inspectors and customer-service staff to compile cases, a hearing process with a hearing officer and a $20 hearing-application fee, and the ability for Forestry to accept payments online. Unpaid fines can be added to the city's special tax sale process for tax-delinquent properties, which staff described as a multi-department collection path.

The committee adopted the committee substitute on a motion and second and later moved to advance Board Bill 78 with a due-pass recommendation; Vice Chair Odenberg made the motion and Chair Boyd seconded. The motion carried with no objection and the chair announced the measure passed out of committee.

The committee recorded seven written testimonies in support and no written opposition during the meeting. Next steps will follow the councils usual committee routing for a final council vote and any additional committee referrals.