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Council approves amendment limiting herbicide use after resident warnings about "forever chemicals"
Summary
Palos Verdes Estates council unanimously approved Amendment No. 4 to the city's Bennett Landscaping contract to limit chemical herbicide application to areas shown in the contract exhibit after a public commenter warned of long-term soil contamination.
Palos Verdes Estates City Council on April 14 approved an amendment to its citywide landscape maintenance contract that narrows where chemical herbicides may be applied.
The measure, Amendment No. 4 to the Bennett Landscaping agreement, restricts herbicide use to the specific "selected areas" outlined in Exhibit B and removes a sentence staff and council members said added ambiguity about permitted locations. The amendment was approved after council members asked staff to tweak a recital and delete a clarifying sentence that created overlap with exhibit language.
The change came amid public comment from a resident who warned the council that continued herbicide use risks "poisoning our soil" and described the chemicals as "forever" and potentially neurodegenerative. The resident said some of the areas proposed for spraying were near Town and Country Nursery School and other places children frequent.
Council members framed the vote as a mid-contract modification that reduces herbicide use while preserving the city's ability to manage limited areas where alternatives are impractical. "This is a contract that's in the middle of its term to modify it to reduce the use of herbicides," a council member said during debate, adding that the change represented "a big win for the community" because it reduced herbicide application without waiting for contract renewal.
Mayor Pro Tem moved to approve the amended contract with the small edits discussed in the meeting; the motion passed unanimously.
The council and staff said the amendment is not the end of the conversation and that further steps, including exploring integrated pest management and alternative vendors, would be considered when the contract comes up for renewal.
The amendment will be reflected in the city's contract files; council directed staff to return additional clarifying language and to ensure Exhibit B accurately marks the limited areas where chemical application remains allowed.
