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Brown Deer adopts lawn‑and‑yard maintenance rules; swale language softened to allow non‑impeding plantings
Summary
The Village of Brown Deer unanimously adopted Ordinance 2605 (lawn and yard maintenance standards) and Ordinance 2606 (nuisance code amendments) after staff and trustees agreed to amendments allowing certain swale plantings that do not impede culverts and correcting enforcement language to "designated agent."
The Village of Brown Deer Board of Trustees voted unanimously on May 4 to adopt Ordinance 2605, creating standards for lawn and yard maintenance, and Ordinance 2606, amending chapter 38 (nuisances) to align with the new standards.
Trustees and staff discussed language that originally required drainage swales to "remain free of plantings." Staff reported that some plantings—those with deeper root systems—help manage stormwater. The board agreed to amend the swale provision to allow plantings so long as they do not impede culverts, grates or stormwater flow. Trustees also approved clarifications to terminology (changing "design" to "designated agent" for enforcement references) and minor capitalization corrections.
Trustee Gre moved approval of Ordinance 2605 with the recommended amendments and Trustee Owens seconded; the board then approved the ordinance on a unanimous roll‑call vote. The board subsequently approved Ordinance 2606 with similar technical corrections in a separate unanimous roll call.
Trustee Woods, during discussion of swales, acknowledged that some natural plantings can slow water without blocking systems and emphasized the board’s concern about plantings that actually obstruct culverts or grates.
Both ordinances were adopted by roll call; staff will finalize the ordinance language to reflect the agreed amendments and publish the adopted text per the village’s normal process.
