Council directs attorney to prepare pollinator garden license at City Park amid resident safety concerns

The Jourdanton City Council on May 18 voted to direct the city attorney to draft a license agreement with The Critter Conservation Project allowing a pollinator/bee & butterfly garden at Jourdanton City Park. Councilmember Karen Pesek made the motion, which passed unanimously.

The item matters to park users because some residents worry a concentrated pollinator planting could increase encounters with bees. "It will bring bees to the area at the park and worried that people will get stung," resident Johnetta Goetzel said during the public-comment period, urging the council to consider public-safety implications before approving any final agreement.

Council discussion did not include a formal safety study or a staff report with mitigation measures at the time of the vote; the council's action authorized only the attorney to prepare a license, not to execute the final agreement. Pesek framed the motion as a step to establish terms and legal protections before any garden is installed.

The decision leaves several specifics unresolved: the timeline for installation, operational responsibilities, signage or fencing, liability and insurance requirements, and any mitigation steps for park users with allergies. Council will receive the drafted license for review once the city attorney completes it.

Next steps: the attorney will prepare the license agreement for council consideration; no construction or planting was authorized at the May 18 meeting.