Clarksville council weighs pollinator-garden ordinance; leans toward education before new enforcement rules

Council members spent the majority of a follow-up work session debating amendments that would allow managed “pollinator gardens” while preventing misuse of the classification to evade the town’s long-standing 10-inch rank-vegetation limit.

Councilwoman Schiller said she supports resident rights and questioned mandatory registration: "I think that's more of just a person's right if they want to actually create a pollinator a pollinator garden," she said, noting many homeowners will not want to file paperwork. Other council members and staff said the draft ordinance aims to give code enforcement clear standards so officers can distinguish true pollinator gardens from neglected yards.

The plan emerging from the session pairs an education-first approach with ordinance revision. Council members asked staff to create outreach materials—website content, a two-page magazine spread and a QR code linking to guidance—and to refine the draft ordinance to: include tenants as able to claim managed landscapes, reference Department of Natural Resources guidance for acceptable native species, clarify setback and maximum-height guidance, and confirm inspection limits (front-of-property observations only unless a resident grants access).

Staff and council emphasized enforcement would remain bounded by existing code and court practice; the draft includes standards that could be used in court to show a yard meets pollinator criteria versus being an overgrown nuisance. Council directed staff to return with educational materials and a revised ordinance for further consideration rather than adopt new enforcement language immediately.