CLARKSVILLE, IN (October 31, 2024) – Battling overgrown yards is an annual struggle for code enforcement departments everywhere, including right here in the Town of Clarksville.  One issue that complicates enforcement is the lack of language in town ordinances to allow pollinator gardens.  Currently, the town code related to talls grass reads as:

“It is unlawful for the owner of any lot or tract of land within the town to allow it to be overgrown with weeds, grass, or rank vegetation beyond the height of (10) ten inches, or to such extent that the growth is detrimental to the public health and constitutes a nuisance.”

However, some residents want the option to plant pollinator gardens to support local insects such as bees and butterflies, as well as local birds.  Unfortunately, the current town ordinance would not allow some of the native plants which can grow well over ten inches tall.  Residents with those plants would currently be required to remove the plants or face citations.

Building Commissioner Rick Barr is trying to fix the problem by introducing changes to the code, allowing the planting of pollinator gardens as long as they stick to the approved guidelines set by the Town Council.  In an effort to begin that process, Commissioner Barr invited two experts from Louisville to present to the Town Council during a recent work session.  Jody Dahmer and Mariah Corso own and operate Beargrass Thunder, a native plant landscaping company in Louisville.

The presentation covered some of the code changes made by the City of Louisville in recent years to allow for pollinator gardens.  Dahmer and Corso covered what changes were made, what benefits came from the changes, and some of the problems faced by the city.  Their goal is to help other communities learn from Louisville’s successes and missteps, in hopes of promoting the planting of native plants and growing pollination areas in the region.

You can watch their presentation in full here:

The next step will be for Commissioner Barr to bring an updated ordinance for consideration by the Town Council.  The elected body will then have an option to edit the ordinance, pass it ‘as is’, or vote down the ordinance.