Palm Desert, Calif., could be joining other Coachella Valley cities that have passed laws requiring landscaping businesses to learn about alternatives to overseeding methods used to keep golf courses and other grassy areas green year- round.
The city council is set to vote April 10 on an ordinance that would make attending classes on smart scalping a condition of getting or renewing a business license for landscaping.
Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, Indio, La Quinta, Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage have already passed similar ordinances on alternatives to overseeding, based on a model law supported by the Coachella Valley Association of Governments.
"I think it's a great idea," said Rob Archer, operations manager for Sierra Landscape Company on Dinah Shore Drive in Palm Desert. "We do way too much overseeding here. There's too much water waste to try to make everything look green."
CVAG will partner with the South Coast Air Quality Management District on the free two-hour course about smart scalping, which will be offered in June.
Smart scalping conserves water and improves air quality compared to the traditional method that stirs up dust and allergens.
Landscapers would not be required to use smart scalping, only take the course.
"I don't think it's too much to ask so we can reduce the particulate matter in the air," said Councilwoman Cindy Finerty "Improved air quality is something we all strive for."
But Sharon Howard, an owner of Custom Landscape Services, said the law is unnecessary.
"Requiring someone to take a class hurts their legitimacy," said Howard, who's been reseeding lawns in the valley for over 20 years. "It's one more thing on our plate to deal with, that they cannot enforce against unlicensed contractors."
Spencer Knight, landscape manager for Palm Desert, agreed the law falls unevenly on licensed contractors and will make more work for city staff. He is also pushing for the classes to be taught in both English and Spanish.
"The program needs to be done," Knight said. "Let's try this; let's see what happens."