City Council Study Session
July 21, 2026
Council Priority Project ESD 17-01
Eliminate the use of Chemical Pesticides
on City Owned or Leased Property
Attachment 1
2City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 Agenda
Study Issue Background
Pesticide Policies and Regulations
City’s Current Pesticide Use and Application
Alternatives to Synthetic Pesticides
Benchmarking other cities
Findings and Draft Recommendations
Attachment 1
3City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 • Evaluation of the City’s current pesticide use practices and the feasibility of
eliminating chemical pesticides.
• Proposed by the Sustainability Commission
• Elevated to a Study issue in 2017, ranked above the line by the City Ma
nager and initiated in 2025
• $100,000 budgeted for 2-ye ar study
• Joint effort by led by ESD with support from DPW staff Eliminate the use of Chemical Pesticides on City Owned or Leased Property:
ESD 17-01 Background
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4City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 Agenda
Pesticide Policies and Regulations
Study Issue Background
City’s Current Pesticide Use and Application
Alternatives to Synthetic Pesticides
Benchmarking other cities
Findings and Draft Recommendations
Attachment 1
5City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 Pesticides in California are regulated by multiple agencies:
• Federal EPA
• California EPA
Department of Pesticide Regulation (CADPR)
• San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board
NPDES Municipal Regional Permit
• California Prop 65
Pesticide Regulations
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6City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 Risk Assessment: Chemical Label Explainer
Signal Word Toxicity Category
DANGER high I
WARNING moderate II
CAUTION low III
N/A Not toxic IV
Source: National Pesticide Information Center
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7City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 Pre-emergent vs Post-emergent
WHEN
Selective vs Non-selective
WHAT
Systemic vs Contact
HOW
Pesticide Type Overview
Source: Blue Duck Lawncare
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8City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 Pesticide Type Overview
Synthetic Organic
Derived from natural sources
Examples:
Plant Oils, Copper Sulfate,
Pyrethrin
Chemically manufactured
compounds
Examples:
Glyphosate, pyrethroids
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9City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 Pesticide Training
Department of
Pesticide Regulation
(DPR)
Pesticide SDS sheets
Prepares staff for
applicator licenses
Internal City’s IPM Policy
Water pollution
prevention education
Annual Parks Staff Trainings
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10City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 Agenda
City’s Current Use and Application
Pesticide Policies and Regulations
Alternatives to Synthetic Pesticides
Benchmarking other cities
Findings and Draft Recommendations
Study Issue Background
Attachment 1
11City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 How and Where Pesticides are Used
Type Herbicide Pesticide Insecticide Fungicide
Uses
Parks and landscape
to remove weeds
Protects trees from
pests and diseases
Deters and removes
pests from buildings
Protects Golf greens and
reduces slips on pavers
Example
used in
Sunnyvale
Roundup
Non-Selective
Post-emergent
Caution
Safari
Selective
Post-emergent
Warning
Ant Bait Stations
Selective
Caution
Syngenta
Non-selective
Pre-emergent
Caution
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12City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 City’s IPM policy
Carry safety data sheets (SDS)
Backpack, truck & hand spraying
Restricted-entry interval
Signage and mailings
Staff follows DPR’s Healthy Schools Act
Parks Application Process
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13City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 The problem:
Hackberry aphids
Old solution:
Freeway and Safari pesticides
(pesticide of concern)
New technique:
Soil fertilizing and aeration
Example: Hackberry Application
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14City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 Annual Pesticide Use by Type
2025
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15City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 Annual Pesticide Use By Location Type
2025
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16City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 Annual Pesticide Use in Gallons per Acre
2025
1.3 0.8
0.0 0.5
0.2 0.4
0.2 1.2
0.4 0.1 0.2
0.0 0.2
0.4 0.6
0.8 1.0
1.2 1.4
0 50
100
150
200
250
300
Gallons per acre
Total Acreage
Location Type
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17City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 Agenda
Alternatives to Synthetic Pesticides
Pesticide Policies and Regulations
City’s Current Use and Application
Benchmarking other cities
Findings and Draft Recommendations
Study Issue Background
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18City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 • Can effectively control weeds for about 14 days
• Work best during warm weather and full sun applications • Require increased applications, lower dilution rates, and higher application volumes co
mpared to glyphosate-containing products
Windbiel-Rojas, K. (2023, March 26). Organic Herbicides for Weed Control in Urban Landscapes. UC Weed Science – Weed Control, Management, Ecology, and Minutia. University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR). https://ucanr.edu/blog/uc-weed-science-weed-control-management-ecology-and-minutia/article/organic-herbicides-weed Organic Herbicides for Weed
Control in Urban Landscapes
University of California Agriculture and Natural
Resources (UC ANR)
2023 Study
Research on Organic Pesticides
DAT: Days after treatment
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19City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 Manual Removal
Flame, steam, or hot-foam
weeding
Mulch
Mechanical Alternatives
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20City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026
4. Continued testing and monitoring
3. Application of organic fertilizers 4
times/year
2. Change in soil aeration
1. Soil health baseline through soil testing
Alternative Turf Approach
*Note: Potential need to renovate annually with field closures up to three months Synthetic pesticide free
Less water
Improved soil health
Stronger root system
GOALS
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21City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 Potential reduced health
risks to City employees and
the public
Protects pollinators
(although we already work
to avoid harm)
Reduces potential runoff
contamination into
waterways
Benefits
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22City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 Targeted and efficient irrigation
Adjusting plant palettes
Soil regeneration
Resetting expectations and educating public
Actions that Support Alternative Methods
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23City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 Equipment Applications
Considerations with alternative methods both mechanical and organic Other Considerations
Line Trimmers
(most practical mechanical
alternative)
• High volume
• Disperse debris & dust
• Additional safety and nuisance
concerns
• Replacement frequency
Changes
• 2x-4x increase in labor hours
depending on site
• More frequent applications
• Changes application
times/periods
Organic chemicals: work
best in full sun and warm
temperatures
Trimmers: cannot be used
dur
ing early morning hours
• Fundamental shift away from
weed removal
• Risk of deteriorating aesthetics
and increasing public comment
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24City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 Estimated Costs associated with further reducing and eliminating all pesticide use on City Property
Cost Analysis
Estimated Annual Cost of
Removing Glyphosate
$1,230,000
Estimated Annual Cost of
Removing Pesticides
$ 1,623,000
Average Annual Total Cost of
Applying Pesticides:
$716,000
+ $514,000 76%
+ $907,000 135%
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25City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 Existing Expanded Options
Enhanced Public Outreach Costs
Internal
Advertisements (Bay Area New Group
advertisements, Utility Bills, employee emails,
newsletters, social media)
Tabling events (Farmers markets, National Night Out,
Earth Day)
Workshops (Sunnyvale Senior Center Workshop)
Elementary school presentations
Estimated cost of materials: ~$1000
Estimated staff time: 100 hrs/year
External
Countywide Program/Watershed Watch
Our Water Our World (statewide)
• Signage in parks where
pesticides are used and not
used
• Increased posting pre/post
applications
• Potential survey of residents
and businesses to identify
level of awareness and
concern on pesticides
Attachment 1
26City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 Original Pilot Park Study: Panama Park
Consulting only + City staff labor
OR
Organic fertilizer + contractor
mechanical weeding
• Hire consultant to create pesticide-fr ee plan
• Main pesticide alternative is manual weed removal
• Evaluate:
o Labor requirements
o Weed control effectiveness
o Landscaping aesthetics evaluation
o Environmental benefits
o Resident satisfaction
o Cost impacts
• Need to consider recovery costs to bring park back to curr
ent standards if pilot is not successful
• Duration: 2-5 Ye ars
• Potential Deliverables: Fi nal report to City Council with recommendations
Estimated Cost
$50,000 /yr
Study Objectives & Summary:
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27City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 Agenda
Benchmarking Other Cities
Pesticide Policies and Regulations
City’s Current Use and Application
Findings and Draft Recommendations
Study Issue Background
Alternatives to Synthetic Pesticides
Attachment 1
28City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 Benchmarking Summary
City Approach Results Summary
Windsor Immediate ban Operational challenges and
infrastructure impacts
Gradual transition 50% increase in costs; utilize
contractor support
Riverside Glyphosate moratorium 400% increase in costs; moratorium ended
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29City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 A pesticide ban cannot be successful without more funding, more staffing, and better planning on alternatives
Overall significant increase in costs and reliant on support from contractors to achieve implementation
Cities with near or total bans are not comparable in size Agencies of comparable size are continuing to use synthetic pesticides Aesthetics and infrastructure issues
Benchmarking Summary
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30City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 Findings and Draft Recommendations
Agenda
Pesticide Policies and Regulations
City’s Current Use and Application
Study Issue Background
Alternatives to Synthetic Pesticides
Benchmarking other cities
Attachment 1
31City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 Study Findings Summary
City is using pesticides in a measured manner only where necessary Pesticide free options have community benefits
Other Cities have found mixed results using alternatives to pesticides Pesticide free management will have lower aesthetics
Pesticide free methods will cost more in terms of labor and equipment • + $335,000 One-time costs
• + $900,000 Ongoing operating cost (+ 4 FTE)
Pilot study has merit; Cost per year dependent on site and approach Attachment 1
32City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 Substantially higher costs to the City
Will take time to implement
Deteriorating aesthetics
Unknown or unintended consequences
Potential Transition Impacts and Effects
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33City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 Increase transparency and
provide more supporting data
Prioritize the elimination of
the highest-risk pesticides
Alternative weed
management methods before
broader pesticide elimination
Support pilot study
Parks and Recreation Commission Recommendations
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34City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 Sustainability Commission Recommendations
Take a broader, long-term
approach
Increase data transparency
and public education
Expand and refine the pilot
study scope
Use pilot to inform policy
decisions
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35City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 Public Comments Summarized
Supports pilot study
but with a broader
scope
Prioritize public
health and
environmental
impacts
Promote sustainable
landscape
management
practices
Increase
transparency and
public outreach
Reduce or eliminate
Roundup use
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36City of Sunnyvale – Pesticide Study Issue City Council– July 2026 Do not recommend eliminating all chemical pesticides from City use Complete a pesticide-free pilot park study
Improve transparency by improving data collection and reporting on chemical usage
Post signage when necessary for safety
Direct Staff to maintain or improve City’s existing IPM Program Draft Recommendations
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37 Questions & Feedback
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