Even though a majority of councilors in South Portland support a ban against the use of pesticides, they agreed this week that taking a slow and steady approach would be best.

During a workshop Monday, the council took nearly three hours of comment on the proposed pesticide ban, which was first brought forward by the group Protect South Portland in early June and would also likely prohibit herbicides and some fertilizer.

While the majority of those who spoke either live or do business in South Portland, several speakers who urged the council to enact a ban came from neighboring communities, such as Scarborough, Cape Elizabeth and Portland.

And, of those who spoke, most of the professionals asked the council not to enact a total ban on pesticide use, instead touting a practice known as integrated pest management, which would allow the use of chemicals when warranted.

City Manager Jim Gailey said that while the council had asked for a model ordinance to be brought forward for review, there are just too many differing programs and policies across the country for staff to settle on just one.

He said that Maine is one of just nine states in the U.S. that allow communities to enact local pesticide bans, which also complicates the issue.

On Monday, Gailey presented the council with what he felt were the four best local approaches to pesticide use and said the town of Ogunquit “probably has the most strict” rules governing the use of chemicals to control pests. Even so, that town has no enforcement mechanism, which concerned some councilors, including Claude Morgan.

Gailey said that while some communities have a complete pesticide ban, which includes both public and private property, most rely on integrated pest management, and those that ban pesticides also have a long list of exemptions.

The ordinance in Ogunquit, for instance, exempts poison ivy, insect repellents, pool chemicals and more. Other communities around the country only ban pesticide use on public property and also specifically exempt businesses, such as golf courses, according to Gailey.

Although most of the landscaping professionals present Monday asked the council not to ban all pesticide use, Joseph Kubetz at JK Landscaping Design and Scott Eldredge at Eldredge Lumber & Hardware, were not among them.

Kubetz said, “I support the movement toward organic practices. It’s good for the environment and for residents. The Maine brand and Maine economy are based on its reputation as a beautiful place.”

Kubetz said he’s been using organic pest management for the past six years with “terrific results” and asked the City Council to take “a leadership role” in banning the use of pesticides.

Eldredge said he’s “never seen a (pest) problem that can’t be solved with good, organic practices.”

But other lawn care professionals, golf course managers and pest management experts argued that pesticides are a useful tool that can be used responsibly and in a targeted way.

Richard Lewis, the superintendent at the Willowdale Golf Club in Scarborough, also said that banning pesticides would leave people vulnerable to disease-bearing insects, such as mosquitoes and ticks.

In addition, Phil Roberts, whose family owns Broadway Gardens in South Portland, said that there is a time and place for the “responsible use and application” of pesticides, adding that while he uses organic alternatives when practical, they’re not always effective.

However, Mary Cerullo, associate director of the Friends of Casco Bay, asked the council to “stop the flow of lawn chemicals into Casco Bay” and said that at testing sites all up and down the bay, the friends group has found traces of pesticides, some of which are listed as toxic.

Eddie Woodin, who helped found the Citizens for a Green Scarborough group, argued that the “science is overwhelming” regarding the harmful impact of pesticides on humans, animals and the environment.

And Brian Jordan, a new resident of South Portland, said one of the reasons he moved to the city was because of its “reputation for activism.”

He said, “We rely too much on poisons and toxins” adding that if the community instituted a ban on pesticides it would be taking a leadership role in a worthy fight.

Sarah Lakeman, the Sustainable Maine project director at the Natural Resources Council of Maine, also called on the council to institute a total pesticide ban to “protect human health and the environment.”

South Portland resident Brian Leonard said that while individuals could make the decision not to use pesticides, it’s only when a whole community makes such a commitment that “a statement can be made.”

After listening to public comment, Councilor Morgan said he was “ready to make the segue into banning pesticides.” He was backed by Councilor Brad Fox, who said “the time has come” for South Portland to pass a strict pesticide ban.

Fox added, “We all know these (chemicals) seep into the groundwater and then go out into Casco Bay. We need to do something.”

Councilors Tom Blake and Patti Smith also supported an outright ban on pesticides with Blake saying he “got woken up” to their harmful impact when his daughter would not let his grandchildren eat his raspberries and blueberries because he relied on chemical fertilizers and pest control methods.

“We have an opportunity to correct deficiencies and this is about the health, welfare and safety of our residents,” Blake said.

Smith said she supports the pesticide ban because “we need to think about how we can become a healthier community.” She also argued that a ban did not need to be seen as restrictive but as “an opportunity and a positive step forward.”

While councilors Maxine Beecher and Melissa Linscott said they were not ready to pass an outright ban on pesticide use, both said they were willing to move forward on at least discussing various restrictions.

In addition to agreeing that the city should take the time needed to craft a solid pesticide plan, councilors also said they’d like to see a big push toward education and outreach to the public.

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