Delta council has moved one step closer to banning the use of cosmetic pesticides.

At Monday's meeting, civic politicians gave preliminary approval to the pesticide use control bylaw.

If granted final approval, the legislation would prohibit the use of cosmetic pesticides on residential and public land in Delta.

While only the province has the jurisdiction to ban the sale of these types of pesticides, local governments can ban their use within municipal borders.

In April, council asked municipal staff to come back with a draft bylaw and plan for implementation, public education and enforcement after hearing a presentation from members of the Delta Working Group on the Cosmetic Use of Pesticides.

That bylaw, which is modeled after a similar one in Burnaby, was presented to civic politicians Monday night.

More than 130 municipalities across Canada, including 14 in B.C., nine of which are in the Lower Mainland, and the province of Quebec have implemented bylaws restricting the cosmetic use of pesticides.

The next step in the process will see the municipality hold public information meetings in Ladner, Tsawwassen and North Delta to increase education on the subject and to garner feedback on the proposed ban.

Mike Brotherston, Delta's manager of climate action and environment, said dates have not yet been set for the meetings but they will likely be held in September.

Any feedback received on the proposed bylaw will be presented to council before final approval is considered.

If approved, the bylaw will not go into effect for a year to allow for increased public education around sustainable, natural landscaping practices and alternatives to pesticides.

Public education is also a large component of the proposed bylaw and municipal staff has already been working on increasing public knowledge about the use of pesticides. Delta has a demonstration garden in North Delta and staff has been working to add more information to Delta's website.

"Since municipalities cannot ban the sale of pesticides, restrictions on their use (such as a bylaw) are often more successful when coupled with a public education program," Brotherston said in his report to council.

There was some debate around the council table over the effectiveness of the proposed ban.

Coun. Robert Campbell said he did not support the ban aspect of the bylaw because of the difficulties around enforcement.

"We have a bylaw that is ineffective and that's a bylaw that I cannot support," he said, adding he supports the public education aspect of the proposed bylaw.

Other elected officials around the table did not agree.

"We have to make steps at some point," said Coun. Heather King.

"If you don't do the bylaw in concert with an education program, you'll never get there."

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