Community Garden Subcommittee (CGS)

April 20, 2010 6:30pm

  1. CALL TO ORDER

Public Works Administrative Services Manager Laurel Belanger called the meeting to order at 6:33PM.

Committee Members present for the meeting were:

Kimberly Goll – (Morrisville Environmental and Recycling Committee(MERC) Co-Vice Chair)
Theresa Lostaglio – (MERC Member)
Myriam Rouzky - (Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Advisory Committee (PRCRAC) Member)
Committee members absent from the meeting were:
Catherine Willis - (Planning and Zoning Board Member)
Kris Gardner - (Planning and Zoning Board Member)
Karsten Baumann - (MERC Member)
Kechia Baustmeyer - (PRCRAC Member)

Also present were the following staff members:

Public Works Administrative Services Manager – Laurel Belanger
Public Works Parks & Grounds Superintendent – Steve Dickinson
Planning Technician/Administrative Assistant – Shannan Ference
Public present for the meeting:
Cary Resident - Yashikra Bishop 527 Writers Way
Morrisville, NC 27560
  1. INTRODUCTIONS
To get acquainted, each member (staff included) took a few moments to introduce himself or herself, sharing something about themselves personally and/or professionally and stating their reason for wanting to serve on the subcommittee.
  1. APPOINTMENT OF SUBCOMMITTEE OFFICERS

Volunteers for chair and vice-chair were solicited from the group. Kimberly Gollvolunteered to chair the Community Garden Subcommittee and the other members concurred. Theresa Lostagliovolunteered to co-chair the CGS and all attending members concurred.

  1. REVIEW OF COMMITTEE PURPOSE

The general consensus of the group was that the purpose of the subcommittee would be to determine whether there was a genuine need or desire within the public for a garden; to define the general purpose of the garden; to establish a designated site for the garden; and to bring together a group of people to sustain the development, sponsorship, and management of the garden.

  1. DISCUSSION OF IDEAS

Discussion within the group began with the disclosure that what lay ahead of the subcommittee members was going to be a large undertaking and a task that would probably require a year’s worth of development. Three essential components that would need to be addressed initially would be the selection of a site for the garden, the preparation of contracts and/or agreements for the property and participants, and the acquisition of committed gardeners.

Dialogue encompassed varied ideas for what the overall purpose of the community garden should be, with no one idea beingpreferred. Considerations for obtaining outside support were deliberated,and the notion of possible outside competition that could defer the project was noted. Discussion on funding for the project touched on the possibility of obtaining anInnovative Grant from North Carolina A&T University and/or establishing the group as a not-for-profit entity collecting dues for itsfoundation.

Group members debated as to whether a structured plan for a community garden should be addressed first, or whether determining community interest should initiallybe established. The group agreed that both aspects could be developed simultaneouslybut that community interest was primarily critical to the project.

The general consensus of the group was to contact North Carolina State University system’s Cooperative Extension to obtain the services of a master gardener to speak at a public open forum on the benefits and the work involved in developing a community garden. Chairperson Kim Goll volunteered to contact the Cooperative Extension in an effort to obtain a speaker for the proposed forum. In addition, the subcommittee members agreed that an electronic survey should be taken at the forum as well as on the Town’s website to try andestablish community interest levels.

  1. SET NEXT MEETING TIME

The group unanimously agreed to hold their next meeting on Thursday, May 20th, 2010, at 6:30PM, at the Public Works facility.

  1. COMMITTEE COMMENTS

Several members inquired as to the currentaccessibility of information developed on possible site locations for a community garden. Public Works Parks & GroundsSuperintendent Steve Dickinson stated that he did have documentation on the site options and would make it available to the subcommittee members.

A question was raised as to whether there isany upcoming Town-sponsored events that could co-host with the Community Garden Speakers Forum. No immediate event could beidentified.

  1. ADJOURNMENT

ChairpersonKimberlyGoll adjourned the meeting at 7:30PM.

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Chairperson Kimberly Goll Secretary to the Committee

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