Minutes for the Saturday, December 15th 2012 Temple Terrace Community Garden Planning Committee Meeting 2:00PM – 4:00PM
In Attendance
Dennis Killinger, Elizabeth Leib, Travis Malloy, Jennifer Marshall, Steven McBride, Mike Pont, Cheri Donohue, Nancy Petschl, Matt Woodham and Catherine Thornburg.
Promotions Activity
The Tampa Tribune featured a great story on the garden. The Temple Terrace News continues to carry stories of the garden, thanks to Zoe Lang.
Perhaps we could get listed in the Recreator, with details on membership and plot rental.
Signup Genius is working very well for posting tasks and getting people to sign up.
Plot 1 Status
Plants are slowly starting. More are needed, but the school garden is growing.
Riverhills Elementary will be bringing the kids to the garden. Kindergarteners on Friday, Jan 11th, at 1PM. We’ll talk gardening and do a quick garden task.
Amy Shell is leading a gardening enrichment cluster in January. Once a week, Thursdays at 1:15, the mixed-grade students will work on a gardening project. We’ll help organize talks and tasks for each week.
Any volunteers for these activities would be appreciated.
Plot 2 Status
All plots are rented. We have one person on the provisional wait list.
Signs were discussed. Perhaps we could have a clear plastic sign, with exchangeable paper. Perhaps we could cheaply laminate signs. No ideas for the sponsor sign yet.
A new garden plan was discussed. Steve McBride brought a new layout for discussion. Looks good!
It was essentially agreed to use the southeast corner of the garden for the mulch pile. Work can be started to move it.
It was not fully decided what to do with the extra dirt. Smooth it out over the extra land, or move it for a berm/hill?
James Chambers has offered the City’s help in moving these two things. We’ll contact this week.
There was much discussion on where to put plots, gazebos, etc. Not too many decisions made.
It was decided to build the next batch of beds before they are rented, if funds are available. Cheri Donohue generously offered to fund this building of four beds near the north gate.
Garden planning discussion to continue in emails and a subsequent Planning Committee meeting.
Matt Woodham discussed his ideas for incorporating digesters and composters, and for general garden layout. He suggested we attempt to work through USF to procure grants that could fund educational projects in the garden.
Plot 3 Status
Main irrigation lines and a control box were installed on December 5th. The garden location will be just outside the track fence between the track and the school building.
Greco 8th Grade STEM students are working on a design for the Greco garden. Members of the TTCG Advisory Board and TTCG Planning Committee have formed a panel and will select the winning design by the end of January 2013.
The Temple Terrace Garden Club has a $500 school gardening grant available for the Greco garden. Elizabeth Leib is teaming up with Greco's STEM teacher to ensure that Greco submits a grant before the July 2013 deadline.
Budget
We have about $1100 in the Pilot Bank account.
We have an initial $99 water bill. At this rate, the plot rental fees won’t cover the water bill. We need to adjust the watering to optimal levels. It was determined to wait a couple more water bills to determine a pattern before discussing rental fee hikes.
Funding of non-budgeted items was discussed. It was decided that the goal should be to have all expenditures budgeted by the Planning Committee. But, in the course of working on a project, unexpected expenses may arise requiring immediate purchases.
Dennis Killinger proposed the following standing rule:
All expenditures by the TTCG have to be pre-approved by the Planning Committee. To help expedite unanticipated purchases for pre-approved projects, all officers (President, Vice-President, Secretary) can approve expenditures of up to $50 for each incident for a pre-approved project. The Planning Committee must vote for any expenditures over this amount. Officer approved expenditures below $50 will pertain to pre-budgeted projects.
Elizabeth Leib seconded, and the motion was carried.