R11093City Council Meeting: December 12, 2017 Santa Monica, California
RESOLUTION NUMBER It 115 (CCS)
(City Council Series)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA AUTHORIZING THE CONVERSION OF THE
COMMUNITY GARDEN LICENSE PROGRAM TO A PERMIT SYSTEM;
AUTHORIZING THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY AND CULTURAL SERVICES TO
ISSUE ANNUAL PERMITS FOR COMMUNITY GARDEN PLOTS; AND AUTHORIZING
THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY AND CULTURAL SERVICES TO AMEND AND
PROMULGATE COMMUNITY GARDEN RULES AND REGULATIONS AS WELL AS A
GOOD NEIGHBOR POLICY
WHEREAS, in or about 1976, the Santa Monica City Council created the
Community Garden Program, ("Program"), with the first community garden plots located
on Main Street and on Park Drive; and
WHEREAS, the Program provides an opportunity for Santa Monica residents to
garden and promotes community sustainability. The Program also encourages resident
gardeners to be active while practicing organic gardening of plants, flowers, fruits,
vegetables and herbs for the gardener's pleasure and consumption while promoting a
community of gardening neighbors; and
WHEREAS, on November 22, 2005, the Santa Monica City Council approved
Community Garden Rules and Regulations for the Program ("Rules and Regulations").
The Rules and Regulations set forth the general operating requirements, eligibility
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requirements, maintenance requirements, and termination of gardening privileges for
violations of the Rules and Regulations; and
WHEREAS, on December 5, 2006, the Santa Monica City Council banned
genetically engineered plants in the Program; and
WHEREAS, on or about September 9, 2008, the Community Gardens Advisory
Committee recommended a Santa Monica Community Gardens Good Neighbor Policy;
and
WHEREAS, the City of. Santa Monica Community and Cultural Services
Department currently maintains three Community Garden sites located on Main Street,
Park Drive and Euclid Park, with a total of 121 individual garden plots. For each plot, the
City currently executes a license agreement with each resident gardener granting a
revocable one-year license to grow fruits, flowers, vegetables, and other plants that are
not prohibited by the Rules and Regulations. The license provides for termination for
convenience upon 14 days written notice, and for cause when a gardener becomes a
non-resident of Santa Monica or where more than three notices of violation are issued
within a 12 month period for a gardener's failure to comply with the Rules and
Regulations; and
WHEREAS, the conversion of the current license system to a digital permit system
utilizing the City's recreation management software system would allow for the reduction
of paper and simplification of the authorization process for the annual use of the garden
plots, with the terms of use remaining essentially the same.
E
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
DOES RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The City Council of the City of Santa Monica hereby authorizes the
conversion of the Community Garden License Program to a permit system with annual
garden plot permits issued by the Community and Cultural Services Department through
the Director of Community and Cultural Services ("CCS Director") or her/his designee.
The garden plot permitee would be held to terms and conditions commensurate with the
previous Community Garden License Agreement, with the permit fees to be established
by the City Council for each fiscal year. The permit system for the Program will commence
at the start of the 2018-19 fiscal year.
SECTION 2. The City Council of the City of Santa Monica also authorizes the CCS
Director to amend and promulgate Community Garden Rules and Regulations, as well as
a Good Neighbor Policy, consistent with the underlying mission and purpose of the
Community Garden Program, namely to provide residents with an opportunity to garden
and to promote community sustainability. The CCS Director is further authorized to
implement and to enforce the permit terms, including compliance with the Community
Garden Rules and Regulations and Good Neighbor Policy.
SECTION 3. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution, and
thenceforth and thereafter the same shall be in full force and effect.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Lane Dilg
City Attorney
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Adopted and approved this 12th day of December, 2017.
Ted Winterer, Mayor
I, Esterlina Lugo, Deputy City Clerk of the City of Santa Monica, do hereby certify
that Resolution No. 11093 (CCS) was duly adopted at a meeting of the Santa Monica
City Council held on the 12th day of December, 2017, by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Himmelrich, McKeown, O'Connor, O'Day, Vazquez
Mayor Pro Tem Davis, Mayor Winterer
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
Esterlina Lugo,