Drafter
Clerk 07/23/2009
Title
A MOTION requesting the executive to identify revenue-neutral alternatives for creating and managing community gardens on King County owned property to grow organic fruits and vegetables, build community and address hunger.
Body
WHEREAS, economic conditions are creating a growing hunger crisis, and
WHEREAS, food banks across the nation have experienced an unprecedented increase in the demand for services, and
WHEREAS, Northwest Harvest reports an eighteen percent increase in the number of food bank clients served from 2007 to 2008, and
WHEREAS, according to recent United States Department of Agriculture figures and research from the American Dietetic Association, almost eighty percent of adults are not eating the recommended levels of fruits and vegetables, and
WHEREAS, low-income communities are more likely to lack access to fresh organic produce, and
WHEREAS, the county has adopted a Public Health Operational Master Plan to address nutrition related diseases such as obesity and diabetes, and
WHEREAS, the 2008 King County Comprehensive Plan directs the county to explore ways of creating and supporting community gardens, farmers' markers, produce stands and other similar community based food growing projects to provide and improve access to healthy food for all rural residents, and
WHEREAS, as demonstrated locally and in the White House vegetable garden, community gardens are a way to educate children about healthful, locally grown fruit and vegetables at a time when obesity and diabetes have become a national concern, and
WHEREAS, community gardens serve the nutritional needs of the community by providing produce for gardeners, food banks and others in need, and
WHEREAS, community gardening improves food security, neighborhood improvement, recreation and open space, and
WHEREAS, growing food locally has a positive impact on our region's carbon footprint, and
WHEREAS, there are many successful models of community gardening within King County and organizations working to encourage locally grown produce, community gardening and urban food production, and
WHEREAS, King County hosts three successful community gardens in the county park system: Marymoor; White Center Heights; and North Green River, and
WHEREAS, King County owns many other properties, some of which might contain areas suitable for growing fruits and vegetable, and
WHEREAS, Ordinance 16263 required the executive to conduct an inventory by March 1, 2009, of county-owned or managed facilities and properties for the purpose evaluating their feasibility for use in programs such as pea patches and community gardens;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:
A. The executive is requested to develop a report on revenue-neutral options for expanding the use of community gardens on county-owned properties. In developing a report on options for community gardens on county-owned properties, the executive shall consider the many different, successful models for community gardening, including, but not limited to, the city of Seattle's P-Patch program, urbangardenshare.org, and other models that involve partnerships with non-profits, food banks, gardening groups, schools, day cares and homeless shelters. The report shall also include a comprehensive list of properties within the county-owned portfolio that would be suitable for community gardens. The report shall also include identification and proposed remediation alternative for any obstacles that would initially preclude a county-owned property, including tax-title properties, from being viable candidates for community gardens.
The report shall be developed in consultation with an advisory council made up of representatives of but not limited to: Washington State University, food banks, gardening organizations, schools, homeless shelters and advocates for food security.
B. The executive is requested to file with the clerk of the council by December 15, 2009, tweve copies of the report on revenue-neutral options for creating and managing community gardens and twelve copies of the comprehensive list of properties
with, for distribution to all councilmembers and the lead staff of the physical environment committee, or its successor.
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