City of Santa Monica Office of Sustainability and the Environment (OSE) Community Gardens Advisory Committee Guidelines and Responsibilities
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City of Santa Monica
Office of Sustainability and the Environment (OSE)
Community Gardens Advisory Committee
Guidelines and Responsibilities
I. Name
The name of this Committee shall be the Santa Monica Community Gardens
Advisory Committee (CGAC).
II. Scope and Purpose
A) Role
The purpose of the CGAC is to advise City of Santa Monica (City) Staff and the
Recreation and Parks Commission (RPC) regarding the operation of the Santa
Monica Community Gardens, and to serve as advocates educating and promoting
community gardening as a vital element of the City’s sustainability goals.
B) Community Outreach
The CGAC’s quarterly meetings are open to the public. In addition, email
notification or letters are sent to existing gardeners, to those residents on the
waiting list and any member of the public that wishes to be on the mailing list. The
meetings are conducted in compliance with the Ralph M. Brown Act (“Brown Act”),
California’s open meeting law set forth in California Government Code sections
54950 et seq. A portion of the meeting is set aside for members of the general
public or gardeners to make comments, suggestions or express ideas regarding
the Community Gardens.
III. Organization
A) Membership
The CGAC is to be comprised of one elected Site Representative for every ten (10)
garden plots at each garden. This will include seven (7) Site Representatives from
the Main Street Community Garden; three (3) Site Representatives from the Park
Drive Community Garden (North and South Combined); and one (1) Site
Representative from the Euclid Park Community Garden. Committee membership
may be changed to reflect additional garden sites or changes to number of plots
at current sites should any be added.
1Site Representatives must have a current Community Garden Permit with the City.
Site Representatives for each Community Garden are elected by the Permitted
Gardeners of that garden location.
B) Term of Office
A Site Representative’s term on the CGAC is two (2) years. Terms will be
staggered with approximately half of the terms expiring each year.
C) Election of Site Representatives
City Staff will send a Notice of Election letter or email to all Permitted Gardeners by
May 1st of each year to inform them of upcoming Site Representative vacancies
and to seek nominations.
Nominees will be contacted by the designated City Staff to confirm interest in
serving on the CGAC. Prior to the CGAC’s July meeting, a ballot listing all eligible
nominees will be developed and sent via email and/or U.S. mail to all Permitted
Gardeners who are eligible to vote for the Site Representatives for the upcoming
term. Ballots must be submitted to City Staff prior to the July meeting. Results of
the election will be announced at the July meeting.
D) Vacancies
A vacancy on the CGAC shall be deemed to exist if one of the following occurs:
1. Elected Site Representative makes a formal resignation;
2. Elected Site Representative no longer has a garden plot at one of the
City’s three (3) Community Gardens;
3. Death of an elected Site Representative;
4. Elected Site Representative has accrued three (3) absences from CGAC
meetings within a 12-month period;
5. Elected Site Representative is removed by majority vote of the RPC upon
a formal recommendation from the CGAC.
If a position becomes vacant, a notice will be sent out to all eligible gardeners
encouraging them to submit their name to City Staff for consideration to be
elected as a Site Representative. Staff will submit a list of eligible interested
gardeners to the CGAC. The CGAC will, by majority vote, elect a member from the
list to fill the remainder of the term.
IV. Responsibilities and Duties
A) Meeting Attendance
2Site Representatives shall make themselves available for Quarterly Meetings, and
make their best effort to attend any Special Meetings called by the Chairperson.
B) Contact Information
Site Representatives agree to make their contact information available to all
Permitted Gardeners.
C) Good Neighbor
Being a Site Representative of the Community Gardens is a unique opportunity
and privilege, hence each Site Representative embodies and affirms an active
gardener and good neighbor values and norms in a vibrant community. As such, it
is essential that the Site Representatives model behavior respecting all members
of the Community of Gardeners, City Staff and Public.
D) Inspection Support
At least one (1) designated Site Representative, along with any volunteer
gardeners, shall walk the gardens once per month between City inspections to
identify situations where Rules and Regulations are not being followed. This shall
take place on or around the beginning of each month, with a report of the findings
provided to City Staff with three (3) days to aid City Staff in conducting inspections.
V. Community Gardens Advisory Committee Officers
A) Election of Officers
Once the results of the election are announced at the July meeting, at that same
meeting, an internal election will be conducted by the CGAC to select from among
the Site Representatives the CGAC Officers as described below:
a. Chairperson
The Chairperson shall preside over meetings and confer with City Staff to
develop the agendas for the CGAC meetings. The Chairperson shall be
responsible for carrying out all orders and resolutions of the CGAC and
other responsibilities as directed by the CGAC. The Chairperson shall
represent the CGAC before the RPC and other public meetings on issues as
approved by the CGAC.
b. Vice Chairperson
The Vice Chairperson, in the absence or incapacity of the Chairperson, shall
perform all the duties of the Chairperson.
VI. Meetings
3A) Regular Meetings
Regular meetings of the CGAC shall be open to the public and shall be held on a
quarterly basis on the first Tuesday of every third month beginning at 6:30 pm.
Regular meetings shall be held for the purpose of electing Site Representatives and
to transact any other proper business, which may be brought before the CGAC.
Regular meetings will be conducted in accordance with the Brown Act. The
location of the meeting may vary. Additions to the agenda must be in compliance
with the Brown Act.
B) Special Meetings
Special meetings of the CGAC for any purpose(s) may be called by the
Chairperson in accordance with the Brown Act, which includes limitations on
actions of the CGAC to only items appearing on the agenda. Additions to the
agenda must be in compliance with the Brown Act.
C) Quorum
A majority, equaling at least fifty percent plus one (50% + 1), of the authorized
number of CGAC representatives shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of
business, except to adjourn as provided in this Article V. Every act or decision done
or made by a majority of the Site Representatives present at a meeting duly held at
which a quorum is present shall be regarded as an act of the CGAC. A meeting at
which a quorum is initially present may continue to transact business
notwithstanding the withdrawal of Site Representatives, as long as any action
taken is approved by at least a majority of the required quorum for that meeting.
D) Rules of Order
Meetings of the CGAC and any ad hoc committees shall be governed by the
Brown Act, these Guidelines and Responsibilities, as well as Robert’s Rules of Order.
E) Adjournment
A majority of the CGAC representatives present may adjourn any meeting. A
meeting must be adjourned if a quorum no longer exists.
F) Virtual Meetings
Meeting attendance by teleconference/video conference is permitted under
special circumstances and in compliance with the Brown Act
VII. Committees
Site Representatives have the option to join the following Standing Committees,
which are open to other Permitted Gardeners and members of the public:
4a) Administration
b) Education
c) Events
d) Urban Agricultural Expansion
e) Media/Communications
The Chairperson may appoint short term ad hoc committees to meet, discuss,
research, prepare recommendations and report to the CGAC on various specific
subjects, goals and issues related to community gardens and urban agriculture.
Ad hoc committees will be dissolved by the Chairperson when the committee is no
longer necessary.
Meetings and actions of standing committees and ad hoc committees shall be
governed by and held in compliance with the Brown Act and these Guidelines and
Responsibilities. The CGAC may not adopt rules for the government of any
standing committee or ad hoc committee that are inconsistent with these
Guidelines and Responsibilities.
VIII. Amendments
These Guidelines and Responsibilities may be amended or repealed at any time
and new Guidelines and Responsibilities adopted by the RPC with input from the
CGAC.
By ______________________________ By ______________________________
Shannon Parry Talia Tinari
OSE Chief Sustainability Officer Community Gardens Advisory
Committee Chairperson
Date ____________________ Date ____________________
By ______________________________
Rick Valte
Public Works Director
Date _______________________
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