Steering Committee Meeting Agenda

1)      9:00   AM call to order & appoint 2 note takers.

2)      9:03   Introductions:   (If necessary)

3)      9:06   Announcements

a.       Next Garden GM Meeting – Saturday, July 14th at 10:00 A.M. In the Garden

b.      Ground Breaking for EPP Soccer Field and Baseball Diamond: Thursday July 12^th at 4:30 PM in the Park

c.       EPIC General Membership Meeting – Thursday  Junly12^th at 6:30 P.M. at the East Phillips Park Cultural and Community Center at 2307 17^th Ave. S

d.      Community Garden Day Saturday August 11^th  -  Orientation June 13^th from 6:00 to 8:00PM at Coffee Bene in St. Paul

e.       Phillips Clean Sweep  -  October 13^th 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM  -  Starts with Free Breakfast at Welna’s Parking Lot & Ends with Free Lunch & Entertainment at Stewart Park

f.       EPC 17^th Ave. Garden Fall Harvest Party October 20th

4)      9:10   Approve Agenda:

5)      9:13   Approve the following:

a.      May 5^th SC Minutes

b.      June 2^nd SC Minutes

c.       June 9^th GM Minutes

6)      9:25   Discuss Plan for front of shed:  Approve if possible in a reasonable time.

7)      9:30   Discuss Garden Boulevard Plan:  Approve if possible in a reasonable time.

8)      9:35   Discuss Children’s Garden Policy:  Approve if possible in a reasonable time.

9)      9:45   Finances (Current to date)
Fees collected to date:
Plot Fees                Key Fee           Donations        Balance to date                        Non-Cash Don.
$780.00                 $50.00             $150.00                           $980.00                               $38.71
Less Expenses to date --------------------------------           $775.31
2012 Cash Balance to date: ---------------------------    $204.69
Plus 2011 Ending Cash Balance:  -------------------      $166.88
Total Cash on hand to date:  -------------------------      $371.57

10)  9:47   2012 Budget (Passed 3/10/2012)

      Above balances reflect a bounced Check for $30.00 and a service charge for the check of $30.00

            Water conservation is working – Last Water bill was $13.13.

11)  9:49  Unpaid Plots:   6, 18, 23, 25, 26, 28A, 28B,   = $225.00 Due (Includes $30.00 Bounced Check Fee)

12)  9:50   See Carrie Ann Johnson’s agenda suggestions for the July 14^th GM meeting Below

13)  9:55   Garden Work Days follow each Garden General Membership Meeting:

a.       Clear out raspberries encroaching in garden & replant starts along fence.

b.       Empty trash bin

c.        Renew/refresh compost bins

d.       Bring Garden weeds under control

e.        Finish preparing Butterfly Garden for planting perennials (weed)

f.        Beauty on boulevard and alley exterior to fence.

See Garden Task Book in the shed for other options and Enter your time in the Garden Task Book

14)  9:58   Fall Harvest Party and other Garden parties and events  Bonnie Brabson is volunteer organizer

15)  Adjourn at 10:00 A.M.

Carrie Ann’s Proposal #1:

We should research native plant and animal groups and seek funding in exchange for creating habitat for the animals and/or plants they wish to conserve (e.g. maintain a Butterfly Garden for Monarchs, setup a program to provide educational access regarding monarch biology, seek a small grant through the Monarch Butterfly Fund.)

Reason: This proposal could help us secure additional funding, as well as providing benefits back to the community (through education), our environment (conserving links on the the food chain), and our garden (pollinators will pollinate our food for us!).

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Carrie Ann’s Proposal #2:

We should DEVELOP A PLAN to replace all non-native, non-FOOD-BEARING flora in the garden and as possible, replace with deep-rooted, pollinator-friendly, drought-tolerant plants.

Reason: Our garden is currently overwrought with aggressive invasive species like Thistle, Kentucky Bluegrass, Curly Dock, etc. that invade into our garden plots and spread seeds into our neighbor's yard. These non-native invasives provide little benefit to pollinators. While the project would require an upfront investment in work, it would result in long-term easy maintenance for the garden, both in our plots and outside of them. Native plants have deeper roots, provide myriad benefits to local fauna, and are better capable of withstanding drought (which we are in one right now), which means their ability to draw water up from the water table below will HELP our garden plot's stay moister more consistently.