Fees and Payment Info for Garden Plots
Since the reopening of the San Pedro Community Gardens (SPCGs) the fees have increased dramatically. There are more groups involved in the management and need to be compensated for their work. Mainly, the increase is due to the water fees assessed at the garden Section level. Currently, there is no system where bigger plots using more water are charged for more usage as compared to a smaller garden, or an area with less sections or water usage. Keep this in mind as you review the garden fees:
Garden Fees
Garden Membership fee: $30/year
Water fee (assessed quarterly) but now fixed at: $20/month ($60/quarter or $240/year)
Total Annual fee: $240 + $30 = $270
Yearly Cost: $270
Where to Send Payment
This is the mailing address for LA Community Garden Council.
LA Community Garden Council
PO Box 147
Cypress, CA 90630-9998
Make checks payable to: LA Community Garden Council
On your check write down in the memo section your section/submeter/plot # + [your name]
When To Pay?
Currently, gardeners do not receive any bill or notification of dues other than at meetings. You can pay quarterly or yearly.
Failure to Pay Dues on Time
If you fail to pay you will receive a verbal communication from your section leader, then a letter will be mailed, and lastly a violation notice will be posted on your garden informing you of garden lock-out.
Adjusting Mission and New Oversight and Advocacy Board
Previously, the main purpose of this website was to advocate for changes to make the garden a better place. The challenge with the city over the Water Wars turned our mission to advocacy for regular water. Without water gardening was impossible. We also advocated for the need to have more autonomy over garden decisions.
Some of these issues were addressed with the closing of the gardens for the installing the new irrigation system.
The other issue was the questionable management of the gardens by the haphazard garden leadership. To help with this, two non-profits were brought in by the city to help – From Lott To Spot, and LA Community Garden Council. For a fee, they are assisting us with the administration of the garden, including dues, payments, improvements, and leadership.
Our New Focus Going Forward
Moving forward advocacy will still be in the fore-front of our mission, but we realize the important of having an Oversight function as well. Since there are some many parties now involved in the decision-making process it is vital to ensure the leadership is held responsible for their decisions and make ensure that they represent the gardeners.
The Start of an Oversight Board
We will now also function as an Oversight Board to ensure not only the garden leadership is held to account, but also, the other parties involved including, and not limited to LA Community Garden Council, the City, the Major’s office, LA Sanitation, et al. With out proper follow up it is very easy for commitments to fall through the cracks. The start of an Oversight Board will make sure the rules and regulations are being fairly and consistently being applied. Everyone will be able to bring their issues to this website and discuss any violations, inconsistencies and other inequitable issues that will arise in the future. This site will serve as an independent and anonymous way to bring issues to the fore-front so they can be addressed.
To Join the Oversight and Advocacy Board
- Cannot hold a current leadership position in the San Pedro Community Garden or any parties involved in the administration of the gardens.
- You can be a member of the San Pedro Community Gardens or have experience with other community gardens
- Be in good standing with the San Pedro Community Gardens
- Want to learn and improve the community
- Represent people to might not be able to advocate for themselves
- Be able to take a stand against injustice
- Be a role model for others to look up to
- Volunteer a few hours a week
- Access to a computer and work with Google docs or other collaboration system online
Join the Board by emailing your interest to: spcogardens@gmail.com
Report Issues about the Gardens
If you have an issue, please bring it up. If this has happened to you, then prevent it from happening again – do not remain silent.
You can remain anonymous if you like. Please report any issue you think should be addressed here: spcogardens@gmail.com
Proposed: 2021 Winter Watering Schedule
Each season has its unique watering needs. Combined with light winter rains and decreased sunshine the ground remains wet longer.
The California drought has added more strain on the water needs and the goal of water conservation in the garden becomes very important.
Combining all these factors, plus the fact that gardeners are now responsible for sharing their cost of the water usage, the watering hours have been adjusted as follows:
Watering Times
Mon, Wed, Sat:
Mornings: 6am – 10am
Evenings : 3pm – 6pm
“gardeners are now responsible for paying their cost of the water usage which varies from month-to-month based on each gardeners water usage.”
Paul Pudhnum
Acting Garden President
For most up-to-date information about watering schedules can be found here, and postings will also be made a the garden.
This schedule will be changed each season to reflect the appropriate water needs for that specific growing season. This schedule is also subject to change due to new water conservations rules, leadership discretion, or emergency maintenance.
Please email (spcogardens@gmail.com) water comments/issues to the garden leadership.
Garden Hours, Access and RMI Security
Gardening Hours
Garden hours for gardeners are from sunrise to sunset 7 days-a-week. This means a gardener can take their vehicle and park as close to their plot as necessary.
Gardeners and Vehicle Access Issue
Something changed in garden hours and vehicle access.
Yesterday, Saturday September 12, 2020, I (other gardeners as well) was stopped and prevented from entering the garden with my car by the on-duty patrol man. The gate was closed and the sun had not yet set. This was around 6 pm when there is still light out to garden.
The Issue
RMI has arbitrarily changed the hours, and access for gardeners without permission from the LA Garden Counsel, Lott To Spott, Mayor Buscaino’s office, and the Garden leadership.
If any of the above groups were involved in the agreeing to cut off access and limit the garden hours, then that decisions needs to be communicated to all the gardeners affected by this decision. As of today, RMI has went ahead and made this decision by themselves.
RMI sole purpose is to provide security to the Recycle Center. The City Recycle Center shares an easement with The San Pedro Community Gardens and City Services. By cutting off access and reducing hours to the other groups who use this easement is an issue.
Cutting off access is very problematic for gardeners who have water, compost, soil, veggies, and equipment to take from their car to their gardens and vice versa.
Why This Is Now Our Issue
RMI security allowed a parked vehicle over-night when it should not have. This is an RMI issue and not a garden issue. The patrol person should have been more alert and told the car to move after sunset. Now they have over-reached and cut-off access to gardeners.
The Solution
There is a patrol monitoring the bottom Recycle Center easement and can easily close the gates after sunset 7 days-a-week. After sunset all cars must be moved.
New Gardener Application
Warning: The Gardens Are For Gardening Only
The following are strictly prohibited in the garden:
- Fires
- Alcohol
- Multiple chairs
- Group gatherings
- Living sheds
- BBQs
Gardeners along with garden leadership will be monitoring gardens. Failure to abide by these security and safety measures will result in garden forfeiture.
If you notice any suspicious activity or people please call Harbor Police at (310) 726-7700. You can also report any issues by taking a photo and the garden. You can submit the issue on this website using the Contact Us page.
Official Notice: Garden Reopening
Unofficial Posting About Fees and Water Usage
This unofficial posting was posted at the San Pedro Community Gardens.
The content may lead some to believe this is an official notice from Mayor Buscaino’s office and other groups involved in the garden renovation, but based on the following reasons it is not:
- The tone was not professional and very confrontational
- The content was questionable with no record keeping for paying of fees
- Logos from Mayor Buscaino’s office, Lott to Plot, and the LA Garden Council not on the document
- This notice was visible in a few limited places
This goes to the bigger questions of who and where should these official notices be posted to be credible.
Leadership needs to abide by a set of rules to have a dedicated and secure posting area. Postings also need to include the official logos for credibility, otherwise they are fake news.
This prevents unofficial postings and reduces confusion among gardeners during a time of transition to the new water system.
Lastly, those individuals who post these fake postings should be removed from the garden and lose gardening privileges for disseminating the wrong information on behalf of the organizations involved in the renovation.
Coronavirus And The Garden Reopening Date
The garden reopening date of March 1, 2020, as stated by the Joe Buscaino’s office, is delayed. We are near the the end of March, one month after the date the City announced the gardens would reopen. There still remains is no word on when the gardens will reopen.
The coronavirus has hampered everyone’s lives including the installation of the water piping and therefor the opening of the garden.
As of few weeks ago, I did see workers installing water piping. Now the gardens are complete closed off.
There have been no updates from the city or the groups involved in the renovation of the garden. Many are working from home so updates and communication is possible. They need to commit to updates as gardeners would like to get back to gardening in the fresh air.
These parties have a responsibility to gardens as well as being good custodians to update and communicate the status to us gardeners. Existing in silo in this age of technology is unacceptable.
Times are challenging, but good people rise to the challenge to help others.
If you have info send it to us, so it can be posted here.