Bi-Laws

By-Laws for Festival Beach
Community Garden Spring 2010

Organizational Structure

The gardeners will meet annually to select
Officers and Garden Positions. They will also approve changes
to the by-laws. Planning and organizing for the garden takes place
in monthly Steering Council meetings. The Council will include
at least the following positions: Garden Coordinator, Site Manager,
Outreach Coordinator, Treasurer, Orientor, and Data Base Manager.
Any gardener who desires may self-select to be on the Steering Council,
and everyone is welcome to attend Steering Council meetings. All gardeners
are required to serve in one of the following garden positions:

Garden Positions

Garden Coordinator

• Coordinates all aspects of
  the garden programs and operation.

• Serves as the first contact
  in the communication chain-

All garden issues should be brought
to the person in this position first.

• Coordinates gardener meetings,
  potlucks, and workdays
• Communicates with gardeners,
  community partners, and Parks & Recreation Department (PARD) as
  needed

Site Manager

• Coordinates all aspects of
  caring for and maintaining the physical site
• Notifies PARD about needs
  and problems related to the site.

Treasurer

• Receives money for plot rentals,
  fund raising projects, and payment in lieu of Work Hours
• Notifies gardeners about non-payment
  and follows up
• Manages budget and expenditures
• Keeps records

Data Base Manager

• Manages Yahoo group or group
  list-serve
• Keeps contact information
  for each gardener

Orientor

• Rents plots to new gardeners
• Orients new gardeners to the
  garden and to the rules and operating procedures
• May receive money for plot
  rentals, and submits to treasurer.
• Keeps a database of plot assignments
  and keeps a current plot map posted on the web site.

Outreach Coordinator

• Recruits new gardeners

• Does outreach in the community
  to inform neighbors about the garden

Communication Specialist

• Serves as translator for non-English
  communication among gardeners and in meetings
• Communicates information from
  email notices to gardeners who don’t have email OR who don’t speak
  English
• Assures that all gardeners
  have access to garden information and opportunities to give input

Plot Maintenance Monitor

• Identifies plots that are
  not being maintained
• Contacts gardeners about failure
  to maintain their plot, and explains enforcement policy (See Maintenance
  Rules)
• Follows up with plot forfeiture
  notice if necessary

Work Hours Monitor

• Monitors gardeners’ community
  work hours as documented in the Work Hours Notebook
• Manages the Work Hours Notebook,
  keeping it in an accessible place in the tool shed
• Keeps list of community work
  tasks in notebook, as determined at the Community Workday each month.
• Sends a payment notice to
  gardeners who did not complete their Community Work Hours.

Compost Coordinator

• Takes leadership in creating
  a system for managing the compost piles
• Provides signage and gets
  information to gardeners about use of the compost system
• Reports to Garden Liaison
  and Work Hours Monitor when compost activities need to be included in
  a Workday or added to the Work Hours Notebook.

Tool and Tool Shed Manager

• Maintains inventory of the
  tools and tool shed.
• Takes responsibility for making
  sure the tools are well maintained and stored properly and that the
  shed is secure.
• Gives instruction to gardeners
  about proper tool use
• Notifies the Garden Coordinator
  when tools are missing or the shed has been broken into.

Events Coordinator

• Coordinates special events

Garden
Stewards for Community Areas

Garden Stewards are designated for each
of several different community areas in the garden: 1) pathways , 2)community
gathering area, 3) flower beds, 4) herb beds, 5) orchard, 6) grapes
and berries, 7) fence, gates, and locks, and 7) bee hives, and 8)wildlife
habitat. Garden Stewards find ways to enlist other gardeners in
the on-going maintenance of these areas. They are not expected
to do all the work themselves.

Each Steward has the following responsibilities:

• Take responsibility for making
  sure the area is watered and maintained

• Let Garden Liaisons know when
  the area should be added to a Community Workday list, and give instructions
  about what needs to be done
• List needed maintenance tasks
  for the area in the Work Hours Notebook

Garden Etiquette

• There should be no harassment,
  threats, verbal abuse or acts of violence by any person against any
  other person. Incidences of unacceptable behavior should be reported
  to the Garden Coordinator, who will take the situation to the Steering
  Council if necessary. This could result in loss of gardening privileges.
• Pets are allowed in the garden
  but must be on a leash or kept in the garden pet enclosure.
• Temporary structures or trees
  that shade a neighbor’s plot are not allowed in garden plots.
• Gardeners are required to
  use the tools only for the purpose for which they were designed, to
  clean them after using them, and to return them to their proper place.
• Gardeners are allowed access
  to the garden only during daylight hours. Special events may take
  place in the evenings.
• Smoking is not allowed in
  the garden.

Garden Community Logistics

• Gardeners pay a yearly plot
  rental fee at the time of their orientation and annually thereafter.
  Individuals who are unable to pay may request a scholarship. (See Community
  Garden Contract)
• Each gardener is required
  to contribute at least two (2) hours of work each month for maintenance
  of community areas. Gardeners may choose to pay $10.00 in lieu
  of work hours if they desire. (See Rules for Garden Maintenance)
• A Community Work Day is held
  each month. Gardeners are able to fulfill their 2- hour community
  work requirement at this time. (See Rules for Garden Maintenance)

Property Management (REQUIRED BY PARD)

• A wildlife habitat area must
  be provided on site, and include food, a maintained bird bath, cover
  and places to raise young. Only native plants will be counted
  as food sources; do not include seed or nectar feeders.
• No trenches are allowed at
  the outside border of garden plots.
• Pathways between the plots
  must be two feet wide and level. Vegetation or fencing from plots
  cannot hang onto the pathways. Keep the paths clear. Coil
  the hoses neatly to the side of the pathway after use.
• Gardeners may not drive onto
  the site except to unload gardening items.
• Gardeners may store items
  in their plots or their box in the tool shed only, not in common areas.
  Storage
  containers must be rodent-proof.
• No glass containers are allowed
  in the garden area.
• Trees are not allowed in leased
  garden plots.
• Watering systems that operate
  independently from the above ground faucets are not permitted.
• Water conservation guidelines
  promoted by the City of Austin must be followed.
• The use of chemically treated
  wood ( i.e. wolmanized wood) is not allowed.
• Gardeners must remove their
  garbage from the site.
• Regular plot maintenance is
  required. Diseased or pest-infested plants should be removed.
  You are required to control pest grasses and weeds, which can spread
  into neighboring gardens through seed dispersal or root growth.
  A garden will be considered out of compliance if there is no evidence
  of plot maintenance. This includes regular harvesting of
  produce.
• Rented plots cannot be transferred
  to another party at the time of termination. The plot must be returned
  to the garden coordinator to be rented to the next person on the waiting
  list.
• A gardener may rent only one
  plot at a time. If a gardener has a small plot and wishes to rent
  a larger plot, they may switch to the larger plot when one becomes available,
  however, they must relinquish the smaller plot.
• Sale of produce or flowers,
  or the use of the name of the community Gardens, is only with permission
  from PARD and only for the benefit of that Community Garden.
• Parks and Recreation Department
  is not responsible for personal injury or property damage incurred by
  any plot renter, or for theft, loss or destruction of any property owned
  by any plot renter.
• The Community Garden will
  provide a rent-free plot to the adjacent facility or school for

use in education programs.