Action Alert: Pack City Council Chambers to Support Front Yard Gardens!

Hi Everyone,

Please help us pack the City Council Chambers with supporters of diverse
front yard gardens on Thursday, November 9 at 12:30 p.m., in the new City
Hall – 915 I Street, 1st floor Council Chambers. We are currently trying
to encourage Sacramento's City Council to adopt legislation which would
allow for the growing of fruit and vegetable gardens in front yards for
Sacramento residents.

The City Council's Law and Legislation Committee
will be reviewing draft ordinance language proposed by the City's Code
Enforcement Division this Thursday and deciding whether or not to approve
sending the language (and issue) forward to the whole City Council for
consideration. We really need as many people as possible at the Council
Chambers in order to let the Law and Leg Committee know this is really a
going concern. Please spread the word and try to make it if you can.
Below is additional information and details of the code and the current
situation. Thanks for your help !!

Kim

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

We are requesting the Law and Legislative Committee and City Council amend
the current code language to allow diverse urban landscapes in front yard
gardens in accordance with safety and health codes, and with no
species-specific restrictions.

We need to strike out subsection (A) (1) (c) of Sacramento's proposed
landscape ordinance 17.68.010.

"c) Vegetable and Fruit Restrictions. No more than twenty (20) percent of
the landscape setback area may be devoted to the growing of vegetables
and/or fruit. This limitation shall not apply to fruit trees. Fruit
and/or vegetable plants shall not exceed four (4) feet in height."

The remaining language supports, instead of restricting, Sacramento’s
ability to meet state, federal, and city sustainability mandates & goals.

Members of the Sacramento City Council Law and
Legislation Committee are:
Lauren Hammond, Chair: Dist 5 # 8087005
lhammond [at] cityofsacramento.org
Steve Cohn: Dist 3 # 808-7003
scohn [at] cityofsacramento.org
Sandy Sheedy: Dist 2 # 808-7002
ssheedy [at] cityofsacramento.org
Robby Waters: Dist 7 # 808-7007
rwaters [at] cityofsacramento.org

Although each member of the Law and Legislation Committee represents a
City Council district, as members of the committee, each represents the
entire
city. Because we are all their constituents, they all must hear from us
now. The committee’s hearing on the proposed front yard garden code is
scheduled for Thursday, November 9th at 12:30pm, at the “new” City Hall –
915 I Street, 1st floor in Council Chambers.

With your support, we can make City Council members aware of this
opportunity to make positive changes for our city, by changing the code
language to support diverse urban front yard gardens. Your input is very
important, please come to the meeting, e-mail or call today.

Thank you,
Sue Jenning at sbeartracks-easacgardens [at] yahoo.com or
Karen Baumann: baumannk [at] surewest.net
Sacramento Citizens for Sustainable Landscapes:
Working to meet Sacramento's sustainability goals through urban gardens