Initial Meeting Summary

Hello Dundee Community Garden Supporters,

We had our second meeting last night and I took some notes which I'm pasting in below, as well as sending as an attachment. I tried to keep the minutes brief-- I didn't write down the details of our discussion, but mainly tried to put in writing all the action items that people are supposed to be following up on. So I didn't include some of the neat things we discussed, like Chelsea getting training this summer in permaculture, Monica's classes in farmer training, etc. etc. We have a diverse group of people with a lot of talents and interests!

But please let me know if I left out an important decision or action item that should be included in the minutes.

We still need to find a location!!!! But with 13 people at last night's meeting, and 27 people on our group e-mail list, there is a lot of support for turning this idea into a reality. - - - Mary Green

Dundee Community Garden Group Minutes March 4, 2009

Present: Sharon Conlon, Mary Green, Chelsea Taxman, Monica Meeks, Carolyn Meeks, James Peters, Alex Myers, Monica Erickson, Jo Bartikoski, Eric Williams, Susan Keasling, Tancy Ellis, Phoebe Naughton


Discussed possible sites for a garden:

Sharon has approached the owner of the site at 820 N. 50th Ave., as well as the owner of a site at 402 J.E.George Blvd. (across from playground at St. Margaret Mary’s.) Both owners have requested a written proposal. Sharon, Eric, and Tancy will work on writing up proposals for these sites. Tancy suggested contacting Chris Foster and using the Gifford Park Community Garden proposals as a model.

Sharon has written to the owners of the site at 4902 Underwood, and not heard back from them. She will contact the renters next door and try to get a phone number.

At the last meeting, we had discussed the possibility of using the lower field at Harrison Elementary School, 5304 Hamilton, as a garden site. Alaina Hickman (unable to attend tonight’s meeting) has contacted some parents from Harrison School, to get their support, before presenting the idea of a community garden to the PTA meeting next Monday, March 9. (No Harrison parents present at tonight’s meeting.) Mary, Eric, and Tancy will try to meet this weekend with Alaina and some Harrison parents to plan the presentation for Harrison’s PTA.

Everyone at the meeting will investigate any open properties in the area as potential garden sites. Norita Matt at the Omaha Planning Department will research any potential sites to find out the owner, or you can research that information yourself on the web. You can send Norita a garden site address at nmatt@ci.omaha.ne.us

Mary will write a short article for the Dundee-Memorial Park newsletter telling about our group and asking for suggestions for possible neighborhood garden sites.

Eric is setting up a website for the Dundee Community Garden as part of the Transition Nebraska website, at http://transitionnebraska.ning.com/group/dundeecommunitygarden

Next meeting: Monday April 13, 6-7:30 p.m. at Dundee Presbyterian Church, before the Dundee-Memorial Park Neighborhood Association meeting. Sharon will contact Dundee Presbyterian to reserve the room.