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Kingston Organics and outreach: composting, community gardens and Earth Fair sponsorships highlighted
Summary
Staff updated commissioners on Kingston Organics (about 55 tons diverted), municipal composting plans, community garden information needs and Earth Fair sponsorship outreach; commissioners proposed producing centralized public resources and a Climate Smart Kingston brochure.
At the Feb. 26 meeting, staff and commissioners reviewed community-facing programs: Kingston Organics, community gardens, and upcoming outreach events.
Julie Noble reported Kingston Organics has diverted roughly 55 tons of organics to date and that the municipal curbside organics program is funded and targeting a summer launch next year. Commissioners noted an international visitor had seen Kingston’s program and initiated a similar project abroad.
The commission discussed community gardens: commissioners suggested compiling a centralized resource listing community-garden hosts and contacts and producing a one-page brochure directing residents to city and partner resources. Participants named local groups (GrowWell, land trusts) as existing resources and agreed Climate Smart Kingston could assemble a simple public-facing resource rather than operate gardens directly.
Outreach and events were also on the agenda: staff described Earth Fair planning and sponsorship drives, including an extended sponsorship deadline of March 14. Noble said the next Earth Fair is April 26 and that sponsorships and vendor recruitment are ongoing; she asked commissioners to share sponsor leads. Commissioners also proposed using Climate Smart Kingston’s web page to host up-to-date materials—event pages, cooldown center and disaster preparedness links, repair-cafe listings and community garden guides—to make local resources easier to find.
No formal votes took place. Commissioners asked staff to compile a contact list for community gardens and to return with draft outreach materials for the commission to review.
