Julian Ruck, a resident and volunteer garden organizer, told the Saint Clair County Board of Commissioners on July 17 that a promised temporary fire-hydrant water hookup for Polly's Place on the South Side of Port Huron never took place and that the city has not been responsive to his follow-up requests.
Why it matters: The dispute highlights frictions between volunteers running community garden projects and municipal staff, and it raises questions about how city or county support is delivered to neighborhood food initiatives.
What Ruck said
Ruck told commissioners he has been stewarding garden plots at Oldenbrooks and a newer site called Polly’s Place, where he said plants donated by Commissioner Vanden Bosch produced abundant food for the neighborhood. He said he sought a temporary hydrant hookup to water starter plants; the city manager agreed but “then it never happened.” Ruck said he spent the summer hauling water by wheelbarrow from a neighboring site to keep plants alive and described the situation as “cost me everything I own in this world” and said the municipal nonresponse left him in debt.
Requests and next steps
Ruck asked Commissioner Vanden Bosch to visit the garden and urged board members to help resolve the communication and contract issues with the city so volunteers are not left with unpaid obligations. Commissioners did not take a formal vote; the matter was presented during the public-comment period for the record.
Speakers: Julian Ruck (public commenter).