Council backs sustainability committee plan to replace City Hall and police lawns with drought‑tolerant permaculture; fundraising mechanism needs policy

The Auburn City Council directed staff to proceed with a sustainability committee proposal to replace the City Hall and Police Department front lawns with drought‑tolerant, permaculture‑style landscaping, and to pursue fundraising and community partnerships while staff finalizes a donations policy.

Committee volunteers and a pro‑bono landscape architect presented a multi‑year design that emphasizes soil health, on‑site water capture, native pollinator plantings, shaded gathering spots and a “Rose Room” patio intended to connect Old Town and downtown. Glenn Kramer, secretary of the Sustainability Advisory Committee, said the committee has worked on the project for several years. Designer Theresa Zarrow (Yamasaki Landscape Architecture) described decomposed‑granite paths, a small civic plaza with seating, a bike rack and bike fix‑it station, and a swale to capture runoff for infiltration.

Staff framed the project as a response to AB 1572, the state law that prohibits local governments from using potable water to irrigate nonfunctional turf on government‑owned facilities after Jan. 1, 2027. The committee’s presentation noted the law created a deadline to replace nonfunctional turf; committee members said their design focuses on regenerative techniques including sheet‑mulching and plant palettes chosen for multiple ecosystem functions.

City staff advised that the city currently lacks an administrative mechanism for committees to accept donations or hold funds. “There’s not a mechanism for the committees to actually fundraise yet,” the City Manager said, and staff committed to return in March with a policy for how committees can solicit and accept gifts and how council would accept donated funds into city accounts. Several community groups, including the Rotary Club of Auburn and other service organizations, told council they are willing to contribute labor and pledged funds, but staff said donations must be accepted by formal council action and recorded in city accounts once policy is in place.

Council discussion touched on maintenance expectations, the project timeline (preparation in late 2025 and completion in spring 2026 as a target), and site specifics: councilmembers asked that staff respect a 5‑foot ember zone around buildings for fire safety and avoid dense plantings immediately adjacent to wooden portions of the police station. Residents raised practical maintenance concerns about an existing female ginkgo tree that drops fruit seasonally; designer Theresa Zarrow said plantings under that tree were chosen to be low and rakeable to minimize additional labor.

Ending: Council agreed by consensus to advance the design work, pursue fundraising partnerships and have staff return with a formal donations policy and implementation plan; staff and volunteers will report back with progress updates and next steps.