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Community gardeners urge city to preserve volunteer funds held in private accounts
Summary
Gardeners at multiple Palo Alto community gardens told the commission Sept. 23 they were recently told that funds held in garden bank accounts would be moved into city control; gardeners said the accounts pay for tools and occasional labor and asked the city to solicit garden input and delay any change until alternatives and safeguards are vetted.
Multiple community gardeners told the Parks and Recreation Commission on Sept. 23 they were recently informed that small funds collected by garden plots for people who opt not to volunteer would be moved to the city’s Parks and Recreation accounts.
Ishwar Subramanian, who said he gardens at a community plot in Elnor Park, told the commission the garden uses collected fees to buy tools and hire labor for difficult tasks. “We were notified that the funds that we have been collecting from people who opt not to volunteer to do the reading work, and instead pay a fee to an account, we were informed that those funds are now to be handed over to the city parks and recreation,” Subramanian said.
Gardeners described the funds as modest and focused on purchasing wheelbarrows, shovels and paying occasional labor to preserve the garden. “In the past when this was not there, the garden was a mess,” gardener Arnie (Arne) S. told commissioners, and Penny Proctor said the accounts have paid for small emergency repairs and occasional labor costs of “between a hundred and $400 maybe every other month.”
Speakers asked the commission to delay any immediate policy or accounting change and requested staff seek input from gardeners and user groups before changing how those funds are managed. Penny Proctor asked commissioners to “please delay them being put in effect until after you’ve had a chance to, for, to consider it and get input from the gardeners and the public.”
Commissioners asked staff to summarize the situation. Staff said the city’s current guidelines allow a fee‑in‑lieu option for gardeners who cannot perform volunteer work, but the recent issue is that small private bank accounts held by gardens — rather than city‑managed accounts — are being brought to the city’s attention. Sarah Robicelli, division manager for Open Space, Parks and Golf, told commissioners the city’s guidelines provide the option and that city oversight should include “staff being able to have access and also maintain records.”
Robicelli added that staff will need to coordinate internally and follow up with gardeners to propose an approach that keeps volunteer programs functioning while ensuring city oversight of funds. Commissioners asked staff to return with a more detailed staff report that outlines options for (a) city‑held accounts with City oversight, (b) required recordkeeping and transparent reporting to gardeners, or (c) a hybrid arrangement that preserves local control with city auditing.
Why gardeners want retained local funds
Gardeners said the funds have long been used to buy tools and to pay for infrequent tasks that volunteers cannot accomplish, such as heavy labor or replacements for lost deposits. Arnie said when the city previously lost a $200 deposit the group had to repay, the garden created its own funds to ensure continuity of operations.
Next steps
Staff acknowledged the issue and said staff will investigate options and return to the commission with recommendations, including whether to require gardens to move funds into city‑managed accounts with city accounting and oversight, or to create alternative safeguards that preserve gardeners’ ability to manage routine purchases.
No formal policy change was proposed at the Sept. 23 meeting; the commission asked staff to report back with specific options and required controls before any change is implemented.
