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Parks to seek formal agreement with Jefferson Market Garden after 50 years of volunteer stewardship
Summary
Manhattan parks officials told Community Board 2 that the city has no formal agreement with Jefferson Market Garden and will begin negotiating a template agreement with GreenThumb; gardeners said they fund operations largely through donations and events.
Parks Department officials told the Community Board 2 Parks & Waterfront Committee on May that the agency has not found a formal operating agreement covering Jefferson Market Garden and will begin a process to formalize the relationship with the garden’s volunteers.
The lack of a written agreement was raised during a presentation to the committee by Parks staff and volunteer stewards from Jefferson Market Garden. Commissioner Tricia said the agency’s review “popped the hood up” and showed no agreement in place, so Parks will “in good faith . . . engage” with the garden to negotiate an agreement and involve the citywide GreenThumb program.
Why it matters: a written agreement can define responsibilities, limit liability and set expectations for hours, fundraising, maintenance and public access. Parks staff told the committee that formalizing relationships “protects the group. It…
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