Volunteers who maintain Troutdale's Sunrise Park community garden told the Parks Advisory Committee on Nov. 19 that communication and management processes need immediate fixes.

Casey Brown, who said he has worked in the garden daily during summer months, described an inconsistent point of contact and patchy administrative support. "When you call Pepper Ann, Pepper Ann tells you to call Jonah," Casey said, summarizing the confusion volunteers face and the practical barriers to resolving simple maintenance problems. He asked the city to provide a single city‑controlled contact (for example, communitygarden@troutdaleoregon.gov) so gardeners can report broken hoses, water problems or other urgent issues.

Staff acknowledged gaps in communication and committed to near‑term steps. Jonah said he will meet with longtime garden manager Michael McCray in December to review the manager contract—last executed in 2013—and to clarify duties such as weekly garbage checks, scheduled mulch delivery and machine turning of compost. "If Michael tells me he needs ... we'll get him a new lawnmower," staff said, adding that the intent is to support volunteer effort without making the garden an ongoing heavy demand on parks staff time.

Volunteers described doing heavy maintenance work themselves—turning compost by hand, mowing, weed‑whacking, and taking over abandoned beds—and said clearer manager responsibilities and a simple contact path would allow the program to grow. The committee discussed creating a manager/vice‑manager or organizing committee model, adding a published phone/email list for plot holders with consent, and reconsidering rules that limit volunteer use of certain tools if liability guidance allows.

Staff also said they will consult the city attorney about liability rules and aim to have a new manager contract and clearer operational documents in place before the 2026 growing season. The Parks Advisory Committee listed the garden as an agenda item for a follow‑up discussion in January and described 2026 as "the year of the garden."