Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Farm Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Trustees table $ irrigation purchase, ask for education and site plan for district farm
Summary
The board deferred approval of irrigation supplies and an 11‑acre avocado planting after trustees pressed staff for an educational plan, site layout and clearer long‑term financial and student‑engagement details; staff said funding would come from Fund 401 and be replenished by sale of two parcels.
Trustees voted to table a request to approve purchase of a new irrigation system and plant roughly 11 acres of avocados on the district farm after several trustees said they needed more information about educational use, site design and long‑term costs.
Staff described the purchase as a PO for a state‑of‑the‑art watering system to support replanting and to integrate irrigation technology into ag‑program instruction. The PO number cited in the presentation was 620072566; staff said the immediate funding would come from Fund 401 and that the district plans to replenish that fund with proceeds from the sale of two parcels created by a lot‑line cut.
Trustees and board members repeatedly pressed for: a clear educational plan showing how students and specific school programs would use the farm; a site map and layout of tree placement and irrigation; documentation of long‑term maintenance costs; and evidence that the agricultural committee and local farming partners were engaged in planning. One trustee said, "I still don't feel like...there's really not an educational plan," and urged staff to return with more information.
Staff said Coastal Watering provided a layout and that local farming partners had contributed to tree selection; they said planting could proceed in March but conceded timing was not the only consideration. Given the outstanding questions, a trustee moved to table the purchase until the board receives educational, financial and site‑plan information; the motion was seconded and carried.
Next steps: staff will bring a presentation with an educational component, site plan, cost projections and a description of student involvement and partnerships before the board considers the purchase again.
