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Bonney Lake Council debates management, insurance for community garden; ordinance expected
Summary
Council and city staff discussed options for the community garden after staff found the prior lease had lapsed; options include a management agreement with a nonprofit (requiring a $2,000,000 insurance policy), a lease to a food‑bank partner, or the city renting individual plots at current fees ($25/$50).
Bonney Lake City Council members and staff spent substantial time Jan. 20 discussing how the city should manage the community garden after staff review found no valid management agreement.
City staff told the council that the prior lease with the predecessor to GoodRoots Northwest expired around 2015–2016 and that the garden’s volunteer board never had a formal agreement or insurance in place. “There was no agreement. There was no insurance. There was no access agreement,” a staff presenter said, explaining why the city took the site back into public services oversight.
Staff outlined three paths: recruit a nonprofit to lease or manage the site (historically the food bank held a 50% allocation under a zero‑dollar lease), form a city‑run rental program charging individual gardeners the current fee ($25 for a single plot, $50 for a double), or create a council‑appointed board under city rules and public‑meeting requirements. Staff cautioned that a management agreement with an outside organization would require that organization to carry a $2,000,000 insurance policy and list the city as an insured party.
Council members pressed on costs and expectations. “We’re trying to untangle this without incurring a lot of cost to the city or adding another public body,” staff said, noting the city does not currently recover water or maintenance costs from plot fees. One council member asked whether a simple rental approach—leasing plots directly to residents with hold‑harmless agreements—would be viable; staff said that would be the easiest short‑term solution but would not preserve the higher level of services the current board and some gardeners expect.
Staff said a formal ordinance establishing the garden’s rules is planned to come forward later this year; if no outside manager with required insurance steps forward, the city will likely proceed with a simpler plot‑rental model while working to preserve access and existing programs. The council did not take a binding vote on a management structure during the workshop.
The discussion also touched on potential management partners. Staff noted they had looked for an organization to lease the ground but had been unable to find one that could start with a fair‑market lease adjusted for public benefit. The council asked staff to continue outreach to regional peers to learn how neighboring cities handle community garden operations.
Next steps: staff will return with draft ordinance language, insurance and risk‑management recommendations from the risk manager, and options for short‑term plot rental if a management partner cannot be secured.
