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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSupplemental Communication from Kane-Loopesko-Kehoe-Knighton-McGroty-Pincek-Behnken1 Gloria Harper From:Elizabeth Kane <ebethl@hotmail.com> Sent:Wednesday, March 25, 2020 5:32 PM To:Gloria Harper; Schelly Sustarsic; Joe Kalmick; Mike Varipapa; Thomas Moore; Sandra Massa-Lavitt Cc:Marc Loopesko; Elizabeth Kane Subject:External Email : Edison Gardens Closure Concerns To Mayor Sustarsic and City Council Members, We understand that there will be an emergency meeting tomorrow (Thursday 3/26) and that leaving Edison Gardens open and available to the gardeners will be one of your topics. We would like to submit the following to you in support of that goal: 1) When people work at the gardens, they are more than 6 feet apart in the plots. In fact, the plots are the epitome of "social distancing" as they are 12' x 24' with 2 feet between all sides. Anyone working in a plot, is at the least, 8-10 feet from the nearest person, and that is only if a neighboring plot happens to show up at the same time, which is rare. We seldom see any of our "next door neighbors while we work there. People are far closer at the checkout at the grocery store. 2) Many of the people who garden rely on those fresh foods. Why would you force them to have to call and get added to an already overburdened food pantry list when these foods are available? 3) These gardens are not "public", they are private. We pay to be there. The facility is locked down with a padlock. You must know that combo to gain entry. It is not like people are just going to suddenly "show up" there that do not belong. We also believe there may be an agricultural mandate by the County that stipulates that access be allowed, but we cannot quote that verbatim. We understand the need to close the parks and beach, etc, where public has not been following the rules. We certainly appreciate the need to keep people safe, healthy, etc. But allowing the gardeners out to take care of a food source a couple times a week (most people only go 1-3 times per week, and most are not there longer than 20 minutes average), should not be putting anyone at the kind of risk other contacts might. Thank you for hearing us out. We hope to hear positive news, as do many of the the gardeners at Edison who share our concerns. Regards, Elizabeth Kane and Marc Loopesko 562-493-1015 2 CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. 1 Gloria Harper From:Marc Loopesko <MLOOPESKO@roadrunner.com> Sent:Wednesday, March 25, 2020 6:03 PM To:Schelly Sustarsic; Gloria Harper Subject:External Email : FW: Edison Garden ----------------------------------------- From: "Madonna Kehoe" Cc: Sent: Wednesday March 25 2020 5:50:57PM Subject: Edison Garden To Whom it Concerns I am asking to please reconsider the closing of our Garden Plots. We already maintain safe distance while there. Majority of us have never seen more than 2 or 3 others at the gardens while we're there. Our gardens are fenced, again ensuring we are at a safe distance from anyone else. The Gardens are a food source for us. Sincerely Madonna Kehoe plot #133 CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. 1 Gloria Harper From:Sherrie Knighton <sealbeacher1@gmail.com> Sent:Wednesday, March 25, 2020 6:19 PM To:Gloria Harper Subject:External Email : Fwd: Edison Community Garden ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Sherrie Knighton <sealbeacher1@gmail.com> Date: Wed, Mar 25, 2020 at 6:00 PM Subject: Edison Community Garden To: <jkalmick@sealbeachca.gov> Hi Joe. We just want to let you know that we very much disagree with the decision to close the community garden. Social distancing is not an issue there since the gardens are 10 x 24 feet. Plus, it's not like people from outside crowd the place like happened at the beach. You can't even get in unless you paid the city for the plot and know the padlock code. Some of us rely on our gardens for fresh produce for our families. We feel like lumping our farm plots with the beach and playgrounds is not at all the intent of the closures, which is to maintain social distancing among strangers at popular places. Our gardens are not popular places. Very few residents even know they exist, much less where they are. We've never seen more than six or eight people there at any given time and we are spread over several ACRES, not feet. Thank you for helping us with this issue with your fellow council members. John and Sherrie Knighton 206 2nd Street CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. 1 Gloria Harper From:Michael <backwage@aol.com> Sent:Wednesday, March 25, 2020 7:40 PM To:Gloria Harper Subject:External Email : Edison Gardens Please keep the Edison Gardens open. The idea of viral contamination in such a setting, given the sparse and in frequent  use of the gardens, is ludicrous.  This is a clumsy and inappropriate act that should be rescinded.    Apart from this, the gardens are actually rented spaces. If you close the gardens, return the rental fees to the people  who have paid them.    Michael McGrorty    CAUTION:  This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you  recognize the sender and know the content is safe.  1 Gloria Harper From:Jill Ingram Sent:Thursday, March 26, 2020 8:13 AM To:Gloria Harper Cc:Tim Kelsey Subject:Fwd: External Email : Edison gardens Jill R. Ingram, City Manager CITY OF SEAL BEACH 211 8th Street, Seal Beach, CA 90740 (562) 431-2527 ext. 1300 Begin forwarded message: From: Debra Behnken <pacificpottery@gmail.com> Date: March 25, 2020 at 7:41:15 PM PDT To: Jill Ingram <jingram@sealbeachca.gov> Subject: External Email : Edison gardens Hi, This is a well written summation of my feelings as well. Please vote to keep the private community gardens open Thanks, Ben Behnken To Mayor Sustarsic and City Council Members, We understand that there will be an emergency meeting tomorrow (Thursday 3/26) and that leaving Edison Gardens open and available to the gardeners will be one of your topics. We would like to submit the following to you in support of that goal: 1) When people work at the gardens, they are more than 6 feet apart in the plots. In fact, the plots are the epitome of "social distancing" as they are 12' x 24' with 2 feet between all sides. Anyone working in a plot, is at the least, 8-10 feet from the nearest person, and that is only if a neighboring plot happens to show up at the same time, which is rare. We seldom see any of our "next door neighbors while we work there. People are far closer at the checkout at the grocery store. 2) Many of the people who garden rely on those fresh foods. Why would you force them to have to call and get added to an already overburdened food pantry list when these foods are available? 2 3) These gardens are not "public", they are private. We pay to be there. The facility is locked down with a padlock. You must know that combo to gain entry. It is not like people are just going to suddenly "show up" there that do not belong. We also believe there may be an agricultural mandate by the County that stipulates that access be allowed, but we cannot quote that verbatim. We understand the need to close the parks and beach, etc, where public has not been following the rules. We certainly appreciate the need to keep people safe, healthy, etc. But allowing the gardeners out to take care of a food source a couple times a week (most people only go 1-3 times per week, and most are not there longer than 20 minutes average), should not be putting anyone at the kind of risk other contacts might. Thank you for hearing us out. We hope to hear positive news, as do many of the the gardeners at Edison who share our concerns. Regards, Elizabeth Kane and Marc Loopesko 562-493-1015 Sent from my iPad CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. 1 Gloria Harper From:Jill Ingram Sent:Thursday, March 26, 2020 8:14 AM To:Gloria Harper Cc:Tim Kelsey Subject:Fwd: External Email : Edison Gardens Jill R. Ingram, City Manager CITY OF SEAL BEACH 211 8th Street, Seal Beach, CA 90740 (562) 431-2527 ext. 1300 Begin forwarded message: From: Mike Varipapa <MVaripapa@sealbeachca.gov> Date: March 25, 2020 at 6:38:37 PM PDT To: Jill Ingram <jingram@sealbeachca.gov> Subject: Fwd: External Email : Edison Gardens FYI Thanks, Mike Begin forwarded message: From: Nicole Pincek <npincek@socal.rr.com> Date: March 25, 2020 at 6:20:11 PM PDT To: Mike Varipapa <mvaripapa@sealbeachca.gov> Subject: External Email : Edison Gardens Hi Mike, I heard there is an upcoming council meeting that might be addressing, among other things, the closure of the community garden. I have been pretty upset about the closure and how this was handled. I am cool with closing down popular parks and beaches to discourage mingling, but I really wish the community garden stayed open. 1) The garden does not pose a risk to spread the virus. I have not seen a second person during my short weekly visits in months. If there is another person, they are very unlikely to be anywhere near you, or even within earshot of you. People don't congregate or socialize at the garden and access is limited to gardeners. 2 2) I am bummed to see my crop go to waste. Please see if there is a way for me to water my new crop and harvest all the vegetables that are becoming ready for harvest. 3) If the city is (needlessly in this case) concerned about social distancing and is closing the garden for that reason, why not distribute a public calendar where we can sign up for time slots? We can also volunteer to water for those who cannot come to the garden for health reasons. 4) I think that telling the gardeners that they have two days to get their plots in order before the closure, was a surefire way to increase traffic to the garden and increase the likelihood of spreading this virus. I did not go, btw. I have medically fragile family and friends who I protect by doing my part and staying home. Still, I do not see a reason to close the garden. Granting access poses little to no risk. I would appreciate it, if you could take this info to the meeting and share it with the council. Thanks so much! Nicole Pincek Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.