Garden By-Laws

Carrie McCracken TRUCE Community Garden By-Laws (July 2009)

Carrie McCracken TRUCE Garden

143-145 Saint Nicholas Avenue (no mailbox)

New York, NY 10026

Block 1923 Lots 20 and 21

Community Board Manhattan 10

Mission Statement

To maintain the Carrie McCracken TRUCE Community Garden, striving for a green and welcoming space offering horticultural, educational and cultural activities. To that end, we recruit volunteer members and offer public access hours and events from April to October annually.

Membership

Membership is open to all and $20 per year. Members receive garden keys, updates, and may plant available plots (communal and/or individual, see below) and host events in the garden. Members in good standing must provide name and contact information, attend a garden meeting and complete 10 hours of service each year (according to work log), sign a Garden Membership Agreement (attached) and abide by Garden Use Guidelines (see below). Failure to do so can lead to termination of membership. Organizations are represented by one lead member.

Service Tasks

Members’ service hours should include volunteering for a rotation of regular tasks including maintaining open hours, plantings, watering, litter patrol, compost maintenance, tool inventory, weeding, and sidewalk clearing in the winter. Administrative and other tasks may also count towards service hours, as approved by garden officers.

Planting Areas

Individual planting areas are assigned each spring and can be requested of a garden officer at any time, with a waitlist if space is no longer immediately available. Individuals assigned such planting boxes are also responsible for the ground area immediately surrounding their box.

Open Hours

The garden strives to be as accessible to the public as possible. The garden members maintain at least 10 posted public open hours per week from April 1^st to October 31^st each year. Posted open hours will be Saturdays and Sundays, 1p.m. to 6p.m. Members may open the garden to the public other times if they and one other person are present (two person minimum for safety reasons). The garden strives to be open an additional 10 non-posted hours a week, for greater accessibility. The garden is closed after dark, members should vacate and lock the gate. Garden plantings, tools and other property must never be removed from the garden, except in rare cases when permission is granted by garden officers for special events. The garden’s annual agreement with the NYC Fire Department allows that hydrant water be used minimally and only for watering plants.

Garden Use Guidelines

The garden may only be used during daylight hours. No hazardous materials are allowed. Any vehicle left parked in the garden will be towed. Please call 911 in the event of an emergency in the garden. Contact the local precinct for other Police assistance: (212) 678-1611. Dial 311 to express other concerns to city officials.

Member Event Guidelines

All garden events must be free (voluntary garden donations are permitted) and open to the public. Dates must be reserved at least three days in advance and are first-come first-serve basis with only one event at a time. Attendance is limited to 50 and events must end one hour prior to dusk to allow for clean-up. Be courteous to garden neighbors; events should respect NYC noise code. All trash must be packaged as required by the NYC Sanitation Department and left on the curb. Always leave the garden as beautiful, or more so, than you found it.

Meetings

Member meetings are open to all. Meetings will be held monthly at least 10 times a year in coordination with member availability, in the garden when weather permits. Meetings are held the second Saturday of each month (except December and January) at noon. Meetings will be announced to members and on the garden fence in advance.

At all meetings of the members, 7 (seven) members present in person or by proxy, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. A majority of the quorum (four or more) is needed to pass any decision. In the absence of a quorum, a majority of the members present or represented may adjourn the meeting, or continue with unofficial business.

Steering Committee

An interim Steering Committee of dedicated volunteers is in place to implement governance. The Steering Committee will inform members of their recommendations for guidelines and intention to name garden officers.

Steering Committee List (Member list attached)

Special Committees

None currently exist, but may be created to advance specific long-term projects of the garden. They report to the Steering Committee on their activities.

Electing Officers

Officers will be nominated at the January meeting and elected at the February meeting of each year. A majority of the Steering Committee Members (first election) or full membership must vote, in person or by proxy. Officers will serve for one year. Nomination requires membership in good standing. Nominations must be made at least two weeks prior to the election.

Responsibility of President

The President presides over all meetings and the Steering Committee and has the authority to sign legal documents and checks on behalf of the organization. The President’s decisions are to be made in consultation with officers and membership whenever feasible.

Responsibility of Vice President

The Vice President acts as the President when the President is absent or unavailable and sits on the Steering Committee.

Responsibility of Secretary

The Secretary is responsible for all written records of the organization, notices of meetings, minutes of meetings, official correspondence and sits on the Steering Committee.

Responsibility of Treasurer

The Treasurer is responsible for all financial records, has the authority to sign checks on behalf of the organization and sits on the Steering Committee. The treasurer makes quarterly reports at garden meetings and must consult another officer on transactions over $50.

Amendments

These By-Laws may be amended by the members of the organization at a meeting duly called for the purpose of amending these By-Laws. Members who wish to change by-laws must submit the proposed change, in writing, to the President or Vice President one week prior to a monthly meeting.

Disclaimer

We the members of the Carrie McCracken TRUCE Community Garden group hereby agree to hold harmless the Carrie McCracken TRUCE Community Garden License holders from and against any damage, loss, liability, claim, demand, suit, cost and expense directly or indirectly resulting from, arising out of or in connection with the use of the Carrie McCracken garden by the garden group, its successors, assigns, employees, agents and invites.