Urban Agriculture Initiatives Bloom in Seattle City Council 2010 Work Program

On February 1 Seattle City Council adopted their Work Program for 2010, which will be used to identify major projects for the Committees of City Council, as well as assignments for city staff. This year urban agriculture has come center stage with half of the Sustainability and Environmental Issues centered around the local food system. In what has been announced the Year of Urban Agriculture, the city has elected to work on the following initiatives:

Local Food Action Initiative
Continue implementation of the Initiative, including Committee decisions on Regional Food Policy Council legislation and development of a Food Action Plan. Review land use code amendments to further foster urban agriculture.

Food System Interdepartmental Team
Monitor development of a Food System Interdepartmental Team requested via a Council Statement of Legislative Intent (SLI). The purpose of the Food System Interdepartmental Team (IDT) will be to establish a strong interdepartmental focus among City departments on programs and policies affecting food system sustainability and security, identify ways to meet goals established in Resolution 31019, and to review and discuss implementation of a Seattle Food System Policy Plan. Department of Neighborhoods is requested to provide a briefing on the formation and structure of the IDT in Committee by March 30, 2010.

Interdepartmental Agreements on Using City Land for Urban Agriculture
Monitor development and implementation of clear guidelines and procedures for developing interdepartmental agreements for using City land for urban agriculture. A Council SLI requested the Department of Neighborhoods to develop such guidelines and to report back to Council on the guidelines and procedures by July 31, 2010.

Incorporating Local Food Planning into Neighborhood Planning
Monitor development of planning tools to help neighborhoods incorporate planning for local and healthy food into the neighborhood planning process. These tools should implement recommendations from the Seattle Food System Policy Plan, appropriately applicable work from the American Planning Association on local food planning, work currently underway at Seattle King County Public Health Department on neighborhood based health initiatives, as well as any additional applicable recommendations and resources. The Department of Neighborhoods in coordination with the Department of Planning and Development were requested in a Council SLI to complete this work.

Transfer of Development Rights for Agricultural Lands
Monitor Transfer of Development Rights agreement with King County and consider legislation.

This is bound to be a year full of transformation in the city’s urban agriculture policy. Urban Farm Hub will be reporting on these initiatives as they move from Committee to full Council consideration and we’ll be looking to our readers for support as critical votes are needed to get new urban agriculture policies adopted.

Related posts:

1. Seattle City Council Identifies Local Food As 2010 Priority
2. Richard Conlin, Seattle City Council President, Welcomes State Leaders to Learn About Local Urban Agriculture Projects
3. Mayor McGinn and City Council Officially Announce Seattle’s Year of Urban Agriculture

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