Lawrence council hikes nonresident fee.

Out-of-town gardeners will now pay $50.

By: Lea Kahn
   A hotly debated ordinance that would raise the fee for nonresidents who want to rent a plot in the township’s community gardens gained final approval from Township Council Tuesday night — but not without additional debate.
   The final vote by council members was unanimous.
   The ordinance raises the fee from $10 per garden plot to $50 per plot for nonresidents. The fee remains at $5 per plot for township residents who want to rent space in the 124-plot community garden on Route 206, opposite Greenwood and Concord avenues.
   Municipal Manager William Guhl initially suggested banning nonresidents from renting garden plots, but then it was decided to allow them to rent a plot for a higher fee than residents would pay. Mr. Guhl recommended $75 per plot, but Township Council set the fee at $50. It costs $50 per plot to prepare the land.
   Township Council agreed that the fee for nonresidents should be raised because of the tight municipal budget this year. The money that is spent preparing the land for gardening is allocated through the municipal budget — which, in turn, is funded by municipal property taxes. The low fee for nonresidents meant township property owners were subsidizing them through municipal property taxes.
   Preparing the 124 garden plots and maintaining them throughout the season would cost an estimated $8,555.92, according to a memorandum from Assistant Director of Public Works Joseph Longo to Director of Public Works Gregory Whitehead. The memorandum was distributed to Township Council last month.
   The cost includes stakes, string and other items needed to mark out the garden plots, plus the cost of manpower for setting it up. It also includes cleanup and trash collection, upkeep of garden plots such as mowing the grass and trimming the walkways, and the cost of providing water for the gardeners.
   Mr. Guhl said the township Recreation Department, which is in charge of the community garden, sets program fees for residents at the amount it costs to offer a program. Nonresidents may sign up for a program, but their fee is two times that of the residents’ fee, he said. For example, if a program costs $25 per person, a township resident would pay $25 and a nonresident would pay $50.
   Karen Krainski of Hamilton, who used to rent a plot in the community garden, objected to the ordinance. Increasing the fee for nonresidents to $15 would have been fair, said Ms. Krainski, who said she was born and raised in Lawrence.
   Although Councilwoman Pam Mount had suggested at a previous meeting that there might be a way to cover the $50 cost for a nonresident who cannot afford the fee, Ms. Krainski said, accepting charity is difficult for some people.
   Ms. Krainski said many township residents had offered to illegally rent a garden plot for her, but she said she declined their offers. She said she has chosen to take up gardening elsewhere. She added that she has contacted Hamilton Township Mayor Gary Gilmore to create a community garden in Hamilton.
   Gardening provides a form of recreation as well as a means of providing food, she said. While nonresidents may find other forms of recreation, whether they will be able to feed themselves remains to be seen, she said.
   Rowyn Sturner of Barberry Court was critical of the township’s cost estimates to maintain the community garden. It could not possibly cost $400 to buy the twine, stakes and tools to delineate the garden plots, she said. The quality of the wooden stakes is poor, she said.
   Ms. Sturner suggested putting off the ordinance until an alternative could be found. High school students could mow the grass, or it could be contracted out, she said. The ordinance is not promoting harmony in Lawrence, she said.
   Noting that she is on a limited budget, Ms. Sturner said that if she were a nonresident, she would not be able to afford the $50 fee, nor would she want to ask for help. Perhaps the fee for nonresidents could be raised in increments, she said, which would allow them time to plan for it.
   Councilman Rick Miller suggested that the gardeners should contact The Lawrenceville School and make arrangements for a community garden with the private school. In that case, the township could bow out of the community garden business, he said.
   Before voting on the ordinance, Councilwoman Doris Weisberg said the Recreation Department has always offered scholarships to those who cannot afford a program fee. The township has never taken away people’s dignity and made them grovel for charity, she said.
   Councilwoman Pam Mount said every town should be encouraged to set aside a community garden for its residents. She expressed surprise that Hamilton Township — one of the largest towns in the state — does not have a community garden.
   Maybe the community gardeners could come up with a solution between now and next spring, but that does not address the problem right now, Ms. Mount said. Township Council has listened to the gardeners and it has tried to respond in an equitable way, she said, but this is the best that the township can do.
   "I, for one, feel this is an equitable solution," Ms. Mount said.
   Deputy Mayor Mark Holmes said that while he "truly respects" the gardeners’ passion for their hobby, he pointed out that Township Council made an effort to meet them some of the way by lowering the nonresidents’ fee from $75 to $50.
   Township Council has listened to the residents and nonresidents and it has tried to be equitable, Mayor Greg Puliti said. The council has been compassionate "from the get-go," he said, by reducing the fee from $75 to $50. He reminded the audience that the fees charged to nonresidents for township-sponsored programs are double the fee charged to residents.