Title
Approval of Use of Council Goal Funds and Economic Development Reserves for a Local Food Systems Plan
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to Approve the Use of use $50,000 of the Council Goal Fund and $195,000 of Economic Development Reserves to fund a Local Food Systems Plan.
Report
Issue:
Whether to use $50,000 of the Council Goal Fund and $195,000 of Economic Development Reserves to fund a Local Food Systems Plan.
Staff Contact:
Sylvana Niehuser, Parks, Arts & Recreation Director, 360.753.8068
Presenter(s):
Sylvana Niehuser, Parks, Arts & Recreation Director
Background and Analysis:
Food security and the resilience of Olympia's local food system has received increasing attention in recent years. Supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainty surrounding federal food assistance programs, and rising food costs have underscored the importance of strengthening local food access and resilience.
The City has long supported local food systems through investments such as the Olympia Farmers Market and community gardens at Sunrise and Yauger Parks. Olympia's Comprehensive Plan also includes goals related to local food production, urban agriculture, and food security. While these goals have guided individual initiatives, the City has not developed a comprehensive strategy to coordinate its efforts to advance this work.
Recent efforts include partnering with the Thurston Conservation District to map agricultural soils and urban agriculture resources, updating City code to support urban agriculture, supporting additional community gardens managed by the Thurston Conservation District, and conducting a feasibility study for an urban farm park.
An actionable Local Food Systems Plan would build on this work by assessing community needs, identifying opportunities and gaps, and establishing a coordinated strategy to guide future policies, programs, partnerships, and investments. The planning process would engage community members, organizations, and food system partners to identify priorities, improve equitable access to healthy food, strengthen local economic opportunities, and inform future City actions.
Approval of this funding request would allow staff to initiate the planning process and develop a community-informed, actionable Local Food Systems Plan consistent with the City Council's referral.
Climate Analysis:
The Food Systems Plan does not advance the City’s climate goals or policies significantly. though through implementation strategies, it is anticipated to support reducing greenhouse gas emissions through supporting local agriculture production.
Equity Analysis:
Food insecurity and access to healthy, affordable, and culturally appropriate food are not experienced equally across the community. A Local Food Systems Plan can advance equity by identifying barriers to food access, supporting culturally relevant food systems, increasing opportunities for community food production, and ensuring that historically underserved communities have meaningful opportunities to participate in planning and implementation.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
Interest in developing a Local Food Systems Plan has continued to grow among community members and organizations. Representatives from the Council of Neighborhood Associations, Southwest Neighborhood Association, Northeast Neighborhood Association, Thurston County Food Bank, GRuB, Olympia Co-op and other community partners have contacted the City to express support for the project and a desire to participate in its development.
Financial Impact:
The plan is estimated to cost $245,000. The funding sources proposed are: $50,000 from the Council Goal Fund and $195,000 from the Economic Development Reserve.
Options:
1. Move to approve the use of $50,000 from the Council Goal Fund and $195,000 from the Economic Development Reserve to develop an actionable Local Food Systems Plan.
2. Move to approve a reduced amount of funding for the Local Food Systems Plan. A reduced budget would require a corresponding reduction in the project's scope, community engagement, technical analysis, and/or implementation strategy.
3. Do not approve funding for the Local Food Systems Plan at this time and direct staff to pause further work on the project.
Attachments:
Draft Scope of Work
Referral