Title
Request to Approve & Participate in “Gainesville Food Systems: A Community Conversation” Workshop (NB)
This is a request for the City Commission to approve hosting and participating in a workshop on February 12, 2019 to engage with residents and local stakeholders in a discussion about food accessibility issues in Gainesville.
Explanation
On August 2, 2018 a new referral was made at the City Commission Meeting on the matter of the Food Policy, Food Economy & Urban Agriculture Group. The motion to add limited staffing to help with the work / goals of the Food Policy, Food Economy, and Urban Agriculture group passed unanimously among the six Commissioners present (Mayor Poe was absent). In a second motion, it was agreed that this topic would be addressed at the GPC meeting on April 20, 2019. The catalyst for these motions was the increasing concerns that citizens and community stakeholders were voicing to the City Commissioners regarding the issues of food accessibility and food insecurity existing in Gainesville. In the summer of 2018 Commissioners Johnson, Arreola, and Ward responded by convening regular ‘Food Policy’ special topic meetings that were open to the public. At these meetings residents, stakeholders, and commissioners shared ideas and concerns regarding food policy issues in Gainesville.
At the City Commission meeting on August 16, 2018, it was recommended that Food Policy be discussed at the next GPC meeting in September. At the GPC meeting on September 27, 2019 this item was discussed by the City Commission and a motion was passed that directed staff to engage UF in jointly scheduled public community meetings where UF, City, and community stakeholders would participate in a discussion around issues of food accessibility and food security in Gainesville. The Mayor agreed to send a letter / invitation out to community residents and organizations to promote community engagement in these meetings.
Since October 2018, staff in ...
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