Meeting with city officials

If you can, join Mike Roberts for an informational meeting with the Department of Community Affairs at 10 a.m. Monday in the Monroe Civic Center.

Here's a handout from the Community Food Security Coalition with tips for meeting with city officials to get things done.

We've been bounced from department to department -- everyone happy to hear from us, happy to help, happy to pass us on to the next office. We are at risk of being happied right out of the chance to get Monroe Community Gardens up and growing. It is a shame, but as we work to get the rights to use city-owned land for the citizens of the neighborhoods surrounding the land, we are going to have to fight (or, if not fight, at least push) City Hall. That will require skills and group effort. It will require political strength, because the bureaucracy is being forced to consider new ideas (new for them, anyway). As we find more of tips for growing political strength, we will post them here.

If you find any information, please email it to monroegardens@gmail.com, so we can share it.