HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem B: Food Security Scoping and Resource Plan
ECC
UGENE ITY OUNCIL
AIS
GENDA TEM UMMARY
Work Session: Food Security Scoping and Resource Plan
Meeting Date: September 29, 2010 Agenda Item Number: B
Department: Planning and Development Staff Contact: Ethan Nelson
www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 541-682-5224
ISSUE STATEMENT
In a February 9, 2009, work session on Eugene Sustainability Commission Recommendations, the City
Council directed the City Manager to undertake a scoping and resource plan for development of a food
security plan in conjunction with community partners. This agenda item summary (AIS) and
presentation is a report back to the council on this effort.
BACKGROUND
Food security is defined as a strong, sustainable, local and regional food system that ensures access to
affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate fresh food for all people at all times. It is a condition in
which all community residents obtain a safe, nutritionally adequate diet through a food system that
promotes community self-reliance and social equity.
A number of local groups, researchers, and government agencies had previously worked on initial
elements of a Community Food Security Plan. This project brought together these stakeholders as a
community advisory committee to help coordinate and capitalize on the work already accomplished,
identify planning gaps, and gain broad support for the final document. For the purpose of this project,
the advisory committee agreed that the goal of a Community Food Security Plan is to promote and
enable a secure local food system.
The final City of Eugene Food Security Scoping and Resource Plan (Resource Plan) was provided to the
council in April and incorporated the edits and comments from the community advisory committee, City
internal Sustainability Board, and the Sustainability Commission. The plan included a number of short-
term achievable actions and longer-term recommendations.
Resource Plan Short-Term Recommendations
Short-term action items include:
1.The completion of a local food market analysis.
Status: A collaborative study was conducted by the Community Planning Workshop at the
University of Oregon; funding was provided by the Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB),
Lane County, and the City of Eugene with matching funds provided by a U.S. Economic
Development Agency grant to the University of Oregon (UO). The study was completed in
August 2010.
2.Dedicate City resources to increase the level of neighborhood scale urban agriculture activities.
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Status: Currently, staff within the Planning and Development Department’s (PDD) Waste
Prevention and Green Building Program is working on urban agriculture initiatives including:
a.Increasing support to local schools through partnership with Oregon Green Schools and
School Garden Project.
b.Creating a best practices guide for development of neighborhood gardens.
c.Developing and implementing a Waste Prevention Grant Program in cooperation with the
City of Eugene Neighborhood Services Program, scheduled for roll-out in summer 2011.
3.Align recommendations from the Community Climate and Energy Action Plan (CEAP) with food
security, urban agriculture and related City services and planning efforts.
Status: In addition to the activities included in the accompanying recommendations, the
Envision Eugene planning process is including some recommendations from the CEAP.
4.The completion of a local food security assessment gap analysis.
Status: UO Honors student, Belinda Judelman, completed this project in June 2010, as part of her
thesis requirements.
Resource Plan Long-Term Recommendations
The Resource Plan also includes recommendations for community and City-led actions which are not
currently incorporated into work plans and for which funding has not been identified. These include:
1.Revise Eugene City Code to address urban agriculture and homesteading opportunities.
Status: This recommendation has recently gained a great deal of momentum, specifically related
to the number of adult female chickens allowed per residential lot. Currently, the Eugene Code
(EC 9.5250) allows for two adult female chickens (or other fowl) on each small residential site.
Low-density residential sites over 20,000 square feet have no limit if farm animal standards are
satisfied. This issue has been brought to the council’s attention through recent public comment
at the May 24, 2010, City Council meeting and letters from the public urging the council to
increase the number, as well as through recommendations in the Community Climate and Energy
Action Plan and the Resource Plan.
After a careful evaluation of the situation, and as a result of this recent public and council
attention and support, the Building and Permit Services Division Manager has suspended
enforcement of the Eugene Code provision EC 9.5250, if the complaint is based solely on the
number of adult female chickens. Although enforcement is suspended based on the number of
hens a household possesses, staff still respond to complaints involving farm animals and will
continue to evaluate the complaints on a case-by-case basis. This includes determining the
underlying performance issue and working with the landowner to gain compliance with the land
use code. Issues of odor, noise, sanitation, or proximity to adjacent dwellings will continue to be
enforced if they have a negative impact on neighboring property owners.
2.Complete a disaster food access and distribution analysis and plan.
Status: Lane County Emergency Coordinator, Linda Cook, presented at the April 28, 2010,
Town Hall Meeting on Food Security. Items which she plans on incorporating into her work
plan in regards to food security include:
a.Add food shortages into the exercise programs for Emergency Management Services;
b.Incorporate food resiliency into preparedness outreach programs;
c.Add a food element as part of the neighborhood mapping program that is currently being
completed; and
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d.Work with partner agencies and organizations to map out food deserts (a district with
little or no access to foods needed to maintain a healthy diet) in Lane County.
3.Follow up the gap analysis of local food assessment with a comprehensive community food
security assessment. A community food security assessment is a data-based profile that
highlights positive and negative outcomes of current methods to satisfy household food needs.
Status: Currently, there is no City funding or staffing resources identified to complete this
project, but City staff can provide assistance to local agencies, organizations and partners to
develop a work plan and funding strategy to complete a comprehensive assessment. This can
occur through existing staffing levels.
4.Evaluate the need, scope and funding opportunities for the development of a community-wide
indicator and measurement project.
Status: This is a low-priority item with no anticipated commitment of resources to this work.
RELATED CITY POLICIES
The Sustainability Initiative Goal supports and builds on the numerous sustainability resolutions that the
council has adopted. On February 28, 2000, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 4618, which
outlined a definition and statement of intent regarding the application of sustainability principles to the
City of Eugene, and affirmed the commitment of City-elected officials and staff to uphold these
principles.
In November 2006, Resolution No. 4893 was adopted, committing the City to sustainable practices and
to businesses that produce sustainable products and services. This was followed in February 2007, by
Ordinance No. 20379 which created the Sustainability Commission.
Neighborhood Empowerment Goal “Redesign the neighborhood initiative to support the neighborhoods
which includes public participation in the livability and protection of neighborhoods and identifies
specific redevelopment strategies that preserves the integrity of residential uses, including design
standards, site review, down zoning, infill regulation, and bolstering and empowering neighborhood
associations to get more involvement.”
In 1998, the council adopted Growth Management Policy #16, “Focus efforts to diversify the local
economy and provide family-wage jobs principally by supporting local and environmentally-sensitive
businesses. Direct available financial and regulatory incentives to support these efforts.”
TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE IMPACTS
Social Equity Summary:
The Resource Plan is a first step in developing a comprehensive community
food security plan, which at its foundation will build community capacity around equity issues as they
relate to access to safe, sustainable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food.
Environmental Health Summary:
By increasing the amount of foods that are produced and consumed
locally, this proposal can provide environmental benefits to the local community. To achieve these
environmental benefits, the emphasis must be on producing and consuming organic, low-carbon foods,
rather than just local foods. If in the implementation of this proposal, low-carbon and organic methods
are prioritized, it is reasonable to suggest that there will be a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, an
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increase in water quality, a decrease in per-capita waste generation, and an increase in per capita waste
diversion in food-related activities.
Economic Prosperity Summary:
The Food Security Scoping and Resource Plan and the resultant
Food Market Analysis may have a marginal impact on economic development and overall economic
activity in Eugene and Lane County. The market is currently not suitable for large scale investments, but
would respond favorably to right-sized strategic investments. The opportunity for growth in this sector
relies upon an increase in the cost of global production/processing/storage/delivery and a static or
reduced cost for local production/processing/storage/delivery. There are recommended actions in the
Market Analysis Plan that EWEB, Lane County and the City of Eugene can pursue in cooperation with
private businesses and the local community.
COUNCIL OPTIONS
1.Direct the City Manager to continue suspension of enforcement on the number of adult female fowl
allowed on low-density residential property until, at a future time, revisions to Eugene Code
provision EC 9.5250 (1) can be made. Currently, no revision process is scheduled for Chapter 9.
2.Direct the City Manager to initiate a revision to Eugene Code provision EC 9.5250 (1) limited to
adjusting the number of adult female fowl allowed on residential lots 20,000 square feet or less. The
City Council or Planning Commission can prioritize this revision when reviewing the Planning
Division’s annual Work Plan.
CITY MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION
The City Manager recommends Option 1.
SUGGESTED MOTION
Move to direct the City Manager to continue suspension of enforcement on the number of adult female
fowl allowed on residential lots under 20,000 square feet, until at a future time, revisions to Eugene
Code provision EC 9.5250 (1) can be made.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Staff Contact: Ethan Nelson
Telephone: 541-682-5224
Staff E-Mail: ethan.a.nelson@ci.eugene.or.us
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