Hi supporters far and wide. Here's a quick update-

This petition has suceeded beyond anything we could have expected, over 100 Falcon Heights residents, roughly 2% of the whole City signed on in <72 hours, which is pretty great. Thousands of supporters are in the Twin Cities metro region, across MN, and also nationally and internationally. We've actually had people sign on from all 50 states and 45 countries, which is truly incredible. THANK YOU!!

Moving forward, we are shifting gears to direct and personal advocacy to City Council over the next few days to ensure a solution is reached as soon as possible. The next City Council meeting is on Wednesday, March 27 at 7pm CDT. We need to speak loud and clear (in a friendly way, of course!) to the City Council and Mayor before that meeting.

*HERE IS WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW *
(all advocacy is welcome but ESPECIALLY Falcon Hights residents)

Call or email Falcon Heights City Council Members and Mayor (contact info below) before Wednesday 5/27 asking that at their upcoming City Council Meeting they, in order of preference:

1. Rescind Interim Ordinance 20-04 prohibting front yard vegetable gardens while the City conducts further research.

2. If the Ordinance cannot be rescinded while the City conducts its research, recognize that the Ordinacne does not apply to front yard vegetable gardens that were established or in-development when the ordinance passed. These front yard vegetable gardeners and other interested parties can help co-develop policy language, and will subsequently comply with policy language once adopted.

3. In terms of policy langauge, consider adopting the Green Steps Cities 'Landscaping and Maintenance of Vegetation' model ordinance language which includes explicit allowances for edible landscaping in back and front yards. This language is readily available to the Council, and Falcon Heights is a 'Step-Five' Green Steps City (the highgest level). Let them know this is one more green step they can take! Model policy language is here. You can see it is a modest and straightforward expansion on allowances for native landscaping: http://www.crplanning.com/_ordinances/landscaping.pdf

HERE IS CONTACT INFORMATION:

Council Member Melanie Leehy
651-646-8113
melanie.leehy@falconheights.org

Council Member Mark Miazga 
651-252-5833
mark.miazga@falconheights.org

Council Member Kay Andrews
651-647-0237
kay.andrews@falconheights.org

Council Member Yakasah Wehyee
612-802-2239
yakasah.wehyee@falconheights.org

Mayor Randy Gustafson
651-642-9694
randy.gustafson@falconheights.org

Final comments: Stay POSITIVE, and solutions-oriented in this communication. Emphasize that land use and zoning are nuanced issues with many valid concerns, but that those concerns can be worked through while residents grow their gardens in 2020. Also, there is no need to reinvent the wheel- many other communities have figures tbhis out, model policy language exists, and has been provided to the Council. There are so many solutions, and so many reasons not to prohibit front yard vegetables in the time the coronavirus pandemic, climate change, and more

Thanks everyone, now please go forth and call, email, and advocate!!