As a supporter of the Slow Food movement and Neighborhood Gardening I want to point out that I do not agree with Mr. Bunker’s position. I’ve been following this issue behind the scenes and have noticed that his statements are often just down right lies. He removes comments and changes information on his website and basically over exaggerates.

He said that the HOA meeting at Kingsport was behind closed doors. That’s not true. I don’t live in Kingsport but I was there, so was my wife and son and we live in the city. I also noticed that there were people from Bywater and Greenbriar that commented on the project and they stated they didn’t like the garden idea because it would take up the grassy space that their children play on.

Nonetheless, I like the garden idea, by why force it on people if they don’t want it?

As for Mr. Bunker, shame on you! You are in charge of an organization that should be helping people work together, but all you’re doing is manipulating information and lying in order to get your way. If I’m not mistaken, lying to people as the representative of a non profit organization that takes in donations is illegal.

As a property owner and taxpayer within the City of Annapolis, that has witnessed our taxes increase, while services decrease, in an attempt to balance the budget; I must ask the most obvious question to our Mayor and City Council regarding the proposed Kingsport Park: Why incur addition debt at a higher interest rate, since the City's bond rating has been downgraded by Fitch and Moody, when there are existing long term infrastructure liabilities such as sidewalk repair and maintenance, transportation operating deficit, and vehicle replacement, including personnel liabilities with Police and Fire pensions, and retiree medical? This course of action is inconsistent with the City of Annapolis Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Presentation's "Top Three Priorities for FY 13" which states: 1.) Maintain structurally balanced budget, 2.) Continue to restore fund balance, 3.) Increase funding for long term liabilities. Obviously, the incessant spending of tax dollars we do not have, thus barrowing of additional funds, which results in the further increase our taxes, is not congruent with the statements to "stop deficit spending...while still providing value and quality service for our constituents."

Furthermore, I find the CIP's projected budget for the Kingsport Park of $172,875 and $500 annual operating costs suspect and misleading, because these figures were based upon a "preliminary budget" with no plans or specifications. Having been in the construction industry for 26 years involved with private, HUD, County, State, Federal, and DOD contracts, preliminary budgets are invariable increased to reflect actual construction costs, sometimes exponentially, once a design and specifications are finalized. What is the City's plan to cover the deficiency over and above the DNR's grant of $146,000 assuming it will still be available next year?

If you feel that Grow Annapolis and/or any of its members including Joel Bunker (Executive Director) have misrepresented facts in order to obtain donations or support you can fill out the following Federal form to spur a Federal investigation.

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f13909.pdf

SUBMISSION AND DOCUMENTATION: The completed form, along with any supporting documentation, may be mailed to IRS EO Classification, Mail Code 4910DAL, 1100 Commerce Street Dallas, TX 75242-1198, faxed to 214-413-5415 or emailed to eoclass@irs.gov.

Here is some info that will help you fill out IRS form 13909 “Tax-Exempt Organization Complain (Referral) Form”. http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f13909.pdf

Section 1
Name of Referred Organization: Grow Annapolis
Street Address: 1332 Cape St. Claire Rd #742
City/State/Zip Code: Annapolis, MD 21409
Date of Referral: The date you fill out the form

Section 2
Organization’s EIN: 27-2826913

Section 3
Nature of Violation: Choose what you feel is appropriate. My family will be selecting “Organization engaged in deceptive or improper fundraising practices”

Section 4
Fill out what you believe makes sense

Section 5
Fill in your info or submit the form anonymously

Section 6
Choose the method you’d like to submit the form. We will be emailing the form, along with supporting documentation to eoclass@irs.gov

continued below .....

As far as supporting documentation, we will demonstrate deceptive or improper fundraising practices by referencing the following public information (of course there are several other examples that can be used):

Public forum where Grow Annapolis is asking for $30,000 in donations for the Bywater Garden project that would install 50+ plots. http://www.causes.com/causes/636483-help-grow-annapolis-build-the-bywater-community-garden/about

Grow Annapolis cached web site falsely stating that Maria Broadbent, Annapolis City Official as a member of the board of advisors. (Note, that when Ms. Broadbent was asked about this she stated that she never knew she was listed on the Grow Annapolis web site as a member of the Board of Advisors). http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:r6D7L0oCDbQJ:growannapolis.org/supporters/advisors/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

Why so much animosity? Federal investigation on a person/organization who builds community gardens?? Seriously?? Yikes.

On a more positive note, check out all these great things about community gardens:

http://www.planning.org/research/urbanagriculture/index.htm
http://communitygarden.org/learn/

· General Benefits of Community Gardens, from the American Community Garden Association: http://communitygarden.org/learn/

· Health Benefits: Urban ag can increase access to fruits & vegetables & can improve nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and dietary intake (Bellows, Brown & Smit 2004; McCormack et al. 2010).

· Social Benefits: CGs provide opportunities for community involvement, social interaction among ethnically & age-diverse communities, and health and environmental stewardship education (Hodgson, Caton Campbell & Bailkey, 2011). Urban ag can serve as an alternative vacant-property reuse strategy to decrease or prevent crime, trash accumulation, illegal dumping;, littering, and fires, and as a catalyst for additional community development activities and positive place-based programs (Lyson 2005; Teig et al. 2009, Schukoske 1999, Bellows, Brown, & Smit 2004; Mallach 2006; Kaufman and Bailkey 2000; Veenhuizen 2006). Community gardens are often a place of expression for the people given the least voice in our society (Community Action Coalition of South Central WI).

· Economic Benefits: Urban ag can contribute to decreasing public-land maintenance costs, increasing local employment opportunities and income generation, capitalizing on underused resources, increasing property values, and producing multiplier effects through the attraction of new food-related businesses. (Veenhuizen 2006; Mallach 2006; Kaufman and Bailkey 2000).

Economic (cntd) Subsistence production can also reduce food expenditures and make household income available for other purposes. For example, community and squatter gardens in Philadelphia produced approximately $4.9 million in summer vegetables in 2008-an amount greater than the combined sales of all of Philadelphia’s farmers markets and urban farms (Vitiello and Nairn 2009). In NYC, within 5 years of a community garden’s opening, neighboring property values increased by as much as 9.4% and continued to increase over time. Disadvantaged neighborhoods experienced the greatest increase in property values. Also, community gardens can lead to increases in tax revenues of about half a million dollars per garden over a 20 year period (Voicu and Been 2008). In St Louis, following a garden opening, median rent & median housing costs for owner-occupied housing, as well as home ownership rates, increased in the immediate vicinity of gardens relative to the surrounding census tracts (Voicu and Been 2008, Tranel and Handlin 2006). Also, CGs can greatly assist w/ food costs for families. In 2007, one family was able to grow over 150 pounds of produce equivalent to $389 in savings on one 400 square foot garden plot (Community Action Coalition of South Central WI)

· Environmental Benefits: Decreased stormwater runoff (GOING TO THE BAY!!) decreased air pollution, increased urban biodiversity and species preservation (Kaufman and Bailkey 2000; Mallach 2006; Veenhuizen 2006).

Deb, No one is against community gardens; we are very informed as to their function and ideology, and are very aware of the benefits of locally grown and consumed produce. We are against the underhanded and invasive manner in which Grow Annapolis tried to shove these gardens down our throats. The location is totally inappropriate and we have been trying to tell Joel that since first meeting him on April 24th, the first time we heard about the gardens. Joel had already made a nefarious arrangement with Annapolis employees and had the gardens placed in the CIP with no input from anyone in the adjacent communities. He never contacted anyone on the Kingsport board. Any time we tried to voice our opinions, Kingsport residents were called racist, elitist, abusive, and even violent. He has lied about our actions and intentions in order to serve his own purposes and in the process has attempted to tear down the positive relations that we have with our neighbors. I guess that now he will reap the consequences of his actions.

Dear Jane,

Grow Annapolis was not involved in the drafting of the CIP and in fact was not aware of the document on the Kingsport Park Project until nearly a year after it was written. The first time I personally saw the document was a few days before we met on April 24th. I came across the document because I couldn't answer questions about many of the sites improvements and had to look it up as a reference.

You calling our organization nefarious or criminal does a great disservice to our work throughout the community. I personally invited you to be a part of our community discussion on site. I told you your input was important and you left after offending many present at our community gathering.

We are very satisfied with the fact that the community will be dreaming up what this space will look like together, and that there will be representatives from your community, and others in ward 4. Please cease and desist from using libelous language towards our organization and your fellow community members.

Respectfully,

Joel Bunker
Executive Director
Grow Annapolis