Community gardeners tell Farmers Branch board city support has waned; board schedules audits of 29 parks

Board members and community gardeners told the Farmers Branch Parks & Recreation Board that city support for the community garden has declined and that several practical problems — water bills, vandalism, unsecured spigots and reduced city overtime assistance — have made routine maintenance harder.

"The support from the city has fallen off," a board member said. Gardeners described incidents of nightly hoses being left on, theft from beds and a perception that city crews no longer provide the same Saturday overtime assistance they did in earlier years. Staff responded that some garden costs have been absorbed into other line items and that the city has begun purchasing compost to reduce overtime demands.

Because the garden sits on church property rather than city land, staff said some security or fencing changes would require coordination with the church. Board members proposed practical workarounds including recruiting high‑school service groups for routine heavy work, designating a primary contact for gardener communications, and holding a gardeners' meeting to set expectations and schedules.

Separately, the board agreed to conduct a citywide audit of 29 parks to assess condition, access, maintenance needs and equipment. The chair read an assignment list and members volunteered to visit specific parks with a suggested deadline around the first of November. Staff will provide printed audit forms and maps and will follow up with logistics and contact lists.

The item produced no formal policy change; staff will report back and may escalate unresolved maintenance or staffing needs to the city council for budget consideration.