Local Area Revitalization Project Co-Op (LARP) gets long awaited formal agreement with the City of Susanville to have full control over the community garden. The community garden has now been in place for about 4 years. City Administrator Dan Newton discussed the agreement at the city council meeting on January 19, 2022. He said the agreement would hand full control over to LARP and would help continue thier ongoing efforts in benefitting the community of Susanville. Yet the agreement has raised controversy as despite a budget deficit in the City of Susanville’s general fund, the City Council in a 3 to 1 vote approved to give LARP, 12,500 dollars out of the city’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for improvements to the garden. Those funds are from the federal government to assist communities with COVID recovery. The city will also be providing the annual payment for insurance, as requested by the city to be held by LARP, in the amount of 2,000 dollars. David Teeter, LARP’s CEO, at the City Council meeting said this agreement is identical to the one first introduced last year. None of the costs presented were a surprise and even suggested that this agreement should have been approved over a year ago. The initial insurance payment will be deducted from the city’s ARPA funds, yet that contract is under a one year agreement with a termination clause for both parties. That will allow the payment to be readdressed in the budget come next year, as ARPA funds are limited and have a time stamp. One goal of LARP is to be able to grow enough produce to sell at the Farmer’s Market held each summer to reinvest back into the garden and its community educational programs they hold year round.
To learn more about LARP you can visit the LARP Cooperative Website
