Many groups
– farmers, City Council members, open space advocates – have had
their chance to lobby the city task force charged with recommending
an agriculture mitigation policy for Gilroy.
Many groups – farmers, City Council members, open space advocates – have had their chance to lobby the city task force charged with recommending an agriculture mitigation policy for Gilroy. The 11-member task force is made up of volunteers with a wide variety of perspectives on the issue, serving on a volunteer basis at City Council’s request.
The task force released a draft policy that some said was too lenient and critics – including, shockingly, former Gilroy Mayor Tom Springer – said that every acre of farmland, no matter where it is located, should trigger mitigations when developed. Those opposed to such a stringent policy say it promotes piecemealing of agriculture into small, unprofitable plots and that it will hurt small farmers and ranchers.
The task force has wisely taken several weeks to mull everything it heard from proponents and opponents of its initial recommendation and will consider revisions over the next month or so.
We hope the task force gives careful consideration to all perspectives on the issue and remember the reasons it crafted its original policy recommendations before they make any changes.
It’s also important to keep in mind that this policy will have great financial impact on farmers, and therefore, we believe task force members should give extra credence to their opinions on the agriculture mitigation policy recommendation.
When the task force meets again in mid-January, we’re confident its members will craft a policy that balances many competing and disparate points of view, a policy that will preserve agricultural lands while keeping farmers’ financial well-being in mind. At the January meeting, the task force is expected to adopt a final recommendation that it will forward to City Council, which hopes to adopt a policy in March.
When that policy reaches the City Council agenda, we urge – again – all council members to honor the process they established in creating the task force and respect the hard work done by the volunteers by adopting the policy the task force recommends unless there is a clear and compelling reason to set aside the hard work of its members.
