You’re Invited!
2021 AGM invitation
While spring may still be a few months away, the Gloucester Allotment Garden Association is already planning ahead for the 2021 garden season and wanted to give our members advance notice of three items:
- virtual AGM set
- Proposed motions finalized
- March registration process
Virtual Annual General Meeting
GAGA will be holding their AGM virtually this year on March 2nd 2021 at 7PM. Any member who wishes to participate and vote on the resolutions below is welcome.
If you were a member last season and wish to participate please email gaga@ncf.ca for link credentials and this will be emailed to you a few days before the event. Agenda information and documents for the AGM will be included.
AGM proposed resolutions summary
There are three resolutions that GAGA is proposing at this year’s AGM. They are:
- Approval of the 2021 GAGA board
- Approval of the 2021 budget
- Rule simplification amendments
The primary item likely to draw concern is a fee increase.
The main source of income for GAGA is plot fees which currently generate approximately $20K per year in revenue.
We need to raise the fee for three reasons:
- Our expenses excluding water for Anderson are stable but rising with inflation.
- Budgeted water costs for Anderson have been an ongoing issue for a few years now. Last year in particular required GAGA to drain our contingency fund and institute a special water levy for Anderson gardeners. We do not expect those water costs to decrease and most of the fee increase will be allocated to that expense.
- Finally there are two big ticket expense items on the budget for 2021: dredging the inner ditches at Orient Park, the clearing of shrubs and trees along the ditch line and a secondary project of screening the compost pile. The fee increase will help pay for those costs going forward.
GAGA proposes to increase fees to $40 per half plot and $80 per full plot.
This is a modest increase of $5 per half plot and $10 per full plot and we continue to offer a $10 reduction for volunteer work assisting the association. Considering the plot size and amenities offered with a GAGA plot – this is still one of the best and cheapest community gardening options in Ottawa.
Registration process update
As a result of the continued COVID pandemic and in the interests of public safety – we have already made the decision to cancel our annual registration night typically scheduled for mid March.
Instead, online and paper registrations will begin in early March following the successful approval of the 2021 budget.
Our initial roll out of online registration last year was wildly successful as over 70% of you chose that renewal option. We encourage even more of you to try it out!
