Memorandum of Understanding - Draft

The Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute (CRMPI) enters into an Agreement with the RE-1 School District, to build a Greenhouse and a 1.5 acre fenced Garden at the Roaring Fork High School in Carbondale, CO.

CRMPI and its non-profit partners C.O.R.E., Fat City Farms, Inc., the Basalt Thrift Store and others, will raise the funds necessary to build the greenhouse and gardens, and will organize the contractors and volunteers to construct it during the summer of 2009. CRMPI and its partners will use these facilities for their CSA Farm School program, from May through September each year, starting in 2010, and will train RFHS teachers in the use and maintenance of the facilities, on an ongoing basis, as needed. The 1.5 acre garden will be surrounded by an 8-foot deer fence with gates at the NE corner, for access via the fire lane. The greenhouse will contain a minimum of 1,300 SF in floor area, and will be no taller than 20-feet above the surrounding grade.
CRMPI will also provide:
1> Liability insurance to cover any injuries to CSA Farm School students during their program each year, as well as insurance against damage to the facilities;
2> A Greenhouse Manager to meet with RFHS teachers for 1/2 day per week during the RFHS school year, from September through May, to review greenhouse procedures, maintenance and to assist the teachers with organic and permaculture principals for healthy and sustainable food growing;
3> Design the greenhouse and gardens so their locations and relationship with surrounding land uses is in full compliance with Fire Access and Life Safety codes governing the RE-1 property;
4> Determine Colorado State Health requirements for growing and serving food in the school cafeteria and for establishing and maintaining an organic composting process, set up procedures for maintaining the required health standards, and communicate these procedures clearly to the RFHS teachers;
5> Maintenance and Upkeep of the gardens and greenhouse, in good working condition, for as long as this Agreement is in effect;
6> Automatic Solar Lighting around the greenhouse for security;
7> Maintenance of the grounds for a 30-foot perimter around the 1.5-acre gardens;
8> A lease to the RFHS, for its use of the facilities, for $1.00 per year.

RE-1 School District will provide:
a> Access to Irrigation Water for the 1.5-acre garden area;
b> Access to potable water for the greenhouse;
c> Security camera in the school security system, trained on the greenhouse;
d> Access to the greenhouse and the gardens via the Fire Lane;
e> Parking at RE-1 selected locations for CSA Farm School Students during their program;
f> Liability Insurance for injuries to RFHS teachers and students whenever they are using these facilities;
g> A lease to CRMPI for the use of the land and water, for $1.00 per year.

CRMPI and RE-1 further agree that if either party to this Agreement notifies the other party in writing that they wish to terminate this Agreement, one of the following will occur:
1> CRMPI will remove the greenhouse and garden fencingn the land to it's former state, or:
2> CRMPI will sell to the RE-1 School District the greenhouse and gardens facilities, for $1.00.

Please add any comments or questions in the comments link at the bottom of this post. We will hold a meeting with Judy Haptonstall and RE-1 Staff on Thursday afternoon, April 16 at 4:00 at the RE-w School District Offices in Glenwood Springs, to review this MOU and all subsequent issues raised, in hopes of submitting a final draft of the MOU for the School Board meeting on Wednesday, April 22.