Scope of Work
The project is meant to refresh the Signal Hill Community Garden and provide a component that will be accessible and available to the community by way of the little library. The reason the community garden was chosen was because it is a great asset to the city that allows families to enjoy fresh air, fresh food and a healthy lifestyle. The little library would be placed on a post and be placed in either the front or the rear landscaped areas that are outside the fenced area of the garden. There are pros and cons to both locations. If it were placed in the front garden area on 21st it would be seen and perhaps used by more people. But it could also be placed in the rear garden area if the Council were concerned about potential vandalism if it was on 21st Street.
Besides the little library, and after walking and discussing the garden with Martha, the following projects are also proposed:
Taking out the old bark and replacing it in both the front and rear public garden areas and weeding the areas.
Re-stenciling the numbers of each plot.
Weeding the walkways.
Weeding any gardens that are not currently planted with permission of the owners.
Cleaning all tables and benches and cleaning out and organizing storage sheds.
Restraining the wood around the bulletin board and the wood around the chalkboard that is used to post messages.
Do any minor furniture repairs as needed.
It is anticipated that the project will take 1 - 2 days (8 hours maximum for one or both days) and the work will be performed by members of Troop 65 with adults attending. However, the leader of the project will be the Eagle candidate, Ben Kitchens. Ben will have a mentor parent who will help him choose the supplies and tools needed for the project. All materials will be brought on site by the troop members, and everything (including any trash generated) will be taken off site based on the Scout “Leave No Trace” principle. Lunch will be provided for the participants and eaten in the park.
The Eagle candidate, Ben Kitchens, will fundraise to purchase the little library and other supplies needed for the project. Fundraising will be done by restaurant fundraisers, requests to family and friends, and collecting materials to recycle. The estimated costs for the project should be no more than $1,000. Any money that is left over will be used to purchase materials such as new hoses and/or hose reels.
Since these are basic maintenance types of projects, there would be no continuing maintenance other than what the city would normally do. The little library will be made out of composite materials so would not need further maintenance.
Assembled with eco-friendly plastic lumber made out of recycled milk jugs Negligible water absorption so mold and mildew cannot penetrate surface Corrosion free
Pest free. Bugs, insects and termites cannot infiltrate below the surface Resistant to UV and harsh weather climates
Easy to clean, mild soap and rinse with water will do
No splintering, cracking or warping
Surface embossed textures available for slip-resistance and aesthetic design Resistant to most chemical exposures
95% recycled content certification meeting FTC Green Guidelines The little library is meant for community members to take books and leave book in return, so the library should be self-sustaining. Books will be collected from members of the troop (and the Eagle candidate will approach the Friends of the Signal Hill library book to save if they have books to donate) and books that don’t fit into the library could be stored in boxes in the storage units inside the garden.
The plan is to register the little library with the little free library program. There will need to be a steward for the library to be registered. That is still the one detail that needs to be worked out. It would probably make most sense for the steward to be a member of the community garden. The steward would not have any regular responsibilities but to be listed on the registry and perhaps fill the library with books if needed (which is why storing extra books in the storage sheds could be a good option).
Attachment B