Hundreds of residents and program participants packed the West Sacramento council chamber on Dec. 3 to press the City Council to place a long-term lease for 3 Sisters Gardens’ Fifth & C farm on a future agenda.

Speakers including Chris Bruce and Christina Alvarez said the garden is an established community resource. Bruce told the council the group had collected “over 1,000 signatures” and asked the council to “vote to include 3 Sisters Gardens long term lease of 5th And C Farm” on the earliest possible agenda. Erin Larson, a UC Davis volunteer, said “40,000 pounds of food” has been distributed to people in need so far by the program. Youth participants and farmhands described paid internships and said the farm created more than 60 jobs for youth this year.

City Manager Aaron Laurel explained the formal process for placing items on a future council agenda, saying that a council member must submit a written request and the council must then vote to agendize the item. Several public speakers asked that the council use that process to add the lease discussion to the Jan. 21 meeting or the earliest possible meeting.

The public comment period included sharply worded remarks from one attendee, which the mayor and chair characterized as violations of the posted code of conduct; the council briefly recessed to restore order before continuing business.

No council vote occurred on the lease during the meeting. Council members and staff took public comments and were asked to accept written requests if residents want the item scheduled; councilmembers later said they would accept a formal request in writing to agendize the matter.