Leach Botanical Garden turns stewardship into a destination-scale public benefit

How should the City assess support for a specialized destination operated with a nonprofit?

City responsibilities to verify

Verify operating grants, retained horticultural or maintenance staffing, utilities, capital ownership and lifecycle obligations.

Partner responsibilities to verify

Verify visitor services, garden care, educational programming, admission or rental receipts, donations and restricted grants.

Financial evidence

No combined annual-value total. Separate historic capital investment from current operating grants, earned revenue, donations and retained City costs; avoid counting grant receipts again as public benefit.

Public access and participation

Document admission and free-access policies, concessions or discounts, hours, accessible routes and aggregate attendance, including education programs.

Operating risks and requirements

Specialist staffing, living collections, seasonal revenue, asset replacement and continuity of public access during changes in funding.

Minimum next evidence

Current agreement and grant scope; one fiscal year's operating accounts and City support; historic capital sources by project; hours, access policies and aggregate attendance.

Alternatives to compare

Continue support; tie revised support to defined access and care outcomes; compare changes in service scope with their staffing and lifecycle effects.

Proposed success measures

Full City cost, delivered access, collection-care obligations and visitor/education participation, with agreed service quality and affordability measures.