RED BLUFF, California — Despite facing censure from fellow council members and a slew of allegations, Red Bluff City Councilor Cody Strock remains determined to see his community garden project come to fruition.
Strock, who unveiled his plans for the garden in December, has encountered several roadblocks, including allegations of failing his fiduciary duty from the Tehama nonprofit One Seed at a Time and an investigation referred to the district attorney by the city council.
“A lot of egos and different pulls in direction can be involved in any kind of project,” Strock said. “I don’t care. The community deserves this, they will get this, and whatever fight that entails, that’s my job, right. I’m elected to have that fight so here we are.”
During much of this growing controversy, Strock was absent from the community. He explained that the controversy has not slowed him down half as much as his work with the Army Corps of Engineers following the fires in Los Angeles.
“On the emergency response team for hazardous waste and debris removal operations with the Army Corps of Engineers, so that was very, very intensive,” Strock said, claiming he was left little time to attend meetings where discussions were held about the previously mentioned allegations and censuring. “So there was no progress for some amount of time.”
A conditional use permit for the garden has been submitted and paid for as of June 13, but it still awaits consideration by the city’s planning commission. In the meantime, Strock is focusing on improving existing infrastructure. Which is allowed under city code as maintenance.
“For now, it’s just irrigation replacement because it’s simple,” Strock explained. “It’s an easy way to move forward. It doesn’t require anything extra special because it’s an existing system already.”
The controversy has led to some volunteers withdrawing from the project, a move Strock understands. He is also preparing to fight a temporary restraining order filed by One Seed at a Time to halt work on the site, with a court hearing scheduled for Tuesday morning. That restraining order was granted, blocking work on the site until a hearing can be held on a permanent injunction in July.
Despite these challenges, Strock is committed to completing the garden within the year while ensuring compliance with regulations.
“I’ve had different inspectors come out already, and do a bunch of things,” Strock explained. “Then I’ve also got organizations writing a series of complaints to the city so code enforcement comes out and checks on me, and all these different things add up to massive losses in time, but it does ensure we are 100 percent by the book.”
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