Adopt Morro Bay

Program Details

The Adopt Morro Bay program is a collaborative effort among residents, merchants and community groups and the City to improve and maintain City public areas such as parks, sidewalks and landscaped areas, and to create a brighter, more pleasant environment for everyone who lives, works, and shops in adopted areas while strengthening ties, as the community works together to keep the City attractive to all.

Residents, merchants, or community groups volunteer their time to maintain and provide upkeep to the adopted area.  Adopters can work on a variety of projects the City identifies including, but not limited to, planting, mulching and watering trees, maintaining flower beds, weed removal, planting and maintenance of landscaped areas, litter collection, and visual inspection of public trash/recycling containers and benches for damage or vandalism.

How the Program Works

  1. City develops list of public areas available for adoption.
  2. Adoptions are on a one or multiple-year basis with the option to renew if both the City and adopter want to continue the adoption of the public area.
  3. Resident, merchant or community group submits Adopt Morro Bay Application to City.
  4. City reviews application and approves or rejects requested public area location based on availability from the public area adoption list.
  5. City and adopter enter into agreement that outlines scope of work for the public area being adopted, delineating duties and schedule of activities to be performed by the adopter and City, as well as the frequency of when those are to be performed, a process for reporting injuries to the City, and a process for reimbursement of pre-authorized expenses for supplies provided by adopter.
  6. City will monitor the adopted public area to ensure activities are being satisfactorily performed by the adopter.
  7. City will schedule periodic meetings with the adopter to review performance and identify future needs or activities.
  8. A recognition sign will be placed at the adopted area with location and sign specifications to be approved by the Public Works Director.
  9. City will hold a Call for Projects each January and July, and applications would be presented to the Public Works Advisory Board at its February and August meetings to provide input on potential projects that may involve the Adopter seeking reimbursement for supplies it provides that are pre-authorized and identified in the Agreement Scope of Work.