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05 Staff Report - Renewal of Santa Clara County Park CharterMEETING DATE: 3/6/2006 °w N ITEM NO. 5 COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT DATE: MARCH 6, 2006 TO: MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL ' FROM: DEBRA J. FIGONE, TOWN MANAGER SUBJECT: ADOPT RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE RENEWAL OF THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY PARK CHARTER RECOMMENDATION: Adopt resolution (Attachment No. 1) supporting the renewal ofthe Santa Clara County Park Charter. PURPOSE: The purpose of this staff report is to discuss the proposed resolution and provide a brief assessment of its potential impact on the Town of Los Gatos. BACKGROUND: In 1972, Santa Clara County voters established the Santa Clara County Parks Charter Fund to fund the Santa Clara County Park system to provide recreational opportunities, protect water quality, and preserve areas of natural beauty. Since its inception, the Charter has been renewed every 12 years by County voters. On June 30, 2008, the Charter will expire and is eligible for renewal by Santa Clara County voters. Given its upcoming expiration, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved placing a measure on the June 6, 2006 primary election ballot to renewal the Park Charter. DISCUSSION: The Town of Los Gatos recently received the attached correspondence (Attachment No. 2) from the "Yes on Parks!" coalition to endorse the Santa Clara County Parks Charter, which expires on June 30, 2008. The correspondence includes 'a summary of the Park Charter, a list of Park Charter Renewal supporters, a draft resoluoi3,supporting the Park Charter Renewal, June 6, 2006 primary PREPARED BY: NAMGR\ Haruyama\StaffReports\sccparkren~wAl.wpd ve Pfograms Manager Reviewed by: Assistant Town Manager N/z Town Attorney Clerk Administrator --/,azVinance. Community Development Revised: 2/28/06 3:31 pm Reformatted: 5/30/02 PAGE 2 SUBJECT: ADOPT RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE RENEWAL OF THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY PARK CHARTER March 6, 2006 election ballot text for the Park Charter Amendment, and a Park Charter Fund Fact Sheet. The coalition has requested that the Town adopt a resolution supporting the renewal of the Santa Clara County Parks Charter. Specifically, support of the renewal Charter will: Extend the Park Charter for another 12 years; Preserve the current level of funding ($1.425 cents per $100 of assessed valuation); and Dedicate at least 15% of the fund for parkland acquisition, 5% for needed capital improvements, and the remainder for park operations. It is important to note that the Park Charter is not a new or additional tax. Support of the renewal will continue the 1972 mandate to set aside a small portion of existing County property taxes for the care and expansion of the County park and regional trail system. Renewal of the Park Charter will not increase taxes or fiscally impact Town or County residents. CONCLUSION: It is recommended that the Council adopt the attached resolution supporting the renewal ofthe Santa Clara County Park Charter. FISCAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact associated with the adoption of the proposed resolution to support the renewal of the Santa Clara County Park Charter. The resolution supported the continued mandate to set aside a small portion of existing County property taxes for the care and expansion of Santa Clara County parks and regional trail system. Attachments: Attachment No. 1: Resolution Supporting the Renewal of the Santa Clara County Parks Charter Attachment No. 2: February 16, 2006 correspondence from the "Yes on Parks!" coalition RESOLUTION NO. RESOLUTION BY THE TOWN OF LOS GATOS SUPPORTING THE RENEWAL OF THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY PARK CHARTER WHEREAS, preservation, maintenance and enhancement of parks and open space are vital to the quality of life of Santa Clara County residents; and, WHEREAS, Santa Clara County parklands, park facilities and programs are essential in meeting needs of County residents; and, WHEREAS, the Santa Clara County Park Charter, established by a vote of the people in 1972, is the primary funding source for the Santa Clara County Parks System and has since been renewed five times by County voters, and; WHEREAS, on December 6, 2005, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved submitting to the voters a proposed amendment for renewal of the Park Charter to be placed on the June 6, 2006 primary election ballot, and; WHEREAS, the proposed amendment would extend funding for the Santa Clara County Parks System through June 30, 2021, providing an assured financial base for Santa Clara County parks acquisition, development and operation without creating new taxes. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Los Gatos Town Council supports the renewal of the Santa Clara County Park Charter by the voters of Santa Clara County on the June 6, 2006, and authorizes the publication of Town's name as Resolution and Measure endorsers. PASSED AND ADOPTED at a. _ California, held on the day of COUNCIL MEMBERS: AYES: NAYS: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: meeting of the Town Council of the Town of Los Gatos, 2006 by the following vote: SIGNED: MAYOR OF THE TOWN OF LOS GATOS LOS GATOS, CALIFORNIA ATTEST: CLERK ADMINISTRATOR OF THE TOWN OF LOS GATOS LOS GATOS, CALIFORNIA ATTACHMENT I Yes On Parks..t. 1922 The Alameda, Suite-213; San Jose, CA 95126 www.YesonIjarks.com Lawrence Ames, Treasurer_ ID# 1278470 February 16, 2006 Pamela Jacobs, Assistant Town Manager Town of Los Gatos 110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 Subject: Endorsement of the Park Charter Fund Renewal Dear Pamela: There is a movement underway to renew the County's Park Charter in order to assure an essential and stable funding source for the Santa Clara County park system. On December 6, 2005, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved placing a measure on the ballot to: ➢ Extend the Park Charter Amendment for another 12 years; ➢ Preserve the current level of funding (1.425 cents per $100 of assessed valuation); and, ➢ Dedicate at least 15% of the fund for parkland acquisition, 5% for needed capital improvements, and the remainder for park operations.. While the Supervisors' action is promising, their decision must be supported by majority voter approval in the June 6, 2006 primary election. The "Yes On Parks!" Campaign Committee is fully committed to ensuring the successful passage of the Park Charter and is seeking endorsements from several public and private institutions, including the Town of Los Gatos. Many have already committed support to the campaign - a partial list of supporters is attached. The Park Charter is not a new or additional tax and the amendment will continue the mandate to set aside a small portion of existing County property taxes for the care and expansion of our County parks and regional trail system. Since 1972, voters have approved five extensions of the Park Charter Amendment, most recently in 1996 by over 80% of voters. The Park Charter is a responsible and proven way to maintain and enhance our quality of life. "Yes On Parks!" respectfully requests an endorsement of the Park Charter Amendment by the Los Gatos Town Council. Let's make an investment in the future of County Parks! Sincerely, Garnetta Annable, Co-Chair "Yes On Parks!" Working Committee ATTACHMENT 2 RESOLUTION OF THE (Governing Board/Council) IN SUPPORT OF RENEWAL OF THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY PARK CHARTER WHEREAS, the Santa Clara County Park Charter Fund, which provides the primary mechanism for financing the Santa Clara County Parks System, was enacted in 1972 through a vote of the people and has since been consistently renewed by Santa Clara County voters, and; WHEREAS, on December 6, 2005, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved submitting to the voters a proposed amendment for the renewal of the Park Charter Fund to be placed on the June 6, 2006 primary election ballot, and; WHEREAS, the proposed Park Charter Fund amendment would extend funding for the Santa Clara County Parks System through June 30, 2021, providing an assured financial base for park acquisition, development and operation without creating new taxes, and; WHEREAS, Santa Clara County parklands, park facilities and programs are essential in meeting the current and future needs of County residents, and; WHEREAS, the Park Charter Fund contributes necessary funding to operate a "necklace of parks" that is one of the most diverse in all of California and consists of 28 regional parks, 45,000 acres and over 260 miles of trails located along the County's precious streams, lakes, foothills, mountains and other areas of outstanding natural beauty, and; WHEREAS, the (personalized words about the agency's mission and vision for regional parks and open space), and; WHEREAS, the County of Santa Clara and have partnered to create a rich and diverse regional park and open space network and to improve the quality of life for Santa Clara County residents. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the supports the renewal of the Park Charter Fund by the voters of Santa Clara County on June 6, 2006. COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA CHARTER AMENDMENT MEASURE Measure Amendment to the Without increasing taxes, shall the Santa Clara County Charter of the County Charter be extended to provide for the acquisition, of Santa Clara development, maintenance, and operation of parks, Yes by continuing the annual transfer from the general fund of an amount estimated to equal $0.01425 per No one hundred dollars of assessed valuation of all real and personal property commencing on July 1, 2009 for twelve years? The County Park Charter funds a variety of programs, including: • An Active Acquisition Program - during the last 10 years, 6,500 acres of new parkland has been added to your County Park system, including 3,600 acres (and 14 new miles of multi-use trails) opened in May 2005 at the Coyote Bear-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park. • A Comprehensive Natural Resource Management Program - dedicated to the protection, preservation and restoration of the County Park system's unique and varied natural areas. • Three Interpretive Centers - all opened in the past decade to inspire and educate our school children and the general public on the County's rich cultural and natural history: Chitactac Heritage County Park, the Mining Museum at Almaden Quicksilver, and the Bernal Ranch at Santa Teresa. • A Dynamic Volunteer Program - over 1,400 volunteers donate almost 35,000 hours annually to help efficiently manage park resources, and receive meaningful opportunities for personal growth and community connections. • Many Valuable Partnerships with Community Organizations - including, the Youth Science Institute, Via Services (Camp Costanoan), Wildlife Rescue of Silicon Valley, Girl Scouts of America, Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad and American Youth Hostel. • Leadership in Planning and Building the County's Regional Trail Network - including the Bay Area Ridge Trail, the Bay Trail and the Juan Bautista deAnza National Historic Trail. • Popular Recreational Activities - appealing programs accessible to all cultural, ethnic, age and economic groups at a reasonable cost. Who manages the Park Charter Fund? Under the guidance of the Parks and Recreation Commission and the direction of the Board of Supervisors, the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department is responsible for the management of the Park Charter Fund. Celebrating its 50th year in service, County Parks recently completed a comprehensive Strategic Plan which can be viewed on the Department's website - www.parkhere.org, The plan, developed through an extensive public outreach process, reflects the long-term community vision for County Parks. As part of that vision, the. Park Charter Fund must be maintained as an essential foundation to assure the health and vibrancy of the County Park system.