1991 RES R-09-91 - Laserfiche WebLink

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FACT SHEET REGARDING THE CREATION OF A PARK AND OPEN SPACE DISTRICT What would a Park and Open Space District do? The District would be empowered to acquire lands for parks, trail rights of way and natural resource protection; apportion funds to providers of local parks and recreation facilities, as well as participate in joint regional/local projects; develop, maintain and operate regional park, trail and recreational facilities; provide nature centers and interpretive programs; and provide long term management of, or enter into management agreements with appropriate entities for, sensitive open space areas. The District would ,play a'key role in enabling the County to meet its goal of developing and implementing an Expanded Open Space/Trails Element of the County General Plan to protect the County's natural resources and meet the park and 'recreation needs of its current and future residents at both the local and regional level. The District would incorporate the existing County Regional Parks Department functions and provide an entity which could also acquire and manage open space areas with high wildlife habitat, regional 'trail systems, and archeological and scenic resource values. Why is a Park and Open Space District needed? The County's population has grown rapidly 'in the last decade, creating a corresponding increase in demand for park and recreation facilities and seriously impacting open space resources. Funding for park and recreation services is not keeping pace with the demands of an increasing population and maintaining existing levels of service requires, a greater shift to user fees each year. The District would provide an important new revenue,source to meet current and future needs. Further, the County at present has no mechanism to acquire and manage key areas of rapidly disappearing wildlife habitat, ,regional trails rights of way and natural open space. Such acquisition and management would be an important part of the District's mission. Creation of a Park and Open Space District plays,, a crucial role in implementing the vision the County is developing to create a permanent open space system and an adequate regional parks and trails system. Is there a reason for cities and recreation and park districts to join the District? Cities and recreation and park districts which choose to join the District will have the benefit assessment collected on parcels within, their jurisdictions. These revenues will be apportioned between the - city's park and recreationdepartment or the local recreation and park district and the new Park and Open Space District. A city's or recreation and park district's share may be used to fund local parks and Z recreation, projects, 'including community parks, recreation centers, senior centers and athletic fields, and to provide operations and maintenance for new parks and facilities. The District's share would help fund acquisition, development and operation of new regional - facilities and acquisition of significant open space areas within the same zone as the city or recreation and park district. Existing funding sources for city parks departments and recreation and park districts would not be affected by the formation of the District. How would the District be funded? The District would be financed through user fees and charges, other funds from County, State and Federal agencies, and through the benefit assessment, if approved by a majority of , the voters. Significantly, the secure revenue source from the assessment would enable the District to issue revenue bonds to provide greater up -front funds, for