Page 10 - Sonoma County Gazette October 2018

PARKS cont’d from page 1
to county parks and parks in the county’s nine cities. It would also fund the amenities needed to open four new parks, currently closed to the public for lack of funds and staffing.
“We have a park system that’s growing, and community needs are growing. Measure M will give us the money to do all the things we know we should be doing and allow us to open up new parks as well,” ~ Melanie Parker
Moreover, the tax-assured funding would allow the parks department to apply for millions of dollars in grants available through state and federal funding, grants they currently cannot apply for. “We can’t get state and federal grants without matching funds,” Parker said. “We can leverage the Measure M money to get millions of dollars to do larger projects.”
The remaining two-thirds – $7.6 million –would go to Sonoma County Regional Parks, which manages the parks, trails and marinas in the unincorporated part of the county.
Measure M would raise approximately $11.5 million a year
threaten all the values respondents said they held dear.
--$115 million over 10 years. One-third of that --$3.7 million --would go each year to the nine cities in Sonoma County, in proportion to their population.
Regional Parks intends to increase their grazing program, letting sheep and goats clear the non-native, invasive shrubs and grass that are fast-burning
The measure also establishes a citizens’ oversight committee to review proposed projects, report to the public and make sure money isn’t wasted. “The oversight committee will make sure the money is spent on what we said we would spend it on,” said Jim Nantell, special projects director for Regional Parks.
Regional Parks currently manages 56 parks, trails, open
More than half of that – 6,000 acres -- was added in the last five years. Park usage has grown as well, to 5 million visits a year, up nearly 40 percent since 2010. “People love to get out of their cars to walk and bike in the parks,” Parker said. While park acreage and attendance have increased substantially, the Regional Parks budget has not kept pace -- $18 million this year, compared to $17.1 million in 2010.
The sales tax money will be critical next year, when Regional Parks loses its temporary infusion of $1 million from Transient Occupancy Taxes (a tax on tourist lodging.) “We are falling behind even with the one-time money,” Parker said.
The spending plan outlined in “Measure M: Sonoma County Parks Improvement, Water Quality, and Fire Safety Measure” generally follows the priorities that county and city residents expressed in polls and surveys over the last two years.In those surveys, 80 percent of respondents said that maintaining existing parks and trails was a priority; 72 percent listed protecting wildlife and habitat and fisheries; and 62.9 percent sought protection of water quality.
Reducing fire risk is also a high priority because wildfires
spaces and beaches comprising more than 11,000 acres.
“We are in a world of hurt if the ballot measure doesn’t pass.”
PARKS cont’d onpage 11
10 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 10/18