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STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS
<br />DEANNASAKO
<br />(At this time Deanna Sako, Deputy Director, Finance Department, came forward to address members
<br />of the Charter Commission.)
<br />MS. SAKO: You have several documents today on the various education processes and the
<br />charter ballot wording. I am referring to the one in the PowerPoint presentation, but when I
<br />looked at the wording, they were all very similar. My first concern is not understanding how
<br />the whole process works perhaps; but in the ballot language we seem to have left out the
<br />words, "public access" before the "open space and natural resources preservation fund." I
<br />wouldn't want there to be a technicality at the end, because we go very specifically when we
<br />name the fund, so in the charter amendment language the title is actually, "Public Access,
<br />Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Fund, so in (1) on the proposed ballot
<br />amendment for CA -15, I guess if you could perhaps change that to, "establish a public
<br />access, open space, and natural resources preservation fund."
<br />Also, in (2) of the proposed language, it starts out with, "appropriating additional revenue,"
<br />and this is not a fund that we actually appropriate, or get a budget from. It is available at any
<br />time for spending, based on the PONC's (Public Access, Open Space, Natural Resources
<br />Commission's) priorities. Maybe a better word might be, "allowing" additional revenues,
<br />because unless we actually get a grant, there would be nothing else to include. So a
<br />suggestion would be to change, "appropriating" to "allowing."
<br />Under (3) where it talks about specifying that this fund shall be used solely to purchase or
<br />otherwise acquire lands or property entitlements in the county for public outdoor recreation
<br />and education, that could be misleading. If you just read those words, it almost sounds like
<br />we want outdoor pools, or hunting areas, or something; and really in the charter amendment
<br />language it is very specific in terms of including "... access to beaches and mountains,
<br />preservation of historic or culturally important land areas and sites, protection of natural
<br />resources, significant habitat or ecosystems including buffer zones, preservation of forests,
<br />beaches, coastal areas, natural beauty and agricultural lands and protection of water shed
<br />lands to preserve water quality and water supply." I just wouldn't want the voters to be
<br />misled as to what outdoor recreation might include.
<br />Then, in terms of the language being presented, I guess on the educational part where the
<br />voters get to learn more about the requirements, I'm not sure in terms of if it's really
<br />necessary to include the moratorium language in there. I realize that it did happen, but I
<br />would think the Charter Commission would want to be neutral and just present the facts to
<br />the voters.
<br />In addition, either in the ballot language or in the narrative portion, somehow explaining
<br />more what outdoor recreation and education actually includes. That's all I have, thank you.
<br />MS. JARMAN: Excuse me, Deanna, will you be here for awhile?
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