Comm No 0035.20 - Testimony - CA-18 - PONC Maintenance fund

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Testimony to Charter Commission, March 8, 2019 Chair Adams, Vice -Chair Zelko-Schlueter and Members of the Commission, My name is Susan Dursin and I am here to ask for your vote on CA -18. This proposal, as it stands, would firm up the 2% land program in several ways. The most important, I believe is to move administration of the program to the Finance Department where grant programs for non -profits are well -understood. It would improve the stewardship application process. When you consider the very small amounts that have trickled down to non -profits from the maintenance fund, you have to agree that changes need to occur. The stipulation that reserves 70% of the fund for stewardship grants is both reasonable and desirable. The change in 10-16(i) requiring a stewardship organization to provide its application to both the Department of Finance and to the PONC Commission is significant. The non -profits have been facing the challenges of jumping through many hoops in order to be approved. The process is rather daunting. With this change, they may seek assistance from both the Department of Finance and the Commission in completing their applications. The new additions to (g) are occasioned by ten years of implementing and administering the program. Identifying the uses in (10), (11), (12) and (13) is necessary to wise use of the properties. Allowing payments to officers, board members or employees of the nonprofits also makes good sense. The time and effort required from some of these people is certainly beyond a non -profit's monthly bake sale. Planning, driving, and physical labor constitute only part of the demands. Payment will ensure that the maintenance work is well-planned and efficiently completed. Overall, CA -18 provides much-needed update for the PONC Maintenance Fund. Much has been learned over the past ten years, and this is an opportunity to provide the public with even better administration of the fund. Please support this proposal. Thank you for taking my testimony. Comm. No. 35.20