Drafter
Clerk 09/13/2007
Title
A MOTION requesting the executive to establish a process by which parks expansion levy projects will be developed, reviewed and recommended to the King County council.
Body
WHEREAS, the citizens of King County recently approved the parks expansion levy ballot measure, and
WHEREAS, the parks expansion levy will be collected for six years, beginning in January 2008, as a dedicated portion of the property tax, and
WHEREAS, parks expansion levy funds are to be used in accordance with Ordinance 15760, in part for the purpose of acquiring open space and natural lands critical to the preservation of regional watersheds and streams, development of rights of way for regional trails, missing critical links and maximization of regional trail use by King County, Seattle and suburban cities, and
WHEREAS, conservation futures tax funds are collected countywide as a dedicated portion of the property tax, and
WHEREAS, conservation futures tax funds are to be used in accordance with K.C.C. 26.12.010 for the purpose of acquiring open space lands, including green spaces, greenbelts, wildlife habitat and trail rights-of-way for the preservation of public use by either the county or the cities within the county, and
WHEREAS, conservation futures tax funds and parks expansion levy funds are similar in their objectives to preserve open space and natural lands, and
WHEREAS, the process for developing, reviewing and recommending potential conservation futures tax projects is outlined in K.C.C. 26.12.010, and
WHEREAS, the process for developing, reviewing and recommending potential conservation futures tax projects is transparent and accessible to the public, stakeholder groups, government agencies and officials, and
WHEREAS, the process by which parks expansion levy projects will be developed, reviewed and recommended to the council has not been identified or established, and
WHEREAS, the parks expansion levy program could benefit from the successful processes developed for the conservation futures tax program, and
WHEREAS, the parks levy expansion program will be overseen by the parks and recreation division, and
WHEREAS, the conservation futures tax program is overseen by the water and land resources division, and
WHEREAS, the parks expansion levy program and conservation futures tax program could maximize their objectives through coordination and communication regarding open space and natural lands acquisitions;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:
The county executive is requested to develop a process by which parks expansion levy projects will be developed, reviewed and recommended for council approval. The process shall be transparent and accessible to the public, stakeholder groups, government agencies and officials. The process shall include coordination and communication with the conservation futures tax program to maximize the objectives of open space and natural lands acquisitions by King County, Seattle and suburban cities. The county executive is requested to develop this process for implementation in 2008 with approval,
by motion, by the council. The motion identifying this process shall be filed with the clerk of the council by December 15, 2007.
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