City Council Meeting: May 27,
2008
Agenda Item: 8-B
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Joan
Akins, Acting Director - Environmental and Public Works
Management
Subject: Resolution Establishing the
Duties and Responsibilities of the Citizens Oversight Committee Created by the
Measure V Clean Beaches and Ocean Parcel Tax
Staff recommends that the City
Council adopt a resolution defining the membership, scope and responsibilities
for the Measure V Citizens Oversight Committee, and direct staff to proceed
with a process to identify eligible applicants for the Oversight Committee to
be considered and appointed by City Council.
The Clean
Beaches and Ocean Parcel Tax (Measure
V) was passed by 67% of Santa Monica
voters in November 2006. Measure V raises revenue to be used solely for the
purpose of implementing the City’s Watershed Management Plan. Measure V created
a Citizens Oversight Committee for “audit responsibility” over use of Measure V
revenues. Measure V specifies that the membership, scope and responsibilities
of the Committee shall be determined by the City Council.
At their meeting on September 25,
2007 Council directed staff to return at a later date with a resolution for
adoption that would establish an Oversight Committee of between five to seven
members to be appointed by Council and would set forth the specific duties,
responsibilities and terms for the Committee members. A resolution responding
to this Council request is attached. Following adoption of the resolution by
Council, staff will proceed expeditiously with a process to receive
applications from interested citizens that can then be presented to Council for
review and appointment to the Oversight Committee.
Background
The Clean Beaches
and Ocean Parcel Tax (Measure V) was passed by 67% of Santa Monica voters in November 2006 for the
purpose of implementing the City’s Watershed Management Plan. The goals of the
Watershed Management Plan are to reduce urban runoff pollution; reduce urban
flooding; increase water reuse and conservation; increase recreational
opportunities and open space; and increase wildlife and marine habitat.
Revenues generated by Measure V can be used for necessary capital as well as
operations and maintenance costs related to storm drainage systems and
multipurpose capital improvement projects that improve the quality of urban
runoff, as well as paying for any indebtedness incurred for these purposes. The
urban runoff management and pollution prevention activities of the Plan will
assist the City in complying with National Pollution Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) permit requirements, meeting the goals of the Clean Water Act
and new regulations promulgated by the Regional Water Quality Control Board
relating to Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs).
Compliance with these regulatory standards over the next several years will
require a significantly enhanced effort by the City, with consequences for
non-compliance resulting in significant fines.
Measure V
created a Citizens Oversight Committee for “audit responsibility” over use of
Measure V revenues. Measure V specifies that the membership, scope and
responsibilities of the Committee shall be determined by the City Council. Measure V also requires that each year the
City’s Chief Financial Officer file a report with the City Council containing:
(a) the amount of funds collected and expended; and (b) the status of any project
authorized to be funded as identified in the Ordinance. The first such report will be completed
following the creation of the Citizens Oversight Committee and Council
authorization of capital projects to be completed using Measure V funds.
Progress Since
Adoption of Measure V
The following
provides an update of actions taken and progress made since the adoption of
Measure V by Santa Monica
voters in November 2006:
- The Clean
Beaches and Ocean
parcel tax was collected as a part of each parcel’s property tax
assessment for the first time during FY 2007-08 and generated $2.34
million in revenue.
- On January 10, 2008 the Rent Control Board granted
approval for a pass-through of applicable Measure V costs by the owners of
rent-controlled properties to tenants.
- Staff has consolidated the Measure V low-income
exemption process with the existing Rent Control low-income exemption
process to maximize the efficiency and cost-effectiveness for
administration of waiver applications, reviews and approvals. Letters to tenants of rent controlled
units regarding the Measure V exemption process are scheduled to be sent
out during spring and summer 2008 and letters to the owners of the
properties are scheduled to be sent in September 2008.
- Staff has begun working with the City’s consultants
to initiate a sale of municipal bonds to provide approximately $25 million
in funding to design and construct the highest priority projects
indentified in the Watershed Management Plan. These projects include upgrades of the
Pier and Pico-Kenter Storm drains, upgrades to
the Santa Monica Urban Runoff Recycling Facility, funding for the Ocean
Park Boulevard Green Street Project, funding for additional Beach Greening
Projects in the City’s beach parking lots, as well as funding for joint
projects with the City of Los Angeles that affect Santa Monica’s
watershed. It is expected that
these bonds will be issued in late 2008.
- Staff has been proceeding with a number of important
urban runoff projects and initiatives that are not tied to Measure V as
they are funded by both outside grants as well as the City’s long-standing
stormwater parcel fee revenues. These recently
completed or substantially completed projects include dry-weather capture
and sewer diversion systems for the Montana Avenue storm drain and the Wilshire Boulevard
storm drain, and the Beach Greening project in the South Beach
parking lot. A conceptual design for the Bicknell Green Street project has
also been completed as have engineering and feasibility analyses for
runoff mitigation improvements to the Pier storm drain and the Pico-Kenter storm drain.
- On April 21, 2008 staff submitted a comprehensive
response to the Notice of Violation letter that the Regional Water Quality
Control Board transmitted to Santa Monica as
well as nearly two-dozen other Southern California
cities in March 2008. Santa Monica’s response, that was forwarded to
Council under separate cover, clearly identifies the unprecedented level
of resource investments both in capital projects and operational
improvements related to stormwater pollution
control that have been made by the City of Santa Monica over the past
several years.
Discussion
Citizens
Oversight Committee Resolution
The attached
resolution establishes a five (5) member Citizens Oversight Committee. The
responsibilities of the Committee are solely advisory to the City Council and
fall into three categories: 1) review of proposed capital and operating
expenditures from Measure V funds; 2) review of actual Measure V capital and
operating expenditures; and 3) review of proposed Measure V capital projects to
confirm consistency with established water quality improvement goals of the
program. The staff liaison to the
Committee shall be designated by the Director of Environmental and Public Works
Management.
The Committee
will set its own meeting schedule, but will be expected to meet at least
bi-annually. The Resolution stipulates that each Committee member will be
appointed for a two-year term and can be reappointed by Council for additional
terms without limitation. The Committee, with the assistance of its staff
liaison, will be charged with preparing and submitting an annual report to
Council on the responsibilities set forth above.
Financial Impacts &
Budget Actions
Staffing for the Citizens Oversight Committee will be conducted by
existing staff from the Environmental and Public Works Management Department
and will not require any additional budgetary allocation. Supplies and expenses for the Citizens
Oversight Committee are expected not to exceed $1000 per year and will be
funded annually by revenues generated by the Measure V parcel tax.
Next Steps
Staff plans to
return to Council this summer with an updated Measure V capital projects plan
based on the most updated regulatory compliance information, project budget
cost estimates, and bond financing information.
Prepared by: Dean Kubani, Environmental Programs Manager
|
|
|
Forwarded to Council:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Acting
Director, Environmental and Public Works Management
|
|
P. Lamont
Ewell
City Manager
|