Drafter
Clerk 05/22/2002
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A MOTION requesting the conservation futures citizens committee to undertake additional oversight responsibilities pertaining to King County's conservation futures program.
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WHEREAS, conservation futures tax levy funds are collected by King County as a dedicated portion of the property tax and are, by statute, available only for the acquisition of open space and natural resource lands, and
WHEREAS, Ordinance 13717 describes a process for the annual distribution of conservation futures funds, which includes an allocation of conservation futures funds by the council after receiving a recommendation from the conservation futures citizens committee, and
WHEREAS, implementation of a conservation futures-funded project by a city or King County agency may require a change in the original project scope and the review and recommendation of such scope changes by the conservation futures citizens committee will assist King County in furthering completion of such a project, and
WHEREAS, an annual project progress report by the conservation futures citizen committee will assist King County in furthering the completion of projects and in reallocating funds from uncompleted to previously-approved projects with funding shortfalls or to new projects; and
WHEREAS, King County is seeking to encourage partnerships among jurisdictions in order to provide greater flexibility in meeting the conservation futures local matching funds requirement to assist them in purchasing open space lands in their communities.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:
The conservation futures citizens committee is requested to:
1. Review and make recommendations to the executive and the council on scope change requests for projects funded by conservation futures tax levy funds;
2. Develop a recommendation for an annual reporting process to the council and executive on the status of conservation futures-funded projects. The recommendation shall be submitted to the council by December 1, 2002, for approval by motion and shall consider the following:
a. The status of uncompleted conservation futures projects which have extended beyond two years of their authorization date with unexpended fund balances; and
b. The criteria for recommending the disappropriation of funds from uncompleted projects or the reallocation of funds from uncompleted to previously-approved projects with funding shortfalls or to new projects;
3. Review and make recommendations on the local matching funds requirements found in Ordinance 13717 to allow for matching contributions from project partners; and
4. Review the state statute pertaining to the conservation futures tax (RCW 84.04.230) and make recommendations to the council on expanding the use of the conservations futures tax and/or increasing the levy rate.