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AN ORDINANCE authorizing the use of an interlocal agreement template for cities, towns, and metropolitan park districts for open space acquisition projects.
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STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. King County conservation futures tax levy proceeds are collected from throughout King County as a dedicated portion of property taxes, for the acquisition of open space and natural resource lands.
2. Ordinance 14714 established procedures for the annual allocation of conservation futures tax levy proceeds, which directs the conservation futures advisory committee to make funding recommendations to the executive, to consider for inclusion in the annual budget ordinance.
3. Starting in 1990 and through 2019, the executive, as authorized by the council, executed interlocal cooperation agreements with cities and park districts.
4. Ordinance 18978, enacted September 18, 2019, adopted a new interlocal agreement template for cities, towns and metropolitan park districts for open space acquisition projects. The new template has been adopted by cities and park districts as they have received conservation futures awards.
5. The executive has proposed Ordinance 2023-0183, which would update the conservation futures program policies by: reducing the required match for conservation futures tax funds from fifty percent to twenty-five percent; expanding eligible uses to include initial site stabilization activities associated with property acquisition, which are necessary to protect natural resources and reduce public safety risks; and making scheduling refinements and other minor process improvements.
6. If the proposed conservation futures policies updates are enacted, an amendment to existing interlocal agreements with cities, towns and metropolitan park districts will be needed. For cities, towns and metropolitan park districts that have not yet adopted an interlocal agreement approved by Ordinance 18978, a new version with the updates will be needed.
7. The existing interloc...

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