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Welcome
City Councilmember Joan Lubamersky opened the meeting by thanking the Committee members for volunteering for the Larkspur 2050 project. Joan said the Committee's work is be vital. The City Council is asking the Committee and the Citizens of Larkspur to study the City's long range needs and prioritize projects and funding mechanisms. Joan introduced Jean Bonander, City Manager of Larkspur.
Jean also thanked the members for volunteering for the Larkspur 2050 project. She said the work would be challenging, informative and fun. Jean briefly explained her background - five years as City Manager of Larkspur and previous experience at two other cities - and invited Committee members to introduce themselves. Jean introduced Chuck Curley, Chair of our Committee.
Our self-introductions showed a remarkable range of backgrounds and interests. Committee members have lived in Larkspur anywhere from eighteen months to 40+ years. We come from a variety of professional backgrounds, including education, accounting, high tech, small business, government and engineering. Many members are raising families in the community, and a number of us are retired. All of the members expressed a strong fondness for the community and a desire to give something back.
Project Overview
Jean Bonander gave an overview of the project and the desired outcomes. The City Council began to discuss the need for this project two years ago when it was considering needed repairs for City Hall. Last November staff presented a report to the City Council (the Committee has a copy of this report) explaining the City's overall budget picture and its long-range infrastructure needs. The study showed that the cost of needed improvements far exceeds expected revenues. The Council determined that this Committee should be formed to study the issues and to recommend priorities and new funding sources.
The Committee will need to take a long-range visionary view of the problem as well as a short-range practical approach. Staff will present data on needs and how the City gets its revenue. The Committee's objective will be to develop a strategic plan that is very detailed for the first five years and more general for the succeeding ten year increments, out to 2050.
Jean concluded by stressing the importance of involving the public in the process. She asked Committee members to tell their neighbors about the project and encourage them to come to Committee meetings. The Committee will sponsor a series of workshops for the public in addition to the regular monthly meetings.
The meeting was opened for questions:
- Is it typical to have such a disparity between needs and revenues?
Ans. In California local government revenues have gradually deteriorated since 1978. The situation is further complicated in our community because the city is built out and we have avoided pursuing retail development for the sake of sales tax revenues.
- Can we have a map?
Ans. Yes!
- Will we be getting demographic data and projections? Will we be given information on City properties?
Ans. Yes. Staff is preparing "fact sheets" of information the Committee will need to do its work, including demographics.
- We share a police department with Corte Madera. Are there other joint efforts?
Ans. Yes. The City belongs to numerous "Joint Power Agreements" in which we pool resources with other communities for such things as the countywide radio system.
- We need publicity for this project; how do we get people on the mailing list?
Ans.: If you have names to put on the mailing list, or if you know someone who would like to put names on the list, contact the City Manager's office at 927-5110 or e-mail the Manager's office at www.ci.larkspur.ca.us. We will be doing direct mailings to every household in the City, and we will be working with the Marin Independent Journal for newspaper coverage.
- We need a briefing on how the City is funded.
Ans.: Staff will develop a presentation
Project Goals
Jean Bonander asked Committee members to discuss what they want to achieve through their participation in the project.
Grace Hughes said she is looking for a process that will get the opinions and perceived needs of individuals and constituencies.
Eleanor Hein expressed her wish for a balanced, objective, non-political process.
Sallyanne Wilson said she hopes we can think outside the box. She wants a process open to new ideas, reflecting today's technology and environment. This is a rare opportunity for the community to take the long view of itself.
Hi Patton asked for clarification of the project priorities as described in the City Council's charge to the Committee. Councilmembers Joan Lubamersky and Ron Arlas responded that the Council set the priorities as a starting point, and that the Committee should not let these initial priorities limit its work.
A member of the audience commented that the Committee should remember to consider the needs of other agencies and the burden they may put on the taxpayer.
The Work Program
Jean Bonander walked us through the work program and schedule (attached). The schedule is in three phases:
1. Orientation, needs and goals;
2. Alternatives and choices;
3. Priority selection.
Each phase will include a Town Meeting designed to solicit as much citizen input as possible. Committee members had questions:
- Where will the Central Larkspur Specific Plan (CLASP) intersect with this project?
Ans.: At this time it looks like the two projects will be providing information to each other between November and February. CLASP will provide information on such things as the likely value of land in the project area. CLASP can evaluate the feasibility of certain public uses in terms of land use suitability. The 2050 Project can advise CLASP on the need and/or priority for various public facilities that might be considered for the Specific Plan area.
- How will we encourage public input? Will people be invited to react or to initiate ideas?
Ans.: A variety of techniques are available to help the public propose ideas and to respond to proposals from the Committee. The most important thing is to structure the participation process to answer the Committee's questions.
- Are we reinventing the wheel?
Ans.: No. Many cities have successfully prioritized their long-range needs and fiscal plans. Also, the citizen participation process the Council has set out follows a model that has been used other places. Our consultant team specializes in this type of thorough-going community involvement process.
Next Steps
Jean Bonander gave a detailed overview of the City's budget picture. She promised to prepare and distribute a written version of her presentation.
We covered the following points in our wrap up of the meeting:
- staff will find a different meeting place with better acoustics;
- the best meeting time for most members is Thursday evenings; Tuesday nights will work if we need an alternative;
- we are a Brown Act committee which means all meetings are open to the public and must be held within the City limits;
- we will look into taping meetings for the benefit of people who can not attend;
- we will tour city facilities on Saturday, September 18.
- Committee members asked to receive a roster the CLASP Committee
Close
We adjourned at 9:45PM.
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