Despite the advice of a seasoned conservation finance consultant who suggested lowering the amount of a proposed $15 million open-land bond measure to something as low as $11 million, a coalition of Malibu residents decided to hold to the $15 million number for the November ballot.
If the bond measure passes, that $15 million would be used to purchase open land for parks, ballfields, a community center as well as numerous other programs in the Civic Center area.
The $15 million number could cause the measure to fail, according to Christopher Mann, a conservation finance consultant with Trust for Public Land, a nonprofit organization that works with communities to help protect open land. Asking for an amount that voters will support is the single largest determinant in whether a measure will pass or not, he said.
Measure O, a $15 million advisory bond measure on last November’s ballot that garnered only 59 percent of the vote, was not successful because voters didn’t understand what it was all about, or the price tag was too high, said Mann. ” A revised measure that provides more information and/or has less money has a good chance of passing,” he said.
Ozzie Silna, a member of the bond coalition steering committee, said the size of the bond coalition is less important than just getting it passed.
The Trust for Public Land’s Conservation Finance Program has worked with more than 80 communities in the last few years to assist in successful passage of similar ballot measures. Mann’s services are free of charge and the group intends to continue working with him.
“We like very much the suggestions he made and we think we’re very close to language the community will also like,” Silna said. The coalition presented the $15 million number to the City Council along with Mann’s suggestions. Ultimately, the amount of the bond and how the bond measure language will read on the November ballot will be up to the City Council.
The coalition’s steering committee approved the final language at a May 10 meeting. If approved by the City Council, the following language will appear on the November ballot: “Shall the City of Malibu acquire land for parks, playgrounds, playing fields, trails, a community center to serve children, teens, families, adults, and seniors with recreation, social and education programs; to protect natural areas and wildlife habitat; and to limit sprawl and traffic congestion; and issue its general obligation bond in the amount of $15 million? Not more than 10 percent of these funds shall be used for improvements or construction.”
Incorporating so many diverse interests into the bond language may also cause problems in the future, such as on what or how to spend the funds.
“Is it going to create an ideal trail?” asked Mann. “No it’s not.” Nor will it create an ideal playground, playing fields, etc., he added. “Nobody’s getting everything they want, but everybody’s getting a lot of what they want.” Mann added that each piece of land could serve multiple purposes. One piece of land can give Malibu residents their trail, their playground, and their playing field, he said.
City Councilmember Tom Hasse said the $15 million pool would allow Malibu to apply for grants two to three times that amount. ” I think the voters of Malibu will be pleasantly surprised how far $15 million can go,” said Hasse.
According to Hasse, the land in the Civic Center area is $500,000 to $1 million per acre. It will be up to the City Council to decide how the allotted $15 million will be distributed if the measure is successfully passed.
Mona Loo, a proponent of keeping the $15 million number, put things into perspective for Malibu residents voting in the November election. According to Loo, the approximate cost to a property owner would be a little less than $30 per hundred thousand dollars of assessed evaluation. Assessed evaluation can be found on one’s tax bill. It is listed as “net taxable value.”
Loo said it’s important to recognize that assessed evaluation is lower than market value and can be substantially lower depending on how long a person has owned their home. For example, a home with a $600,000 net taxable value would have a $180 increase in the annual tax bill ($30 x 6 = $180).
The coalition plans to launch an aggressive campaign to earn the support of Malibu residents. The group expects a low voter turnout since there are no other measures on the November ballot. There are 9,000 registered voters in Malibu. According to Loo, there is normally a 40 percent voter turnout. The coalition, however, only expects a 30 to 40 percent turnout this November.
Bond measure proponents are considering doing a test mailing (to get residents’ reactions to the bond measure language) from a randomly selected group of likely voters (voters who have voted in the last election). The group is also looking into conducting an informal poll in lieu of the test mailing.
Laureen Sills, founder of PARCs (People Achieving Recreation and Community Services), said Malibu doesn’t own anything of its own. “The city doesn’t even own a swing set or the land to put one on,” said Sills. “The city is 10 years old. It’s time to fish or cut bait.”