Special assessments sometimes pay for
<br />streetlights that help to make c;ty
<br />neighborhoods safer.
<br />
<br />merit that results when property val-
<br />ues increase. Then, funds are taken
<br />from the tax increase and put toward
<br />specific improvements or one desig-
<br />nated project -- street improvements,
<br />for example.
<br /> Cities have long been faced with
<br />meeting the needs of current residents
<br />as well as needs arising from the con-
<br />struction of new developments.
<br />Growth in cities requires an approach
<br />to managing these changes.
<br /> Planning for and financing public
<br />infrastructure and services related to
<br />new development, as well as the gen-
<br />eral upkeep of built-out developments,
<br />remain high priorities for most com-
<br />munities as they focus on maintaining
<br />and improving quality of life.
<br /> In planning for future development,
<br />communities should consider the fol-
<br />lowing measures:
<br /> · Identify in the city's General Plan
<br />the improvements and facilities
<br />required to support future develop-
<br />ment through build-out;
<br /> · Determine the costs;
<br /> · As development occurs, identify
<br />when the improvements and facilities
<br />will be needed to preserve the com-
<br />munity's quality of life standards; and
<br /> · Identify how the improvements
<br />and facitities wit1 be paid for.
<br /> \Vhatever the method for improv-
<br />ing public infrastructure, a Public
<br />Facilities Financing Plan (PFFP) is
<br />key to ensuring that quality of life
<br />standards are maintained as new
<br />
<br />development proceeds. When these
<br />standards are not being met, the plan
<br />may provide for the postponement of
<br />new development until improvements
<br />are made.
<br />
<br />GARNERING SUPPORT
<br />Hand-in-hand with financing pub-
<br />lic infrastructure comes the challenge
<br />of generating support from city and
<br />county residents. And whether it's
<br />sewage, street lighting, parks and
<br />recreation facilities or simply ensuring
<br />safe and clean neighborhoods, open
<br />communication between city manage-
<br />ment and the community is the dri-
<br />ving force behind making positive
<br />change a reality.
<br /> Esther Feldman, director of the Los
<br />Angeles field office for the Trust for
<br />Public Land, a California-based non-
<br />profit land conservation organization,
<br />is responsible for encouraging the
<br />development of local funding sources
<br />for creating new parks and recreation
<br />opportunities in L.A. County.
<br /> "In Los Angeles County, there is a
<br />strong need for parks, recreation, the
<br />protection of natural land and at-risk
<br />youth and senior facilities," says Feld-
<br />man. "Because we have never kept up
<br />these facilities, it is not just an unmet
<br />need for our population, but there's a
<br />real backlog of these needs."
<br /> Feldman was involved in pushing
<br />for the 1996 Safe Parks Initiative last
<br />November, as well as an earlier initia-
<br />tive approved by voters in 1992. The
<br />two measures provide $839 million in
<br />funding for specific projects.
<br /> To garner county-wide support for
<br />the initiative, meetings were held in
<br />75 cities. Every mayor, city manager
<br />and parks director was contacted.
<br />Meanwhile, a citizens' advisory com-
<br />mittee was established with members
<br />representing civic organizations,
<br />seniors, at-risk youth and conserva-
<br />tion groups.
<br /> This group would oversee develop.
<br />ment of the measure, review all specif-
<br />ic project proposals, approve the final
<br />list of projects and authorize the fund-
<br />ing breakdown.
<br /> Throughout this process, Feldman
<br />and her team worked closely with the
<br />board of supervisors in each city and
<br />communicated with community mem-
<br />bers regularly through materials, let-
<br />ters, meetings and phone calls.
<br />
<br /> AMERICAN CITY ~. COUNTY
<br />
<br />COMPONENT FUNDING
<br />"The greatest challenge was to
<br />address all the needs," says Feldman.
<br />"Determining who would get the
<br />money and who wouldn't was the job
<br />of the citizens' advisory committee.
<br />Beyond that, we tried to break down
<br />the projects into fundable parts so
<br />someone who submitted a request for
<br />$10 million in phases might only
<br />receive funding for the first phase."
<br /> This flexible approach translated
<br />into 140 funded projects, ranging from
<br />the purchase of land and construction
<br />of facilities for gang prevention efforts
<br />to construction of new playgrounds
<br />and softball diamonds to the purchase
<br />of natural lands for mountain and
<br />canyon conservation.
<br /> Communication was also key for
<br />officials in La Caftada Flintridge,
<br />Ca[if., after residential septic' t'anks
<br />began to fail in certain areas.
<br />Installing a new sewer system was
<br />clearly the most cost-effective option,
<br />but the challenge was to solicit com-
<br />munity support despite the many resi-
<br />dents whose septic tanks were still
<br />working fine.
<br />
<br /> City leaders first reviewed petitions
<br />that had been signed by 70 percent of
<br />the residents on 21. city streets. A sew-
<br />er boundary had to be identified to
<br />develop a sensible project. Next, the
<br />city determined why residents would
<br />want to update their sewer systems
<br />and communicated their responses
<br />through newsletters, 12 community
<br />meetings, a toll-free telephone num-
<br />ber, an lnternet address and a help
<br />line that provided project updates.
<br /> Polls show that of those responding,
<br />75 percent of residents in the affected
<br />area favor the sewer project. Thus, the
<br />city is proceeding with formulation of
<br />the final engineering design and
<br />assessment district. If the majority of
<br />property owners approve the assess-
<br />ment district, construction is set to
<br />begin this (all. gz
<br />
<br /> Angelique Lucero is vice president of
<br />financial managemem for Willdan Asso-
<br />ciates, an Anaheim, Califl, civiI engi-
<br />neering firm. She has overseen developer
<br />impact fee analysis and helped cities and
<br />counties establish more than 100 assess-
<br />ment and community facilities disrr/cts.
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<br />AMERICAN CITY & COUNTY
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