11-30-16 Council Agenda Packet - amended

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CE,O|CFFS|M2016 ITY OF UGENEREGON ONSERVATION INANCE EASIBILITY TUDY AY The Trust for Public Land is a national nonprofit land conservation organization working to protect land for human enjoyment and well-being. The Trust for Public Land helps conserve land for parks, greenways, recreation areas, watersheds and wilderness. Since 1972, the Trust for Public Land has protected more than 3 million acres and completed more than 5,200 park and conservation projects. To help public agencies or land trusts acquire land, the Trust for Public Land’s Conservation Finance program assists communities in identifying and securing public financing. The Trust for Public Land offers technical assistance to elected officials, public agencies, and community groups to design, pass, and implement public funding measures that reflect popular priorities. Helping communities to secure dedicated conservation funding is often the tipping point that can lead to deeper ecological responsibility, including more prudent land use, better managed growth, and the increased protection of natural landscapes. To stimulate engagement across jurisdictions and constituencies, the Trust for Public Land has historically found effective partnerships among a broad spectrum of players, from the environmental left to the fiscally conservative right, and recognizes that it is important to consistently explore new tools that can encourage and strengthen the willpower of the voters to seek dedicated conservation funds. This focused, up-front investment pays dividends over the long-term in voter-supported funding that is dedicated to conservation. Since 1996, the Trust for Public Land has been involved in nearly 500 successful ballot measures and 20 successful legislative campaigns that have created more than $57 billion in new funding for parks, restoration, and land conservation. Voters have approved 81 percent of the ballot measures assisted by the Trust for Public Land, including 12 successful measures in Oregon since 1996. Recent successes include the passage of a $68 million bond for park improvements and upgrades in the City of Portland in 2014, as well as the passage of a 5-year local option property levy of 9.6 cents per $1,000 for park improvement, operations, and maintenance in the Portland Metro special district in 2013.These measures passed with 74 and 56 percent support, respectively. In 2012, voters in the Bend Park and Recreation District approved a $29 million bond for the purpose of protecting natural areas, connecting trails, improving parks, and providing water safety. Also in 2012, a $20 million bond for the acquisition and improvement of parks, trails, watersheds, wildlife habitat, and other natural areas was passed by voters in the Willamalane Park and Recreation District. These measures passed with 52and 53 percent support, respectively. The City of Eugene has asked the Trust for Public Land to explore public funding options available for parks and recreationin the city. Given the substantial investment of time and resources required for a successful conservation finance initiative, preliminary research is essential to determine the feasibility of such an effort. This research provides a stand-alone, fact-based reference document 1,2 that can be used to evaluate financing mechanisms from an objective vantage point. If cityofficials decide to pursue a funding option, then such options should match political and fiscal realities in the city. A possible next step could be testing voter attitudes toward a specific set of funding proposals. The Trust for Public Land would then recommend conducting a public opinion survey that tests ballot language, tax tolerance, and program priorities of Eugene voters. 1 The contents of this report are based on the best available information at the time of research and drafting, March-April 2016. 2 This feasibility study is not a legal document and should not be relied upon as a legal opinion. TTPL::CFD5 HE RUST FOR UBLIC AND ONSERVATION INANCE EPARTMENT