Measure R recommendations head to dais
After months of deliberation, the Mammoth Lakes Recreation Commission finalized its recommendations for the Fall 2011 Measure R award cycle on Jan. 19.
The Commission came to a 5-1 consensus to send the following recommendations to the Town Council. Commissioner Pat Agnitch was the dissenting commissioner. The Council will review and take action on the recommendations at its Feb. 1 regular meeting according to Town Recreation Manager Stuart Brown.
Monies were recommended for the Trails End Park, the Meadow Creek Path grant match, recreation programming enhancements (specifically gymnastics and a tennis backboard), the Mammoth Lakes Trail System coordinating committee, Whitmore Pool enhancements, and Community Center Tennis Court rehabilitation.
The total of these recommendations is $355,350. The remaining Measure R fall funds had already been earmarked for the Mammoth Lakes Trail System completion of the Town’s component, the Mammoth Track Project, maintenance to the bike rack project and the signage and wayfinding projects, and the Town’s administration fee for the Measure R process.
The entire total for the Measure R fall funding recommendations comes to $718,094.
Some of the funding recommendations, if approved by Council, would be broken up between the 2011/12 and the 2012/13 fiscal years, Brown explained. For example, the Commission recommended that the Trails End Park receive $300,000, but only $100,000 of that amount would be part of an amendment to the 2011/12 budget while the remaining $200,000 would be part of the 2012/13 budget.
Included in the Commission’s recommendations was the push to earmark up to $300,000 of Measure R funds each year for the Mammoth Lakes Trail System. An application was submitted in this fall process not for any money from the fall award, but just for the Commission to begin to consider the idea of this process.
“The idea was put out there in the fall process in order to have time to consider it and get it into this year’s budget cycle,” Brown explained of the application.
The goal is to have up to $300,000 of Measure R money earmarked and included in the Town’s budget cycle so that the MLTS does not have to submit an application each year.
Some members of the community have questioned the validity of doing this and are concerned about Mammoth Lakes Trails and Public Access’ ties to the process.
After taking into account the public concern the Commission, minus Agnitch, recommended that this process be approved for a five year time period with an annual review. Agnitch preferred that the process only be approved for one year at this time, which is why she voted against the recommendations, according to Brown.
If Council approves the bundle of recommendations on Wednesday, the $300,000 earmark would enter into this year’s budget process, which will be kicking off in the next few weeks.
Measure R applicants that did not receive the Commission’s recommendation were the Gateway Monument Community Project and a Special Events Feasibility study that had been withdrawn by Town staff.
