Measure S money shifting

unedited 2/09 Tahoe Mt. News

By Kathryn Reed

Nine years after voters approved a bond to build four ballparks, an ice rink and fund bike trail maintenance, the powers that be want to amend Measure S.
The revision expected to be before voters in November is necessary because language in the September 2000 document says the ball fields must be built near the college. One is already in the ground.
What’s being proposed is revamping the three existing baseball diamonds near the South Lake Tahoe recreation complex and Al Tahoe school. This would count as the three remaining fields under Measure S.
“I am an advocate for shifting gears; for getting three baseball fields to spec,” said Gary Moore, director of the city’s Parks and Rec Department. His department manages the money the city receives from Measure S.
The ball fields on Lake Tahoe Unified School District property are maintained by the city. Their substandard size and quality prohibit youth baseball and softball tournaments from being played there. That would change if they are revamped. However, the improvements would not accommodate adult leagues.
Norma Santiago, El Dorado County supervisor who is on the board overseeing Measure S, said the Al Tahoe site is a “better return on investment.” Plus, she added, it means no trees to cut and no coverage issues to worry about.
Much like the $1.3 million Measure S soccer field adjacent to Lake Tahoe Community College, the reconfigured diamonds would use artificial turf. One advantage is not having the projected $30,000 water bill per field. Artificial turf also lasts longer, allows athletes to use it sooner and later in the season, and reduces injuries.
Bill Crawford, South Lake Tahoe’s city councilman on the Measure S board, said questions exist as to who owns the land by the college. He said he hasn’t been able to get a straight answer nor has he seen the deed for the land.
Debbie Henderson, who represents Tahoe Paradise Resort, is the third board member.
Upton, who is the administrator for the bond measure, said the one ball field was built on the old Caltrans right-of-way which was abandoned when the agency decided not to build a highway. That land now belongs to the California Tahoe Conservancy, which granted an easement for the ball field.
Land in that area is owned by Lake Tahoe Community College, Marjorie Springmeyer, El Dorado County and South Tahoe Public Utility District.
Crawford said when a group of citizens came before the three-member joint powers authority board with the idea of moving the ball fields the argument was that they’d never get built at the college so they have to move. “I believe that,” Crawford said.
A series of meetings are scheduled to bring the public up to speed and for residents to ask questions. The tentative dates are April 9, May 6, May 21 and June 19. The South Lake Tahoe city clerk’s office and Santiago’s office will have specifics about location and time.

History and finances

With two-thirds needed, the $5.8 million bond and special tax passed in September 2000 with 69 percent. Single family residences in the district, which covers El Dorado County in the basin, are assessed $18 a year. Larger properties pay on a sliding scale. The measure sunsets June 30, 2030.
The $625,000 that is collected annually is spent on:
· Bond principal and debt of nearly $400,000;
· Tahoe Paradise Resort Improvement District, $50,000 a year. Upton said improvements to the tennis courts are expected this building season;
· Ball field maintenance, $50,000 year. What isn’t spent stays in the account;
· Bike route maintenance on trails put in since 2000 at $5,000 per mile up to 25 miles for a total of $125,000/year;
· Administrative costs, which includes about $4,000 a year to Upton. He is paid $40/hour and the only person on the payroll. The city and county have chosen not to take on the job because each says it would cost them more than what it costs an independent individual to be administrator.
The bulk of the bond money was spent on the $4.3 million city ice rink that opened in spring 2002 and the $1.3 million ball field that was ready in June 2005.
The county conducted an audit in 2006. It was discovered the three entities involved were not reporting maintenance expenditures. Some people questioned the need to pay for upkeep of the caretaker’s residence at Tahoe Paradise as well as other purchases.
Upton believes the financial questions are in the past.
However, even if the electorate agrees to move the would-be ball fields, the money to do so is not in hand. Upton, who helped spearhead Measure S, said when language was being crafted a decade ago and dollar amounts bandied about no one really knew how much it would cost to build a ball field.
He says the money not being spent on bike trail maintenance could be used to redevelop the baseball fields.

Bike trail issues

Roughly seven miles of bike trails have been constructed since the passage of Measure S, with more targeted to be laid down soon. Those include the nearly completed trail by Lake Tahoe Golf Course. In the planning stage are the Sawmill route and Lake Tahoe Boulevard from the city limits to Tahoe Mountain Road.
Trails in the city qualifying for Measure S maintenance dollars include a mile on each side of Ski Run Boulevard, less than a mile by the community ball field, 15th Street and Lyons Avenue.
Moore and Upton are not in sync with how the bike maintenance money should be used.
“If you want to manage this money properly, you want to save that money for restoration in the future,” Moore said of the unspent bike trail maintenance funds. “You want to have that money in the bank. That is the intent of Measure S.”
Moore believes in 10 to 15 years when those trails need to be resurfaced the money will be in hand to do so.
Upton believes the bike funds could be used “on the other allowed facilities” while the bike trails don’t exist.
“(Those funds) could go toward redeveloping alternative fields in the new location, but we need voter authorization to do that,” Upton said.
Because the amendment is not finalized, it is not known if how the money is distributed will be changed in the document along with altering the language about where the ball fields can be located.
Already some of the Measure S dollars have been spent on the nearly completed rest room/snack bar by the college ball field and extra maintenance for the Ski Run bike trails.