Memorandum
Date: February 7, 2023
To: The Honorable Lake County Board of Supervisors
From: Lars Ewing, Public Services Director
Subject: Consideration of Update on Lake County Recreation Center Efforts
Executive Summary:
On September 20, 2022, your Board received a presentation summarizing the results of a study exploring the feasibility of developing a public recreation center and/or swimming pool in Lake County. The study was the product of a multi-year effort between the County, the City of Clearlake, and the City of Lakeport, and included public input, site selection, program development, conceptual design, capital and operating cost estimates, organizational management options, and partnership opportunities. Both the interim and final feasibility studies are included as attachments to this staff report. After receiving the presentation your Board directed staff to continue participation for future project development and to further investigate a joint powers authority (JPA).
On October 19, 2022, representatives from the County and the two cities met to receive a presentation from consultants with similar JPA expertise, namely Jones Hall Law and NHA Municipal Advisors. The slides from that presentation are included as an attachment to this staff report. The consensus of the meeting was to move the concept forward with a JPA for a countywide recreation agency and also to conduct preliminary polling to gather more refined data about public support for the idea. A draft joint powers agreement is currently under review by the three jurisdictions, and a polling strategy is in development.
Recreation facilities of the sort envisioned by the feasibility study will require significant capital and operational financing. Potential funding mechanisms above and beyond direct facility use revenue include jurisdiction contributions, other partnering agency contributions, state and federal requests, grants, donations, and joint use agreements. It is likely that a funding gap will exist even after a successful campaign to generate funding from the previously mentioned sources. One apparent method to fill the funding gap would be for the JPA, if approved, to form a countywide Mello-Roos community facilities district (CFD) and place a ballot measure for voter approval of a special tax that could pay for debt service on authorized bonds and operation costs associated with the recreation facilities.
Similar presentations were given by city staff to Lakeport and Clearlake city councils last week. Consideration of the JPA by your Board and the two city councils is tentatively planned for the end of February.
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Recommended Action: Update only; direction to staff