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Monday's Internet Edition, January 05, 2009.
RM Ad Hoc Committee looks to cities in surrounding area
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Photo by Wendy Smith
Rancho Murieta Ad Hoc Governance Committee members (from left) Frank Simmons, Paul Gumbinger and Lisa Taylor listen to queries presented by John Sullivan on the parcel tax issue. The committee met on Wednesday, Oct. 8.
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By Wendy Smith
River Valley Times Staff
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The Rancho Murieta Ad Hoc Governance Committee met Wednesday, Oct. 8 and continued to look toward other cities in order to make recommendations on efficiency.
Committee member Ted Hart has spent time in the last month in Ione, a city comparable to Rancho Murieta in size and governing methods, in order to find ways of gleaning as much money and support as RM is entitled to from Sacramento County. “Ione receives $162,000 per year in gas taxes, which provides them with 25% of their maintenance budget," said Hart. "They have also received two one-time federal grants."
Hart added, “While that might be difficult for us to get given the current economic situation, it is something to look at. I was surprised at how much money they got.”
Member Jerry Pasek again raised the question of gas taxes and whether it might be advantageous to have a supply in RM that comes from a wholesaler that the CSD could use for its vehicles. “If we’re spending something like $150 per day on gas for our vehicles, it might be something to take seriously,” said Pasek.
The committee also invited resident Earl Hendricks to speak at the meeting in regards to municipality. Hendricks was a resident in Citrus Heights when the city became incorporated. “It was a very long and drawn-out battle,” said Hendricks. “Citrus Heights spends enormous amounts of money in legal battles."
In evaluating city options, member Lisa Taylor had information on the bare minimum that a community must possess in order to become a city. “Essentially, the major thing we would have to worry about would be providing a police department. We don’t necessarily have things like public roads to worry about,” she said. “That’s about as ‘city-like’ as you can get.”
The committee was also able to get financial information from both the RM Community Services District and the Rancho Murieta Association in order to compare and contrast. Member George Roper said, “We got everything that we wanted; absolutely no one stonewalled us.” The committee will review both financial reports to evaluate and recommend more efficient ways of spending funds.
CSD General Manager Ed Crouse reported back to the board on ownership in regards to RM lakes. “The CSD only has the ability to enforce rules and ordinances on property that it owns or takes care of. While the CSD has an easement on the commodity of water, the land itself belongs to the RMA,” said Crouse. “As such, we cannot enforce any county or state laws on the water.”
Sullivan also called for any questions that the committee would like to ask the county. “That way we can have a written request for information and receive a written response, which provides a formality to the answers we receive,” said Sullivan.
One such question that the committee will be asking is in regards to the parcel tax and the fire department. “We need clarification on whether, in 2000, we renewed in perpetuity, or if there is a deadline and what that means in terms of potentially getting money back to our residents,” said Sullivan.
The next Ad Hoc Governance Committee meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at the CSD building.
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