HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-01-2016 item 9, Sierra ClubCOUNCIL MEETING: it `O 1 /)w)(
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ITEM NO.: C! 1�
Gardner, Erica
To: Gallagher, Carrie
Subject: RE: 11/1/16 meeting: Adoption of 2020 Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan
From: Santa Lucia Chapter of the Sierra Club <sierraclub8@gmail.com> R1=CEIVED
Sent: Monday, October 31, 2016 8:28 PM NOV U 1 2016
To: Marx, Jan; Christianson, Carlyn; Carpenter, Dan; Rivoire, Dan; Ashbaugh, John
Subject: 11/1/16 meeting: Adoption of 2020 Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan I SLO► CITY C.ERK
S I L RR! L
CLUB
FOUNDED 1892
Oct. 31, 2016
RE: 11/1/16 meeting: Adoption of 2020 Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan
Dear Councilmembers,
Santa Lucia Chapter
P.O. Box 15755
San Luis Obispo, CA 93406
(805) 543-8717
www,santalucia.sierracigb.org
It was with some surprise that we discovered today the existence of this item on your Nov. 1 agenda and noted its
assertion of an "array of input... gathered from September to November 2015" including "more than 10 affinity groups
and sixty individuals." The Sierra Club was not among the affinity groups consulted, despite our long history of advocacy
for the preservation of open spaces and natural resources in the City of San Luis Obispo, including our involvement in
the creation of the Environmental Quality Task Force that led to the creation of the Natural Resources Manager position
and the City's greenbelt, and our involvement with the updates of the Conservation and Open Space Element and Land
Use and Circulation Element.
Though ostensibly a plan for parks and recreation, the Strategic Plan includes "Parks, Facilities and Open Space" as a
thematic area, and includes the Goal "Nurture Open Space" along with a dozen implementation actions, but no Natural
Resources staff are listed on the Strategic Plan Steering Team, nor is there mention of any input from the Natural
Resources Roundtable.
The objective of Goal 5.1, Nurture Open Space, is to "Implement the Open Space Maintenance Plan as well as all City
adopted Conservation Plans." When last we heard, about a year ago, your council directed staff to bring the
maintenance plan back for review in a year's time. It now appears that the Maintenance Plan is to be implemented
before it is reviewed.
The goal to "Implement the Open Space Maintenance Plan as well as all City adopted Conservation Plans" omits
reference to the Open Space Ordinance. This omission was a chronic problem during the creation of the O.S.
Maintenance Plan. Nowhere in the Goal 5 language is there reference to the protection of natural resources and habitat
as the first priority of the City's open space ordinance and policies. A reference to "education, conservation and
collaboration" presents these as co -equal measures, with the elaboration that "conservation" refers to "conservation
education." All other measures are directed at recreation, education and facilities. The plan to build a dedicated ranger
station was not a recommendation of the Natural Resources Roundtable but would consume a significant portion of the
Natural Resources budget for open space protection.
Nowhere in the text of the Strategic Plan is there reference to the agreed upon but yet to be implemented City policy
transferring all rangers from city parks to open space areas.
We strongly recommend that your council 1) remedy the above omissions in the Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan, 2)
withhold approval of the Strategic Plan until the promised review of the Open Space Maintenance Plan it incorporates
has taken place, and 3) integrate the recommendations of the Natural Resources Roundtable with the Strategic Plan and
incorporate the proceedings of the Roundtable to inform the goals and implementation measures of the Strategic plan.
Thank you for your attention to these issues,
r"
Andrew Christie, Chapter Director