Town Council Meeting Notes, Sewer Lateral Replacement Grant Program, and Green Award

Town Council Meeting Notes

At the special meeting of Monday, August 5, the Town Council voted to put a one-half percent (.5%) transaction and use tax measure for general purposes on the ballot.

For background, at the meeting of Tuesday, May 14, 2013, the Town Council heard a presentation from the Financial Advisory Committee that included their recommendations concerning the Town’s financial health and ongoing needs.  The Committee found that the Town has done a good job of managing expenses and that significant work has been done in reducing expenses.  The Committee also found that further significant progress on meeting the Town’s most urgent needs, such as street and storm drain maintenance, would require going to the voters for a supplemental tax measure.  The Committee recommended that the Council put a sales tax measure on the upcoming ballot.  A public opinion poll was conducted in June 2013 with the following key findings:

• Local voters are highly satisfied with the performance of Town government, and satisfaction has increased since 2006.

• Voters express a higher degree of concern about street and road conditions than about many other issues facing the Town.

At its meeting of July 9, 2013, the Town Council directed staff to draft a proposed transactions and use tax (sales tax) measure for the Council’s consideration and for potential submission to the voters.

The ballot question that was approved to be submitted to the voters is:

To repair potholes, repave roads, reduce traffic congestion, maintain and improve sidewalks/drainage/street medians, preserve public safety, and improve other general Town services, facilities, and infrastructure, shall the Town of San Anselmo establish a one-half percent (.5%) sales tax for ten years, with annual independent audits, mandatory public expenditure reports, and an independent citizens’ oversight committee with all funds staying in San Anselmo under local control?

The proposed “transactions and use tax” would be imposed on tangible personal property sold at retail stores in the Town or purchased outside the Town for specific use in the Town.  For example, the tax would be collected on taxable items sold within the Town, but would also be imposed on purchases of automobiles sold outside of Town that are registered within the Town.

This .5% tax on sales would be a “general tax,” meaning that the revenue raised from the tax would go into the Town’s general fund and could be used for any municipal governmental purpose.  However, the Town Council adopted a ‘statement of intent’ making clear their priority is for addressing the Town’s most pressing needs, such as street and storm drain maintenance.

The proposed ordinance that will go before the voters includes the following features:

• Annual independent audits with mandatory public expenditure reports.
• An independent citizens’ oversight committee comprised of members of the community.
• A duration of ten (10) years.
• Authority to contract with the State Board of Equalization to administer and collect the tax.

For more information on the proposed measure, go to the Town’s website at

http://www.townofsananselmo.org/index.aspx?nid=707.

Green Award

Dick Glanville received the Quality of Life Green Award from the Town Council on Monday, August 5, for volunteering his services to San Anselmo over the years as a landscape architect.  Congratulations Dick and thank you!

Sewer Lateral Replacement Grant Program

The Ross Valley Sanitary District Board has allocated $350,000 of their Capital Budget for the Lateral Replacement Grant program.  Property owners with leaking and damaged laterals may be eligible for reimbursement up to $2,500 for replacing their private lateral.

If you experience chronic problems, such as backups and overflows that require ongoing professional plumbing maintenance, you probably have a lateral in need of repair.

For information on the grant program and how to apply, call the Ross Valley Sanitary District offices at (415) 259-2949, or visit the website at www.rvsd.org.

San Anselmo News, published weekly on Fridays, is available at the San Anselmo Town Hall, Library, on the Public Notice Bulletin Board. It is also available on the Town’s website, www.townofsananselmo.org, and by email subscription.