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American River Messenger

Measure J Bond Oversight Committee Ensures Accountability

Apr 24, 2019 12:00AM ● By Story and photo by Shaunna Boyd

On April 9, FORPD staff and the Measure J Bond Oversight Committee met for the first time: (clockwise) Paula Lucas, Amy Larsen, Justin Drake, Gary Juels, Adria Walker, Darren Mounts, Christy Wallace, Dana Woodworker-Negri, Daniel Martin of Innovative Construction Services (who will be consulting on planning and construction), and Mike Aho.

FAIR OAKS, CA (MPG) - In November 2018, Fair Oaks residents voted to approve Measure J, a $26.9 million bond measure that will fund park improvements within the Fair Oaks Recreation and Park District (FORPD). S&P evaluated the District and gave them an AA- rating, which Ralph Carhart, chair of the FORPD Board of Directors, said is an excellent rating for a public agency that has never borrowed money before. The first $10 million of Measure J bonds were recently sold on the public market at a 2.67% interest rate.
The District wants to get Measure J projects started as soon as possible: “People want to see results. The residents gave us these funds and we want them to see the benefits.… It’s very exciting to finally be able to do something significant to improve the community,” said Carhart.
One of the accountability requirements of Measure J is the establishment of a Bond Oversight Committee (BOC) comprised of local citizens. The BOC will provide citizen input and fiscal oversight for any projects that use Measure J funds. Carhart described the committee’s role as “ensuring that Measure J projects conform to the terms of the bond.”
The FORPD Board accepted applications from interested volunteers until March 18, and the Community Resources Development Committee then reviewed the applications and recommended 10 people for confirmation to the BOC. Carhart said that the Board was looking for a diversity of ages, community involvement, and professional backgrounds to ensure that members of the BOC will offer varied perspectives and input.
On April 9 at the Old Fair Oaks Library, the BOC met for the first time. Mike Aho, FORPD administrator, opened the meeting and introduced Paula Lucas, who will act as BOC clerk, while Aho will be the project lead and primary staff contact.
Aho explained that the BOC must have at least five members, and the members must be over 18 and reside within the District boundaries. Members will serve terms of one year, and they may not serve more than five consecutive terms. Aho anticipates that the Measure J projects will be completed within five years, so BOC members could potentially remain on the committee for the duration of the projects.
The BOC must meet at least four times per year. Aho explained that meetings should be frequent in the beginning in order to get the projects underway as quickly as possible. After projects have been approved and are in process, the meetings will be held less frequently since they would just be waiting for projects to conclude and wouldn’t have any new items to discuss.
BOC members can be removed from the committee for ethics violations or for missing two consecutive meetings without a reasonable excuse. The BOC will be automatically terminated as soon as all Measure J funds are spent, or as soon as all projects funded by the bond are completed.
The BOC is responsible for informing the public about the District’s Measure J expenditures and providing a channel of communication between the Board and Fair Oaks residents. The BOC will report public engagement results and recommendations to the Board. The BOC will also review quarterly expenditure reports to ensure Measure J funds are only being spent on eligible projects and that bond funds are not being used for any unrelated staff, administrator, or operating expenses.
The members of the BOC are Adria Walker, Amy Larsen, Barbara Sestito, Christy Wallace, Dana Woodworker-Negri, Darren Mounts, Gary Juels, Justin Drake, Kim Sarkovich, and Rand Jacobs. Sestito and Sarkovich were unable to attend the first meeting.
Larsen, Drake, and Mounts worked on the Measure J campaign; Aho said they were instrumental in getting the bond passed. Jacobs, who has 12 years of experience as a former member of the District board, was elected as BOC chair, and Walker accepted the nomination to vice chair.
Measure J passed with a “68.93% approval rating. That’s an unprecedented level of support,” said Aho. “We had a great campaign team and great community support.”
Measure J projects are restricted by the bond language, so Aho explained that the required public outreach must take a focused approach and ask for specific input on projects eligible for Measure J funds.
The District’s top-priority projects are Fair Oaks Village renovations at Village Park, Plaza Park, and the Community Clubhouse; adding new softball fields and additional parking at Phoenix Park; and to replace McMillan Center with a brand-new recreation center for Fair Oaks.
At $26.9 million, Aho said Measure J is the smallest bond measure in California and “we’ll be watched carefully by other park districts to see how it’s progressing. Other parks are in the same situation looking for funds, so they’re looking to see how we handle this.”
BOC meetings are open to the public and are tentatively scheduled for the second Tuesday of each month.