TRUCKEE, Calif. — Park and recreation officials will delay progress toward the proposed $20 million pools, arts and trails bond measure until after March, to not hamper the hyper-sensitive renewal of the school district's revenue-generating Measure A parcel tax.

Peter Werbel, board member for the Truckee-Donner Recreation and Park District, confirmed Monday the board made the decision at its meeting last week after agreeing with stakeholders that the bond — to provide new trails, an aquatics center and performing arts center — must be put on hold.

Measure A is slated for a March special election for Truckee/Tahoe voters. More details on the election will be published in future Sierra Sun stories.

“With Measure A coming up it was absolutely the feeling of everybody (on the board) that we didn't want to interfere with that bond issue going forward,” Werbel said.

Werbel said though the recreation bond is still progressing, no large public education campaigns for it will be done until after March — this will likely push the bond back to a November mail-in ballot vote, should it be approved.

The school district measure costs property owners a flat $98 tax each year and is proposed to be raised to $135 in March's special election. Measure A services include such things as school librarians, physical education teachers, music teachers and even student school supplies. The parcel tax raise will maintain current services and supplies at their same levels.

Donna Morgan, Measure A's campaign chair, said she could only express gratitude for the board's endorsement of Measure A and the vital services and supplies it provides to the community.

“I'm happily surprised; they must have done some research,” Morgan said. “I think that the group understands that the public school system and education is a vital part of our community.”

TTUSD Superintendent Steve Jennings said Tuesday he wasn't surprised, considering the school and park and rec districts have been holding talks about the two bond measures.

“Obviously, we don't want the measures to be butting heads,” Jennings said.

Werbel said another reason to delay is TDRPD's adoption of an arts committee, the main task of which is to gather input about the potential for a performing arts facility and to spearhead the bond's educational outreach campaign.

Survey says

Also at last week's meeting, aquatics, trails and performing arts stakeholders revealed results of a recent poll asking residents their desire for the bond and its potential amenities.

While the aquatics group showed 92 percent in favor of the bond, performing arts showed 62 percent in favor, with trails showing 55 percent in favor.

Despite smaller support for trails and performing arts, the board asked staff to continue pursuing the bond through an education campaign after the Measure A election and to hire consultant Charles Heath, principal consultant with San Francisco firm TBWB Strategies — hired by TDRPD previously for research — to conduct another survey.

Werbel said the reasoning for this is the fact many who oppose the bond do not have sufficient information.

“It's very obvious there is a lack of information, and changing people's minds is possible,” Werbel said.

Paco Lindsay, president of the Truckee Trails Foundation, said the No. 1 argument of the roughly 45 percent who oppose the bond, according to the recent poll, is the cost it would place on homeowners. The No. 2 argument is the opinion a new aquatics center isn't needed for the community at this time.

“It's kind of a diverse group, and some people know that trails can stand on their own,” Lindsay said, referring to another previous survey conducted by Heath that showed new trails as the highest priority among park and rec constituents.

“The biggest disparity for our members was the comment ‘I do not feel we need an aquatics center,' Lindsay said. “Nobody has a crystal ball on this one.”