$20 million bond measure: Public input encouraged at Monday meeting | SierraSun.com
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$20 million bond measure: Public input encouraged at Monday meeting

Jason ShuehSierra Sun

TRUCKEE, Calif. andamp;#8212; Another effort will be made next week to gauge community and stakeholder support of a potential $20 million bond measure to fund an aquatics center, performing arts center and new trails.The Truckee-Donner Recreation andamp; Park District board of directors meets at 7 p.m. Monday for a special bond measure meeting at the Truckee Community Recreation Center at 8924 Donner Pass Road.Anyone wishing to submit public comments regarding the bond measure is encouraged to attend.As written, the bond would provide a $12.5 million aquatic center, a $6.5 million performing arts center and about $8 million for the Legacy Trail, Tahoe Donner Connector Trail and Brockway Trail completion, for a total of $27 million. The additional $7 million will come from leftover funds from the recently built community center.Prior to Mondayandamp;#8217;s meeting, stakeholders representing aquatics, the arts and trails will meet privately with Charles Heath, a principal consultant with San Francisco firm TBWB Strategies, hired by TDRPD previously to research voter approval, to see whether or not they can agree on the bondandamp;#8217;s current format.andamp;#8220;Weandamp;#8217;ve got Charles coming, who is the bond consultant who did a lot of research for us,andamp;#8221; said board member Kevin Murphy. andamp;#8220;Theyandamp;#8217;re going to be meeting on their own; and hopefully, weandamp;#8217;ll get a lot of consensus compared from where we were before.andamp;#8221;Murphy said he and fellow board members will not attend the private meeting, so as not to interfere or steer the direction of the meeting one way or the other.At the public meeting, if there is a consensus, board members will have the chance afterward to vote on the bond measure.andamp;#8220;Since weandamp;#8217;ve called a special board meeting, the recreation board can make a decision that night; however, I donandamp;#8217;t see us making a decision even though we have the ability to,andamp;#8221; Murphy said. andamp;#8220;It will be more of meeting to discuss the bond, with a decision by the board to be made at our next monthly board meeting, the following Thursday night (Dec. 16).andamp;#8221;Speaking on his personal stance, Murphy said he hopes Mondayandamp;#8217;s special meeting will bring a joint consensus for the bond, as it would stimulate the community economically and provide much-needed facilities.andamp;#8220;I just look at all the benefits, and it would be ridiculous not to support it,andamp;#8221; he said. andamp;#8220;I think we need these things.andamp;#8221;Board member Peter Werbel said if the decision is made to go ahead with the bond, the next step would be to educate the community properly on the pros and cons of the measure to ensure it is acceptable to the districtandamp;#8217;s residents.andamp;#8220;Educating the public would be the next step and to raise money to educate the public on the pros of the bond,andamp;#8221; Werbel said. andamp;#8220;I think (public outreach) will be a massive campaign.andamp;#8221;


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