Open Space Committee: “Our Work is Complete”

Thomas Gilbert, Regional Conservation Services Director for The Trust for Public Land (TPL), discussed with the members of the Upper Saucon Open Space Study Committee on May 23, recommendations based on the result of the findings of a feasibility study and a public opinion survey conducted last month.

Peter Staffeld, committee member, will present the following recommendations to the township’s Board of Supervisors at the July 18 meeting:

• An open space ballot measure may be feasible on the November 2012 ballot. We recommend additional polling in early 2012 to gauge this.
• Voters favor an increase in the Earned Income Tax over a bond measure.  Based upon the polling, we recommend an increase of .05, at a cost of less than $50 annually to the average household.
• The inclusion of a ten-year sunset on an increase in the Earned Income Tax did not impact voter support for a ballot measure and so we do not recommend including a sunset.
• The top uses for funds supported by voters polled included:

1. Protect drinking water sources
2. Protect water quality in rivers, lakes and streams
3. Preserve farmland
4. Preserve natural areas
5.  Preserve open space

            Based upon these findings, we recommend including these purposes in the ballot measure.

• A large margin of voters are more likely to support a ballot measure if they knew that, 1) a citizen’s advisory committee would guide the township in their decision-making, 2) there would be an annual independent audit of how funds are spent, 3) land would be purchased on a strictly voluntary basis from willing landowners, 4) the public would have access to lands purchased, and 5) funds raised locally would be matched.  We recommend highlighting these accountability measures in the program design and ballot language.
• The following ballot language is recommended by TLP:  Upper Saucon Township Water and Land Conservation Referendum – "Do you favor the imposition of an additional Earned Income Tax at the rate of one-twentieth of one percent (0.05%) by Upper Saucon Township to be used for the purpose of acquiring lands or interests in lands to protect drinking water sources and water quality, and to preserve farmland, natural areas and other open spaces, with oversight by a citizen advisory committee and an annual public audit of expenditures?"
• In the interim, we recommend an educational program to better inform residents about open space preservation issues in Upper Saucon Township…

It was the consensus of the 11 members of the Upper Saucon Open Space Study Committee present at the meeting that their work is now complete and it is no longer necessary to meet.