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<br />129 <br />distributed back to the county and cities within the county levying <br />the tax on a prorated per capita basis (1.0 for population in <br />incorporated areas). Revenues must be spent for "general <br />transportation purposes" including the construction, maintenance, <br />and operation of county streets, country roads and state highways, <br />policing of local roads, public transportation, high capacity <br />transportation, transportation planning and design and other <br />transportation related activities such as land and water trails. The <br />local option fee does not require voter approval. <br /> <br />§ PRSA (Parks & Recreation Service Area) – RCW 36.68.400 <br />authorizes voters to approve formation of park and recreation <br />service areas as junior taxing districts for the purpose of financing <br />the acquisition, construction, improvement, maintenance, or <br />operation of any park or recreational facility. PRSAs may assess up <br />to $0.15 per $1,000 assessed valuation subject to voter approval. A <br />PRSA can generate revenue from either the regular or excess <br />property tax levies and through general obligation bonds, subject to <br />voter approval. <br /> <br />§ MPD (Metropolitan Park District) - In 2002, the state legislature <br />authorized the establishment of metropolitan park districts (MPD) <br />as special units of government that may be wholly independent of <br />any involvement with a city, county, or any other local public <br />agency or jurisdiction or that may utilize an existing elected body <br />like the Kittitas Park & Recreation District Commissioners or Kittitas <br />County Commissioners. <br /> <br />Metropolitan park districts may provide recreational facilities that <br />are specific to the district’s boundaries in return for the district <br />residents’ agreement to pay the special development, operation, <br />and maintenance costs utilizing special financing devices. <br /> <br />Metropolitan park districts may be initiated by local government <br />resolution or citizen petition following hearings on feasibility and <br />costs studies of the proposed district’s facility development or <br />operation costs on the viability of other junior taxing districts <br />within the jurisdiction. <br /> <br />The proposal must ultimately be submitted for voter approval (50%) <br />including all provisions relating to any special financing <br />agreements. The voters must initially approve the formation of the <br />district, and may designate existing elected officials, or a body <br />appointed by existing elected officials or elect district <br />commissioners or officers solely responsible for park and <br />recreation policy. <br /> <br />Voters must also approve the establishment of a continuous levy <br />as a junior taxing district – compared with 3 year levies under a <br />recreation service district to provide maintenance, repair, <br />operating costs, and facility acquisition and development projects. <br />Metropolitan park districts can be flexible and used to provide local <br />or countywide recreational facilities in the same variety of custom <br />service choices with the exception that the financing levy may be as <br />a junior taxing district with a continuous levy. <br /> <br />The Tacoma Metropolitan Park District was established in 1909 and <br />is the largest and oldest recreation park district in the State of <br />Washington. The Seattle Metropolitan Park District was adopted by <br />city voters in 2014 with the Seattle City Council designated as the <br />governing body. <br /> <br />Implications – Kittitas County must adopt one or more of these <br />program options in order to generate matching funds for RCO <br />administered state and federal grants and/or with which to directly <br />fund most or all portions of the public access site enhancements, <br />acquisitions, and development proposals in this public river access <br />plan. The Board of Commissioners (BOCC), after consulting with <br />county resident voters, will ultimately decide which of these <br />programs to utilize for which project proposals. <br /> <br />Implementation management <br /> <br />Numerous parties will be involved and necessary to successfully <br />implement this public access plan including Cle Elum, Ellensburg, <br />P&RC, WDFW, DNR, WDOT, USFS, BPA, BLM, Yakama Nation, <br />Suncadia, private operators, and other Non-Governmental <br />Organizations (NGOs) including the Trust for Public Land, Nature <br />