Questionnaire Results (25% response)

March 1, 2009

1. Please rank the following, in order of priority, as to reasons for Incorporation;

1. Self Rule 46.15%

2. Growth 28.20%

3. Local representation

4. Water decisions

5. Better use of tax dollars

6. Permitting

Others

Infrastructure

Keep private property private

Concerns over future water rights

Ability to establish priorities for the Nipomo area (broader than self rule)

Land use planning power

2. Please rank the following, in order of importance, as the important issues facing Nipomo today;

1. Water 45.00%

2. Traffic 22.50%

3. Growth

4. Roads

5. Density

6. Schools

7. Parks

Others

Don’t waste funds fixing a state and federal problem

Planned growth with proper infrastructure (roads)

Using zoning correctly without GPA

3. What questions do you have about the possible incorporation of Nipomo?

A. How will the cost to incorporate be covered? 

Through fundraising and donations. We have a fundraising committee that will begin to work on the $200,000.00 necessary to place the subject before LAFCO.

B. When will the incorporation process be able to begin? Our original estimate was that we would be able to place the question on the ballot in the year 2012.

 Our original estimate was that the community would be able to vote on the subject of incorporation in the year 2012, however due to the current economy we are not sure of the date. When the finance committee determines that the community is generating enough sales tax, property tax and other funds to support a city we will explore the ballot option.

C. Where is the money to incorporate? 

See A

D. Exactly how much tax revenue goes to the County and exactly how much is spent on Nipomo? 

Unknown at this time

E. How can we be assured that incorporation will offer us a better quality of service and greater efficiencies in government including accountability while not increasing taxes?

 On the question of raising taxes, the new city government cannot raise taxes without a vote of the people. This is law. As to the second part of the question, you will be represented by 5 people elected from the city and not just one person sitting on the Board of Supervisors. Lastly, local control will be able to address problems in a timelier manner.

F. How can we design incorporation to offer us more than just another layer of government and potentially less skilled, ego-driven politicians? 

Get involved and have a say in how Nipomo should be run. We need a council of hard working and dedicated individuals to run our community. They are currently in our community and will serve if asked.

G. How do we assure ourselves that if incorporation happens that the skills of those elected and/or hired are of equal or better quality than at the County level? 

Get involved in the process and make your voice heard. We currently have people serving the community through SCAC and NCSD. Attend their meetings and observe their commitment, knowledge and willingness to serve. This is where the new council will come from as elected (not appointed) by the community.

H. If incorporated, will the tax base be sufficient to cover roads? 

Yes

I. How do the current powers and finances of the county and local water transfer to the new city?

 The PUC controlled water purveyors will stay the same and NCSD may or may not become part of the City government. These are discussions that will occur with LAFCO.

J. How can the new community pay for the deteriorating infrastructure without raising taxes? 

The funds currently going to the County generated in Nipomo would transfer to the City of Nipomo

K. When will the community be able to see the cost of local government versus the rate of commercial and property tax growth? 

We have a finance committee that is currently analyzing this information and will have a preliminary report at our fall meeting

L. How do we prevent the new city from being run by the historic land owners and developers? We could leap from the pan into the fire regarding development. 

Through the election of the City council

M. How much commercial development will it take to become financially viable for incorporation? 

Unknown at this time but the committee is working on this matter

N. Can Nipomo afford all the necessary services required at our current population and business levels without increasing property, sales and local taxes? 

These are being analyzed by the finance committee, but remember that taxes cannot be raised without the approval of the voters.

O. What industry/business/ other sources of revenue will provide enough of a tax base to support self governance?

 See M

P. Where can we get information that shows the economic arguments in favor of becoming a city?

 By becoming a part of N.I.C.E and attending the information gatherings

Q. What is the proposed area of incorporation and will the County target that boundary for growth according to the smart growth principles and the framework for planning?

 Our proposed area of incorporation follows the 93444 zip code. See the web site for a map of the area. The final decision on the boundaries will be determined by LAFCO. As to growth, without control of the City through incorporation, the County will continue to use Nipomo as an area to place development that other communities resist.

4. Please rank the services, in order of importance, which you feel are less than adequate in Nipomo;

1. Road maintenance 33.33%

2. Health care facilities 22.50%

3. Community Center

4. Senior support

5. Parks

Other

Commercial Development tax base

Hotels/motels

Cemetery

Water & sewer

NCSD management and transparency

Would like more cohesiveness in the community

More shopping, i.e. Grocery stores

Better communication with the press

Better highway interface construction

Police/fire and related services

Population control

Water use

5. Do you feel that the County is spending an adequate amount of tax dollars, collected from Nipomo residents, in Nipomo?

Yes   3 No 33

6. How long have you lived in Nipomo? 

0-5 years 34.21%

6-10 years 42.11%

11-15 years  5.26%

Over 16 years 18.42%

7. On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 low and 10 high), please rate the following:

Is incorporation good for Nipomo? 8

Does Nipomo need more commercial growth? 6

Is the idea of “rural” good for Nipomo? 7 

8. Groups where a presentation on incorporation would be valuable;

Newcomers

9. What subject would be of interest to you at a “Community Gathering” in the future?

A. Projected cross over regarding revenue neutrality

B. “What is Nipomo” Gather all significant community groups together and give them 10 minutes to describe what their mission is in the community. NICE could moderate and see what consensus is achieved in the vision of Nipomo.

C. Meetings on time and expense to incorporate.

D. How can Nipomo bring in more jobs? What kinds of jobs are best for Nipomo?

E. Roundtable discussions on Incorporation.

F. What can the general public do to assist in this massive project?

G. Freeway issues and water issues

H. Green projects for the community and their value with regards to future employment in Nipomo.

I. Clear condensed idea of actual costs per capita to incorporate and costs after incorporation.

J. Growth, infrastructure, services and the financial health of Nipomo after incorporation.

K. Fiscal analysis of Incorporation and continued updating of the community on this subject.

L. Financial projections of Nipomo in view of the current economy.

M. Is incorporation going to maintain rural or create a city? Is zoning going to be less than Residential Suburban?

N. I. C. E.
(Nipomo Incorporation Committee for Education)

Agenda

January 29, 2008

6:00 P. M.

Nipomo Library

Congratulations and thank you to Bonnie and Donna for their efforts in completing the 501C3 forms. We have received notification that we are approved and therefore we are ready to start our fund raising efforts.

1. Welcome

2. Committee updates

3. Suggestions for future N.I.C.E. presentations (Chamber in February)

4. Discuss fund raising with suggestions for successful events

5. Discuss next community meeting

6. Other items not on the agenda

7. Adjourn

Today’s Adobe Press has a front page article on the most recent update to Nipomo’s Incorporation movement. Reporter Todd Cralley’s article is similar to last week’s Santa Maria Times article in that it deals with incorporation; however, there are significantly different aspects to the Adobe Press article, including the proposed boundary map above.   See here for a more detailed boundary map.

Todd also notes that Nipomo’s sales tax revenues continue to increase, and discusses LAFCO’S role and Nipomo’s projected population figures. The entire article is reprinted below for future reference and educational use once it slips into the online paper’s unsearchable archives. To see further media coverage of Nipomo’s incorporation movement, please click here and scroll down to see all the stories:

Nipomo could incorporate in five years
By Todd Cralley/Adobe Staff

If all goes according to plan, incorporation may be as little as five years away for Nipomo, according to Mike Eisner, president of the nonprofit Nipomo Incorporation Committee for Education.

“If all goes well, we could have it on the ballot by 2012,” said Eisner. “What we are doing is setting a flexible timeline — best-case, worst-case scenarios.

“If all things fall into place, it is possible to incorporate or at least have it on the ballot for the voters by 2012. That’s a presidential election year.”

While 2012 may seem like a long time away, just what the city will look like — its boundaries, or sphere of influence — is as close as the organization’s Web site.

The nonprofit group that meets regularly to inform the community about the pros and cons of incorporation has posted what it believes would be the city of Nipomo’s boundaries at www.nipomoincorporation.org.

“The boundaries were originally created in 2005 with the help of San Luis Obispo’s Local Agency Formation Commission but were amended to include Blacklake and The Woodlands in Nipomo’s future sphere of influence,” said Mike Eisner, president of NICE. “At this time, it was suggested that we keep our boundaries tight.”

Because the group has been working in conjunction with LAFCO, Eisner thought it best to follow the agency’s lead regarding the boundaries.

“Boundaries are arbitrarily selected by any organization seeking incorporation,” Eisner said. “We took the sphere of influence suggested by LAFCO and used that. I thought, ‘If they’re willing to agree on those boundaries already, then why would I think of doing something else?’”

Funding the city

Also released at the committee’s May 12 meeting were the area’s sales tax revenues from 2006.

According to figures released by the San Luis Obispo Auditor/Controller’s Office, revenues generated from sales tax in Nipomo for the 2006 fiscal year were just over $931,000, up slightly from $928,000 in 2005.

That is an important benchmark, according to a 2004 report by Michael Davis of Davis Co. In the report, Davis estimated Nipomo would generate $758,000 in sales tax revenue for the 2005 year.

Andrea McGarvey of the County Auditor/Controller’s Office said 568 businesses filed sales tax returns in 2006.

“We can’t incorporate without a sufficient revenue stream,” said Guy Murray, vice president of NICE. “Given what’s going on right now and the future of development in Nipomo — based on what I’ve seen — I don’t have any reason to doubt that (sales tax revenues) will continue to increase.”

Establishing a sustainable tax base is a significant goal Nipomo must achieve if it is to become a city.

“According to the Davis Report, and that’s a flawed report, it will take $6 million to get the city going,” Eisner said. “We have a subcommittee that is looking at budgets from four other cities — Guadalupe, Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach and Pismo Beach.

“The (subcommittee) is looking at those cities’ budgets, income and expenses. What they are trying to do is take the Davis Report and expand it,” he explained.

“In truth, nothing will be done on incorporation unless this committee says (Nipomo’s) income exceeds a projected budget and we are ready to put this on the ballot.”

The organization is also trying to answer the question of population growth over the next five years. Based on those figures, Murray has reason to be happy.

“If we incorporate by the year 2012, we’ll be the largest city in South County,” Murray said. “Our population will be right about 20,000.”

That figure was determined by using available census data combined with anticipated development and growth for the area over the next five years, said Dan Gaddis, who presented the figures.

The role of LAFCO

The group also received a presentation from Paul Hood, executive officer of LAFCO.

“I thought it was important for people to understand LAFCO’s role in incorporation and ask some questions,” Eisner said.

LAFCO is the agency that will determine whether Nipomo is ready for cityhood and will handle the application for incorporation.

“There are 58 LAFCOs in California,” Hood said. “We help communities understand the process and decide what they need to do next.”

Incorporation is something that is not taken lightly at the county level, according to Hood.

“According to a California state law, a city cannot have a negative fiscal effect on the county when it incorporates,” he said. “There must be revenue neutrality.”

Eisner admits incorporation is still a long way off. The organization is, however, moving forward in it goal to collect the data needed to inform the community about the pros and cons of incorporation.

“This is a year of gathering information and putting together the data,” said Eisner. “This is a year of getting organized. 2008 and 2009 will be the time when we’ll be out on the streets educating, distributing information, answering questions and raising money.”

Part of the process of incorporating is raising the necessary fees to pay LAFCO. Typically, according to Eisner, that’s $200,000 to pay for the two-year application and review process and the for environmental impact report.

“We’re looking to put together the facts and information the public needs in order to make an informed decision,” Eisner said. “Our desire is to do what the public desires.”

Thanks again Todd for your insightful write up.

Group explores Nipomo cityhood

By Todd Cralley/STAFF WRITER

A clearer picture of the cityhood that may be in Nipomo’s future is beginning to take shape, according to the Nipomo Incorporation Committee for Education.

The nonprofit group that meets regularly to inform the community about the pros and cons of incorporation has posted what it believes would be the city of Nipomo’s boundaries on its Web site, www.nipomoincorporation.org.

“The boundaries were originally created in 2005 with the help of San Luis Obispo’s Local Agency Formation Commission but were amended to include Blacklake and The Woodlands in Nipomo’s future sphere of influence,” said Mike Eisner, president of NICE. “At this time it was suggested that we keep our boundaries tight.”

The organization also is trying to answer the question of population growth over the next five years. Based on those figures, Guy Murray, vice president of NICE, has reason to be happy.

“If we incorporate by the year 2012, we’ll be the largest city in South County,” Murray said. “Our population will be right about 20,000.”

That figure was determined by using available census data combined with anticipated development and growth for the area over the next five years, according to Dan Gaddis, who presented the figures.

The group also received a presentation from Paul Hood, executive officer of LAFCO, at the committee’s meeting May 12.

“I thought it was important for people to understand LAFCO’s role in incorporation and ask some questions,” Eisner said.

LAFCO is the agency that will determine whether Nipomo is ready for cityhood and will handle the application for incorporation.

“There are 58 LAFCOs in California,” Hood said. “We help communities understand the process and decide what they need to do next.”

While it may seem Nipomo is getting close to incorporation, Eisner admitted that incorporation is a long way off.

“This is a year of gathering information and putting together the data,” said Eisner. “This is a year of getting organized. 2008 is the year we’ll be out on the streets educating, distributing information, answering questions and raising money.”

Part of the process of incorporating is raising the necessary fees to pay LAFCO. Typically, that’s $200,000, according to Eisner, to pay for the two-year application and review process.

“We’re looking to put together the facts and information the public needs in order to make an informed decision,” Eisner said. “Our desire is to do what the public desires.”

Todd Cralley can be reached at 347-4580 or tcralley@santamariatimes.com.

Thanks Todd for this write up.

Proposed Nipomo City Limits