Dear Mayor Lucan, Councilmember Fryday, Councilmember, Drew, Councilmember Eklund and Councilmember Athas,
The Novato Council voted to create Fund 112 to track the income from the sales of the City-Owned properties primarily at Hamilton and any expenditures from that fund. After months of budget discussion, the June 25 Council agenda Staff Report recommends taking the balance of this fund and putting it in the General Fund. There has been no prior discussion of this transfer or the need for it.
By combining Fund 112 with General Fund 116 - Emergency and Disaster Response Fund, it eliminates budget controls and transparency to the public. Over 1.1 million dollars would be transferred from Fund 112 to the General Fund and remove public oversight of the city owned property revenues.
Fund 112 was created by the Novato Council to track these funds.
The Hamilton development is turning 20 years old. There are current repair and maintenance issues with Hamilton neighborhood perimeter walls, city-planted tress creating sidewalk uplifting, future Hamilton pump station repairs, sidewalk gaps, homeless cleanups in the wetland areas, and improvements needed to the Hamilton Community Center and the Hamilton Town Center as well as numerous community parks.
Please do not go against your prior vote to have a transparent Fund 112 - City Owned Properties to track the income and expenses from city-owned properties at Hamilton.
Thank you,
Tracey Ruiz
Novato resident