Title
Planning and Building Department, Planning Division, Long Range Planning Division, recommending the Board approve and authorize the Chair to sign a budget transfer increasing operating transfers out from the Ecological Preserve special revenue fund and decreasing operating transfers out from the Rare Plan Endowment Fund by $180,000. (4/5 vote required)
FUNDING: Ecological Preserve Mitigation Fees.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
Resolution 205-98 established the County’s Pine Hill Preserve ecological preserve fees in 1998 and incorporated the memorandum from Economic and Planning Systems, Inc. to the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors, dated March 16, 1998, by reference. The memorandum states that the purpose of the Rare Plant Endowment Fund is to cover “ongoing operations and maintenance of all the Ecological Preserves”. The Ecological Preserves refer to the five-unit Pine Hill Preserve (Salmon Falls, Martel Creek, Pine Hill, Cameron Park, Penny Lane Ridge), which is managed and/or coordinated by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in partnership with El Dorado County and eight (8) other local, state and federal agencies and organizations.
During budget development for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-24, the operating transfers to reimburse the Long Range Planning Division’s Professional & Special Services for one-time expenses (Fencing and OHV Prevention Project & Ecological Restoration Project) for the Ecological Preserve were budgeted to be paid back from the Rare Plant Endowment Fund instead of the Ecological Preserve Special Revenue Fund (SRF). Because these activities are initial and/or one-time costs to secure the County properties that contain rare plant habitat and are currently planned for enrollment in the Pine Hill Preserve the transfer to reimburse the County should come from the Ecological Preserve SRF and not the Rare Plant Endowment Fund.
Budgeted appropriations in the Ecological Preserve SRF Operating Transfers Out need to be increased by $180,000, offset by a decrease to Appropriation for Contingency.
Budgeted appropriations in the Rare Plant Endowment Fund Operating Transfers Out need to be decreased by $180,000, offset by an increase to Appropriation for Contingency.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board may elect not to approve the budget transfers as proposed, although proper accounting for operating activity would be jeopardized. All proposed adjustments are necessary to accurately reflect the current year’s fiscal activity.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
N/A
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
Chief Administrative Office, Community Development Finance and Administration
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no change to Net County Cost as a result of this item.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
The Clerk of the Board will obtain the Chair's signature on the original budget transfer and will forward the budget transfer to the Auditor-Controller for processing.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
N/A
CONTACT
Robert Peters, Deputy Director
Planning & Building Department