Council Accepts Floor Motion By Lowenthal, Backed By Price (And Lowenthal Says In Consultation With Mayor Garcia and City Mgr.) To Give Aquarium $1.3 Million For Its "Capital Campaign," Most Of Sum Diverted For Now From Other Tidelands Projects; No Prior Public Discussion Or Contemporaneous Explanation Of Action To Councilmembers Or To Taxpayers
Council Approves Prioritized Tidelands Projects List (Mainly For Pool Rebuild) 7-0 (Mungo and Richardson Absent)
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(June 18, 2015) -- As part of its June 16 voted approval (7-0, Mungo and Richardson absent) of prioritized projects (primarily the Belmont Plaza Pool rebuild) to tap current Tidelands funds while other Tidelands projects await funding, the City Council -- without discussion or dissent -- accepted a floor amendment offered by Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal, backed by Councilmember Suzie Price, to allocate $1.3 million (most of it diverted from other management proposed prioritized Tidelands projects) to the Aquarium of the Pacific.
The amendment came without previous public discussion of the move (of which we're aware), or contemporaneous explanation on the Council floor by Lowenthal to her Council colleagues or to taxpayers.
[Scroll down for further.]
Following a city staff report, Mayor Garcia gave the floor first to Vice Mayor Lowenthal, who after stating she supported staff's recommended list of items stated in pertinent part:
...I do however have one amendment to add to the list and this comes in consultation with Councilmember Price, the City Manager as well as the Mayor. I'd like to allocate $1.3 million to the Aquarium of the Pacific to be the city match to the capital campaign for fiscal year 15 with funds from the following areas: $250,000 from any funds available at the end of the year from closed-out construction projects; item 2 would be $250,000 from critical infrastructure funding to be paid back when funds are again available; item 3 is $400,000 from the Marina Vista special events bathroom with funds to be paid back from projects in the same area; item 4 is $400,000 from the Cherry Beach playground capital funds to be paid back when funds are again available. All funds diverted would have first priority for repayment when new dollars become available; any future allocation for the Aquarium of the Pacific would be on a case by case basis and reviewed annually against funds available and outstanding needs...
Councilwoman Price seconded the motion, and thanked the Vice Mayor "for articulating that amendment so accurately and with the intent that we all have had as a team in terms of supporting the various projects that are on the list..."
