Parcel Tax Campaign, Inventory of Public Properties Face Council on Tuesday

The city has a little more money since a consultant hired to manage a campaign for a November election ballot tax measure , terminating its contract.

On Tuesday, the Pinole City Council will discuss spending the savings on mailed campaign materials to encourage voters to renew the 8 percent tax that they pay on their utility bills.

The council will decide whether to spend about $5,000 for three pieces of informational campaign literature that would be mailed to about 5,500 voters prior to the Nov. 6 election.

The tax is due to expire at the end of 2012 unless voters agree on Nov. 6 to extend for another eight years.

About 20 percent of the city's $10.4 million budget is dependent on the utility tax. Without it, the city may be forced to cut jobs in the police, fire and maintenance services, along with severe cuts to Pinole TV and recreation services.

In a separate agenda item, the council also will consider Tuesday whether to require that the expenditure of utility tax revenue should be reviewed annually, asumign that voters approve it.

The agenda also includes a review of the disposition of various properties owned by the city. Some of the properties are in a legal limbo because they were transferred from the city's redevelopment agency to the city in a move to protect them in the state legislature's dissolution of all redevelopment agenies earlier this year. The properties in question include the Pinole Valley Shopping Center and Pinole Vista, which the for $12.7 million in June.

Also on Tuesday's agenda is a public hearing to retain the current rates for sewer service at the current annual level of $52.77 per single-family residence. The rates are likely to be raised in subsequent years to pay for an upgrade of the wastewater treatment plant to increase its capacity, which is needed to handle heavy flows during rainy periods that now result in untreated water flowing into San Pablo and subject the plant to fines by water quality regulators. The city shares the plant with the city of Hercules.

The council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Council Chamber at 2131 Pear St. The meeting will be televised live on Pinole TV Channel 26 and streamed live on the city's website.

See the attached document for the full agenda and accompanying staff reports.