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LL C* <br />ItY0 <br />Louisville <br />Memorandum <br />To: Louisville City Council <br />From: Open Space Advisory Board <br />Date: December 10t" 2015 <br />Re: Strategies and Tools for Open Space Property Acquisitions <br />With increasing competition from development and the finite nature of real property, opportunities <br />for acquiring property for Open Space protection and management are rare and increasing in <br />value. Over the past two years the Louisville Open Space Advisory Board (OSAB) has made it a <br />top priority to learn more about and recommend acquisition options and best practices that the <br />City of Louisville may use to conserve, acquire and protect our remaining open spaces. We urge <br />City Council and staff to commit staff and resources to develop and implement a sustained and <br />rigorous process for acquiring open space properties and look forward to further discussion in our <br />next study session. In support of these efforts, OSAB members Missy Davis and Christopher <br />Smith developed the following information about acquisition strategies and tools to add to our <br />understanding and dialogue. <br />Background <br />In 2014, OSAB, City Manager Malcolm Fleming, Open Space Division staff and OSAB worked together <br />to: <br />1. increase and ensure transparency and accountability in the management of Conservation <br />Trust Fund tax dollars by creating a standard for reporting on operations expenditures <br />from the fund by purpose, i.e., open space maintenance, parks operations, etc <br />2. include OSAB recommendations on capital expenditures in the annual budget process <br />3. explore setting and maintaining a reasonable reserve balance in the Open Space and <br />Parks Fund (Conservation Trust Land Acquisition Fund) for Open Space property <br />acquisitions <br />In 2015, we continued to rank property acquisitions as a top Open Space priority. In February, OSAB <br />and Opens Space Division staff invited Janis Whisman of Boulder County Parks & Open Space; Joy <br />Lucisano of Jefferson County Open Space; and Sarah Parmar of Colorado Open Lands for a panel <br />discussion on acquisition topics including Acquisitions 101, managing relationships with landowners, <br />and acquisition strategies and tools used by our peer organizations and partners. Notes on this <br />informative discussion are available in the archives on the City web page at <br />http://laserfiche.louisvilleco.gov/WebLink8/DocView.aspx?id=248329 <br />Common approaches and strategies shared by the panelists included: <br />• Planning for acquisitions and setting criteria at master plan level <br />• Reviewing and rating properties based on that criteria <br />• Identifying desirable properties and establishing, documenting and managing <br />relationships & communication with owners <br />• Committing staff and resources to research and relationship management <br />