Publication Date: Friday Apr 17, 1998

FLOOD CONTROL: Flood control tax may come to vote

By November, Palo Altans and their neighbors may be voting on whether to tax themselves to raise funds for flood control projects, which could include one for San Francisquito Creek. While the details of the special tax have yet to be proposed, water district, city and county officials must come up with a funding plan to replace a tax (called a benefit assessment) passed by voters in 1986 and set to expire in the year 2000. The assessment collects an average of $55 per year per property (based on size) in the northern portion of Santa Clara County, including Palo Alto and Stanford. The assessment finances bonds sold for flood control projects.

"It is my guess that the direction we'll probably go is a special tax," said Greg Zlotnick, the water district director who represents the Palo Alto area. "We're looking at getting something on the ballot in November."

Such a tax would fund all flood control projects in most of the cities in northern Santa Clara County, and would need a two-thirds majority to pass.

"The intent would be to have that cover the cost of (San Francisquito) the creek," said Palo Alto Mayor Dick Rosenbaum, who serves on the water district's Northwest Zone Flood Control Advisory Committee. "You want to strike while the iron is hot," he said, referring to the fact that the flood is fresh in voters' minds. However, it is difficult, he added, to approach the voters before studies are done and a plan for the creek is created.

The Santa Clara Valley Water District is divided into five financially independent zones, which correspond to watersheds. Palo Alto is in the northwest zone, along with Stanford, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills.

Each zone must raise funds for its own flood control projects. It also receives a small percentage of property tax revenue.

By the end of this year, the northwest zone will have collected $50 million, or about $5 million annually, said Flood Control Business Manager Bill Hoeft. The zone can still issue $30 million more in bonds before the assessment expires in the year 2000. That money is already earmarked for three creek projects--Permanente in Mountain View, Matadero in Palo Alto and upper Adobe--leaving nothing for San Francisquito Creek.

The water district spent $22 million on flood control work completed last year on Matadero and Barron creeks. Due to a design error in the Louis Road bridge over Matadero Creek, the district will need to spend an additional $10 million to correct the error, which endangers homes upstream from the bridge that would not otherwise have been threatened.

Another issue up for debate is $12 million originally set aside for maintenance, which some officials feel should be spent now for capital projects.

Funding issues are expected to be discussed at the next meeting of the Northwest Zone Flood Advisory Committee, on April 29 at the Sunnyvale Community Center. 

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