Placentia : Council to Work Out Details on Foundation

In an effort to have city residents reach into their pockets to help pay forspecific city programs, City Council members will meet tonight to work out the details of a new city foundation.

For residents, donations to the foundation would be a tax write-off and a means to support recreation and cultural activities. For the city, it would be another source of income, said Jim Soto, director of the Recreation and Human Services Department.

“Some people are a little apprehensive in giving to the city per se because they’re not sure how it’s going to be spent,” Soto said. With a foundation, however, the city is more apt to receive donations and be included in wills, he said.

At its last meeting, the council authorized the foundation’s creation and allotted the group $2,000 to “get the process started,” Mayor George Ziegler said. Most of the $2,000 is slated for training workshops, liability insurance coverage and office supplies, Soto said.

Tonight, City Council members will establish a process to appoint members to the new foundation.

The foundation will be overseen by a board of nine directors: two from the Recreation and Parks Commission, two from the Cultural Arts Commission and five appointed by the council.

In other business, the council is scheduled to review a 9-month-old utility users tax increase which residents overwhelmingly defeated in an advisory vote Nov. 5.

A majority of the council members have said they would vote to rescind the 2% tax increase on telephone, electricity, gas and cable television bills after 74% of those who voted Nov. 5 said they would like to go back to a 3% tax instead of the current 5% tax.