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Finance program manager urges council to support PONC nominations; department to increase owner outreach
Summary
Ben Shapiro, PONC program manager, briefed the committee on the Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission report and said the department will seek more engagement with nominated landowners; council members praised the volunteer commission and closed the file.
Ben Shapiro, program manager for the PONC team in the Department of Finance, told the Communications Reports & Council Oversight Committee on March 17 that the commission’s annual report was submitted on time and that commissioners spent substantial time visiting and scoring nominated properties.
Shapiro said the commission’s letter (from Chair Jody Rose, as noted in the report) recommends the council consider individual resolutions to support properties ranked by the commission. He told the committee the department plans to participate more in future nomination cycles so staff can help contact property owners and explain the PONC program before the council acts.
Why it matters: The PONC program identifies lands for conservation and preservation. Council members said respecting the commission’s ranking and the volunteers’ site visits helps the county allocate scarce acquisition funds and avoid surprising property owners.
Council members questioned how many owners of the seven (or more) nominated areas have expressed a willingness to negotiate. Shapiro said he would need to follow up with the commission to provide a precise count, and that historically the commission conducted most site visits and owner outreach. He described a planned shift toward more Department of Finance involvement in site visits and owner engagement during the next nomination cycle.
The committee moved and approved a motion to close the file on Communication 757 by voice vote (eight in favor, one excused).
