Petaluma Argus-Courier from Petaluma, California • 6

6 A PETALUMA ARGUS-COURIER, Petaluma CA, Tuesday, March 31, 1998 Boundary What is an urban growth boundary? Protest i (Continued from page 1) a friend, "No girl's gonna leave me ever," "These are not simply 'schoolyard the result of a violent society with too many guns," said Tanya Brannan, one of Monday's event organizers. "This is the deliberate targeting of girls and women for murder because they refuse to be the docile possession of males." De Santis said the public in general has missed the "most obvious thing" in the tragic deaths of the Arkansas girls: "This was rage and revenge against a girl who dared to break up with a boy. This is a domestic violence, or a dating violence, massacre." She added incidents such as the Moses murder, the rapes of the girls and the Arkansas slayings, the attackers were using the violence as a "tool." "This is not an uncontrolled expression of frustration. It is being used as a calculated tool of oppression and punishment against girls and women who are not subservient," De Santis said. Monday morning Moses' mother Ida Moses, the girl's best friend Christie Broussard and her mother Christine attended the demonstration at the Petaluma site where her body was discovered Aug.

22 by a highway worker. Georgia's friends and family have created a garden at the south Petaluma site in remembrance of the girl and to keep the community's focus on the fact the crime has not been solved. Property outside the UGB can be developed as it is zoned. For example, if a piece of empty land is zoned for two homes, the property owner can build up to two homes in the future, But no additional development will be allowed. What's the difference between a voter-approved UGB and the city's 33-year old urban limit line? Now the City Council can amend the existing urban limit line with a majority vote of the seven-member panel, although few few changes have been made in the past.

If voters approve a UGB, the boundary cannot be altered without voter approval. What will happen inside the UGB, if voters approve it? Future development in Petaluma will occur inside the UGB; such as on empty lots and redeveloped parcels: Instead of sprawl, growth will be more compact and centralized in existing urban and suburban areas. the taxpayer and ask for more money when with matching state funds it's not needed?" State bonds a gamble Based on current population growth figures, the district estimates the total enrollment in its junior highs will break 2,000 in the 2002-03 school year. Assuming these numbers are borne out and projections for the following five years show a continued student population growth, the district would likely be granted matching funds from the state to begin construction a third junior high. "Likely" is the operative word, however.

There is no guarantee state school bonds will be approved or that approved bonds will stretch to meet the next decade's estimated $22 billion to $40 billion in schools facilities needs throughout the state. There is close to $1 billion in school building projects already approved by the state that have no state funds to pay for them. The state Assembly recently rejected a $9.2 billion bond package that had been narrowly passed by the Senate. This bond measure would have been on the June ballot. Legislative approval for measure was tied to a proposed change in the percentage of voters it takes to pass the bond.

At present, school bonds require a two-thirds majority to pass. Republican legislators favored maintaining the two-thirds majority requirement to pass a school bond. Democrats were pushing for a simple majority, but said they would compromise at a figure of 58 percent to 60 percent. The Legislature is currently working to put a similar bond on the November ballot. Bolman said that while he is not entirely confident state bonds will pass, chances are good.

"The anticipation is that with all the facility needs throughout the state, the state will continue to have state school bonds before the voters and voters usually approve them." So what is a voter-approved urban limit line and how will it effect development in the future. Here's the basics: What is an urban growth boundary? An urban growth boundary, or UGB, is an officially adopted and mapped line that separates an urban area from surrounding open lands4n-cluding farms, for a set time period typically 20 years or more according to a citizen's guide published by the Green-belt Alliance, supporters of UGBs. What is the purpose of a UGB? A UGB is more than just a line separating cities from countryside. It is a growth-management tool that seeks to control growth and discourage land speculation at the urban or suburban fringe of the city, according to the Greenbelt Al- fl If passed, will the UGB prohibit any development outside the boundary line? trained planners making land use decisions. One of his concerns is that a 20-year UGB might not allow enough buildable land to meet the needs of the community.

"City officials are the ones who can best address these needs," said Charles Carson. Councilwoman Jane Hamilton urged the council to support an infill policy in the urban area to provide incentives for developers: "That will help this work for everybody." Two councilwoman urged their fellow members to be less exuberant about pushing for a November ballot until key questions are answered. Councilwoman Mary Stompe said she supports the concept of a UGB: "Petaluma has PROGRAM Hi (Continued front page 1) proposals from developers and General Plan zoning. The city has been experiencing a population growth from 2 to 3 percent with less than an average of 400 new residential units per year. The city has had an urban limit line in place since 1965, established for the same purpose as a UGB.

However, the urban limit line can be moved on a majority vote of the council. "We really have done a wonderful job in the last 33 years," said Mayor Patty Hilligoss, referring to the progressive growth control measures the city has taken. "If we didn't have controlled growth, we'd be as large as Santa Rosa by now." About 15 residents spoke to the council, mosUy in favor of a UGB. A 17-year-old junior at Casa Grande High School said she will not be able to vote in the November election, but stressed the importance of this issue to her and her generation. "It is important to see the quality of life maintained in Petaluma," said Rana Ansari, noting she hopes her hometown continues to be as nice as it is so she can raise her own family here.

County supervisorial candidate and attorney Dave King told council members that placing the UGB measure on the ballot should not be misconstrued as a question of trust in the City Council. It is a matter of public policy, "and I am confident this is the type of issue votes can make an intelligent choice," he said. However, two business representatives expressed concern about potential impacts to the business community. Onita Pellegrini, executive director of the Petaluma Area Chamber of Commerce, asked the council to refrain from rushing to draft a ballot measure before an economic study and General Plan update are complete. The executive director of the Home Builders Association of Northern California said he favors elected accountable officials and are Bonds (Continued from page 1) high schools, with a projected average annual increase of about 33 students per school per year for the next five years.

Because the junior highs have the capacity to house 1,000 students each, the state will not provide any funds to construct a third junior high right now. While school and district administrators all agree that a junior high with 1,000 students is not an ideal situation for staff or students, funding the construction of a new junior high is complex. How school bonds work School bonds are loans to schools that property owners pay back through annual property taxes. By law, the pay-back by property owners cannot exceed 1.25 percent of the assessed valuation of the property in the district where the bond was approved. Therefore, schools cannot take all the bond money at once; they must pace themselves.

In the case of the $45 million secondary school bond, the Petaluma Schools District is slowly drawing bond money to remodel current classrooms and construct additional ones as student population demands it: Most bonds are paid back over a 30-year time frame, so waiting for a portion of the bond loan to be paid off to draw more money is not practical. Instead, the district relies on a steady increase in property values to make more bond money available. As property values increase, the dollar figure of that 1.25 percent assessed valuation rises as well, so the district can then sell more bonds. Passing a second bond In a call-in poll taken by the Argus-Courier, Petaluma residents said the need for a third junior high is pressing. Most stated they would be willing to pass a bond to pay for it.

But because of the 1.25 percent assessed valuation rule, passage of another bond would not solve the quandary. The district could not access money from a second bond until property values skyrocketed or the other bonds were paid off. Additionally, another bond is not necessary, according to Lou Steinberg, school board president. "Why should we, as trustees, go to 5 Country Gardens Voted Marin's Best Greeting Card Shop 5 New 2 iBEANIESl Shave arrived! 5 5 We Deliver Ship 482 Magnolia Ave. 2 Larkspur 5 2 (415)924-6784 12 Franchise Opportuiiities with Port of Subs, Inc.

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Call 702-747-0555 for information today! Caught a little SHORT This month? Use your VISA or Mastercard to pay for ads or subscriptions in the ARGUS-COURIER 762-4541 SPOTLIGHT Petaluma Area CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FINO CUCINA ITALIANA Kevin Xiong, General Manager 208 Petaluma Blvd. No. 762-5966 Established ten years ago in Petaluma, fino serves exquisite Northern Italian cuisine Always known tor its pasta, Fino was voted "Best Pasta in Petaluma" by Sonoma Business Magazine and in 1997 Entertainment Member's Choice was awarded the title "Favorite Fine Facilities include a dining room and a banquet room. From romantic dates to those hungry for great food, Fino attracts a wide range of customers Business people find the atmosphere well suited for meetings with clients. Friday and Saturday evenings live classical music can be enjoyed.

In 1988 the Xiong family moved from Marin to Petaluma with the dream of having more. Opportunity knocked in 1997; Fino was for sale and Kevin Xiong, the eldest son knew that the restaurant would be a profitable investment. Growing up in Petaluma, he saw Fino as a landmark here. The Xiong family did not want to see it go, so they took it over with the intent of keeping intact the menu, staff and cooks, as well as improving the quality of the food, service and ambience. Local schoolmates know Kevin as Kaying and he is the General Manager.

A 1 992 graduate of Casa Grande High School, he played varsity soccer and was voted I P. of the league his junior year. He received his business degree from Sacramento State University in 1997. An experienced restauranteur Kevin's background includes Thai, Chinese, Italian and CaliforniaInternational cuisines' He has cooked in and managed many well known Sacramento area restaurants including the Pilothouse aboard the Delta King Riverboat. The Xiong family is indebted to previous owners Franco Licata, Feruccio Morassi and Ciro Estrvmo for making Fino what it is today.

The gnocchi and tiramisu are both delicious and light, and Kevin still has Franco's secret dessert recipe. Fino is open M-F 1 1 30-2 30 for lunch and serves dinner M-Th 5-9 p.m. and F-Sat 5-10 cc 799 BAYWOOD DR. STE. 3, PETALUMA, CA.

94954 I OFFICE: (707) 762-2785 FAX: (707) 762-4721 been a leader in this area." But she doesn't want to rush a decision to place the issue on the ballot before the implications to the city's economics are studied and the Planning Commission has a chance to weigh in about land use. Councilwoman Nancy Read also asked for the city attorney to research how a voter-approved UGB might be changed in the future. She referred to a Rohnert Park initiative where "voters said 'yes' and 14 months later the City Council changed it." "I'm sure voters were not aware it could be changed, and I want that questioned answered (before Petaluma considers a ballot measure)," Read said. TIME AND LOCATION Dedicated to the Health and Wellness of the. Community ALTHOUS Read the online version of the ARGUS-COURIER www.petalumanet.orgargus FEE ALL CLASSES PETALUMA VALLEY HOSPITAL A Sisters of St.

Joseph of Orange Corporation Thank you to the Argus-Courier for this space donated to welcome naw members to the Petaluma Chamber of Commerce, STANDARD FIRST AID and Sat. April 11th, I $40 COMMUNITY CPR 9:00 pm Burn's Hall, PVH CALL: 766-9226 PEDIATRIC CPR Apr. 9th, $20 CALL: CHILDCARE COURSE Call for class dates and $65 (15 hour coursesatisfies State require- times. PA I I 7RR QOOC ments for daycare providers) LrMll. 00-30 HEARTSAVER CPR Apr.

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