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Smart Voter
El Dorado County, CA November 4, 2014 Election
Measure K
Amendment to Placerville General Plan
City of Placerville

General Plan Amendment - Majority Approval Required

Pass: 1671 / 58.24% Yes votes ...... 1198 / 41.76% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Results as of Nov 25 3:24pm, 100.0% of Precincts Reporting (5/5)
53.2% Voter Turnout (2869/5389)
Information shown below: Impartial Analysis | Arguments | Full Text

Shall the City of Placerville's General Plan be amended to prohibit a roundabout or similar traffic features anywhere within the City limits of Placerville without approval of popular vote?

Impartial Analysis from the City Attorney
The stated purpose of this initiative is to prohibit construction of roundabouts, traffic circles or other similar traffic features anywhere within the Placerville city limits unless approved by popular vote.

The initiative, if approved by the voters, would amend the City's General Plan to add Goal B that would prohibit, unless approved by popular vote, the City of Placerville from doing any of the following with respect to traffic features commonly known as "roundabouts," "traffic circles" or any other similar traffic features (cumulatively "traffic features") on or with respect to any public street or roadway anywhere within the Placerville city limits: (1) constructing or utilizing said traffic features; (2) requiring others to construct said traffic features; (3) adopting street standards or specifications requiring construction or utilization of said traffic features; or (4) carrying out or approving a project to construct as a condition of approval of any project or issuance of any permit or permission with respect to said traffic features. Therefore, under the language of the proposed initiative ordinance, use of roundabouts, traffic circles, or any other "similar traffic features" within the Placerville city limits would be prohibited unless approved by popular vote. "Similar traffic features" is undefined and could lead to disputes regarding future roadway designs. The City does not legally control all streets within its jurisdiction; the effect of the proposed initiative ordinance on streets that the City does not legally control is unclear.

This measure was placed on the ballot by a petition signed by the requisite number of voters.

A "Yes" vote is to approve the measure and to prohibit "roundabouts" or other similar traffic features unless approved by the City's voters at a separate election. A "No" vote is a vote against the measure. Measure K would be approved if it received a simple majority of "Yes" votes.

The above statement is an impartial analysis of Measure K. If you desire a copy of the proposed measure, please call the elections official's office at 530-642-5200 and a copy will be mailed at no cost to you.

John W. Driscoll, City Attorney, City of Placerville

 
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Arguments For Measure K Arguments Against Measure K
Vote YES on Measure K.

Measure K would give voters the right to vote on Roundabout projects in Placerville before they could be built. Vote YES on Measure K to establish that right.

The City Council spent years promoting the Clay Street realignment project at the site of the Druid Monument at Main Street and Cedar Ravine without being willing to listen to public input and to respect the city's rich historic features. That $5,000,000 project would put more traffic on Main Street, endanger or ruin popular local businesses, eliminate parking spaces, displace the Farmers' Market and destroy the only wheelchair accessible park on Hangtown Creek. Years of public meetings and a lawsuit judgment made it clear that there was overwhelming public opposition to the project, and yet the City Council continued spending funds to pursue this project without ever considering if the project needs to be built at all. Now the City Council is planning to develop many more multimillion-dollar roundabouts throughout Placerville. The failure of the Council to listen to the public and consider the impacts on our economic and historic assets for the last eight years requires that these projects receive public scrutiny before construction.

Have a say in how your taxpayer dollars are spent. Have a say in determining Placerville's look, feel and the overall character. Measure K simply requires voter approval for any transportation project that includes a Roundabout.

Vote YES for Measure K. Give voters the right to be fully informed and to vote on Roundabout projects.

Friends of Historic Hangtown + Evelyn van der Riet Carol Lynn Smith (Owner, Empress) Gloria K. Smith (92-year Placerville resident) Allan Combellack (Owner, Combellack's Store)

Rebuttal to Arguments For
Measure "K" is trying to fool you.

Measure "K" is asking you to believe that your city leaders want to kill businesses, abolish the Farmers' Market, choke Main Street with traffic, and push Placerville into ruination-- with the claim that traffic roundabouts are terrible.

This is simply not true.

Placerville has conducted public discussions leading to a proposal that was designed to improve traffic, reduce air pollution, increase safety, and move the Farmers' Market to a bigger location half a block away. Sadly, some did not like the results of the public process, so they sued Placerville and killed the Cedar Ravine roundabout. The results of this lawsuit made all of us forfeit over one million dollars ($1,000,000.00).

Measure "K" insists that we must hold a citywide election for all traffic projects that include a traffic circle or roundabout. It implies that something is sinister with traffic circles. In fact, many California cities use roundabouts for better traffic flow. Roundabouts and traffic circles are nothing new or unique.

Measure "K" creates big roadblocks for the street improvement projects that your neighborhood needs. Measure "K" will send our share of highway funds and traffic grants away. Think of it--every time you pay at the pump, your gas tax dollars will help support road improvements in someone else's town but not ours.

Do we really need a full election for every issue? No. Do not handcuff Placerville.

Vote NO on Measure "K."

Mike Kobus, Placerville Business Owner Mickey Kaiserman, Placerville Resident Marian Washburn, Former Placerville Mayor & Councilmember Charlie Downs, Placerville Architect

Vote NO on Measure "K"

The organization pushing Measure "K" wants you to give up your future options by prohibiting all traffic circles or roundabouts anywhere in Placerville.

Do not be fooled. This measure strips flexibility out of Placerville's traffic planning. Measure "K" constricts decisions made by our local elected leaders in concert with local citizens.

If a traffic circle or roundabout would improve the traffic in your neighborhood, Measure "K" says you cannot have it without first getting the approval of a citywide vote. We do not need this increased bureaucracy in Placerville. Many design options work together to improve traffic flow and safety: speed bumps, sidewalks, roundabouts, stop signs, etc. The organization pushing Measure "K" denies the benefits of traffic circles, including reduced air pollution, increased safety, and more efficient traffic flow. Check the facts. Traffic safety websites will tell you the information you need.

Measure "K" supporters have already cost us over a million taxpayer dollars, but this initiative's future cost will be much more. Measure "K" creates complications that will block us from getting our share of road improvement funds that our city needs so badly. If Measure "K" passes, the road taxes we pay at the pump will be reallocated to street improvement projects outside of Placerville.

Measure "K" is extreme. We do not need this initiative controlling our future.

Vote NO on Measure "K"

Marian Washburn, Former Mayor & City Councilmember, Placerville Resident Steven Neau, Nuclear Field Engineer, Placerville Resident Mark A. Acuna, Former Mayor & City Councilmember, Placerville Resident Susan Dilts Huber, Resident of El Dorado County 45 Years

Rebuttal to Arguments Against
Friends of Historic Hangtown needed just 13days for over 700 Placerville residents to say "YES" to protecting our future traffic options by asking for the opportunity to vote on the construction of roundabouts. Vote YES on Measure K to ensure your right to vote on these major projects.

Measure K was written because the City has consistently been evasive about their development and traffic plans + plans that have the potential to change the historic character of Placerville.

For years the City has promoted the citizen-opposed Roundabout Project at Cedar Ravine. According to the Court, the City skipped the legally required Environmental Impact Report + a costly City Council decision. To prevent wasting even more taxpayer dollars, we are asking for the City to obtain voter approval before proceeding on any roundabout project.

Only after Measure K qualified for the ballot did the City reluctantly agree to remove only the Cedar Ravine Roundabout from their list of future roundabout projects. Their track record on that unpopular project is why voters deserve to vote on roundabout projects.

Measure K opponents claim: "The road taxes we pay at the pump will be reallocated to street improvement projects outside of Placerville."

CaliforniaCityFinance.com reveals that Motor Vehicle Taxes are "allocated to cities on a per capita basis." We don't need to build roundabouts to get our share.

Help ensure that roundabouts will not be approved without your vote.

Vote YES on Measure K.

Friends of Historic Hangtown + Evelyn van der Riet Jennifer L. Nixon, Owner, Canines on Main Stephanie A. Sorensen, Co-owner, Good Earth Movement

Full Text of Measure K
The January 1989 (amended December 14, 2004) City of Placerville's General Plan is hereby amended as follows and shall remain in effect indefinitely unless amended by voter approval:

Section III, Transportation, Goals and Policies, Goal B shall be added to as follows:

6. The city is prohibited from constructing or utilizing, and is prohibited from requiring any public or private person or entity to construct or utilize, the traffic features commonly known as "roundabouts," "traffic circles," or any similar traffic feature on or with respect to any public street or roadway anywhere within city limits. In no event shall the City's standard or other street specifications or improvement requirements include any requirement for the construction and/or utilization of any roundabouts, traffic circles, and/or any similar feature. In no event shall the City carry out or approve a project to construct any roundabouts, traffic circles, and/or any similar features as a condition to the approval of any project or the issuance of any permit or permission unless such project is approved by popular vote.

IMPLEMENTATION:

  • This measure shall take effect upon certification of election results.

  • If any provision of this measure is for any reason held to be invalid, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

  • All other policies within the January 1989 (amended December 14, 2004) City of Placerville's General Plan or other supporting documents, such as Placerville's Streetscape plan, necessary to comply with this initiative shall also be amended.

  • This Transportation Goal shall become a codified City of Placerville ordinance immediately upon passage and shall not be altered without a popular vote of the people.


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