Agenda 02/14/2017 Item #11B02/14/2017
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Recommendation to accept a report on the outreach and polling efforts that can be performed
quickly to measure support for reauthorizing the ad valorem levy for continued acquisitions under
the Conservation Collier program; review of millage options; and provide guidance.
OBJECTIVE: To respond to the Board’s request to provide information on outreach or polling efforts
that can be performed quickly to gauge support for a reauthorized Conservation Collier program.
CONSIDERATIONS: The Conservation Collier program is a taxpayer-funded initiative approved in
November 2002 by voters with the goal of providing a long-term acquisition and management program to
meet conservation and open space needs expressed by citizens. The ad-valorem levy that funded the
program ran from 2003 through 2013, though acquisitions were halted in 2011.
Staff came to the Board on January 10, 2017 (Agenda Item 11C) in response to a Board request to provide
a report of the current status of the Conservation Collier program and provide some options for gauging
public sentiment regarding a reauthorization of the ad-valorem levy for continued acquisitions.
At the same meeting, a Trust for Public Lands (TPL) representative advised the Board about some key
findings from a short, interactive voice response (IVR) poll regarding opinions about reauthorization of
Conservation Collier. The poll was commissioned and funded by local environmental organizations. Five
hundred and one randomly selected voters in Collier County were polled on January 19 - 20, 2017. The
poll used an automated IVR system (“robo” calls) to question respondents and have them provide their
answers via phone keypad. The two main survey questions are included below:
1. “For ten years, Collier County used a one-quarter mill property tax to fund the Conservation
Collier program to acquire, preserve, and manage environmentally sensitive lands. The program
helped protect our water resources, wildlife habitat, and open spaces. The tax has ended and the
Collier County Commission is considering placing a ballot measures before county voters to
renew funding the program. If the election were held today, would you support or oppose
renewing this one-quarter mill property tax for Conservation Collier?”
2. “And if you learned that continuation of this one-quarter mill proposal would continue to cost the
average homeowner in Collier County approximately $88 a year, how would that impact your
opinion? Would you be much more likely to support the proposal, somewhat more l ikely,
somewhat less likely, much less likely or would it have no impact on your decision?”
The sample size in the TPL poll was limited to people with landline phones and had a margin of error of ±
4.38%. The result for Question #1 was a positive response of 62% for reauthorization with 21% opposing
and 17% undecided. The result for Question #2 was a positive response of 49% for being more likely to
support the .25 mills property tax, with 24% less likely to support renewal at the quarter mill amount and
26% responding that rate made no difference. The TPL summary of the IVR poll questions and results is
attached.
TPL has proposed three options for the Board to consider moving forward (proposal attached), which are
summarized as follows:
1. Accept the data from the current TPL Interactive Voice Response (IVR) poll as sufficient to
reauthorize the ad-valorem levy for the program starting in the FY 2018 budget.
11.B
Packet Pg. 232
02/14/2017
2. Contract with TPL for a similar, but more comprehensive, new poll. The TPL proposal for
the new poll is attached and would cost $32,000. Questions will be developed by TPL with
input from staff and the Board. If the Board chose to waive its procurement processes for
vendor selection and selected TPL to perform the new poll, the polling process would be
expedited allowing the results to be considered in time for the FY 2018 budget3.
3. Either accept the data from the TPL poll or perform a second poll to measure public sentiment
for increasing the millage starting in the 2018 budget; and hold a referendum August or
November 2018 to ask voters the question regarding establishing a 10-year commitment of
millage increase for acquisition and maintenance of preserve lands.
Should the Board elect to raise the millage through the County’s budget process, money could be
appropriated annually for acquisitions on a pay-as-you-go basis beginning in FY 2018. The bonding of ad
valorem requires a referendum. A referendum in late 2018 could formalize the voter response to institute
a multi-year annual levy thereafter.
For the Board’s information, Commissioner Saunders requested and staff has included as an attachment a
recent Naples Daily News editorial in support of reauthorizing the land acquisition program.
FISCAL IMPACT: The cost to conduct a more comprehensive new poll is estimated to be $32,000 with
funds provided from within the Conservation Collier Program budget. A budget amendment would be
required.
Based upon Board guidance, a marginal increase in the General Fund millage rate could be budgeted
within existing fund structures to restart the Conservation Collier program. The budgeted transfer from
the General Fund to the existing Conservation Collier Trust Funds will be based upon 95% of the levy
accounting for the statutorily required revenue reserve. Consistent with FY 2018 budget planning
estimates, the transfer from the General Fund to the Conservation Collier Trust Funds under various
marginal General Fund millage rates would be:
Millage of 0.1000 - $7.8 million
Millage of 0.1500 - $11.8 million
Millage of 0.2500 - $19.6 million
Absent a referendum, Ad Valorem taxes cannot be used as a source of funds for the repayment of any
debt issuance. Accordingly, the purchase of environmentally sensitive lands would initially be with
generated cash on hand.
GROWTH MANAGEMENT IMPACT: A reauthorized Conservation Collier program would support
other County growth management initiatives such as the 2016 Restudies and the Comprehensive Water
Improvement program if approved.
LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS: This item has been reviewed by the County Attorney, raises no legal
issue at this time, with any decision requiring simple majority vote. -JAK
RECOMMENDATION: That the Board of County Commissioners:
1. Provides staff direction on pursuing public sentiment related to reestablishing the Conservation
Collier land acquisition program;
2. Provides direction on General Fund marginal millage options.
3. If the decision is made to obtain additional polling from TPL, waives the procurement process for
vendor selection and authorizes funding from Conservation Collier Program sources to pay for
11.B
Packet Pg. 233
02/14/2017
their services.
4. Authorizes any necessary budget amendments.
Prepared by: Alexandra Sulecki, Principal Environmental Specialist, Parks and Recreation Department
ATTACHMENT(S)
1. Collier County, FL Poll Proposal 1-31-17 (PDF)
2. Collier County, FL Poll Summary Memo 1-31-17 (PDF)
3. NDN Editorial (PDF)
11.B
Packet Pg. 234
02/14/2017
COLLIER COUNTY
Board of County Commissioners
Item Number: 11.B
Item Summary: Recommendation to accept a report on the outreach and polling efforts that can
be performed quickly to measure support for reauthorizing the ad valorem levy for continued acquisitions
under the Conservation Collier program; review millage options; and provide guidance. (Barry Williams,
Director, Parks and Recreation Division)
Meeting Date: 02/14/2017
Prepared by:
Title: Operations Analyst – Public Services Department
Name: Hailey Margarita Alonso
01/31/2017 1:35 PM
Submitted by:
Title: Division Director - Parks & Recreation – Parks & Recreation
Name: Barry Williams
01/31/2017 1:35 PM
Approved By:
Review:
Parks & Recreation Barry Williams Additional Reviewer Completed 01/31/2017 2:03 PM
Parks & Recreation Alexandra Sulecki Additional Reviewer Completed 01/31/2017 4:58 PM
Parks & Recreation Ilonka Washburn Additional Reviewer Completed 02/01/2017 8:20 AM
Public Services Department Amanda O. Townsend Additional Reviewer Completed 02/01/2017 11:45 AM
Public Services Department Joshua Hammond Additional Reviewer Completed 02/01/2017 1:54 PM
Parks & Recreation Jeanine McPherson Additional Reviewer Completed 02/01/2017 2:11 PM
Public Services Department Hailey Margarita Alonso Level 1 Division Reviewer Completed 02/01/2017 3:49 PM
Procurement Services Ted Coyman Additional Reviewer Completed 02/01/2017 5:37 PM
Public Services Department Steve Carnell Level 2 Division Administrator Review Completed 02/02/2017 1:24 PM
Office of Management and Budget Laura Wells Level 3 OMB Gatekeeper Review Completed 02/02/2017 2:00 PM
County Attorney's Office Jeffrey A. Klatzkow Level 3 County Attorney's Office Review Completed 02/02/2017 2:27 PM
Budget and Management Office Ed Finn Additional Reviewer Completed 02/06/2017 10:54 AM
County Manager's Office Nick Casalanguida Level 4 County Manager Review Completed 02/07/2017 4:04 PM
Board of County Commissioners MaryJo Brock Meeting Pending 02/14/2017 9:00 AM
11.B
Packet Pg. 235
1
To: Barry Williams, Director, Collier County Parks and Recreation
Division
From: Will Abberger, Vice President, Director, Conservation Finance and
Pegeen Hanrahan, Conservation Finance consultant
Date: January 31, 2017
Re: Collier County Polling Proposal
Polling Options
There are three polling options for considering voter attitudes toward
Conservation Collier.
1) If the County Commission’s primary goal is to assess current public
attitudes towards the Conservation Collier program, then we believe that
the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) poll of Collier County voters we
commissioned with local partners conducted on January 19-20, 2017 is a
very good gauge. The results of this poll are available and will again be
presented to the County Commission. This poll was conducted at no cost
to the county.
2) If the County Commission wishes to further explore county voter attitudes
toward Conservation Collier with additional polling at this time, this
proposal outlines The Trust for Public Land’s experience and our proposal
for conducting additional polling now. The cost to county for additional
polling would be approximately $32,000.
3) If the County Commission wishes to consider a possible 2018 referendum
for Conservation Collier, we would recommend waiting until 2018 to
conduct a public opinion survey to gauge voters attitudes towards such a
ballot measure. Ideally, such a survey would be privately funded.
The Trust for Public Land’s Conservation Finance Program
Adequate funding is a challenge for all park and conservation-related activities.
The Trust for Public Land’s (TPL’s) Conservation Finance program helps
communities and agencies identify and raise public funds for parks and land
conservation from state and local sources. TPL provides professional, technical
assistance services to local governments, special districts, and others that need
to research and evaluate the feasibility of park and land conservation finance
options. Since 1996, TPL has been involved in more 500 successful ballot
measures that have created more than $68 billion in new funding for parks and
11.B.a
Packet Pg. 236 Attachment: Collier County, FL Poll Proposal 1-31-17 (2677 : Conservation Collier outreach/polling efforts)
2
conservation. Voters have approved 81 percent of the ballot measures supported
by TPL.
In Florida, TPL has worked with 32 cities and counties and the state over the
past twenty years to pass 28 ballot measures generating over $10 billion in new
funds for parks and conservation. We led the 2014 statewide campaign for the
Water and Land Conservation Amendment to the Florida Constitution, including
the initiative petition campaign to collect nearly 1 million signatures to place the
amendment on the ballot and the ballot measure campaign, which won by 75
percent (4.2 million “Yes” votes). In the 2016 presidential election, TPL won all
three of the ballot measures we worked on in Florida: Alachua County (60
percent “Yes”) for an eight-year, ½-cent sales tax to fund land conservation and
parks; Brevard County (62 percent “Yes’) for a ten-year ½-cent sales tax to fund
Indian River Lagoon restoration; and Lee County (84 percent “Yes”) for renewal
of the Conservation 20/20 program.
Conservation funding is a very tangible step communities take to guide land use,
manage growth, provide recreation amenities, and protect natural landscapes,
water quality, and critical ecosystems. Given the substantial investment of time
and resources required to develop and implement a public funding strategy, TPL
employs our tried and true conservation finance methodology of sound research
to understand conservation options and voter attitudes followed by strategic
campaigns that effectively communicate key messages. TPL provides policy and
fiscal analysis, public opinion research, technical assistance, strategic
recommendations, and legislative drafting, often followed by legislative or ballot
measure campaigns.
Proposal for Additional Polling Now
Typically, TPL commissions a public opinion survey to determine voter attitudes
towards finance mechanism identified in the feasibility research and to inform
decisions about ballot measure design, ballot language, and a possible ballot
measure campaign.
By conducting a poll and analyzing the results, TPL helps determine when the
time is right to seek voter support, how to design a measure, where to allocate
communications resources, and whose support matters the most. While polls are
not crystal balls, they can be a road map to success -- and one of the most
important investments parks and open space advocates can make. TPL has the
largest database of voter attitudes towards parks and conservation in the
country. Using results from over 400 successful surveys across the country, TPL
11.B.a
Packet Pg. 237 Attachment: Collier County, FL Poll Proposal 1-31-17 (2677 : Conservation Collier outreach/polling efforts)
3
has developed a unique parks and land conservation polling “library” that
provides insight into voter concerns and allows us to test and fine-tune the most
compelling conservation themes for each community’s unique demographics.
Our Conservation Finance staff are highly skilled at designing, directing, and
interpreting polls, having worked on literally hundreds of surveys. As noted
above, our feasibility research provides comprehensive demographic, political,
and electoral research used to frame the most effective survey questions. We
work the country’s leading Republican and Democratic polling firms to conduct
our telephone surveys.
TPL would contract with a qualified public opinion survey firm to conduct a
professionally administered, statistically valid public opinion survey, through
telephone interviews of randomly selected voters in the county.
The poll would be designed to test the following:
• voter support for the Conservation Collier Program;
• awareness of and favorability for Conservation Collier
• finance mechanisms and amounts;
• purposes for the uses of Conservation Collier funds;
TPL would work closely with key county staff to develop the poll questions. We
would meet with staff and local partners and one-on-one with the County
Commissioners before polling to ensure we are reflecting both the current viable
conservation finance options as well gauging voter attitudes towards other issues
of concern to the public.
TPL staff would make presentations of key poll results to the Board of County
Commissions and county staff and, as well as other interested partners, as
necessary.
Budget
Expenses
Polling $25,000
Travel, Presentations, Recommendations $7,000
TOTAL $32,000
11.B.a
Packet Pg. 238 Attachment: Collier County, FL Poll Proposal 1-31-17 (2677 : Conservation Collier outreach/polling efforts)
To: Board of County Commissioners, Collier County
From: Will Abberger, Vice President, Director, Conservation Finance and Pegeen Hanrahan,
Conservation Finance consultant
Date: January 31, 2017
Re: Key Findings from a Survey of Collier County, FL Registered Voters
Overview - Methodology
The Trust for Public Land, The Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Florida Wildlife Federation, and
Audubon of the Western Everglades commissioned a short, interactive voice response (IVR) survey of
501 randomly selected, registered voters in Collier County, Florida. The survey was conducted
January 19-20, 2017 by Chism Strategies of Washington, DC. The poll uses an automated IVR system
that prompts the respondents to use their telephone keypad to answer questions. The sample is limited
to individuals who own home phones. The margin of error for this survey is plus/minus 4.38 percent.
The poll shows strong support for renewing the Conservation Collier program. Results indicated 62
percent would support renewing Conservation Collier. Collier County voters surveyed also have a high
awareness of the Conservation Collier program and a favorable opinion of the program.
Strong Support for Renewing Conservation Collier
The key questions that were asked read as follows:
“For ten years, Collier County used a one-quarter mill property tax to fund the Conservation Collier
program to acquire, preserve, and manage environmentally sensitive lands. The program helped
protect our water resources, wildlife habitat, and open spaces. The tax has ended and the Collier
County Commission is considering placing a ballot measures before county voters to renew funding the
program. If the election were held today, would you support or oppose renewing this one-quarter mill
property tax for Conservation Collier?”
• A strong majority (62 percent) of Collier County voters surveyed support renewing the one-
quarter mill property tax to fund the Conservation Collier program to acquire, preserve, and
mange environmentally sensitive lands, while 21 percent oppose the renewal, and 17 percent
are undecided.
After being informed that continuing the Conservation Collier could require a tax increase costing the
average homeowner in Collier County $88 per year, nearly a majority (49 percent) responded that they
would be more likely to support renewal of the program, while 24 percent would be less likely to support
renewal, and 26 percent responded that the price made no difference. The question was worded as
follows:
11.B.b
Packet Pg. 239 Attachment: Collier County, FL Poll Summary Memo 1-31-17 (2677 : Conservation Collier outreach/polling efforts)
“And if you learned that continuation of this one-quarter mill proposal would continue to cost the
average homeowner in Collier County approximately $88 a year, how would that impact your opinion?
Would you be more much more likely to support the proposal, somewhat more likely, somewhat less
likely, much less likely or would it have on impact on your decision?”
High Awareness and Favorability
We also asked voters about their general awareness of and attitudes towards Conservation Collier. We
asked:
“Have you seen, heard, or read anything about Conservation Collier? Would you say you heard a great
deal or just a little about Conservation Collier?”
• 44 percent of respondents surveyed were aware of the Conservation Collier program, with an
equal amount (44 percent) responding that they were not aware of the program. Among those
who were aware of the program, 32 percent had heard a great deal about Conservation Collier
and 65 percent had heard just a little.
Survey respondents were also asked:
“Please tell me your opinion of Conservation Collier which is Collier County’s program to acquire,
preserve, and manage environmentally sensitive land. If you can’t rate it, you can tell me that too. Do
you have a very favorable opinion, a somewhat favorable opinion, you are neutral, do you have a
somewhat unfavorable opinion, a very unfavorable opinion, or are you unsure?”
• By a nearly 5:1 margin, Collier County voters have a favorable opinion of Conservation Collier.
47 percent of Collier County voters surveyed had a favorable opinion of Conservation Collier,
while 11 percent had an unfavorable opinion, and 29 percent were neutral towards the program.
In our experience conducting over 400 polls for local and state ballot measures, these are very
favorable results. For the purpose of gauging public opinion to inform the County Commission about
Collier County voters support for the Conservation Collier program, the results of this survey provide a
representative view of Collier County voters likely cast ballots during a November non-presidential
general election (e.g., November of 2014). If instead of renewing Conservation Collier legislatively (by
a vote of the County Commission), Collier County wished to renew funding for Conservation Collier by
conducting a referendum, then The Trust for Public Land would recommend a more comprehensive
telephone survey of Collier County voters.
11.B.b
Packet Pg. 240 Attachment: Collier County, FL Poll Summary Memo 1-31-17 (2677 : Conservation Collier outreach/polling efforts)
11.B.c
Packet Pg. 241 Attachment: NDN Editorial (2677 : Conservation Collier outreach/polling efforts)
11.B.c
Packet Pg. 242 Attachment: NDN Editorial (2677 : Conservation Collier outreach/polling efforts)
11.B.c
Packet Pg. 243 Attachment: NDN Editorial (2677 : Conservation Collier outreach/polling efforts)