City staff outline Measure M-funded park investments and programming

Director Drew Halter told commissioners Measure M was approved in 2018 and took effect in 2019, and described the measure27s structure and how funds are dispersed. "Measure M was a 10 year 0.125 of a cent Sonoma County regional sales tax that was approved in 2018, taken into effect in 2019," Halter said, and he explained that cities receive a portion of the revenue based on population while regional parks receive a share for countywide projects.

Staff highlighted capital outcomes enabled or leveraged by the funding: pathway reconstruction at McDowell Park, a new outdoor classroom at Schollenberger, multiple playground replacements, six reconstructed tennis courts and four new pickleball courts, and a 23,000-square-foot skate park under construction. Senior management analyst Nicole Stark said, "In all the city of Petaluma has received revenues totaling over $6,000,000 since its inception," and outlined outreach and staffing gains linked to Measure M.