On Nov. 4, San Diegans will decide who receives Mission Bay Park’s lease revenue when they weigh in on Proposition C. The Mission Bay Park Committee (MBPC) discussed the charter amendment as well as redevelopment of Fiesta Island at its Oct. 7 meeting at the Santa Clara Recreation Center. SeaWorld and Mission Bay Park properties like The Bahia Resort Hotel annually generate approximately $28 million in revenue. San Diegans originally agreed to allow commercial development in 25 percent of the park on the condition that resulting revenues would go toward completing the vast recreational area. “The Mission Bay compact has been broken for three decades,” said Bob Ottilie, who served for years on the MBPC as a member at large and acting chairperson. Roughly 90 percent of Mission Bay Park’s lease revenues are funneled every year into the city’s general fund, which pays for emergency and basic services. In 2004, City Council enacted the Mission Bay Ordinance. The measure gives 25 percent of the park’s lease revenue exceeding $20 million to both the Mission Bay Improvement Fund and the Regional Park Fund, not to exceed $2.5 million in a fiscal year. City Council can vote to waive the measure and usually has. In 2006, however, approximately $1 million was returned to the park to pay for a replacement lifeguard dock at Quivira Basin. The same year, approximately $98,000 was earmarked for road repairs on Fiesta Island. The initiative is not a reliable revenue source because the cash-strapped city too often votes to waive it, Ottilie said. If Proposition C passes, starting in July, $23 million in lease revenue would go to the city every year. The remainder would go toward completing the capital improvement projects outlined in the Mission Bay Park Master Plan. When the plan was approved in 1994, the price tag for trail improvements, shoreline maintenance and other projects was $200 million. Ottilie estimates that total is now close to $400 million. Proposition C would provide “a guaranteed revenue stream,” Ottilie said. After five years, the city’s cut of Mission Bay lease revenues would go from $23 million to $20 million. Continuing to give the city the lion’s share of lease revenues helps “ease economic withdrawal,” said Ottilie. “It’s not a dramatic impact on the city, but over time it could have a dramatic impact on the park,” he said. If Proposition C passes, Mission Bay Park could receive between $5 million to $12 million annually. Regional parks could net $2 million to $4 million every year. Though the measure has the support of Mayor Jerry Sanders, Councilwoman Donna Frye, Councilman Kevin Faulconer and the Sierra Club, it has also raised some concerns. The measure does not include public input, longtime MBPC member Judy Swink said. The committee, which would provide primary oversight if Proposition C passes, did not debate the ballot initiative before it went to City Council for a vote, she added. The priorities outlined in the measure could also prove too rigid, slowing completion of Fiesta Island and other key projects, Swink said. Citing similar concerns about limited flexibility, Council President Scott Peters and Councilmen Ben Hueso and Jim Madaffer voted against putting the measure on the ballot. Proposition C identifies seven priorities, including dredging, the expansion of wetlands and preserves for endangered and threatened species, and completion of bicycle trails, that would be addressed in a specific sequence. The prioritization is an important part of the measure, according to Ottilie, because it allows voters to see exactly what they would get. Under the measure, the MBPC would determine the order of priorities and City Council would approve it. The council could change the sequence, he said, if funding becomes available for another project. Though the committee did not vote on Proposition C or formally solicit community input, Ottilie said the measure is the culmination of years of discussion on how to fund park projects. Furthermore, he added, the measure reflects the community’s interest in improving parks. “You talk to people in San Diego and everyone uses Mission Bay Park,” he said. “It’s the symbol of our community and people know that.” One of Mission Bay Park’s most popular attractions, Fiesta Island, will remain as is for the time being. A proposed redevelopment project has drawn strong opposition from area dog owners who say the sandy, expansive island is the ideal location for their pets to run and play. According to Michael Singleton of KTU+A, the firm handling the project, redevelopment is on hold until City Council approves funding for an environmental review. Project planners are also exploring another alternative to accommodate dog owners’ wishes. The MBPC will hold its next meeting Tuesday, Nov. 4, at 6 p.m., at the Santa Clara Recreation Center, 1008 Santa Clara Place.