Legislation aims to change Galt Market plan

Two local legislators have introduced Assembly Bill 2220, which if passed would remove restrictions on the Galt Market property in an effort to stimulate the local economy in the face of declining market revenue.

During a recent Galt City Council meeting, the council approved staff requests to move forward with the legislative process as the city grapples with how to find a more reliable revenue source for parks and recreation funding.

AB 2220 is a spot bill co-authored by Assemblyman Jim Cooper and Sen. Cathleen Galgiani that would amend deed restrictions stipulated in Assembly Bill 3773. The properties were originally gifted to the City of Galt by California in 1969 when AB 1089 was adopted and signed into law. AB 1089 placed a deed restriction on the properties requiring that they be “substantially used for park and recreation purposes,” according to Interim City Manager Tom Haglund.

In 1982, AB 1089 was amended by AB 3773, which authorized the Galt Market to operate on the properties with the condition that rents from market operations must be utilized “solely for park and recreation purposes in the city,” he added.

“Recognizing changes over time and that the properties could be utilized for unique financial opportunities, AB 3773 became the first legislative effort to amend the original legislation (AB 1089) in pursuit of using at least part of the properties to generate revenues for parks and recreation purposes,” Haglund said in a statement.

He added AB 2220 plays an important role in determining the viability of any plan that results from the ongoing Galt Market Community Plan process that is underway and will involve the community in determining if there are better alternatives to the market.

“Currently, the city’s parks and recreation fund operates with an approximate $1.2 to 1.4 million dollar deficit on an annual basis,” Haglund said. “The deficit is a result of 15 years of declining revenues from the Galt Market coupled with increased costs of programming and maintenance of the city’s substantial number of parks and recreation facilities.”

Haglund said the parks and recreation fund deficit is covered by the city’s general fund, which creates a deficit in that fund and threatens the city’s long-term financial stability.

AB 2220 will consider whether the deed restrictions on the 48-acre Civic Center properties — including City Hall, Littleton Center, the Galt Sports Complex, the Galt Market, parking areas and adjacent private lands — should again be amended, to allow the city to consider new mixed-use development.

“As of now AB 2220 is just a spot bill that holds our place in line as the (Galt) community develops a plan, which will be incorporated into the bill,” said Mikey Hothi, a district director for Cooper.

According to Hothi, Galt staff will be hosting a series of community outreach and planning meetings to gather community input and ideas from the public, as well as answer questions citizens might have about the Galt Market project.

The first community engagement meeting will be held on March 9 at 6 p.m. inside the Chabolla Community Center, 600 Chabolla Ave., Galt.

A copy of the AB 2220 can be viewed online at https://bit.ly/3ag8uf3.