Petition to adopt St. Helena Trails and Open Space Plan for public voting.

NOTICE OF INTENT TO CIRCULATE PETITIONNotice is hereby given by the persons whose names appear hereon of their intention to circulate a petition within the City of St. Helena for the purpose of enacting an ordinance to adopt and implement the St. Helena Trails and Open Space Plan: Walking Routes, Trails, and Publicly Accessible Open Space Report to City Council November 2022 (updated October 2025) (the “Walking Plan”) by initiative measure, consistent with the St. Helena General Plan Update 2040 (the “General Plan”).A statement of the reasons for the proposed action as contemplated in the petition is as follows: The proposed ordinance would implement existing pedestrian and walking goals, policies, and actions contained in the General Plan’s Circulation, Community Design, Open Space and Conservation, Climate Change, and Parks and Recreation elements and in the 2023-2031 Housing Element Update . It would protect existing walking paths, expand walking opportunities today, and create ways to enhance this legacy in the future. The Walking Plan provides a vital framework: a sequence of steps, budget, timeline, and suggested resources for implementation over an anticipated four-year period.The Walking Plan was prepared by an ad hoc subcommittee of the City of St. Helena Parks & Recreation Commission starting in 2019 with interested community members together with the City Manager, Parks & Recreation Director, Planning and Building Director, and Public Works Director. It provided its final recommendations in 2022 to help the city be a center for walking and passive recreation, creating a year-round amenity for those who live, work, and visit. In October 2025, the Walking Plan’s route information, timelines, and budget information was updated by Walk St. Helena, a 501(c)(3), founded to sponsor walks and to work to open and maintain walking trails and routes in Upper Napa Valley. Activities and opportunities identified in the Walking Plan include:·A proposed set of published walking loops and trails·A number of existing walking paths and trail opportunities·A plan for voluntary open space easements or access·A model for development agreementsOn November 14 th , 2022, the Parks & Recreation Commission voted 5-0 to approve the Walking Plan and forward it to the Planning Commission and City Council for adoption and implementation. It has not yet been enacted by ordinance. The proponents of this initiative now seek a vote of the people of St. Helena to adopt by ordinance the updated Walking Plan and direct the city to use its best efforts without delay to implement it using the framework and timeline provided, and working throughout the process in a public/private partnership with community-based organizations, including but not limited to Walk St. Helena./s/ Linda George Brown Sandra Archibald David KnudsenINITIATIVE MEASURE TO BE SUBMITTED DIRECTLY TO ST. HELENA VOTERSThe City Attorney has prepared the following title and summary of the chief purpose and points of the proposed measure, pursuant to California Elections Code section 9203. The title and summary must be printed across the top of each page of the petition whereon signatures are to appear as required by California Elections Code section 9203.Ballot Title: Initiative Measure to Approve the St. Helena Trails and Open Space Plan Ballot Summary:The proposed measure is to adopt the St. Helena Trails and Open Space Plan: Walking Routes, Trails, and Publicly Accessible Open Space Report (the “Plan”) by ordinance. The Plan was prepared by an ad-hoc subcommittee of the City Parks and Recreation Commission and local volunteers, with contributions from City staff. The Plan was presented to the Parks and Recreation Commission on November 14, 2022 and has been subsequently updated by Walk St. Helena, a local non-profit corporation.The Plan is comprised of a report with stated goals of protecting existing walking paths, expanding walking opportunities today, and providing a legacy of walking into the future in the City of St. Helena. The Plan includes a sequence of steps, budget, timeline, and suggested staff and community resources to further these goals. The Plan includes five sections: (1) a section describing and discussing published walking loops and trails, (2) a section discussing existing opportunities for walking paths and trails, (3) a section on seeking voluntary open space easements or access in furtherance of the goals of the Plan, (4) a section on utilizing development agreements to seek dedications of walking paths and trails from developers in the City, and (5) a section providing an implementation framework for the Plan.If approved the proposed measure would adopt the Plan as a walking plan for the City of St. Helena by ordinance./s/ Ethan Walsh, St. Helena City Attorney2/19 COL-CA-200058