RESOLUTION NO.
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COTATI APPROVING THE PRELIMINARY ANNUAL ENGINEER’S REPORT FOR THE CITY OF COTATI LANDSCAPING AND LIGHTING ASSESSMENT DISTRICT; DECLARING THE
INTENTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL TO LEVY THE ANNUAL ASSESSMENT AND
SETTING THE TIME AND DATE OF THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE PROPOSED LEVY AND COLLECTION OF ASSESSMENTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025/2026 WHEREAS, the original ten Landscape and Lighting Maintenance Assessment Districts within the City (“Districts”) were initially formed by the City from 1989 to 2003 in accordance with the Landscape and Lighting Act of 1972 (“Act”) to levy and collect assessments under the Act to pay for costs associated with maintaining landscaping and streetlights within developments; and
WHEREAS, in 2017, the City Council consolidated the ten Districts into one District, containing ten separate Benefit Zones, each of which match identically the original ten original Districts, to simplify the annual assessment process and subsequently reduce administration costs; and
WHEREAS, the revenues and expenses of each of the ten individual Benefit Zones will be kept separate and the individual annual budget of each separate Benefit Zone has been tracked, in the same manner as currently occurs for the separate Districts; and WHEREAS, pursuant to the Act, an annual Engineer’s Report is required to be prepared and filed outlining estimated costs, methods of spreading costs, a description of properties in the Assessment District and their proposed assessments to levy and collect assessments in any following fiscal year; and
WHEREAS, on January 28, 2025, the City Council adopted a resolution appointing Craig Scott, P.E. as the Engineer of Work, directing the preparation and filing of the annual FY 2025- 26 Engineer’s Report, and describing the potential changes to the Assessment District; and WHEREAS, the annual operation, maintenance and other incidental costs associated with the entire Assessment District includes improvements in the following Zones 1 through 10:
1. Valparaiso Zone 1 ‐ Zone 1 includes the maintenance of 7,416 square feet of landscaping along Redwood Highway and Valparaiso Avenue and five streetlights within the development. The parcels within this zone receive a direct special benefit from these amenities that are an asset to the values of the homes.
2. Quail Hollow Zone 2 ‐ Zone 2 funds the annual costs associated with the operation and maintenance of Quail Hollow, and the back-on landscaping along portions of Myrtle Avenue. Additionally, maintenance of the landscaping provides a direct benefit for the parcels as maintaining the landscaping adds to property values and provides beneficial landscape features specific to residents within this zone.
3. Sommers Zone 3 ‐ The Assessment District improvements in Zone 3 include six driveway lights on La Salle Avenue. Additionally, the lighting adds to property values and provides beneficial landscape features specific to residents within this zone.
4. Macklin Zone 4 ‐ The related improvements in Zone 4 includes 1,170 square feet of “back‐on” landscaping along Myrtle Avenue. Residents within this zone directly benefit from maintenance of the landscaping, as maintaining the landscaping adds to property values and provides beneficial landscape features specific to residents within this zone.
5. Sierra Meadow Zone 5 ‐ The improvements in Zone 5 include nine streetlights within the development on Oretsky Way. Residents within this zone directly benefit from the lighting, as maintaining the lighting adds to property values and provides beneficial lighting features specific to residents within this zone.
6. Oak Knoll Zone 6 ‐ The related improvements in Zone 6 include the island landscape maintenance on Christensen Court and five streetlights. Residents within this zone directly benefit from maintenance of the landscaping and lighting, as maintaining the landscaping and lighting adds to property values and provides beneficial landscape features specific to residents within this zone.
7. Garden Gate Zone 7 ‐ The improvements in Zone 7 include 2,900 square feet of “back‐on” landscape along a portion of East Cotati Avenue at Dyquisto Way and five streetlights.
Residents within this zone directly benefit from maintenance of the landscaping and lighting, as maintaining the landscaping and lighting adds to property values and provides beneficial landscape features specific to residents within this zone.
8. Park Meadows Zone 8 ‐ The improvements in Zone 8 include 38,475 square feet of landscape along McGinnis Circle, two pathways from McGinnis – one ending at Marsh Way and the other to a pedestrian bridge across the Laguna De Santa Rosa leading to Loretto Avenue, and sixteen streetlights (five streetlights were added in FY 2018/19).
Residents within this zone directly benefit from maintenance of the landscaping and lighting, as maintaining the landscaping and lighting adds to property values and provides beneficial landscape features specific to residents within this zone.
9. Santero Way Zone 9 ‐ The improvements in Zone 9 include a 31,000 square feet landscaped park and seventeen streetlights. Residents within this zone directly benefit from maintenance of the landscaping and lighting, as maintaining the landscaping and lighting adds to property values and provides beneficial landscape features specific to residents within this zone.
10. Altman Acres Zone 10 ‐ The improvements in Zone 10 include a 11,750 square feet landscaped area along Old Redwood Hwy across from Clothier Lane and five street lights (two along Old Redwood Highway and three along John Roberts Drive). Residents within this zone directly benefit from maintenance of the landscaping and lighting, as maintaining the landscaping and lighting adds to property values and provides beneficial landscape features specific to residents within this zone; and WHEREAS, the Engineer of Work has prepared and filed with the City the annual Engineer’s Report for FY 2025-2026 as required by the Act; and WHEREAS, all interested persons are referred to the Engineer’s Report, a copy of which is attached to the staff report for this item and is also on file with and available for inspection in the City Clerk’s Office; and
WHEREAS, the Engineer’s Report contains a full and detailed description of the improvements, the proposed operation and maintenance costs, the boundaries of the ten zones of the Assessment District and the proposed FY 2025-26 assessments upon assessable lots and parcels of land within the Assessment District; and
WHEREAS, for Zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, the proposed FY 2025-26 annual assessments to levy and collect are proposed to stay the same as that assessed FY 2024-25; and WHEREAS, for Zones 7, 8, 9 and 10 the FY 2025-26 maximum annual assessments will be adjusted up by the allowable Construction Cost Index for San Francisco extending back to the formation of the District; and
WHEREAS, for FY 2025/26 the annual assessments proposed to be levied and collected are: $158.00 per unit for all properties within Zone 1, $40.00 per unit for all properties within Zone 2, $290.00 per unit [$435.00 for triplex] for all properties within Zone 3, $32.00 per unit for all properties within Zone 4, $36.74 per unit for all properties within Zone 5, $133.50 per unit for all properties within Zone 6, $292.20 per unit for all properties within Zone 7, $584.20 per unit for all properties within Zone 8, $313.50 per unit for all properties within Zone 9, and $478.74 per ESD unit for all properties within Zone 10.
NOW THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COTATI DOES HEREBY RESOLVE:
1. Recitals. The foregoing recitals are true and correct and made a part of this Resolution; and
2. Proposal to Levy Assessments. The City Council intends to levy and collect assessments during Fiscal Year 2025-26 and preliminarily approves the filed FY 2025-26 Engineer’s Report with the estimate of the costs and expenses to operate and maintain the said improvements and their incidental expenses as it pertains to Zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 for the proposed Cotati Landscape & Lighting Assessment District and its component Benefit Zones for FY 2025-26; and
4. Inflation Adjustment. In order to take inflation into account, the City Council approves the allowance for an annual increase of up to the maximum assessments in accordance with the annual Construction Cost Index for the San Francisco Area for Zones 7, 8, 9 and 10; and
5. Public Hearing. A public protest hearing will be held on July 8, 2025, at 6:00 pm, or as soon thereafter as the matter can be heard, at that time, the City Council will conduct a public hearing on the levy and collection of annual assessments for FY 2025-26 for the District; and
6. This Resolution is adopted pursuant to Section 22620 et. seq. of the California Streets and Highway Code; and
7. The City Clerk is authorized and directed to publish the Notice of Hearing required by the Landscaping and Lighting Act of 1972 for said public hearing.
IT IS HEREBY CERTIFIED that the foregoing resolution was duly adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Cotati held on June 10, 2025, by the following vote, to wit:
Approved:___________________________
Mayor
Attest:______________________________
Kevin Patterson, Deputy City Clerk
Approved as to form:______________________________
City Attorney