Cotati City Council
Agenda Staff Report
Item type: PUBLIC HEARINGS (ACTION)
To: City Council
Subject: RESOLUTION TO APPROVE THE ENGINEER'S REPORT,
CONFIRM THE ASSESSMENT DIAGRAM AND ANNUAL
ASSESSMENT AMOUNTS, AND LEVYING AND
COLLECTION OF THE ANNUAL ASSESSMENTS FOR THE
COTATI LANDSCAPING AND LIGHTING ASSESSMENT
DISTRICT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025-26.
Date: July 8, 2025
Written by: Henry Babits, Engineering Technician
Recommendation
It is recommended the City Council of the City of Cotati adopt a resolution approving the Annual Engineer's Report, confirming the assessment diagram and annual assessment amounts, and authorizing the levying and collection of assessments for Fiscal Year 2025-26 for the Cotati Landscaping and Lighting Assessment District for Zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 (Pursuant to the Landscaping and Lighting Act of 1972).
Background
Ten separate Cotati Landscaping and Lighting Assessment Districts (“Districts”) were initially formed by the City from 1989 to 2003 in accordance with the Landscaping and Lighting Act of 1972 (“Landscaping and Lighting Act”) to pay for costs associated with maintaining landscaping and streetlights within developments. The FY17/18 annual assessment process consolidated the ten Districts into one District to simplify the process and reduce administration costs. This item is the third of the three anticipated Council meetings for this year’s assessment process.
Analysis/Discussion
The Landscaping and Lighting Act requires that the City undertake certain proceedings for any fiscal year in which assessments are to be levied and collected. On January 28, 2025, the City Council began the required annual proceedings for the 2025-26 Fiscal Year by appointing the City Engineer as Engineer of Work and directing the preparation of the Engineer’s Report. The Draft Engineer’s Report was prepared and filed in accordance with the Landscaping and Lighting Act and was presented to the City Council for their consideration on May 28, 2025. At that time, the City Council preliminary approved the Engineer’s Report, adopted a Resolution of Intent to levy and collect the annual assessments and set the date of the public protest hearing.
The requisite hearing notice has been given pursuant to Streets and Highways Code Section 22626. This is the third of three City Council meetings for the Fiscal Year 2025-26 assessments.
The Council is to conduct a public hearing and may then authorize the levy and collection of assessments for Fiscal Year 2025-26. The assessments cannot be increased above those stated in the Resolution of Intent adopted June 10, 2025.
Financial Considerations
All costs associated with these annual proceedings and the annual operation, maintenance and administration of the Landscaping and Lighting Maintenance Assessment District are intended to be recovered from the annual assessments levied on the properties within the District. It may be necessary to have a loan from the City’s General Fund if improvements or repairs become necessary, but it is the intent that these borrowed funds be paid back through zone revenue over time. In some cases, an annual subsidy from the City’s General Fund is necessary to cover the maintenance expenses. Annual subsidies are provided for Zones 2, 4, and 5.
Annual assessments are to remain at previous year’s levels for Zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 ($158.00, $40.00, $290.00 ($435.00 for triplex), $32.00, $36.74, and $133.50, respectively). The Zone 7 assessment is proposed to increase from $278.30 to $292.20. The Zone 8 assessment is proposed to increase from $556.40 to $584.20. The Zone 9 assessment is proposed to increase from $236.40 to $313.50. The Zone 10 assessment is proposed to increase from $455.96 to $478.74. The maximum assessments for zones 7, 8, 9 and 10 were increased by the ratio of the January 2024 Construction Cost Index for San Francisco to the CCI for the closest month to when those Zones were formed (consistent with provisions in the resolutions forming those respective Zones) and multiplied by the original assessment.
Environmental Issues
The actions to approve the Engineer’s Report, approve the action to levy and collect annual assessment for FY 25/26, confirm the assessment diagrams and annual assessment amounts, and approve the increase of the maximum potential assessments in accordance with the CCI for San Francisco for Zones 7, 8, 9, and 10 for the Landscaping and Lighting Maintenance District does not constitute a project as defined by California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15378; therefore, no further environmental review is required.