Why Did You Receive This Ballot?
Your property in the Diamond Bar Hills/Pantera Park
area lies within Landscape Assessment District No. 39 as established by the original developer in 1985. The District was set up to fund maintenance services on private and
public property that include fire brush clearing, shrub and ground cover care, weed abatement, pest and vector
control, and litter and debris removal. Funds go to the City of Diamond Bar, who in turn manages all the landscaping services. In some senses, the City is acting as a master home owner’s association.
For the past 36 years the maixium allowable assessment
had been $236 per year, which no longer generates enough revenue to perform the necessary work. Under Proposition 218, any increases in assessments must be approved by
property owners through a ballot process. However, in 2019 property owners soundly defeated an initiative to increase this amount, after which the City began the process to
dissolve the District in early 2021. This action would put the responsibility of most maintenance on property owners.
In response to residents’ urging, the City has agreed to once again embark on a process to increase assessments to a
level that would fully fund the work. Property owners are now being asked to bring revenues in line with expenses so the District is self-supporting once again. The enclosed ballot is how you, as a property owner, can vote on the proposed increase in assessment from the current $236 to the new amount listed on your ballot (ranging from $466.74 to $504.58).
• A YES vote means a new District will be created by the City to fund this maintenance.
• A NO vote means most maintenance formerly performed
by the City would become the responsibility of property owners as of July 2022
CITY OF DIAMOND BAR
LANDSCAPE ASSESSMENT DISTRICT No. 39-2022
OFFICIAL NOTICE AND BALLOT INFORMATION GUIDE
Neighborhood mini-parks are important ameniƟ es that require constant maintenance and upkeep
What Does This Funding Provide?
Daily: Every day, City contractors inspect district areas and carry out a variety of maintenance work that includes debris and litter removal, playground cleanup, irrigation system checkup and repairs.
Weekly or Bi-Weekly: Every week April through November, City contractors mow, edge and trim landscaping
that includes turf, shrub and ground cover areas. Work
frequency switches
t o b i - w e e k l y
December through
March.
Annually or AsNeeded: Once a year
or as needed, City
contractors perform
f i r e - p r e v e n t i v e
b r u s h c l e a r a n c e
that includes cutting
down and removing
overgrown weeds
and dead vegetation
o n h i l l s i d e s a n d
ca nyo n s c l o s e to
h o m e s . R o d e n t ,
insect and disease
c o n t r o l w i t h i n
landscaped areas
i s h a n d l e d w h e n
necessary.
All Ballots must be received on or before March 15, 2022 to be counted.
Public Hearing on March 15, 2022
How Was the New Assessment
Determined?
The total annual cost of maintenance and servicing of
improvements within the Landscape Assessment
District No. 39-2022 to be funded by the assessments
is allocated to each property based on the special
benefit received. The benefit to each parcel was
estimated based on the property type and location.
An Engineer’s Report describing the proposed services
and improvements, method of assessment, special
benefits, budgets, and proposed assessment for each
parcel is available for review from the Diamond Bar
City Clerk’s Office or at www.diamondbarca.org/LAD39.
Public Hearing
A public hearing will be held on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. in the Diamond Bar City Hall, Windmill Room, first floor, located at 21810 Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, California. You are invited to attend the public hearing.
Tabulation of the returned ballots will commence after the close of the public input portion of the hearing, and the results of the tabulation are expected to be announced
later that evening.
Continued from front page
Maintaining V-ditches helps keep slopes safe and stable Ballot Instructions
Your ballot on this matter is important because only
returned ballots will be counted. To complete the enclosed ballot, mark the oval next to either Yes or No, sign the ballot, fold it in half, place it in the provided postagepaid return envelope, and place it in the mail so it is received on or before the public hearing date
of March 15, 2022. Only official ballots which
are signed and marked with the property owner’s
support or opposition, and are received before the
end of the public input portion of the public hearing
on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, will be counted.
If you lose your ballot, require a replacement ballot,
or want to change your vote, call the Diamond Bar
City Clerk’s office at (909) 839-7000 for another
ballot. See the enclosed ballot for additional
instructions. Ballots are weighted by the proposed
amount of assessment and will be tabulated
accordingly. The assessment shall not be imposed
if, upon the conclusion of the public hearing, ballots
submitted in opposition to the assessment exceed
the ballots submitted in favor of the assessment,
with ballots weighted according to the proportional
financial obligation of the affected property.
Additional Detailed Information Available
An Engineer’s Report describing the proposed improvements, method of assessment, budgets and proposed assessments
is available for review at the Diamond Bar City Clerk’s offi ce located at 21810 Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, California, at (909) 839-7000, or online at www.diamondbarca.org/LAD39.
The City’s website also provides answers to frequently asked quesƟ ons regarding the District and the proposed increased assessment.
Will This Assessment Increase in the
Future?
If approved, the proposed assessment will continue
annually. After Fiscal Year 2022-23, the assessment can only be adjusted in an amount up to the change in the
Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County area Consumer
Price Index (CPI). This annual adjustment, which must
be reviewed and approved annually at a public meeting
of the City of Diamond Bar City Council, will help
keep the assessment revenues in line with the cost of
providing landscaping maintenance in future years.
H o w M u c h I s t h e
Proposed Assessment?
The proposed assessment is
printed on the Official Ballot
included with this notice and
information guide. The District
is divided up into three zones
ref l e c t i n g d i ffe re nt l e ve l s
of improvements. In Zone A
(south of Grand Avenue), the
annual rate is $504.58; in Zone
B (north of Grand Avenue and
south of Pantera School) the
annual rate is $491.97; and
in Zone C (around and north
of Pantera School) the annual
rate is $466.74. If the measure
is approved, the total amount
collected through assessments
will be approximately $612,713 in Fiscal Year 2022-23. A map showing the zones is above. For a detailed breakdown of the revenue sources and specific expenses, refer to the Engineer’s Report for FY 22-23, which can be obtained
from the Diamond Bar City Clerk’s Office or online at www. diamondbarca.org/LAD39.
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