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CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Report: Levy of Annual Assessment and Preparation of the Engineer’s Report for Fiscal Year 2024-25 for the North San Fernando Road Corridor Landscape Maintenance District.
1. Resolution Initiating the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Levy of Annual Assessment and Ordering the Preparation of the Engineer’s Report;
2. Resolution Preliminarily Approving the Engineer’s Report for the Fiscal Year 2024- 25 Levy and Collection of Annual Assessments; and
3. Resolution Declaring the City Council’s Intention to Levy and Collect the Annual Assessment for Fiscal Year 2024-25.
COUNCIL ACTION
Item Type: Action Item
Approved for June 11, 2024 calendar
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The North San Fernando Road Corridor Landscape Maintenance District (“District”) was formed on January 9, 2007, pursuant to the Landscape and Lighting Act of 1972, Part 2 of Division 15, of the California Streets and Highway Code. There are five Zones within the boundaries of the District and they receive differing degrees of benefit from the improvements and services to be provided. Continuation of the levy into FY 2024-25 requires the City Council to first preliminarily approve the Draft Engineer’s Report for the Fiscal Year 2024-25 (“Engineer’s Report”) and schedule a public hearing to receive any objections on continuation of the levy. The levy currently funds landscaping maintenance and irrigation, mechanical weeding services and pest control, litter abatement and tree planting and maintenance.
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RECOMMENDATION
That the City Council approve the following:
1. Resolution initiating the Fiscal Year 2024-25 levy of annual assessment and ordering the preparation of the Engineer’s Report for the North San Fernando Road Corridor Landscape Maintenance District;
2. Resolution preliminarily approving the Engineer’s Report for the Fiscal Year 2024-25 levy and collection of assessments within the North San Fernando Road Corridor Landscape Maintenance District pursuant to the Landscaping and Lighting Act of 1972.
3. Resolution declaring the City Council’s intention to levy and collect the annual assessment within the North San Fernando Road Corridor Landscape Maintenance District for Fiscal Year 2024-25 and setting Tuesday, July 9, 2024, as the date, time and place for the public hearing on objections thereto.
ANALYSIS
The North San Fernando Road Corridor Landscape Maintenance District was formed on January 9, 2007, pursuant to the Landscape and Lighting Act of 1972, Part 2 of Division 15, of the California Streets and Highway Code. There are five Zones within the boundaries of the District and they receive differing degrees of benefit from the improvements and services to be provided. Under the 1972 Act, the District is authorized to fund, service and/or maintain the following improvements:
• Lawn/ground cover, shrub, and tree care including weeding, pruning, and feeding;
• Hardscape maintenance including sweeping/cleaning and debris collection; • Water costs including water usage and irrigation maintenance and repair; and • Maintenance costs for site amenities that may include but are not limited to benches, trash receptacles and lighting.
To complete the levy of the annual assessment, the City Council must first preliminarily approve the Engineer’s Report, attached as Exhibit 1, generally describing any proposed improvements or any substantial changes in existing improvements. The Engineer’s Report also provides an annual update of the District including proposed expenses and revenues, and the proposed assessments to be levied on the Los Angeles County tax roll for Fiscal Year 2024-25.
A public hearing to receive any objections is recommended for Tuesday, July 9, 2024, at regularly scheduled 6:00pm City Council Meeting in Council Chambers.
The Engineer’s Report contains a budget for which all parcels within the District will be assessed based on their geographical proximity to the various improvement projects planned for the area. The five Zones within the District were created to account for varying levels of landscape improvements; including amount, type, and frequency of maintenance. For example, Zone 1 (east and west side of San Fernando Road) has 3{{section.number}}c
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different amounts and types of public landscaping than Zone 4 which includes the GC3 campus. The Engineer’s Report includes a map of the district which displays the boundaries of the five maintenance districts (Page 24, Engineer’s Report).
The Engineer’s Report proposes to establish the assessment rate at the following annual rate per EBU (acres) for each Zone:
Zone 1: $834.01 Zone 4: $126.40
Zone 2: $79.90 Zone 5: $246.26
Zone 3: $80.05
Although the size of a parcel does not provide a direct correlation to the use of the property, the size of a parcel when compared to surrounding properties provides a reasonable and proportional relationship to its use, access, and nexus to the major streets within the area where the improvements exist. It was determined that for this District, each parcel’s proportional benefit (Equivalent Benefit Units/EBU) shall be equal to the parcel’s assigned acreage (rounded to two decimal places).
There is a fixed annual inflationary adjustment to the Maximum Assessment Rates per EBU of three percent. The Maximum Assessment Rates established for the previous fiscal year are recalculated to establish the new Maximum Assessment Rates that may be levied for that fiscal year. Although the Maximum Assessment Rates increase each year, the actual assessment (“Levy per EBU”) may remain unchanged.
The Levy per EBU for each zone is calculated by dividing the net cost budgeted for that Zone (“Balance to Levy”) by the Total EBU of all benefitting properties within each respective Zone. This Assessment Rate is then applied back to each parcel’s assigned EBU to determine the parcel’s proportionate benefit and assessment obligation for the improvements.
The North San Fernando Road Corridor Landscape Maintenance District is an assessment district. The proportional assessment calculated for each parcel will be applied to the Los Angeles County Tax Rolls for Fiscal Year 2024-25. The total assessment for Fiscal Year 2024-25 is $70,000.25 (Exhibit 1, Engineer’s Report) which is nearly the same as last year. The funds collected from property owners will be used mainly for landscaping, irrigation, debris collection and maintenance of zones in the San Fernando Road Corridor Project Area. These services are provided by multiple contractors working in this area on a regular basis including West Coast Arborists, Inc. for tree maintenance; Parkwood Landscape Maintenance, Inc. for landscape maintenance services and litter control and Pest Options, Inc. for weed control services.
Over the past year, funds collected from this levy has been used to plant six trees, prune 633 trees, and remove seven trees in the district. All city-owned trees in the district are pruned every six years, with this maintenance taking place during this FY. Last year the levy also funded approximately ten hours per month of targeted weed control visits.
Additionally, it funded monthly litter collection, shrub vine and tree maintenance, ground 4{{section.number}}c
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cover maintenance and irrigation system maintenance for public landscaped areas on San Fernando Road, Flower Street, Fairmont Avenue, and the Fairmont Bridge.
STAKEHOLDERS/OUTREACH
This staff report includes a resolution scheduling a public hearing for July 9, 2024, during the regular City Council meeting on that day. The public hearing affords property owners in the district to object to continuation of the levy as well as other interested parties to express their views on the landscape maintenance district.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW (CEQA/NEPA)
This item is considered a ministerial activity and therefore, not subject to CEQA review.
CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE
This item is exempt from campaign disclosure requirements.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Alternative 1: Deny the attached resolutions terminating the North San Fernando Road Corridor Landscape Maintenance District Levy.
Alternative 2: The City Council may consider any other alternative not proposed by staff.
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
Submitted by:
Daniel Hernandez, Interim Director of Public Works
Prepared by:
Shea Eccleston-Banwer, Senior Public Works Manager
Approved by:
Roubik R. Golanian, P.E., City Manager
EXHIBITS/ATTACHMENTS
Exhibit 1: North San Fernando Road Corridor Landscape Maintenance District 2024/25 Engineer’s Report.