CITY OF HAWAIIAN GARDENS
CITY COUNCIL
STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item #B6
DATE: May 13, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Ernesto Marquez, City Manager
BY: Linda Hollinsworth, Finance Director
RECOMMENDATION:
RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 006-2026 OF THE CITY
COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HAWAIIAN GARDENS, APPROVING THE PRELIMINARY
ENGINEER'S REPORT FOR CONSOLIDATED LANDSCAPING AND LIGHTING ASSESSMENT DISTRICT NO. HG-LLA1 AND DECLARING THE INTENT TO LEVY AND COLLECT AN ASSESSMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026-2027, AND SETTING A
PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED LEVY AT THE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING ON WEDNESDAY JUNE 24, 2026 IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LANDSCAPING AND LIGHTING ACT OF 1972
SUMMARY
The Consolidated Landscaping and Lighting Assessment District No. HGLLA1 was transferred from Los Angeles County to the City of Hawaiian Gardens (“City”) on July 1, 1995. In accordance with the Landscaping and Lighting Act of 1972, an annual Engineer’s Report has been prepared, and is submitted to City Council for review and preliminary approval. This item requests that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 006-2026, approving the annual preliminary Engineer’s Report, declaring the intention to levy and collect the assessments as specified in the Engineer’s Report and setting the date for a public hearing for the regular City Council meeting of June 24, 2026.
The City funds the utilities for the maintenance of lighting and landscaping through an assessment on all properties in the City-wide Assessment District. The Lighting and Landscaping Assessment District (LLAD) has been in existence for many years and was administered by Los Angeles County prior to the City’s assumption of responsibility in 1995.
Agenda Item #B6
May 13, 2026
Each year the City Council must set the assessment and submit the tax roll to the County Tax Collector prior to August 10th of each year. The attached preliminary Engineer's Report presents the basis for setting the assessment, the amount of the proposed assessment for each property, and a summary of the services to be supported by the assessment. The Engineer’s Report proposes to maintain the previous year’s assessment without increase. As such, under Proposition 218 the City is allowed to impose this assessment without a vote of the public to confirm the assessment.
The Landscaping and Lighting Act of 1972, codified in Streets and Highways Code, provides the procedures that need to be followed in the annual levy of assessments. Upon completion of the Engineer’s Report, the City Council is required to approve the report, either as presented, or as modified by the City Council. Upon approval of the report, the City Council then is required to adopt a resolution of intent to levy and collect assessments and set a public hearing on the matter.
FISCAL IMPACT
The revenue from the assessment will be $110,085, with expenses estimated to be $479,000. The deficit between the total expenses and revenue from the assessment will be subsidized by the General Fund or the Gas Tax. In order to decrease the deficit between revenue and expenses, the City can go out to ballot the District to attempt to increase the assessment rate. A possible increase to the Maximum Assessment Rate in place can be done through Majority Protest Ballot Proceedings, which is a requirement of Proposition 218. The Majority Protest proceedings will pass if there is a weighted 50% of returned ballots by property owners in favor of the maximum increase. If the ballot proceeding fails the current maximum assessment rate will stay in place.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve Recommendation.
ATTACHMENTS
A. Preliminary Engineer’s Levy Report for FY 2026-2027 (Exhibit A) B. Resolution No. 006-2026