City Council
259 N. Wilma Avenue
Ripon, CA 95366
MEMO
To: Honorable City Council
From: Kevin Werner, City Administrator
Date: 07/08/2025
Subject: Landscape Maintenance Districts - 4th Annual Resolution RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Requesting Council adopt the Resolution determining the amount of and approving the levy of the annual assessments for the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 for the City of Ripon’s ten Landscape Maintenance Districts.
BACKGROUND:
Pursuant to the provision of the Landscaping and Lighting Act of 1972, Part 2, Division 15 of the Streets and Highways Code of the State of California and Proposition 218, the City Council conducts proceedings for the formation of the City of Ripon Landscape Maintenance Districts as outlined in the table below.
Formation of Landscape Maintenance District Check List
Step Description
1 City Council adopts the resolution of intention to undertake proceedings for the formation of an assessment district directing the City Engineer to prepare a report in connection with the proposed formation of the assessment district. (1st Formation Resolution)
2 City Council adopts the resolution approving the Engineer’s Report in connection with the proposed formation of the assessment district, declaring its intention to form an assessment district and setting a time and place for a public hearing. (2nd Formation Resolution)
3 City Council adopts the resolution ordering the formation of the assessment district. (3rd Formation Resolution)
4 City submits required documents to County to set up new tax code required to levy the assessment.
Upon formation of assessment district, the City is required to go through a process to approve the levying of the annual assessment district fees. The following table outlines the steps required to approve the levying of the annual assessments.
Annual Levy of Landscape Maintenance District Assessment Check List Step Description
1 City Council initiates the Landscape Maintenance District proceedings and adopts a resolution directing City Engineer to prepare the Engineer’s Report pertaining to the annual assessments. (1st Annual Resolution)
2 City Council adopts (1) a resolution giving preliminary approval of the Engineer’s Report, and (2) a resolution declaring its intention to order the levy and collection of the annual assessments and setting a time and place for a public hearing. (2nd & 3rd Annual Resolution)
3 City Council adopts a resolution determining the amount of and approving the levy and collection of the annual assessments. (4th Annual Resolution) 4 City submits required documents to County to levy annual assessments for the coming fiscal year.
The attached resolution is the 3
rd step in the process to levy assessments for the City of Ripon’s ten Landscape Maintenance Districts for the coming fiscal year. Upon approval of the resolution, the City shall submit the required documents to the County to levy the annual assessments for the coming fiscal year.
FISCAL IMAPCT:
The following table summarizes the projected fiscal year 2025-26 financials for each district.
Six of the landscape districts did not include language that allows the assessment to be indexed over time to account for inflation. This has resulted in the expenses for these landscape districts exceeding the revenues each year. For those districts that no longer have a fund balance, funds are transferred from the General Fund to cover the deficit. For those districts that do have a balance available, that balance is used to cover the financial deficit.
Four of the landscape maintenance districts did include language that allows the assessment to be indexed over time to account for inflation. Staff is recommending that the:
Carolina’s Maintenance District assessment be increased from $250.00 to $262.50 per parcel (5%) to cover the recent increase in expenses. The recommended balance for this District is $40,000.
Cornerstone Maintenance District assessment to remain at $130.36 per parcel. The revenue generated covers expenses, and the current balance is sufficient for future capital replacement. The recommended balance for this District is $80,000. Vineyard Maintenance District assessment to remain at $488.26 per parcel. The revenue in this district is currently exceeding the expenses, but it is a new district and the fund balance necessary for future capital replacement is $300,000. Alexandra Maintenance District assessment be increased from $292.28 to $301.62 per parcel (3.2%) to cover expenses and begin to establish a capital replacement fund (the goal of this district is $20,000). This district was recently established and does not have a balance available for future capital replacement.
Attachments:
1. Engineer's Report_LMD FY25-26
RESOLUTION NO. 25-23
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
RIPON DETERMINING THE AMOUNT OF AND APPROVING
THE LEVY OF THE ANNUAL ASSESSMENTS FOR THE
FISCAL YEAR 2025-2026 FOR THE CITY OF RIPON'S TEN
LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE DISTRICTS LOCATED IN
THE COUNTY OF SAN JOAQUIN, CALIFORNIA.
WHEREAS, previous hereto pursuant to Resolutions adopted by the City Council of the City of Ripon, the Assessment Districts noted in the table below were formed creating an assessment district pursuant to the Landscaping and Lighting Act of 1972 for the maintenance of general landscaping and irrigation systems in the City of Ripon; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution No 25-3 the City Engineer was directed to prepare and file with the City of Ripon a report in reference to said assessment districts pursuant to Section 22565 indicating the District's present boundaries, a description of the work of improvements for which the assessments are to be levied, the method of assessment spread, his estimate of maintenance costs, assessment roll and assessment diagrams and boundary maps within said Districts and their proposed annual assessments for the current fiscal year; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution No. 25-17 the City Council of the City of Ripon generally approved the Engineer's Report previously filed with the City of Ripon for the current fiscal year; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Ripon, after all proceedings have been duly and regularly held as required by law, as follows:
1. The City Council of the City of Ripon does hereby confirm and approve the Engineer's diagrams and assessments dated the 10
th
day of June, 2025 filed with the City Clerk of
the City of Ripon on the 10
th day of June, 2025 and does further adopt, pursuant to this resolution, said Engineer's diagrams and district boundaries and annual assessments as indicated therein pursuant to the provisions of Section 22631 of the California Streets and Highways Code.
FORMATION OF LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE DISTRICTS
District Name
Council
Acceptance Date Resolution No.
Dutch Meadows #89-1 November 7, 1989 89-60
Country Woods Unit No. 2 & Zumstein Estates Subdivisions #89-2 January 2, 1990 90-1 Farmland Estates #92-1 June 2, 1992 92-30
Main Street Landscape Maintenance District #94-1 June 7, 1994 94-36 Boesch-Kingery Estates #96-1 April 2, 1996 96-17
Jacobs Landing #98-1 May 5, 1998 98-37
Carolina’s Landscape Maintenance District #02-1 August 6, 2002 02-77 Cornerstone 1 Landscape Maintenance District #07-1 April 7, 2007 07-36 Alexandra Place #17-2 June 12, 2018 18-55
The Vineyards #17-1 June 12, 2018 18-54
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Ripon does hereby declare that said Engineer's Report, assessment diagrams and boundary maps which include all of the lots and proposed future lots as shown on the assessment diagrams and boundary maps of said assessment districts, shall constitute the assessment district areas subject to the levy of the annual assessments on each of said lots and the owners thereof lying within boundaries of said assessment districts, and the amount of annual assessments as shown therein.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that said assessments shall be collected as the annual assessments for the fiscal year 2025-2026 in order to pay the costs and expenses of maintaining and servicing the improvements as set forth in the Engineer's Report.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Clerk of the City of Ripon is hereby ordered to file a certified copy of the boundary maps, Engineer's diagrams and assessments and this Resolution with the County Auditor of the County of San Joaquin for the purpose of collecting said annual assessments for Ripon’s ten Landscape and Lighting Maintenance Districts for the fiscal year 2025-2026 for the purpose of paying the costs and expenses of maintaining and servicing the improvements within said Districts, all as shown on the Engineer's Report pertaining to said annual assessments filed with the City Clerk of the City of Ripon on the 10 th
day of June, 2025.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption.
PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Ripon this 8th day of July, 2025, by the following vote:
RESULT: ADOPTED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Leo Zuber, Council Member
SECONDER:Dean Uecker, Council Member
AYES: de Graaf, Barton, Uecker, Restuccia, Zuber
THE CITY OF RIPON,
A Municipal Corporation
By ________________________________
DANIEL DE GRAAF, Mayor
ATTEST:
By: ___________________________
LISA ROOS, City Clerk