Agenda Item: 1
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
PUBLIC HEARINGS
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
DATE: February 14, 2023
SUBJECT: SANTA CLARITA LANDSCAPE AND LIGHTING DISTRICT
ANNEXATION NO. 2023-1 (FORMER REALTY EXECUTIVES
PROPERTY - SOLEDAD CANYON ROAD AT WHITES CANYON
ROAD) - PUBLIC HEARING
DEPARTMENT: Administrative Services
PRESENTER: Kevin Tonoian
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council:
1. Conduct a public hearing, open, and tabulate ballots.
2. Adopt resolutions declaring the results of the property owner protest ballot proceeding and approving the annexation of Assessor Parcel Number 2803-030-046 into the Santa Clarita Streetlight Maintenance District, Zone B, if no majority protest exists, and order levies beginning Fiscal Year 2023-24. If a majority protest exists, no further action will be required.
BACKGROUND
On January 24, 2023, the City Council adopted procedural resolutions setting a public hearing for the annexation of a parcel into Streetlight Maintenance District (SMD) Zone B. A ballot and notice associated with SMD Annexation 2023-1 was sent to the individual affected property owner, with a Notice of Public Hearing published in The Signal newspaper on February 2, 2023.
The SMD is responsible for funding operations of the 17,598 streetlights owned by and located throughout the City of Santa Clarita (City). The presence of the City’s existing streetlight system confers a distinct and special benefit to the parcel identified for annexation into SMD Zone B.
As part of this ballot process, the property owner of record at 19310 Soledad Canyon Road (Assessor Parcel Number 2803-030-046) will consider annexing into SMD Zone B and authorizing a maximum annual assessment currently set at $93.91 per equivalent benefit unit.
The SMD is governed by the laws of the State of California, including the Landscaping and Lighting Act of 1972, Part 2, Division 15 of the California Streets and Highway Code commencing with Section 22500, and in accordance with Article XIII D of the California Constitution and the Proposition 218 Omnibus Implementation Act.
The laws prescribe specific steps be followed to annex parcels into special districts, including the requirement for an assessment ballot process involving the owners of the parcels affected by the special district, and the scheduling of a public hearing.
The process for annexing parcels into the City’s SMD typically includes the preparation of an Engineer’s Report and a 45-day noticing period in advance of holding a public hearing where ballots are opened and tabulated. In circumstances where an individual property owner desires to initiate proceedings, state law allows the City to memorialize annexation activity during approval of the annual levy of all special districts and provides the applicant with the ability to waive the 45-day noticing period.
As part of the January 24, 2023, procedural action taken by the City Council which initiated annexation proceedings, the property owner elected to waive the required noticing period for the purpose of consenting to the annexation of territory into the SMD (see Attachment A).
Property owner protest ballots received prior to the close of the February 14, 2023, public hearing will be opened and tabulated to determine whether a majority protest exists, as defined in Article XIII D of the California Constitution. A majority protest exists if, upon the conclusion of the hearing, ballots submitted in opposition to the assessment exceed the ballots submitted in favor of the assessment.
In tabulating the ballots, the ballots shall be weighted according to the proportional financial obligation of the affected property. The recommended actions are in full compliance with the requirements of the Landscaping and Lighting Act of 1972 and the Proposition 218 Omnibus Implementation Act.
Upon tabulation, should a majority protest among all parcel owners returning ballots not exist, the City Council will adopt a resolution approving and ordering the annexation of parcels into SMD Zone B commencing in Fiscal Year 2023-24.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
Other direction as determined by the City Council.
x
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact to the General Fund associated with this action. Costs associated with the balloting process are borne by the applicant conditioned to annex into Streetlight Maintenance District, Zone B.
ATTACHMENTS
Annexation 2023-1v.2 Public Hearing Notice
SMD L100 PH Resolution 1 - Declaring Annexation 2023-1 Ballot Results SMD L100 PH Resolution 2 - Confirming Annexation 2023-1 Assessments Attachment A - L100 Executed Petition-Consent-Waiver