Agenda Item: 1
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
PUBLIC HEARINGS
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
DATE: February 27, 2024
SUBJECT: DRAINAGE BENEFIT ASSESSMENT AREA 2023-1 (BOUQUET CANYON) TRACT 82126
DEPARTMENT: Neighborhood Services
PRESENTER: Darin Seegmiller
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council:
1. Conduct a public hearing and open and review ballots.
2. If no majority protest exists, adopt resolutions approving the Engineer's Report for Drainage Benefit Assessment Area (DBAA) 2023-1, and authorize the annual levy and collection of the assessments within DBAA 2023-1, beginning Fiscal Year 2024-25. If a majority protest exists, no action will be required.
BACKGROUND
On November 10, 2020, the City Council approved the Bouquet Canyon Project, Tentative Tract Map 82126, allowing the development of 371 residential units in the community of Saugus, on the east side of the existing Bouquet Canyon Road, and south of Copper Hill Drive. The conditions of approval for this project require establishing a homeowner's association or a comparable entity to fund the continued maintenance of any drainage improvements that are not eligible for transfer to the Los Angeles County Flood Control District for maintenance. The creation of the proposed Drainage Benefit Assessment Area (DBAA) fulfills this requirement.
The proposed DBAA 2023-1, Bouquet Canyon, assumes responsibility for administering the maintenance, reporting, monitoring, inspection, storm damage repair, and cleaning of storm- drain improvements. These include three Continuous Deflection Separation (CDS) systems, four filter units, two infiltration basins, two biofiltration basins, and one inlet with a diversion weir required for Tract No. 82126. The Urban Storm Mitigation Plan (USMP) and the project mitigation measures outlined in the environmental impact report need these devices to minimize the pollutants in urban runoff before discharging into the Santa Clara River.
Regular maintenance is required for the basins to function correctly within the design parameters. Services needed for the assessment district include inspections, removal of silt, trash, and soil debris build-up, maintenance and repairs, and an annual assessment and Engineer's Report review.
The Engineer's Report contains the proposed boundaries of DBAA 2023-1, identifies the proposed facilities and services to be funded, determines the general and special benefits received by properties, and the methodology to apportion the annual assessments. All parcels were established concurrently with the conditions set forth for the continued maintenance of landscape and infrastructure improvements. As a result, each parcel within DBAA 2023-1 receives a special and distinct benefit from these improvements.
The maximum annual assessment to maintain the improvements associated with DBAA 2023-1 will be $97,935. The annual assessment will be $294.77 per Equivalent Benefit Unit (EBU) based on the number of units approved for construction. Parcels identified as single-family residences and Townhomes/Condominiums are assessed at 1.00 EBU per dwelling unit. Vacant parcels are assessed at a rate of .50 EBU per planned residential unit for the property or 1.00 EBU per acre if the number of planned residential units is unknown.
The maximum assessment rate will adjust yearly based on the annual change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all Urban Consumers for the Los Angeles Riverside-Orange County Area CPI. The actual assessment levied in any fiscal year will be approved by the City Council and may not exceed the maximum assessment rate. If approved, the City of Santa Clarita will begin levying properties in Fiscal Year 2024-25.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
1. Do not form DBAA 2023-1.
2. Other direction as determined by the City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
All expenses associated with the DBAA will be borne by the developer. There will be no fiscal impacts to the General Fund.
ATTACHMENTS
DBAA 2023-1 Ballot Results Resolution
DBAA 2023-1 Formation Resolution
DBAA 2023-1 Maintenance Exhibit (available in the City Clerk's Reading File) DBAA 2023-1 Engineer's Report (available in the City Clerk's Reading File) Mayor's Script - Public Hearing balloting DBAA 2023-1