FOR THE COUNCIL MEETING OF JULY 18, 2023
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
TO: City Council
FROM: City Manager
Prepared by: Recreation and Parks Director
SUBJECT: Landscape Maintenance Districts – 2023 Assessments
Description:
The City Council will consider confirming the diagram s and assessment rates for the Northeast, Northwest, South Miller/South College Drive , and Southwest Landscape Maintenance Districts and their 19 associated Special Benefit Zones for Fiscal Year 2023- 2024.
Environmental Notice: The activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act State Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to State Guidelines Section 15060(c)(3) no environmental review is required.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Adopt a Resolution confirming the diagram and assessment rates for the Northeast Landscape Maintenance Assessment District No. DS -10 and its associated Special Benefit Zones for Fiscal Year 2023-2024.
2. Adopt a Resolution confirming the diagram and assessment rates for the Northwest Landscape Maintenance Assessment District No. DS -9 and its associated Special Benefit Zones for Fiscal Year 2023-2024.
3. Adopt a Resolution confirming the diagram and assessment rates for the South Miller/South College Drive Landscape Maintenance Assessment District No. DS-6 and its associated Special Benefit Zones for Fiscal Year 2023-2024.
4. Adopt a Resolution confirming the diagram and assessment rates for the Southwest Landscape Maintenance Assessment District No. DS-11 and its associated Special Benefit Zones for Fiscal Year 2023-2024.
BACKGROUND:
This item will confirm the assessment rates for the City’s 4 Landscape Maintenance Districts and their 19 Special Benefit Zones (SBZs) that were presented to the public and City Council at the June 20, 2023, City Council meeting. The assessments meet the terms and procedures under the Landscaping and Lighting Act of 1972 (“Act”) and Proposition 218. It is the City’s policy that any residential or commercial development that requires a use permit within the City of Santa Maria is required to be annexed into a Landscape 2 Maintenance District and, depending upon the amount of proposed public easement landscaping, a SBZ.
California Streets and Highways Code authorizes municipalities with the responsibility of providing the perpetual maintenance of additional public improvements associated with the development of each project to annex them into landscape maintenance districts.
These public improvements include retention basins, parks, sidewalks, graffiti abatement, pest abatement, street trees, all public building grounds, and public thoroughfare landscaping.
For fiscal year 2023 -2024, it is expected that 10,185 residential and 675 commercial properties will be assessed as part of the Landscape Maintenance District program. The Engineer’s Report s, presented and approved by the City Council on June 20, 2023, detailed a 4.9 percent inc rease to current assessment levels, service areas, and maximum and actual assessment levels. Maps showing the boundaries for each of the Landscape Maintenance Districts and SBZs were also contained in the Engineer’s Reports that are on file in the Records/ City Clerk’s Office and posted to the meeting agenda for June 20, 2023.
The intent of this agenda item is for the City Council to conduct a public hearing, then confirm the landscape assessments as presented to the City Council on June 20, 2023, and authorize that the new assessment amounts be placed on the 2023-24 Santa Barbara County Property Tax rolls by the County Auditor’s requested deadline of July 19, 2023.
DISCUSSION:
Tonight’s public hearing on the proposed assessment adjustments meets the statutory requirements of State law and the case law which requires that the City Council conduct an annual public hearing on the subject of Landscape Maintenance District Assessments.
Since 2004, the annual assessments have been adjusted by the Consumer P rice Index (CPI). This year’s adjustment in assessments meets the most recent CPI used by the Urban Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County Areas index for a 12 -month period ending in December 2022 (4.9 percent) as the basis for the increase. Accordingly, the proposed CPI adjustment is consistent with past City Council actions.
Alternative(s)
The City Council could decide not to approve the diagrams and annual assessment rates for the landscape districts ; however, in doing so, would result in the perpetual maintenance of the public improvements to be fully borne by the General Fund.
Fiscal Considerations
Landscape Maintenance Districts will generate over $4.8 million in revenue, specifically used to finance the care of public landscaping throughout the City. F iscal challenges, even with this level of funding, continue to negatively impact the management of the Landscape Maintenance Districts. The most significant challenges for the Landscape Maintenance Districts are the cost of water, over $1,050,000 annually; along with the three percent increase in contracted maintenance costs. Aging plants, shrubs, and trees, 3 along with damage to public sidewalks caused by tree roots continue to strain the Landscape Maintenance Districts’ budgets. During fiscal year 2023 -24, the City will develop alternatives to bridge the funding gap for the City Council to consider.
Impact to the Community
These assessments will continue to provide funding for landscape maintenance in these district areas, albeit at a level that may be reduced to remain within operating revenues.
Attachment A: Boundary Map of Assessment Districts