$25.00 per benefit unit. This maximum benefit unit charge will not apply to Zone B of the District as it was formed after Solana Beach was incorporated.
Notice of this public hearing was published in the Union-Tribune as required by Streets and Highways Code and is the only public hearing to receive public input required by law.
The assessment information is to be submitted to the County by August 10th of each year.
The current benefit fee for Zone A is $8.80 per single-family unit per year and $1.62 per single-family unit per year in Zone B. Zone B consists of the portion of the City adjacent to San Elijo Lagoon and a segment of the City between San Andres Drive and Interstate 5.
This zone is the City’s “dark sky” area designated in the General Plan as neighborhoods that seek to preserve their traditional semi-rural character, a major component of which is very low levels of nighttime illumination. Zone A consists of all other properties in the City except those in Zone B.
Attachment 3 is the Final Report for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025/26. The basis for spreading the cost of constructing, operating, maintaining and servicing improvements to the benefiting parcels is based on vehicular trip generation rates. Vehicular trips are directly proportional to the concentration and activity associated with each parcel of land. Derivation of Street Lighting Benefit Units, as shown in the Engineer’s Report, is based on the most current trip generation rates published by the San Diego Association of Governments. The improvements include those designated in the District boundaries and shown in the Street Light Master Plan.
Fiscal Year 2025/26 Benefit Fees
The total annual amount to be assessed for street lighting is $75,187 for FY 2025/26.
There is no proposed increase to the annual assessment charged to each property, but the total amount collected has decreased slightly (a total reduction of $83). This is due to lot consolidations and lots being classified as vacant. Once the newly vacant lots are redeveloped, the Equivalent Benefit Units (EBU) will be revised to reflect this change.
Also, the Solana Highlands and Ocean Ranch properties are currently classified as vacant. Upon completion of those projects, the assessment will be changed to reflect the number of units on each site.
CEQA COMPLIANCE STATEMENT:
Not a project as defined by CEQA.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The District has been financed by a benefit charge and by using the District’s share of one percent ad valorem property tax revenues since FY 1989/90. The amount to be collected from the benefit assessment is proposed to be $8.80 per benefit unit in Zone A and $1.62 in Zone B, which is unchanged from last year.
June 18, 2025
Renewal and Assessment for Lighting Maintenance District for FY 2025/26
WORK PLAN:
This item is not identified in the proposed FY 2025/26 Work Plan.
OPTIONS:
• Approve Staff recommendation.
• Do not confirm the Lighting Maintenance District Engineer’s Report and annual levy of assessments.
• Provide further direction to Staff.
CITY STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Conduct the Public Hearing: open the public hearing, report Council disclosures, receive public testimony and close the public hearing.
2. Adopt Resolution 2025-065 confirming the diagram and assessment and approving the City of Solana Beach Lighting Maintenance District Engineer’s Report.
3. Adopt Resolution 2025-066 ordering the levy and collection of annual assessments for FY 2025/26 and ordering the transmission of charges to the County Auditor for collection.
_________________________
Alyssa Muto, City Manager
Attachments:
1. Resolution 2025-065
2. Resolution 2025-066
3. FY 2025/26 Lighting Maintenance District Engineer’s Report ATTACHMENT 1
RESOLUTION 2025-065
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
SOLANA BEACH, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING THE FISCAL
YEAR 2025/26 ENGINEER’S REPORT REGARDING THE
SOLANA BEACH LIGHTING MAINTENANCE DISTRICT
WHEREAS, the City Council, pursuant to the Landscaping and Lighting Act of 1972, Part 2 of Division 15 of the Streets and Highways Code of California, beginning with Section 22500 (the “Act"), did, by previous Resolution 2025-040 adopted on May 21, 2025, order the Assessment Engineer, to prepare and file the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025/26 Engineer's Report for the City of Solana Beach Lighting Maintenance District (District); and
WHEREAS, the Assessment Engineer has prepared and filed with the City Clerk of the City of Solana Beach, California, and the City Clerk has presented to the City Council such report entitled City of Solana Beach Lighting Maintenance District Engineer's Report FY 2025/26 (“Report”) as required by the Act; and WHEREAS, the City Council has carefully examined and reviewed the Report as presented, considered all oral and written comments presented with respect to the District and Report at a noticed Public Hearing and has discussed any necessary or desired modifications to the Report, and is satisfied that the levy for each parcel has been calculated in accordance with the special benefits received from the operation, maintenance and services performed, as set forth in the Report.
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Solana Beach, California does resolve as follows:
1. The above recitals are true and correct.
2. The Report as presented or as modified, contains the following:
a. Description of Improvements.
b. Diagram of the District.
c. Method of Apportionment that details the method of calculating each parcel's proportional special benefits and annual assessment. d. The FY 2025/26 Assessment based upon the Method of Apportionment determined that all costs and expenses of the work and incidental expenses have been apportioned and distributed to the benefiting parcels in accordance with the special benefits received.
Resolution 2025-065
Approve Lighting District Engineer’s Report for FY 2025/26
e. The FY 2025/26 Annual Budget Costs and Expenses and the resulting FY 2025/26 assessment levy per benefit unit for the fiscal year. f. The District Roll containing the levy for each Assessor's Parcel Number within the District for FY 2025/26.
3. The City Clerk is hereby directed to enter on the minutes of the City Council any and all modifications to the Report determined and approved by the City Council, and all such changes and/or modifications by reference are to be incorporated into the Report.
4. The City Council is satisfied with the Report as presented or modified and each and all of the budget items and documents as set forth therein, and is satisfied that the FY 2025/26 annual assessments and spread is in accordance with the special benefits received from the improvements pursuant to the provisions of the California Constitution Article XIIID.
5. The Report is hereby approved as submitted or modified and ordered to be filed in the Office of the City Clerk as a permanent record and to remain open to public inspection.
6. The City Clerk shall certify to the passage and adoption of this resolution, and the minutes of this meeting shall so reflect the presentation and approval of the Report as submitted or modified.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 18th day of June, 2025, at a regularly scheduled meeting of the by the City council of the City of Solana Beach by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers -
NOES: Councilmembers -
ABSENT: Councilmembers -
ABSTAIN: Councilmembers -
________________________________
LESA HEEBNER, Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM: ATTEST:
_____________________________ ________________________________ JOHANNA N. CANLAS, City Attorney ANGELA IVEY, City Clerk ATTACHMENT 2
RESOLUTION 2025-066
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
SOLANA BEACH, CALIFORNIA, ORDERING THE LEVY
AND COLLECTION OF ANNUAL ASSESSMENTS
REGARDING THE CITY OF SOLANA BEACH LIGHTING
DISTRICT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025/26
WHEREAS, the City Council has, by previous resolutions, initiated proceedings to form and declared its intention to levy and collect annual assessments against parcels of land within the City of Solana Beach Lighting Maintenance District (District), for the Fiscal Year commencing July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2026 pursuant to the Landscaping and Lighting Act of 1972, Part 2 of Division 15 of the Streets and Highways Code of California, beginning with Section 22500 (Act) to pay the costs and expenses of operating, maintaining and servicing the improvements and appurtenant facilities related thereto; and
WHEREAS, the Assessment Engineer has prepared and filed with the City Clerk, and the City Clerk has presented to the City Council, the Engineer’s Report entitled City of City of Solana Beach Lighting Maintenance District Engineer's Report Fiscal Year (FY) 2025/26 (Report) in connection with the proposed levy and collection of special benefit assessment upon eligible parcels of land within the District, and the City Council did, by previous Resolution 2025-065 adopted on June 18, 2025, approve such Report; and
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to levy and collect assessments against parcels of land within the District for the Fiscal Year commencing July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2026 to pay the costs and expenses of operating, maintaining and servicing the improvements and appurtenant facilities related thereto; and WHEREAS, the City Council, following notice duly given, has held a full and fair Public Hearing on June 18, 2025, regarding the levy and collection of assessments as described in the Report prepared in connection therewith, and considered all oral and written statements, protests and communications made or filed by interested persons regarding these matters, pursuant to the Act and in accordance with the provisions of the California Constitution Article XIIID.
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Solana Beach, California does resolve as follows:
1. The above recitals are true and correct.
Resolution 2025-066
Assess for Lighting District for FY 2025/26
2. The City Council desires to levy and collect assessments against parcels of land within the District for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2026, to pay the costs and expenses of operating, maintaining and servicing the landscaping, public lighting improvements and appurtenant facilities located within public places in the District.
3. The City Council has carefully reviewed and examined the Report in connection with the District, and the levy and collection of assessments. Based upon its review the Report, a copy of which has been presented to the City Council and which has been filed with the City Clerk, the City Council hereby finds and determines that:
a. The territory of land within the District will receive special benefits from the operation, maintenance and servicing of the landscaping, lighting, drainage and appurtenant facilities and improvements related thereto. b. The District includes all of the lands so benefited. c. The amount to be assessed upon the lands within the District, in accordance with the proposed budget for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2026, is apportioned by a formula and method that fairly distributes the net amount among all eligible parcels in proportion to the special benefits, to be received by each parcel from the improvements and services, and the assessments are levied without regard to property valuation.
4. The Report and FY 2025/26 assessments, as presented to the City Council and on file in the office of the City Clerk, are hereby confirmed as filed.
5. The City Council hereby orders the proposed improvements to be made; the improvements are briefly described as the operation, administration, maintenance and servicing of all public landscaping, lighting improvements and appurtenant facilities and expenses associated with the District, and that will be maintained by the City of Solana Beach or their designee and all such maintenance, operation and servicing of the landscaping, lighting and all appurtenant facilities shall be performed pursuant to the Act. A more complete description of the improvements is detailed in the Report and by reference this document is made part of this resolution.
6. The San Diego County Auditor shall place on the County Assessment Roll, opposite each parcel of land, the amount of levy so apportioned by the method of apportionment formula, outlined in the Report and such levies shall be collected at the same time and in the same manner as County taxes are collected pursuant to Chapter 4, Article 2, Section 22646 of the Act. After collection by the Resolution 2025-066
Assess for Lighting District for FY 2025/26
County, the net amount of the assessments, after deduction of any compensation due the County for collection, shall be paid to the City Treasurer.
7. The City Treasurer, shall deposit all money from the assessments collected by the County for the District into a fund for the Solana Beach Lighting District, and such money shall be expended to pay the costs and expenses of operating, maintaining and servicing the improvements and appurtenant facilities related thereto described above.
8. The adoption of this resolution constitutes the authorization of the District levy for the Fiscal Year commencing July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2026.
9. The City Clerk or Clerk's designee is hereby authorized and directed to file the levy with the San Diego County Auditor subsequent to the adoption of this resolution.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 18th day of June, 2025, at a regularly scheduled meeting of the by the City Council of the City of Solana Beach by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers -
NOES: Councilmembers -
ABSENT: Councilmembers -
ABSTAIN: Councilmembers -
________________________________
LESA HEEBNER, Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM: ATTEST:
______________________________ ________________________________ JOHANNA N. CANLAS, City Attorney ANGELA IVEY, City Clerk Prepared April 29, 2025 ATTACHMENT 3
CITY OF SOLANA BEACH
LIGHTING MAINTENANCE DISTRICT
ENGINEER’S REPORT
FISCAL YEAR 2025/26
Prepared by:
Dan Goldberg
Principal Civil Engineer
R.C.E. 57292
2 TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................3 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE DISTRICT..........................................3 DESIGNATION OF ZONES........................................................................4 DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT........................................................................4 METHOD OF APPORTIONMENT..............................................................6 DISTRICT FINANCING ..............................................................................6 ASSESSMENT ROLL ................................................................................6 CALCULATION OF ASSESSMENT FEES ................................................7 EXHIBIT 1 – STREETLIGHT ZONE MAP ..................................................8 EXHIBIT 2 – DERIVATION OF STREETLIGHT BENEFIT UNITS..............9 EXHIBIT 3 – BUDGET 2025/26................................................................11 3 Introduction
The City of Solana Beach (“City”) Lighting Maintenance District (“District”) was formed to provide funding for operation, maintenance and servicing of all lights within the City, owned both by City of Solana Beach and San Diego Gas and Electric as shown on the City’s Streetlight Master Plan. The City Council, pursuant to the provisions of the “Landscaping and Lighting Act of 1972, Part 2 of Division 15 of the Street and Highway Code of California” (Act), desires to levy and collect annual assessment against lots and parcels within the District beginning in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026. The collected assessments would pay for the operation, maintenance and servicing of the public lighting improvements within the City. The proposed assessments are based on the City’s estimate for the cost for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025/26 to maintain the District that provides a special benefit to properties assessed within the District. The assessment rates set for FY 2025/26, as set forth in this Engineer’s Report (“Report”), do not exceed the maximum rates established at the time the District was formed, therefore, the City and the District are not required to go through property owner ballot procedure to establish the 2025/26 assessment rates. This report describes the District boundaries and the proposed operation, maintenance and services to be assessed to the property owners located within the District. For this Report, each lot or parcel to be assessed refers to an individual property and is assigned its own Assessment Parcel Number (“APN”) by the San Diego County (“County”) Assessor’s Office as shown on the latest equalization roll of the assessor.
Following the conclusion of the Public Hearing, the City Council will confirm the Report as submitted or amended and may order the collection of the assessments for FY 2025/26.
General Description of the District
The boundaries of the District are defined as being contiguous with the boundaries of the City of Solana Beach. The properties within the District include single-family residential, multi-family residential, timeshare, multiuse, commercial and industrial parcels.
Section 22573, Landscape and Lighting Act of 1972 (“1972 Act”), requires assessments to be levied according to benefit rather than according to assessed value. This section of the 1972 Act states:
"The net amount to be assessed upon lands within an assessment district may be apportioned by any formula or method which fairly distributes the net amount among all assessable lots or parcels in proportion to the estimated benefits to be received by each such lot or parcel from the improvements.”
4 The 1972 Act also provides for the classification of various areas within an assessment district into different zones where, "...by reason of variations in the nature, location, and extent of the improvements, the various areas will receive differing degrees of benefit from the improvements. A zone shall consist of all territory, which will receive substantially the same degree of benefit from the improvements. An assessment district may consist of contiguous or non-contiguous areas."
Properties owned by public agencies, such as a city, county, state, or the federal government, are not assessable without the approval of the particular agency. For this reason, they are traditionally not assessed.
Designation of Zones
The District consists of two zones in the City of Solana Beach; Zone “A” and Zone “B”.
Properties within Zone “A”, which represent the majority of the parcels in the City, benefit from streetlights on six significant circulation element streets as well as streetlights on their local streets. Properties within Zone “B”, also known as “Dark Sky Zone”, do not have streetlights on their local streets. These properties benefit only from streetlights on circulation element streets and do not benefit from streetlights on local streets. A map showing the boundaries of the District and the zones is on file in the office of the City Engineer and is also attached herein as Exhibit 1.
District Improvements
The public lighting improvements to be maintained and serviced include but are not limited to the following:
• Maintenance, repair and replacement of public light poles and fixtures, including changing light bulbs, painting, photoelectric cell repair or replacement, repairing damages caused by automobile accidents and vandalism, and repairing normal deterioration caused by time and weather.
• Electrical conduit repair and replacement due to damage by vandalism and normal deterioration.
• Service-call maintenance repair and replacement including painting, replacing worn out electrical components and repairing damage due to accidents, vandalism, and normal deterioration.
• Payment of the electrical bill for the existing street lighting system. • Responding to constituent and business inquiries and complaints regarding the public lighting.
5 Maintenance
The City provides services and furnishes materials for the ordinary and usual maintenance, operation and servicing of public lighting improvements facilities and appurtenant facilities. This includes inspecting lights during daylight as well as evening hours for condition assessment and performing repair, removal or replacement of all or part of any of the streetlights found to be inoperable in order to provide for the health welfare and safety of the residents in the district.
Servicing
The City workforce along with assistance from private contractors provide all labor, materials, equipment and utilities necessary to maintain and operate the public lighting improvements or appurtenant facilities in order to provide adequate illumination.
City’s Streetlight System
The City’s streetlight system consists of streetlights which are owned by San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) and streetlights that are owned by the City of Solana Beach. A listing (printout) showing the type, size, location and ownership of the specific streetlights in the City is on file in the Office of the City Engineer. There are currently 801 streetlights in the District of which 149 are located on circulation element streets such as Highway 101, Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Via De La Valle, Cedros Avenue, San Andres Drive, Highland Drive and Stevens Avenue. The remaining 652 streetlights are located on local streets. Approximately 274 streetlights are owned and maintained by SDG&E and the remaining 527 streetlights are owned and maintained by the City of Solana Beach. The City pays SDG&E for the use of their streetlights. For the purpose of this report, all lights have been analyzed regardless of ownership. Additionally, there are 247 bollard lights and 16 pedestrian pole lights on the Coastal Rail Trail that are included in the District.
Streetlight Retrofit
In April 2012, the City entered into an agreement with Chevron Energy Solution (Chevron ES) for a series of energy efficient projects, which included retrofitting all Cityowned streetlights to the latest LED technology. This project replaced approximately two-thirds of the streetlights throughout the City, which included all streetlights owned and operated by the City. The remaining one-third of the streetlights were not retrofitted because they are owned and operated by SDG&E. Because of this partial ownership arrangement, streetlights in some neighborhoods remained unchanged.
Capital Improvement Projects
Since the City-owned streetlights were converted to LED fixtures in 2012, there has not been a need for a capital improvement project for the streetlights this past year. 6 Method of Apportionment
The 1972 Act requires that a parcel’s assessment may not exceed the reasonable cost for the proportional benefit conferred to that parcel. To establish the benefit to the individual lots or parcels within the district, an Equivalent Benefit Unit (“EBU”) system based on land use is used along with special consideration based on City’s “Dark Sky Zone”. Each parcel of land in the District was determined by the Engineering Department to have a specific land use. Each land use type was assigned a land use factor determined by trip generation rates developed by San Diego Association of Government (SANDAG). If a land use category was not included in the SANDAG study, the Engineering Department made a determination as to its probable trip generation compared to that of a single family residential and assigned a land use factor accordingly. Single-family residential units were assigned a land use factor of 1.0 regardless of its size. The theory is that all single-family residential units, regardless of parcel or house size, generate approximately the same number of trips and therefore receive the same benefit from the use of streets and their appurtenances such as streetlights. Under this method, vacant lots are assigned an EBU of zero. Exhibit 2 provides the EBU determination for all land uses within the City.
District Financing
The District will be financed by assessing a benefit assessment and by using the District’s share of 1.0 percent ad valorem tax revenues. The amount to be generated from the benefit assessment is $8.80 per benefit unit in Zone “A” and $1.62 per benefit unit in Zone “B”. As mentioned above, the total amount of revenue to be generated by assessment was calculated from a methodology, which identifies two benefit zones within the District. This methodology assumes that circulation element streetlights provide City-wide benefit and therefore properties located in Zone “B”, the Dark Sky Zone properties, are assessed for this portion of the District’s expenses only. Properties located within Zone “A” are assessed for expenses associated with the streetlights located on the circulation element streets as well as those on local streets. Both the circulation element streetlight benefit and local streetlight benefit are allotted in proportion to the Average Daily Traffic (ADT) generated by properties within the District to establish equivalent benefit charge per property. These are estimates only because the County Assessor’s information will not be available until August 2025. The City does not assess governmental agencies owning properties within the District. See Exhibit 3 for the proposed District budget.
Assessment Roll
Parcel identification, for each lot or parcel within the District shall be the parcel as shown on the County Assessor’s map for the year in which this Report is prepared. 7 A listing of parcels assessed within the District, along with the proposed assessment amounts, has been submitted to the City Clerk, under a separate cover, and by reference is made part of this Report. Said listing of parcels to be assessed shall be submitted to the County Auditor/Controller and included on the property tax roll for each parcel in FY 2025/26. If any parcel submitted for collection is identified by the County Auditor/Controller to be an invalid parcel number for the current fiscal year, a corrected parcel number and/or new parcel numbers will be identified and resubmitted to the County Auditor/Controller. The assessment amount to be levied and collected for the resubmitted parcel or parcels shall be based on the method of apportionment and assessment rate approved in this Report. Therefore, if a single parcel has changed to multiple parcels, the assessment amount applied to each of the new parcels shall be recalculated and applied according to the approved method of apportionment and assessment rate rather than a proportionate share of the original assessment.
Calculation of Assessment Fees
Following is a calculation of assessment fees for the Solana Beach Lighting District.
There are two zones in this lighting district; Zone “A” and Zone “B”.
Total streetlights on six circulation element streets 149 Total streetlights on local streets 652
Total streetlights 801
Bollard lights on Coastal Rail Trail 247
Pedestrian pole lights on Coastal Rail Trail 16
Total Benefit Units in Zone “A” 8,456
Total Benefit Units in Zone “B” 478
Assessment per Benefit Unit in Zone “A” $8.80
Assessment per Benefit Unit in Zone “B” $1.62
Total Assessment for Zone “A” $74,413
Total Assessment for Zone “B” $774
Total Assessment for the District $75,187
8 EXHIBIT 1
STREETLIGHT ZONE MAP
Dark Sky Areas
Zone B
SAN DIEGO
COUNTY
(Unincorporated)
6 N """"""'1ea.,.,
'i- servlcet.J reau
9 EXHIBIT 2
DERIVATION OF STREETLIGHT BENEFIT UNITS
Traffic generation rates are derived from a report issued by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) dated April 2002. The information in the report is based on the San Diego Traffic Generators manual. Land uses are defined by the County Assessor. Using traffic generated by single family dwellings as 10 per dwelling unit (d.u.) or 40 per acre, the derivation of Benefit Units from land use is as follows:
LAND USE BENEFIT UNITS HOW DERIVED
Vacant Land 0.0 Generates little or no traffic.
Assigned a value of 0.0
Residential 1.0/d.u. 10 trips/d.u.
10 trips/d.u.
Time Shares .02/Time Share 0.2 trips/time share
10 trips/d.u.
Mobilehome/Trailer Parks 0.5/Space 5 trips/d.u. or space 10 trips/d.u.
1-3 Story Misc. Stores 10.0/Acre 400 trips/acre
40 trips/acre
4+ Story Offices/Stores 15.0/Acre 600 trips/acre
40 trips/acre
Regional Shopping Center
Medical, Dental, Animal Hospital
12.5/Acre 500 trips/acre
40 trips/acre
Community Shopping Center 17.5/Acre 700 trips/acre
40 trips/acre
Neighborhood Shopping Center 30.0/Acre 1200 trips/acre
40 trips/acre
10 Hotel, Motel 5.0/Acre 200 trips/acre
40 trips/acre
Convalescent Hospital, Rest Home 1.0/Acre 40 trips/acre 40 trips/acre
Office Condominiums 0.5/Condo 20 trips/condo
10 trips/d.u.
Parking lot, Garage, Used Cars,
Auto Sales/Service, Service Station
7.5/Acre 300 trips/acre
40 trips/acre
Bowling Alley 7.5/Acre 300 trips/acre
40 trips/acre
11 EXHIBIT 3
STREETLIGHT DISTRICT
PROPOSED BUDGET
FISCAL YEAR 2025/26
Amended Budget
2024/25
Adopted Budget
2025/26
COSTS
Energy $114,855 $123,000
Maintenance 398,042 399,485
Administration 282,875 141,703
Capital Outlay 0 0
Debt Service 70,375 70,375
Contingency Reserve 3,557,292 3,705,448
TOTAL COSTS $4,423,439 $4,440,011
FUNDING
Property Taxes $640,827 $700,380
Benefit Fees 76,500 76,500
Interest 42,525 95,135
Intergovernmental 10,200 10,704
Fund Balance 3,653,387 3,557,292
TOTAL RESOURCES $4,423,439 $4,440,011
COUNCIL ACTION:
_____________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ AGENDA ITEM # C.1.
STAFF REPORT
CITY OF SOLANA BEACH
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Alyssa Muto, City Manager
MEETING DATE: June 18, 2025
ORIGINATING DEPT: Fire Department - Josh Gordon, Fire Chief SUBJECT: Adoption of Ordinance 539 Regarding New Cal Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps
BACKGROUND:
On March 24, 2025, Cal Fire finalized and publicly released the updated FHSZ maps for Local Responsibility Areas (LRAs), including Solana Beach. These maps are the most current, science-based state assessment of wildfire hazards. Cal Fire’s mapping uses modern fire behavior models, historical fire data, topography, vegetation, areas prone to wildfire, weather patterns, and climate trends. Local jurisdictions have 120 days from the release of the FSHZ maps to adopt the map and adjust any appropriate local ordinances.
The maps identified certain new areas as High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, making applicable the existing Fire Code provisions applicable to those newly identified properties. This includes defensible space (clearing brush and maintaining safe zones around structures), as well as disclosure obligations for property owners. Any new construction in the High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones must comply with Chapter 7A of the California Building Code (wildfire-resistant construction standards).
Public education, enforcement, evacuation planning, and emergency response are key responsibilities of cities to ensure that compliance with the updated maps is achieved. The City of Solana Beach will need to continue coordination between departments, outreach to affected neighborhoods, and ensure compliance to reduce the likelihood and impact of future wildfires.
At the May 7, 2025 City Council meeting, the City Council received an informational presentation on the new FHSZ maps and required next steps. That report can be found on the City’s website (here).
At the June 4,2025 City Council meeting, the City Council received the first reading of the ordinance adopting the FHSZ maps. The Staff Reports and associated attachments can be found at the following link.
June 18, 2025
Ordinance 539 Adoption of Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps Page 2 of 4 This item is before the City Council to consider adopting (2nd Reading) Ordinance 539 (Attachment 1) adopting the new FHSZ maps.
DISCUSSION:
Climate change, extended drought, invasive vegetation, and periodic strong winds (Santa Ana events) have altered wildfire patterns in recent decades. With the occurrence of both inland and coastal wildland fires, California has recently faced the reality that wildfires are no longer limited to the traditional wildland-urban interface or rural areas. The new FHSZ maps are updated to more accurately reflect the zones in California that are susceptible to wildfire, incorporating new science and local climate data to help residents, planners, and fire agencies better understand wildfire hazards in specific areas.
Adoption of Cal Fire’s updated FHSZ maps follows the legal and administrative process as outlined in Government Code sections 51175-51189.
FHSZ Map Information
The new FHSZ maps show updates to areas mapped as Moderate, High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. The FHSZ Map for the City of Solana Beach has changed significantly. The 2009 VHFSZ Map only required Local Responsibility Area (LRAs) to identify and adopt the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone which included properties along and/or adjacent to the City’s northern boundary. This area was approximately 0.55 square miles in area and included approximately 670 housing units. The 2025 FHSZ Map (Attachment 2) for Solana Beach covers approximately 0.43 square miles which is a reduction in area of approximately 28% from the 2009 VHFSZ Map and is primarily limited to the northeastern quadrant of the City. The requirements for the 2025 FHSZ maps include the identification and adoption of the Moderate, High, and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. There are approximately 560 housing units (227 units in High, 333 units in Very High) within the 2025 FHSZ map, which is about 16% less housing units than the 2009 VHFSZ map.
State-Level Adoption Timeline
Cal Fire finalized and publicly released the updated FHSZ maps for Local Responsibility Areas (LRAs) on March 24, 2025. In accordance with the Government Code 51178, cities must incorporate these maps into their local planning and regulatory frameworks within a set timeframe after official adoption.
Final Adoption and Local Implementation
The effective date for local governments to begin compliance is typically set 30 days after adoption of the ordinance. Publication to the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection Board is also required within those 30 days.
June 18, 2025
Ordinance 539 Adoption of Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps Page 3 of 4 City-Level Actions and Deadlines
Notification and Public Comment:
Pursuant to Government Code 51178.5, within 30 days after receiving a transmittal of the maps from the State Fire Marshal local agencies are required to make the information available for public review and comment. The City of Solana Beach received the maps and information on March 24th. The City of Solana Beach posted the information and maps on the City’s website on March 26, 2025, and sent the information out in the Solana Beach Weekly Update on April 4, 2025. A survey was made available on the City’s website to allow for public input, but no public comments were received during the 30-day period.
Building Code and Ordinance Updates:
Upon adoption, the City is required to update any applicable local ordinances, zoning requirements, and development standards to reflect the new FHSZ designations. At this time, there are no specific codes or development standards that would need to be updated along with the adoption of the new FHSZ maps. All new construction, significant remodels, and certain repairs within the designated High and Very High zones must comply with Chapter 7A of the California Building Code (CBC) and associated local codes.
Defensible Space Enforcement:
The City must include the High zones in the defensible space enforcement policies to align with the newly identified FHSZs. Inspections and enforcement actions under Government Code 51182 (and local analogs) must commence within the same time period after adoption.
Disclosure Requirements:
For those properties that are now designated as Moderate, High, or Very High FHSZ, as has been previously required under California Government Code 51183.5, those property owners must disclose FHSZ status to buyers. Estate disclosures must reflect the updated zone designations and any applicable construction features.
Enforcement and Compliance Timeline:
State law requires the city to designate by ordinance, Moderate, High and Very High Fire Hazard Zones in its jurisdiction within 120 days of receiving the recommendations from the State Fire Marshal.
CEQA COMPLIANCE STATEMENT:
N/A
June 18, 2025
Ordinance 539 Adoption of Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps Page 4 of 4 FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no current fiscal impact of this information. The implementation of the new FHSZ maps would consist of Staff time already allocated to education, enforcement, and emergency response related to wildland fires.
WORK PLAN:
This item is consistent with Item A.1 (General Plan Updates) of the Community Character Priorities of the FY 2024/25 Work Plan.
OPTIONS:
• Adopt Ordinance 539 CAL Fire’s updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) maps for Local Responsibility Areas (LRAs)
CITY STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt Ordinance 539, CAL Fire’s updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) maps for Local Responsibility Areas (LRAs) as required by California Government Code Section 51179.
_________________________
Alyssa Muto, City Manager
Attachments:
1. Ordinance 539
2. Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map
3. Cal Fire Notice of Map Certification (March 24, 2025) ORDINANCE 539
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
SOLANA BEACH, CALIFORNIA, DESIGNATING MODERATE,
HIGH, AND VERY HIGH FIRE HAZARD SEVERITY ZONES BY
MAP IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF
CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 51179
WHEREAS, California Government Code section 51175 et seq. set forth laws intended to classify lands in the state where Moderate, High, and Very High Fire Hazard zones exist to help residents, cities, and fire agencies better understand wildfire hazards and implement measures to reduce fire risks; and WHEREAS, California Government Code section 51178 requires The State Fire Marshal to identify areas in the state as Moderate, High, and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ); and
WHEREAS, California Government Code section 51179 requires a local agency to designate, by ordinance, Moderate, High, and Very High FHSZ within its jurisdiction within 120 days of receiving such a transmittal from CALFIRE; and WHEREAS, the City of Solana Beach Fire Chief has reviewed and accepted the Moderate, High, and Very High FHSZ as identified by CALFIRE for the City of Solana Beach which map is titled the "Solana Beach Fire Hazard Severity Zones" ("FHSZ Map") and is attached hereto as Exhibit "A" and incorporated herein by this reference; and
WHEREAS, Pursuant to Government Code 51178.5, the Solana Beach Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) Map was made available for review and public comment at the City Clerk’s office during business hours, and on the City’s Website since March 26th, 2025. The Solana Beach FHSZ Maps were also posted in the Solana Beach Weekly Update on April 8th, these postings are required and comply with the 30-day notification period outlined in Government Code 51178.5. No comments were received during the initial 30-day noticing and public comment period.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOLANA BEACH, CALIFORNIA DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The City Council of Solana Beach hereby designates and adopts within the City of Solana Beach the Moderate, High, and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, as required by California Government Code section 51179 and as transmitted by the Director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The fire hazard severity zones are designated on the map titled "Solana Beach Fire Hazard Severity Zones" (FHSZ Map), a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit “A.” The FHSZ Map is intended to be used in conjunction with the most current edition of the California Building Standards Code (Title 24) and supersedes any other maps previously adopted by the City of Solana Beach designating fire hazard severity zones.
SECTION 2. The City Clerk is directed to cause to be posted a notice at the office of the county recorder, county assessor, and county planning agency identifying the location of the map provided by the State Fire Marshal and shall cause to be transmitted a copy of the adopted ordinance to the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection within 30 days of adoption.
SECTION 3. The City Council finds that this Ordinance is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3.
SECTION 4. The Solana Beach Fire Department is authorized to enforce this Ordinance and may conduct inspections, provide education, issue citations, and take other actions necessary to ensure compliance.
SECTION 5. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause phrase or word of this Ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a decision of any court of competent jurisdiction or preempted by state legislation, such decision or legislation shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance. The City Council of the City of Solana Beach hereby declares that it would have passed this Ordinance, and each section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase not declared invalid or unconstitutional without regard to any such decision or preemptive legislation.
SECTION 6. This Ordinance shall become effective 30 days after its adoption.
Within fifteen (15) days after its adoption, the City Clerk of the City of Solana Beach shall cause this Ordinance to be published pursuant to the provisions of Government Code Section 36933.
INTRODUCED AND FIRST READ at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Solana Beach, California, on the 4th day of June 2025.
THEREAFTER ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Solana Beach, California, on the 18th of June 2025, by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers –
NOES: Councilmembers –
ABSTAIN: Councilmembers –
ABSENT: Councilmembers –
____________________________
LESA HEEBNER, Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM: ATTEST:
______________________________ ____________________________ JOHANNA N. CANLAS, City Attorney ANGELA IVEY, City Clerk City and County boundaries as of 10/22/24 (CA Board of Equalization) CAL FIRE State Responsibility Areas (SRA25_1)
CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZSRA23_3, FHSZLRA_25_1) Data Sources:
Daniel Berlant, State Fire Marshal, CA Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Joe Tyler, Director/Fire Chief, CA Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Wade Crowfoot, Secretary for Natural Resources, CA Natural Resources Agency The State of California and the Department of Forestry and Fire Gavin Newsom, Governor, State of California Protection make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy of data or maps. Neither the State nor the Department shall be liable under any circumstances for any direct, special, incidental, or consequential damages with respect to any claim by any user or third party on account of, or arising from, the use of data or maps. and other relevant factors including areas where winds
have been identified by the Office of the State Fire Marshal as a major cause of wildfire spread.
statewide criteria and based on the severity of fire hazard that is expected to prevail in those areas. Moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones shall be based on fuel loading, slope, fire weather, Government Code section 51178 requires the State Fire
Marshal to identify areas in the state as moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones based on consistent Waterbody
Unzoned LRA
Incorporated City
Projection: NAD 83 California Teale Albers
Scale: 1:18,000 at 11" x 17"
Km 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4
Mi 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8
Very High High Moderate
Fire Hazard Severity Zones in State Responsibility Area (SRA), Effective April 1, 2024
Very High High Moderate
Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ) in Local Responsibility Area (LRA), as Identified by the State Fire Marshal
Solana Beach
5 N Rios Ave
S Sierra Ave
S Rios Ave
Cam de Las Villas
S Nardo Ave
Solana
H
ills
Dr
Canyon Dr
Marine View Ave
Avocado
Pl
Santa
Victoria
San AndresDr
Highland Dr
Santa
Rosita
Pacific Ave
Sun
Valley Rd
Sa
n
Luca
s
D
r
Valley Ave
Santa
Florencia
Via MilCumbres
N Granados Ave
Stevens Ave
Solana Dr
S Granados Ave
Santa Helena
Santa
Luisa Dr
Acacia Ave
Ida Ave
Glenmont Dr
N
Cedros
Ave
GlencrestDr
Santa Alicia
S Cedros Ave
Seabright Ln
SantaHelena
Park Ct
UNINCORPORATED
SAN DIEGO CO.
DEL MAR
ENCINITAS
SAN DIEGO
S A N D I E G O C O .
March 24, 2025
As Identified by the
State Fire Marshal
Local Responsibility Area
Fire Hazard Severity Zones
CITY OF SOLANA BEACH – SAN DIEGO COUNTY
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I I I I I I I I
STATE OF CALIFORNIA-NATURAL RESOURCES AGENCY Gavin Newsom, Governor ~ '
DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY AND FIRE PROTECTION
OFFICE OF THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL . P.O. Box 944246
SACRAMENTO, CA 94244-2460
(916) 568-3800
Website: www.fire.ca.gov
March 24, 2025
Dear: Fire Chief,
Re: Official Transmittal of Fire Hazard Severity Zones
The State Fire Marshal is mandated by Government Code (GC) 51178 to identify levels of fire hazard based on consistent statewide criteria and the expected severity of fire hazards.
Government Code 51179 requires the State Fire Marshal to make recommendations of fire hazard severity zones to local agencies, as defined per GC 51177(e), for their designation and adoption by ordinance. This letter serves as the official transmittal of the recommendation. For the Statutory requirements for local adoption please review California Code, GOV 51179.
Your City/County has been identified as having Moderate, High, Very High or a combination of Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ) within your jurisdiction. The maps and data are available in the FHSZ HUB at https://fire-hazard-severity-zones-rollout-calfire-forestry .hub.arcgis.com/ .
Please complete the Public Contact Survey in the FHSZ HUB using the link above. This information will be used for a public Webmap on the CAL FIRE-Office of State Fire Marshal website to guide your constituents to the appropriate contact person or website for the Local Responsibility Area FHSZ in your jurisdiction.
If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact our Team at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Daniel Berlant
State Fire Marshal
CAL FIRE-Office of the State Fire Marshal
"The Department of Forest,y and Fire Protection serves and safeguards the people and protects the property and resources of California." CITY COUNCIL ACTION: ____________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ AGENDA ITEM # C.2.
STAFF REPORT
CITY OF SOLANA BEACH
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Alyssa Muto, City Manager
MEETING DATE: June 18, 2025
ORIGINATING DEPT: City Manager’s Office – Dan King, Assistant City Manager SUBJECT: Fiscal Year (FY) 2025/26 Community Grant Program Awards ___________________________________________________________________________ BACKGROUND:
On May 4, 2004, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2004-68 approving Council Policy No. 14 establishing the Community Grant Program (“Grant Program”) and Application Guidelines for the Grant Program.
At the March 12, 2025 City Council Meeting, the City Council authorized the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025/26 Community Grant Program. At this meeting, the City Council authorized the City’s contribution of $35,000 to this program which, when combined with EDCO’s contribution of $15,000 as part of the community enhancement efforts through the solid waste Franchise Agreement with the City, increased the total grant program to $50,000.
At the June 4, 2025 City Council meeting, seventeen grant applicants, as indicated in the table below, gave presentations on their respective program requests. There are a total of nineteen (19) applications for a maximum funding request of $107,5000.
This item is before the City Council to select the FY 2025/26 Community Grant Program recipients and adopt resolution No. 2025-069 (Attachment 1) authorizing the funding for the selected community grant applicants for financial assistance under the FY 2025/26 Community Grant Program.
DISCUSSION:
The following nineteen (19) applications were received by the City during the solicitation period (in alphabetical order):
June 18, 2025
FY 2025/26 Community Grants Program Awards
Applicant Amount Requested
Assistance League Rancho San Dieguito* $6,000
Boys and Girls Club of Northwest San Diego* $6,000
California Western School of Law Community Law Project (CLP)* $6,000 Casa De Amistad* $6,000
Community Resource Center* $6,000
Disconnect Collective, Inc. $6,000
Institute of Contemporary Art, San Diego $5,000
Jaliscience Folkloric Academy* $5,000
La Colonia Community Foundation* $6,000
North Coast Repertory Theatre* $6,000
Order of Malta Clinic of San Diego* $6,000
Pathways to Citizenship* $6,000
Sandpipers Square Dance Club* $6,000
Solana Beach Backpacks for Kids Inc.* $6,000
Solana Beach Civic & Historical Society* $6,000
Solana Beach Community Connections* $6,000
Solana Beach Community Theater* $6,000
Taking Inspired Action Solana (TIAS)* $1,500
Wildlife Jewels* $6,000
Total $107,500
*Presented on Community Grant Program Application at the June 4, 2025 City Council Meeting The City’s FY 2025/26 Budget contains an appropriation in the amount of $50,000 to be used to fund community grants. Last year, the Council authorized additional funding in the amount of $11,000 from the Reserve Public Arts Account to be used to fund the North Coast Repertory Theatre (NCRT) and the Jaliscience Folkloric Academy grant applications.
CEQA COMPLIANCE STATEMENT:
Not a project as defined by CEQA.
FISCAL IMPACT:
In FY 2024/25, City Council awarded $61,000 in community grants, with $50,000 from the General Fund and $11,000 from the Public Arts Reserve Fund.
The FY 2025/26 Proposed Budget contains an appropriation in the amount of $50,000 in General Fund and $15,000 in Public Arts Reserve Funds to be used to fund community grants, subject to the City Council’s discretion. The fiscal appropriations are budgeted under the City Council budget unit and Public Arts Reserve - Contribution to Other Agencies.
WORK PLAN:
N/A
June 18, 2025
FY 2025/26 Community Grants Program Awards
OPTIONS:
• Approve the Recipients and identify an award amount for each recipient of the Community Grant Program.
CITY STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
City Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Select the FY 2025/26 Community Grant Program recipients and identify an award amount to each recipient.
2. Adopt Resolution 2025-069 (Attachment 1) authorizing the funding for the selected community grant applicants for financial assistance under the FY 2025/26 Community Grant Program.
________________________
Alyssa Muto, City Manager
Attachments:
1. Resolution 2025-069
RESOLUTION 2025-069
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
SOLANA BEACH, CALIFORNIA, AUTHORIZING CITY COUNCIL
FUNDING OF SELECTED COMMUNITY GRANT RECIPIENTS FOR
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE UNDER THE FISCAL YEAR (FY)
2025/26 COMMUNITY GRANT PROGRAM
WHEREAS, at the March 12, 2025 City Council (Council) meeting, the Council approved the offering of the FY 2025/26 Community Grant Program for community service organizations who seek program financial assistance; and WHEREAS, at the March 12, 2024 Council Meeting, the Council approved the City’s contribution to the program of $35,000 from the General Fund, which when combined with EDCO’s contribution of $15,000, provides a total funding of $50,000 in the General Fund, for the purpose of funding the FY 2025/26 Community Grant Program in the FY 2025/26 Proposed Budget; and
WHEREAS, the Fiscal Year 2025/26 Proposed Budget also contains $15,000 allocation from the Public Arts Reserve for the Community Grant Program, subject to the City Council’s discretion; and
WHEREAS, the Council has received Requests for Financial Assistance for the FY 2025/26 Community Grant Program, reviewed all applications, and has determined the selection of the FY 2025/26 grant recipients and award amounts pursuant to Council Policy No. 14 (Policy).
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Solana Beach, California, does resolve as follows:
1. That the above recitations are true and correct.
2. That the Council has reviewed all FY 2025/26 Community Grant requests and has determined the selection of the FY 2025/26 grant recipients and award amounts pursuant to Council Policy No. 14, which shall not exceed a total of_______, from all funding sources.
3. That the grant recipients, award amounts and funding sources for the FY 2025/26 Community Grant program shall be as indicated on Attachment 1 hereto, which is fully incorporated herein by this reference.
Resolution 2025-069
FY 2025/26 Grant Recipients
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 18th day of June, 2025, at a regularly scheduled meeting of the City Council of the City of Solana Beach, California by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers –
NOES: Councilmembers –
ABSENT: Councilmembers –
ABSTAIN: Councilmembers –
______________________________
LESA HEEBNER, Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM: ATTEST:
______________________________ _______________________________ JOHANNA N. CANLAS, City Attorney ANGELA IVEY, City Clerk