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equivalent. In addition, because the areas have similar improvements needing the same type of maintenance and monitoring, the assessments for all 121 properties in the laurel Creek GHAD are the same. In fact, this same concern was raised earlier this year by a board member and the manager of The Preserve Home Owners Association. Staff and the geotechnical consultant met with these persons, reviewed the landslide maps which showed equivalent risk, and also explained the annexation process whereby the parcels annexing to the existing Laurel Creek GHAD each had to pay a proportional share of the then existing reserve balance to be fair to the property owners who had been paying assessments for a longer time period. e) Another resident asked about the City's consultant for the GHADs, ENGEO Inc., and whether the City solicited proposals from other geotechnical consultants to oversee the GHADs, as concerns were raised regarding ENGEO's costs. Staff explained that we had reviewed the City's data base of professional engineers to determine which professionals had expertise in monitoring GHADs and had found no other engineering firms except the current geotechnical engineering firm, ENGEO. It was the recommendation of a few of the residents that we look at soliciting other geotechnical firms before renewing the current contract with ENGEO. Staff has agreed to seek other geotechnical firms for monitoring the GHADs, including a firm suggested by one of the residents at the meeting, another firm suggested by ENGEO, and referrals from other cities with GHADs. While this review of available geotechnical firms is taking place, staff proposes that the Board still approve an extension of the contract with ENGEO, on a task basis, to allow for semi annual monitoring to occur as provided in the Plan of Control (which is particularly important after the rainy season). This extension of the contract with ENGEO on a task basis would allow staff to subsequently recommend that the Board enter into a contract with a different geotechnical firm if another more qualified and more competitive firm is located through this process of soliciting for additional proposals. As to the concerns about the cost for ENGEO's geotechnical services, a resident was advised in subsequent email exchanges with staff that ENGEO's services represented about 15% of the GHAD assessment, and that the rates charged in their contract had not increased in the past five years. f) Residents had general questions about what type of landslide would be repaired with GHAD reserve funds. They were advised that landslides in the open spaces not threatening structures, roads or utilities would generally be left in their natural condition. And, landslides creating such threats would be repaired. Residents were further advised that if reserve funds were not sufficient, an additional assessment could be proposed; and GHAD law also allows for bonding funded by assessments. If the geotechnical maintenance, monitoring and risk factors were not equivalent, the GHAD could have had assessment tiers at different rates, depending on risk. Page 5 of 6