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BACKGROUND <br /> The Landscaping and Lighting Act of 1972 ("the Act") authorizes local agencies to <br /> impose an annual assessment on real property benefiting from improvements in order <br /> to pay for the construction and maintenance of lighting and landscaping improvements. <br /> The assessments are collected by Alameda County as part of the annual property tax <br /> bill. <br /> For each lighting and landscape district, City staff follows a statutorily imposed process <br /> for yearly administration. City staff performs regular field inspections to ensure <br /> satisfactory performance by the maintenance contractor, reviews complaints or <br /> concerns of property owners, and processes progress payments to the contractor. City <br /> administration also includes the following steps: <br /> 1. Prepare maintenance specifications for competitive bidding and advertise the <br /> maintenance projects for bids. <br /> 2. Hold bid opening. <br /> 3. Review bids, recommend acceptance of the lowest responsible bid; review <br /> maintenance costs, estimate annual costs (water, power, etc.) and prepare a <br /> budget to be included in the annual Engineer's Report. <br /> 4. Prepare a staff report entitled "Review and Approve Engineer's Report and Budget, <br /> and Set Public Hearing for Annual Assessments for Lighting and Landscape <br /> District (number)." <br /> 5. Prepare a legal notice and advertise the public hearing for annual assessments. <br /> 6. Prepare City Council staff report for public hearing. <br /> 7. Hold public hearing to confirm the Engineer's Report and levy the annual <br /> assessment after closure of the public hearing. <br /> 8. Award maintenance contract to landscape maintenance company (either through a <br /> City Manager's contract or a City Council approved contract depending upon the <br /> contract amount). <br /> 9. Coordinate with the City Finance Department to send the annual assessment <br /> information to the County for inclusion on the property tax bill (Alameda County <br /> must receive annual assessment totals prior to August 1 each year). <br /> 10. Transfer City administration costs from the Assessment District Account to the <br /> City's General Fund. <br /> 11. Transfer assessments on City-owned parcels from the General Fund to <br /> Assessment District accounts. <br /> Page 2of7 <br />