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and special benefits, the City must separate the general benefits from the special benefits <br /> and pay for the general benefits out of another revenue source, typically the City's <br /> General Fund. Since the passage of Proposition 218, the City has evaluated this <br /> distinction between special and general benefits and determined that the landscaping and <br /> other improvements being maintained under each district is of specific benefit to the <br /> property owners comprising each district. The Lighting and Landscaping Assessment <br /> process, once assessments are updated to meet current maintenance requirements, will <br /> provide an efficient and effective means for maintenance to be assured. <br /> DISCUSSION <br /> The City currently has five Lighting and Landscape Maintenance Districts which are being <br /> assessed. <br /> When the properties within the districts are assessed, the net amount is included on the <br /> County property tax bill. At that time, the County adds 1.7% to the base assessment as <br /> an administration fee. The assessment amount due on the City parcels located within <br /> Ponderosa-Del Prado, Bonde Ranch, Oak Tree Farm, and Moller Ranch Districts are <br /> transferred by the City Finance Department directly into the respective special district <br /> from the General Fund. This is done because there is no County property tax bill for these <br /> public parcels. Since the County is not involved in the transactions for the City parcels, <br /> the City does not pay the 1.7% County administration fee on these parcels. For this <br /> reason the amount paid by the City per parcel is 1.7% less than the assessment amount <br /> described in the tax bill. <br /> The Engineer's budget for each district includes a reserve fund to provide for the <br /> replacement of improvements such as planting, irrigation, decorative entry walls, signage, <br /> light fixtures, etc. Replacement costs have been calculated for the eventual replacement <br /> of the improvements of each district. Currently, the reserve funds are insufficient to cover <br /> these replacement costs due in part to the lack of adjustment of assessment amounts for <br /> 20+ years. <br /> Landscape Maintenance District 1984-1, Ponderosa-Del Prado <br /> The Ponderosa Homes subdivision (L & L District 1984-1) has been in place for thirty- <br /> three (33) years. Maintenance in this District includes the care of masonry walls, trees, <br /> shrubbery, groundcover and irrigation systems along Paseo Santa Cruz between Corte <br /> Santa Maria and Corte Pacifica. <br /> The District has continued to meet city water use reduction requirements through <br /> replacement of irrigation components and limiting irrigation to the plant material. <br /> The overall assessments for the coming year for District 1984-1 (Ponderosa-Del Prado) <br /> will remain at $5,813.32. This amounts to $16.90 per parcel. The $5,813.32 is insufficient <br /> to fund the maintenance of all common areas along Paseo Santa Cruz, including water <br /> and electrical costs, county administration fees, city administration fees, replacement of <br /> plantings, irrigation systems, masonry walls, and other district improvements. The <br /> Engineer's Report projects that $16,020.72 will be required from the reserve fund to cover <br /> projected maintenance costs. An increase in the annual assessment will be necessary in <br /> the future in order to maintain the maintenance standards of the District. <br /> Page 4 of 7 <br />