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share of the Moller Ranch assessment ($116), and two shares of the Laurel Creek <br /> Estates assessment ($784 annually) due to the City's ownership of parcels of land <br /> within each of these Districts upon which public facilities (such as water tanks and pump <br /> stations) are located. Staffs cost to administer these Districts will continue to be funded <br /> by the assessments. <br /> BACKGROUND <br /> GHAD - Purposes and Description <br /> Geologic Hazard Abatement Districts (GHADs) are State-authorized districts which can <br /> be formed for the purpose of prevention, mitigation, abatement or control of a geologic <br /> hazard. A "geologic hazard" is an actual or threatened landslide, land subsidence, soil <br /> erosion, or other natural or unnatural movement of land. Movement of land/damage due <br /> to an earthquake is specifically exempted from coverage by the GHAD. <br /> GHADs are formed when a geotechnical investigation at the time of development <br /> reveals land areas within the development that are unsuitable for housing or other <br /> structures due to evidence of prior earth movement and/or the potential for future earth <br /> movement. These undev I I areas project opab e a eas in the e p oject are set aside as open space. In <br /> these open spaces, based upon the findings of the geotechnical investigation, the <br /> developer constructs infrastructure designed to lessen the likelihood that earth <br /> movement will occur and damage the areas that are developed with roadways, utilities, <br /> housing, etc. The infrastructure includes slope stabilization measures such as drainage <br /> V-ditches, pipelines, rip rap armoring, etc. The GHAD is the funding mechanism to <br /> monitor and repair (and eventually replace) the infrastructure, and repair soil movement <br /> or landslides (should they occur). <br /> A GHAD, like any Special Assessment District, is designed to assess property owners <br /> for a benefit they receive that is special to them. The developers, in conjunction with the <br /> City, created each of the GHADs to operate, monitor, maintain, repair and eventually <br /> replace the slope stabilization infrastructure they built as part of their respective housing <br /> developments. The developers dedicated in fee title all the open space to the City (in <br /> some cases the HOA) and established that the City Council would serve as the Board of <br /> Directors of each GHAD. The developers and the Board of Directors established the <br /> initial assessments based upon "Plan of Control" documents created for each district. <br /> The "Plan of Control" documents utilized each developments' original construction plans <br /> as the basis for the repair and maintenance plan. The developers also deposited some <br /> funding into a reserve as "seed money" for the eventual capital replacement needs. <br /> After establishment of the GHAD, annual assessments have appropriately been <br /> collected from property owners at the same time and in the same manner as property <br /> taxes. <br /> GHADs within the City of Pleasanton <br /> There are currently four GHADs within Pleasanton: Oak Tree Farm, Moller Ranch, <br /> Laurel Creek Estates (The Preserve, Oak Hill Estates and Kolb Ranch Estates) and <br /> Lemoine Ranch Estates. All four GHADs are located on the west side of Foothill Road <br /> and in areas where potential geologic hazards exist. All four of the GHADs were created <br /> prior to the passage of Proposition 218 in November 1996. All four GHADs have a built- <br /> Page 2 of 5 <br />