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a) Residents were concerned about whether their assessments were going to <br />increase. In previous years, staff was able to advise those residents that the <br />index for the GHADs provided for no change in the assessment from the <br />previous year. For the past few years, however, a nominal two percent <br />increase was recommended which is less than or equal to the ENR index. <br />b) Residents from the Laurel Creek GHAD commented about the amount of <br />reserves in their GHAD and wanted to know if there was a cap for the <br />reserves. Staff explained the Plan of Control for the GHAD anticipates a <br />major event every 10 years. Since the Laurel Creek GHAD is over 10 years <br />old and there has not been an event, the reserves have continued to grow. <br />Staff explained that reserves are like an insurance policy: if a landslide <br />occurred, funds from the reserves could be immediately available to repair the <br />landslide. If there were not sufficient funds in the reserves to repair the slide, <br />some other method of payment for the repairs would be necessary such as <br />borrowing money or selling municipal bonds. In either case, the property <br />owners within the GHAD would be responsible for these costs. <br />c) Residents asked why the reserves were not earning a higher rate of return, <br />which could then offset the amount of the assessments. Staff explained that <br />the investment vehicles available to public entities are limited and <br />conservative, so a high rate of return should not be expected. <br />d) Residents of The Preserve sought an explanation of the prior annexation of <br />Kolb Ranch and Oak Hill Estates to the Laurel Creek GHAD due to concerns <br />that those annexed areas appeared to have much steeper slopes and thought <br />that higher risk should thus be assumed by the Laurel Creek GHAD. The <br />City's geotechnical consultant, ENGEO, brought geotechnical maps from The <br />Preserve, Kolb Ranch, and Oak Hill Estates, to show that while the annexed <br />areas appear steeper, there are more documented landslide and earth <br />movement risks within The Preserve, such that the respective risks are <br />equivalent. In addition, because the areas have similar improvements that <br />require the same type of maintenance and monitoring, the assessments for all <br />121 properties in the Laurel Creek GHAD are the same. <br />e) Residents had general questions about what type of landslide would be <br />repaired with GHAD reserve funds. They were advised that landslides in the <br />open spaces not threatening structures, roads, or utilities would generally be <br />left in their natural condition. Landslides that threatened structures would be <br />repaired. Residents were further advised that if reserve funds were not <br />sufficient, an additional assessment could be proposed. California law also <br />allows for municipal bond funding to be repaid by future assessments. <br />f) In response to questions, staff explained that insurance for landslides was not <br />available to private property owners, or to GHADs, and hence the need for <br />reserve funds to accumulate by the GHAD assessments. <br />Page 4 of 5 <br />