RES 2025030 - Laserfiche WebLink

3 City of Pleasanton Landscape Maintenance District No. 1993-2, Bonde Ranch Engineer’s Report, Fiscal Year 2025-26 replacement of plantings, irrigation systems, fencing, and other district improvements. The equivalent of the $252.91 assessed last year in today’s dollars, based on the Consumer Price Index for California, is $513.25. The Engineer’s Report projects a shortage that will require the City to continue to reduce maintenance levels. Water costs increased thirty percent in calendar year 2024, increased another twelve percent in 2025, and are projected to continue to increase in future years to pay for necessary infrastructure and treatment costs. The water has been turned off at the Bonde Ranch LMD because of the state of disrepair of the irrigation system so water rate increases currently have a limited impact to the Bonde Ranch LMD (there is still a base monthly fee for the water meter). However, the rate increases will have a significant impact if the irrigation system is restored. Turning off the water has led to a lack of water on the plants and trees, which has caused a number of plants to die and puts the health of the landscape more at risk and reduces the ability of the plants to weather drought conditions. Continued cuts in maintenance to pay for the increasing fire management and necessary tree pruning/removal costs will lower the level of maintenance well below the maintenance standards of the district established by Ordinance 1509. In addition, the city can no longer continue to subsidize staff administration time or the consultant fees for a Proposition 218-compliant vote. The consultant fees for the Proposition 218- compliant vote will cost approx. $36,000 plus staff time and will need to come from the reserve fund. City staff began the process of potentially increasing the assessments for the Bonde Ranch Landscape Maintenance District in early 2022 through a Proposition 218 compliant voting procedure. However, the property owners that attended the neighborhood outreach meeting on February 3, 2022, or communicated to staff via phone or email expressed strong opposition to increasing the assessment . Staff placed the pursuit of a sustainable assessment amount on hold at that time. Even with the restoration of the approved assessment amount , the city will be forced to reduce maintenance and postpone facilities upgrades and tree pruning, resulting in a continuing deterioration of the grounds and facilities, which may place the district at risk to potential fines or litigation. To limit liability for the district, it will be necessary for the city to continue to pursue a proposition 218-compliant vote, incurring significant consultant costs each time, until a sustainable assessment has been agreed to by property owners. For 2024-25 costs/revenues, see Figure 4 – FY 2024-25 Actual Costs and Revenues. Engineer’s Report and Proposed Assessments Each year for which the assessments will be approved, the City Council must direct the preparation of an Engineer's Report, budgets, and proposed assessments for the upcoming fiscal year. The city staff time to perform this work has been previously