RES 2025030 - Laserfiche WebLink

1 Introduction Executive Summary The Bonde Ranch Landscape Maintenance District, 1993 -2, was created in 1993 as a means to fund the maintenance for the Bonde Ranch development, Tract 6483, a 103 - parcel development. The district was formed prior to the passage of Proposition 218, the “Right to Vote on Taxes Act” which requires property owner approval to impose or increase assessments. At the time of formation, there was no inflation escalator built into the assessment and the district assessment has remained at $252.91 since FY 2000-01 when it was further reduced from the approved amount of $389.56. The reduced assessment has led to a severe decline in the level of maintenance, a lack of sufficient funding for capital improvement projects, and forced the city to shut down the inoperable irrigation system. The lack of irrigation has led to an even further decline of the landscape to the point that the district is out of compliance with the level of maintenance required as part of the development approval, which exposes the district and the property owners to increased liability. In 2022, staff held outreach meetings with district property owners regarding a Proposition 218-compliant assessment increase to achieve a sustainable maintenance level but met resistance to the increase and put the efforts on hold. Last year, staff spent time conducting further research regarding the formation of the district and determined that the 1997 post-Proposition 218 assessment amount for the district was $389.56. Staff is recommending that the assessment be restored to the 1997 level. The restoration of the approved assessment amount is only a first step though, as maintenance costs are estimated to be closer to $800 annually to properly maintain the district and complete the necessary improvements, such as tree pruning and irrigation restoration. A Proposition 218-compliant analysis and vote will be required to address the maintenance needs of the district. The budget for this fiscal year will require drawing down the reserve by about $22,000 due to the consultant costs, estimated at approximately $36,000, for the Proposition 218 vote, which is a one-time cost. However, should the vote not pass, the vote will need to be repeated until it does pass; creating a significant financial burden to property owners each time. Overview The City of Pleasanton (“City”) is located in Alameda County, and covers an area of 24.3 square miles, with over 24,500 assessor parcels, and approximately 80,000 residents. The City currently has five Landscape Maintenance Districts (“Districts”) that provide services to a combined total of 680 parcels: • 1984-1 Ponderosa (Del Prado) – 344 parcels