Updating the assessments for the city Landscaping & Lighting District (LLD) is typically a routine stamp of approval for the Ceres City Council. But that wasn’t the case last week when the council found itself between a rock and a hard place with a 2-2 tie deadlock which prevents the city from implementing assessments for the district – which theoretically could cost the city a half million dollars to the General Fund if no solution is worked out.
Councilwoman Rosalinda Vierra recused herself from voting since she resides in one of the assessment districts, leaving only four members voting on the matter who later deadlocked.
The city commissioned the Temecula firm of NBS to produce the engineer’s report, which is required to calculate costs spread out over 6,478 parcels in the city. The report called for an increase of 5.124 percent in assessments based on the West Urban Consumer Price Index.
The staff report by City Manager Doug Dunford noted the council that “if the resolution is not adopted, the city will not be able to collect the assessments during the 2023-24 fiscal year and all incurred cost will have to be paid from the General Fund.”
City Engineer Kevin Waugh presented the engineer’s report, detailing what parcels are within the Landscaping & Lighting District and specified that the actual costs total $497,700. It includes $192,454 for street lighting. Other costs are:
• Right-of-Way Landscaping, $58,104;
• Median Landscaping in Westpointe, $27,227.90;
• Median Landscaping in the Brown Annexation, $41,388.96;
• Brown Park $44,435.61;
• Landscaping on Darrah Street, $2,499.64;
• Landscaping at Davante $19,351.75;
• Landscaping at Eastgate, $104,464.32
• Overhead costs of $7,773.60
Ceres resident Albert Avila, who is employed as the finance director for the city of Oakdale, said he reviewed the report and found the city’s actual costs for providing service total $1,035,000 when the total budget is for $630,000.
“I don’t understand how you can have a consultant prepare a report that has totally incorrect information,” said Avila. “This is ridiculous.”
Avila claimed every line item was wrong. He also noted that the district has been running a deficit “every year.”
“Obviously you don’t have sufficient revenues coming in to cover those operating costs,” said Avila.
Mayor Javier Lopez turned to Waugh, saying, “I feel, Kevin, you have a response. Those were pretty egregious remarks being made right now and I feel that it’s only appropriate since he called you out to answer these questions, sir.”
Waugh, who is fairly new to the city, said the report was consistent with last year’s report and invited a member of the consulting team named Amanda to address Avila’s concerns.
She said the numbers in the report are estimates of the charges that will be incurred in the next year. As far as deficits are concerned, she noted that to seek an increase above the CPI, the city would require a triggering of Prop. 218 process for each individual district which calls for ballots to be mailed to affected property owners.
Vice Mayor Bret Silveira motioned to approve the report and ordering a levy of assessments. It was seconded by Lopez but James Casey and Daniel Martinez voted no. That caused a 2-2, which is considered a procedural denial.
That prompted Lopez to ask City Attorney Nubia Goldstein “where does the money go?” Confused, she repeated back his question but added, “assessments can’t be levied without approval by the council so we’ll have to go back to the staff level and figure out other alternatives.”
Late last week, Waugh said the city and NBS will have to go back over the numbers and bring it back to the council on Monday, July 24.
Waugh learned that the deficit with landscaping and lighting has been an ongoing dilemma for the city.
He said options before the city are to increase revenue or continue covering the deficit with the general fund or cut back on landscaping services and “just let the vegetation, which is not a good idea.”
