14 Staff Report.LLD
PREPARED BY: Stefanie Hockemeyer
Executive Assistant
Reviewed by: Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, Town Attorney, Finance Director, and Director
of Parks and Public Works
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● (408) 354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 06/16/2020
ITEM NO: 14
DATE: June 1, 2020
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Laurel Prevetti, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Authorize the Following Actions for Landscape and Lighting Assessment
Districts No. 1 and 2:
a. Adopt a Resolution Confirming the Diagram and Assessments and Levying
and Authorizing Collection of Assessments for Landscape and Lighting
Assessment District No. 1-Blackwell Drive Benefit Zone.
b. Adopt a Resolution Confirming the Diagram and Assessments and Levying
and Authorizing Collection of Assessments for Landscape and Lighting
Assessment District No. 1-Kennedy Meadows Benefit Zone.
c. Adopt a Resolution Confirming the Diagram and Assessments and Levying
and Authorizing Collection of Assessments for Landscape and Lighting
Assessment District No. 1-Santa Rosa Heights Benefit Zone.
d. Adopt a Resolution Confirming the Diagram and Assessments and Levying
and Authorizing Collection of assessments for Landscape and Lighting
Assessment District No. 1-Vasona Heights Benefit Zone.
e. Adopt a Resolution Confirming the Diagram and Assessments and Levying
and Authorizing Collection of assessments for Landscape and Lighting
Assessment District No. 1-Hillbrook Drive Benefit Zone.
f. Adopt a Resolution Confirming the Diagram and Assessments and Levying
and Authorizing Collection of assessments for Landscape and Lighting
Assessment District No. 2-Gemini Court Benefit Zone.
PAGE 2 OF 4
SUBJECT: Landscape and Lighting Assessment Districts No. 1 and 2
DATE: June 1, 2020
RECOMMENDATION:
Authorize the Following Actions for Landscape and Lighting Assessment Districts No. 1 and 2:
a. Adopt a resolution (Attachment 1) confirming the diagram and assessments and levying and
authorizing collection of assessments for Landscape and Lighting Assessment District No. 1-
Blackwell Drive Benefit Zone.
b. Adopt a resolution (Attachment 2) confirming the diagram and assessments and levying and
authorizing collection of assessments for Landscape and Lighting Assessment District No. 1-
Kennedy Meadows Benefit Zone.
c. Adopt a resolution (Attachment 3) confirming the diagram and assessments and levying and
authorizing collection of assessments for Landscape and Lighting Assessment District No. 1-
Santa Rosa Heights Benefit Zone.
d. Adopt a resolution (Attachment 4) confirming the diagram and assessments and levying and
authorizing collection of assessments for Landscape and Lighting Assessment District No. 1-
Vasona Heights Benefit Zone.
e. Adopt a resolution (Attachment 5) confirming the diagram and assessments and levying and
authorizing collection of assessments for Landscape and Lighting Assessment District No. 1-
Hillbrook Drive Benefit Zone.
f. Adopt a resolution (Attachment 6) confirming the diagram and assessments and levying and
authorizing collection of assessments for Landscape and Lighting Assessment District No. 2-
Gemini Court Benefit Zone.
BACKGROUND:
On April 21, 2020, the Town Council initiated the annual process of renewing the Landscape
and Lighting Assessment Districts No. 1 and 2 for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2020. The
Districts are comprised of six distinct zones of benefit, five of which are included in District No.
1, and one included in District No. 2. Maps of each zone are contained in the Engineer’s Report
(Attachment 7). The primary purpose of the Districts is to provide for the ongoing maintenance
and care of landscaped areas that especially benefit the properties within each of the zones.
These services are performed by a contractor retained by the Town on behalf of the property
owners. For a specific description of the services provided in each zone, please refer to the
attached Engineer’s Report.
On May 5, 2020, Council received and approved the Engineer’s Report and adopted Resolutions
confirming diagrams and assessments and levying and authorizing collection of assessments for
Landscape and Lighting Districts for FY 2020/21 and set June 16, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. as the date
and time for the required Public Hearing on the proposed assessments.
PAGE 3 OF 4
SUBJECT: Landscape and Lighting Assessment Districts No. 1 and 2
DATE: June 1, 2020
DISCUSSION:
The Notice of Intention to Levy Annual Assessments for Fiscal Year 2020/21 was published in
the Los Gatos Weekly on June 5 and June 12, 2020. Additionally, notices of the proposed
assessments and of the scheduled public hearing were mailed to each of the property owners in
the Districts, and to date, no protests or other written communication have been received. If
communication is received prior to the hearing, it will be presented to the Council for
consideration at the hearing.
The following table shows the number of parcels for each benefit zone and the proposed FY
2020/21 assessments:
Benefit Zone No. of Parcels Per Parcel Assessment
Blackwell Drive 5 $632
Kennedy Meadows 15 $685
Santa Rosa Heights 15 $300
Vasona Heights 33 $295
Hillbrook 34 $175
Gemini Court 20 $230
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends that the Town Council adopt the six resolutions (Attachments 1-6) to
continue the annual process of renewing the Landscape and Lighting Assessment Districts 1 and
2 for Fiscal Year 2020/21.
ALTERNATIVES:
If the Council chooses not to adopt the six resolutions, then the renewal process would halt and
staff would follow the alternative direction given by the Council. If the Council were to decide
not to renew the Assessment Districts, staff would look to Council for a policy direction about
whether the services currently provided by the Districts should continue and how.
The two most likely options that the Council could choose would be to either:
1. Give the responsibility for providing the services back to the property owners within the
districts, or
2. Assume responsibility for providing the services through the Town’s General Fund
Operating Budget.
PAGE 4 OF 4
SUBJECT: Landscape and Lighting Assessment Districts No. 1 and 2
DATE: June 1, 2020
ALTERNATIVE (continued):
As the Districts provide for higher levels of landscaping and lighting services within the specific
benefit zones than in other areas of the Town, staff does not recommend either of these two
approaches.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There are no direct fiscal impacts on the Town's General Fund as a result of administering the
Landscape and Lighting Assessment Districts. All the costs associated with the Districts are
recovered via the assessments levied against the property owners within the Districts. There
are no proposed increases in any of the parcel assessments for FY 2020/21 that would require a
ballot vote under Proposition 218.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:
This is not a project defined under CEQA, and no further action is required.
Attachments:
1. Resolution Confirming Diagram and Assessment and Levying and Authorizing Collection of
Assessments – Blackwell Drive Benefit Zone.
2. Resolution Confirming Diagram and Assessment and Levying and Authorizing Collection of
Assessments – Kennedy Meadows Drive Benefit Zone.
3. Resolution Confirming Diagram and Assessment and Levying and Authorizing Collection of
Assessments – Santa Rosa Heights Benefit Zone.
4. Resolution Confirming Diagram and Assessment and Levying and Authorizing Collection of
Assessments – Vasona Heights Benefit Zone.
5. Resolution Confirming Diagram and Assessment and Levying and Authorizing Collection of
Assessments – Hillbrook Drive Benefit Zone.
6. Resolution Confirming Diagram and Assessment and Levying and Authorizing Collection of
Assessments – Gemini Court Benefit Zone.
7. Engineer’s Report for Fiscal Year 2020/21.
8. Public Comment Received.