TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THRU: Tom Kisela, City Manager
FROM: Christopher Cash, Public Works Director
1. Subject
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Public Hearing to consider approval of the Landscape Maintenance Assessment District 94-1 (Sycamore Crossing) Final Engineer’s Report for Fiscal Year 2025-2026. Resolution No. 11615.
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2. Summary
Resolution 11615 is the second step and will complete the process of the annual assessment for Landscape Maintenance Assessment District 94-1 (Sycamore Crossing). Staff recommends no increase in the assessments for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 and that they remain $293.08 per unit. The total assessment to be levied in Landscape Maintenance Assessment District 94-1 (Sycamore Crossing) will be $47,877.
3. Recommended Action
recommendation
1. Conduct and close Public Hearing.
2. Adopt Resolution No. 11615. A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Orange approving the Engineer’s Report and providing for the annual assessment for Landscape Maintenance Assessment District 94-1 (Sycamore Crossing).
3. Establish the assessment for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 for Landscape Maintenance Assessment District 94-1 (Sycamore Crossing) at $293.08 per single family unit per year.
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4. Fiscal Impact
There is no direct fiscal impact to the City. The approval of the annual assessment will generate $47,877 in revenue with a proposed expenditure of $55,852 in the Sycamore Crossing Landscape Maintenance Assessment District Fund (293):
293.0000.40330.00000 Assessments-Landscape $47, 877
5. Strategic Plan Goals
Goal 3: Enhance and promote quality of life in the community.
a: Renovate, maintain, develop and/or expand public use places and spaces.
6. Discussion and Background
In 1995, Landscape Maintenance District No. 94-1 (LMD 94-1) was established to maintain the landscape and flood control improvements along Santiago Creek that were constructed by Tract No. 14752 (Sycamore Crossing). Resolution No. 8462 approved Conditional Use Permit 2088-94 for Tentative Tract 15053 (Sycamore Crossing) and Resolution No. 8463 approved Tentative Tract Map 15053, which is part of Tract 14751.
Annually, staff performs a detailed accounting of expenses and calculates a new assessment for the benefiting property owners. All assessments are recommended to remain the same for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 (FY26) as they are for the current fiscal year. The 124 units in the interior of the Tract are currently assessed annually at $293.08. The 36 units adjacent to the landscape improvement have a 2% premium and are currently assessed at $298.94 per unit, per year. The senior housing site (Harmony Creek) is currently assessed at $597.88 per year. In addition, the City owns two lots within the district that pay into the District. The larger lot which remains as open space is assessed at $117.23 per year and the smaller lot for a future water well is $58.62 per year.
The total expenditure for FY26 is estimated to be $55,852, which is 13% higher than the current FY 25. This is due to the current landscape contract expiring in June 2025 with the projected cost increase for landscape maintenance. The proposed assessment will generate $47,877 in revenue. The projected year-end Reserve fund balance is $132,905 and the District is funded entirely by annual assessment revenue. The deficit revenue between the annual assessment and the expenditure is $7,975. Reserve funds will be used to supplement any potential deficit in FY26 expenditures.
The attached Final Engineer’s Report contains detailed information about the assessment.
Each year, the process for setting the assessment of the Landscape Maintenance Districts is initiated. The process began on May 13, 2025 with the City Council’s Approval of Resolution No. 11610 which approved the Preliminary Engineer’s Report for LMD 94-1 and set June 10, 2025 as the date for the public hearing. This public hearing is the second step in the process and is held in accordance with the Lighting and Landscape Maintenance Act of 1972 as outlined in the “Order of Procedure”. At this time, property owners will have an opportunity to be heard on this issue.
7. ATTACHMENTS
• Resolution No. 11615
• Final Engineer’s Report - Landscape Maintenance District 94-1