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Territorial Dispatch

City Breaks Down Lighting District Costs

Jul 22, 2024 04:53PM ● By Angela Underwood

YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) - Yuba City City council members recused themselves during the July 2 meeting one by one.

Civil engineer Josh Wolffe's July 2 presentations and public hearings resulted in four resolutions for Lighting and Landscape District Nos. 1-6 and the Yuba City Residential Street Light Maintenance District, all of which are based on the 1972 Act Lighting and Landscaping District.

As reported in June, the Territorial Dispatch detailed that council members who live or own property within a specific district are not allowed to vote to avoid conflicts of interest.

Wolffe said then, "Based on the current councilmembers and their property ownership, splitting the actions into four separate items per meeting was the most efficient way to ensure a quorum was maintained.”

For that reason, Wolffe clarified, "I will try and keep the presentations pretty concise." He did this by essentially repeating the same information for different demographics, each containing Zones of Benefit.

The civil engineer said assessments were approved by the property owners of record "at the time of the district's formation" before breaking them down.

District 1 splits into A and B.

"A covers the area north of town, just south of the Regency area, and B covers the Shanghai Garden area north of Eureka Road on Garden Highway, south of Lincoln Road and along Railroad Avenue as well from Bogue Road to just south of Lincoln Road," Wolffe said, also noting "2A covers the Plumas Boulevard area near the town center."

At the end of each presentation, Wolffe showed expected projection reserves based on cost-of-living adjustments (COLA). He said both 1A and B districts have cost-of-living adjustments, which is why they are "charged the maximum levy from year to year in order to keep the districts afloat."

However, District 2, which has no cost-of-living adjustments, is still in the red. Even with reductions, expenditures remain high, according to Wolffe, noting that "the projected reserve balance in both of those funds is negative."

Stepping out of council chambers for Districts 3 and 4, Councilmember Dave Shaw left the dais before Wolffe explained the demographics.

"District 3, the northeast quadrant of Yuba City in the Santa Barbara Way area, and number four is in the northwestern quadrant of Yuba City in the Regency Park area," Wolffe said, adding both have cost-of-living adjustments.

Wolffe continued, noting that District 3's projected reserves for 2025 are more than $6,000 and District 4's more than $200,000. Unlike the later districts, Wolffe said the staff does not recommend council "direct modifications of assessments for the future" but "staff does recommend conducting a public hearing."

Wolffe did not offer exact demographics for Districts 5 and 6 the third time around, when Councilmember Mike Pasquale and Mayor Shon Harris recused themselves from the districts with a levy based on the cost-of-living adjustments.

"I have property in the location," Harris said before leaving the room.

Due to both districts having several Zones of Benefits, Wolffe projects a reserve of more than $297,000 for District 5 and more than $199,000 for District 6 by 2025.

No one had to leave the room for the Residential Street Light Maintenance districts, which cover the Tierra Buena and Walton areas, respectively. Due to power costs, Wolffe said, the city will continue to charge the maximum levy amounts in the two regions.

No resident spoke at any of the four public hearings that opened and closed within a minute. Each resolution passed unanimously by sitting council members.