| | | | | | | |  | City Council
Staff Report
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| Subject: | Special Assessments for Delinquent Weed Abatement Charges |
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| | Date: | June 22, 2021 |
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| | Submitted By: | Angela Doyle, Senior Accountant
Ted Williams, Financial Analyst |
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| | Department: | Administrative Services - Finance |
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| | | | | | | | Staff Recommendation: | A. Adopt a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Rocklin Imposing Special Assessments Against Certain Properties for Delinquent Weed Abatement Charges.
B. Adopt a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Rocklin Requesting the Collection of Special Assessments on the 2021-2022 Tax Roll (Weed Abatement Charges). |
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| | | | | | | | | BACKGROUND: | Each year, the City notifies land owners of vacant properties that they must maintain their properties to minimize fire risk. If the properties are not properly abated by the land owners, the City has the right, under California Government Code Section 39501, California Government Code section 39560 et seq., Rocklin Municipal Code section 8.12.010 to abate the properties and seek reimbursements for these costs.
On March, 24, 2020, the City Council adopted Resolution 2020-58, which identified parcels requiring abatement, ordered that such abatement be completed by June 1, 2020, and set a public hearing for May 12, 2020, to hear any protests. This Resolution also indicated the City may perform abatement on properties that were not properly abated by the owners and indicated that the City would bill the responsible land owner for any costs incurred by the City. Land owners of affected parcels were notified by mail of the public hearing and abatement requirements.
On May 12, 2020, Council held a public hearing and ordered the nuisance be abated. During the summer of 2020, New Image Landscape Company performed abatement on properties that had not been abated by the owners and billed the City for its costs. The City then billed the property owners for fees associated with abating their land and the City sent second notices on those properties that did not respond to the first invoice.
On May 25, 2021, the City Council approved Resolution 2021-78 accepting a report on the costs of abatement attributed to each delinquent property, and set a public hearing on June 22, 2021, to consider placing special assessments for reimbursement of delinquent weed abatement charges on the 2021-2022 tax roll. Notice of the public meeting was sent to all owners of record, was posted on the City’s web page, posted near the Council Chambers at least three (3) days prior to the hearing, and was published once in the Placer Herald.
The first resolution authorizes the imposition of special assessments on properties that have delinquent weed abatement fees, and requests the County collect such assessments. The second resolution is required by Placer County for all direct charges the County collected on the City’s behalf. It serves to indemnify the County for any errors in those tax rolls submitted by the City.
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| | | | | | | | | Fiscal Impact: | | Placement of special assessments on the tax rolls would result in the City being reimbursed $14,853.92 of weed abatement expenses and collecting $1,918.31 of administrative fees. |
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| | | | | | | | | This Staff Report has been reviewed by the City Attorney for legal sufficiency and by the City Manager for content. |
| | | | | | | | | The Finance Department has reviewed this staff report and certifies that budgeted funds are available, unless a budget amendment is being requested as part of this action item. |
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