Yorba Linda council approves engineer’s report for citywide landscape assessments; schedules June 3 public hearing

The Yorba Linda City Council on Monday approved the fiscal‑year engineer’s report for the city’s Landscape Maintenance Assessment District (LMAD), declared its intent to levy and collect assessments for fiscal year 2025–26 and set a public hearing for June 3, 2025.

The vote followed a staff presentation on annual updates to LMAD zones, a $1,120,000 capital improvement budget for landscape projects, and technical changes to GIS diagrams and square footage used to calculate assessments. The council’s approval moves the assessment roll toward submission to the Orange County assessor by Aug. 8, 2025.

The LMAD engineer’s report documents the landscape, street‑lighting and traffic‑signal improvements funded partly by assessments collected on property tax bills. Public Works Director Jamie Lai and Assessment District Manager Jessie Gutierrez summarized that the report incorporates a 3.3% CPI factor this year, ongoing irrigation and turf‑replacement projects, and grant funding from the Metropolitan Water District to support water‑efficient conversions.

City Attorney Todd Lifton explained a conflict‑of‑interest issue before the council voted: because LMAD assessments are imposed on real property, multiple council members live in assessed zones. Under state fair‑process rules cited by Lifton, the council may vote but the city used a random draw (three short straws, two long) to identify which members would participate. The two councilmembers who drew the long straws were recused from the LMAD vote and left the dais; the three remaining councilmembers voted on the item.

Public comments at the LMAD item focused on two issues. A resident who identified himself as Peter Mayne, a professional engineer, urged the council to authorize immediate removal of several hazardous trees the speaker said were maintained by LMAD and that he described as violating Orange County Fire Authority guidance. He urged a city policy allowing property owners to “self‑direct their removal as authorized by law.” Neighbor Daniel Descano said five pine trees on city property loom over his backyard and requested city removal on fire‑safety grounds.

City staff and the city attorney responded that there is a process for property owners to request tree removal and replacement through Public Works, and that private residents are not authorized to cut city trees in the LMAD easement. The council did not adopt a separate emergency removal policy at the meeting.

Council members flagged one LMAD zone, L1A, as an area where residents are organizing a petition process under Proposition 218 and were urged to engage and vote when that zone’s petition proceeds. Staff said a lead petitioner has been identified and community outreach for the Proposition 218 petition will begin later in the year.

After brief council discussion, a motion to adopt the engineer’s report and declare intent to levy and collect the assessments — and to set the June 3 public hearing — was made and seconded; the three participating councilmembers voted to approve the actions. The motion passed unanimously among the members voting at the dais.

Next steps: the council will hold the scheduled public hearing on June 3 to receive comments on proposed assessments. If approved after the hearing, the assessment roll would be submitted to the county assessor by Aug. 8, 2025, for inclusion on property tax bills.