Council approves preliminary engineers' reports for landscape districts, orders comprehensive assessment

Lindsay City Council gave preliminary approval to the engineers’ reports for the city’s landscape and lighting maintenance districts and authorized a comprehensive assessment process to review rates and possible consolidation of small districts.

At the meeting the council passed Resolution 25-22 by a 5-0 vote, granting preliminary approval of engineers’ reports for fiscal year 2025–26 covering the city’s eight maintenance districts. Councilmember Nate moved the resolution and Councilmember Sanchez seconded the motion.

City staff presented the engineer’s report and financial spreadsheets for each district, describing current budgets, what was spent in the prior year and projections for the coming fiscal year. Staff said the city has eight districts and reviewed a number of district-specific conditions: some districts carry small surpluses (for example Heritage Park was described as having roughly a $13,000 surplus), while others showed deficits (staff cited a deficit of about $12,686 for one district and a roughly $13,500 deficit for a 12-lot neighborhood across the street). Staff told council that in several cases the engineers’ reports propose charging the maximum allowable assessment under each district’s original formation calculations.

Council discussed options staff recommended, including authorizing the city engineer to initiate a comprehensive analysis to consider combining small, adjacent districts, rebalancing assessments across more lots and updating the assessment methodology. Councilmember Nave moved to authorize the comprehensive analysis and a related cost proposal; Councilmember Soria seconded. The motion passed 5-0.

During discussion staff noted practical reasons for maintaining a reserve in each district — for example to cover capital repairs such as asphalt replacement — and explained that some districts require more capital work (irrigation, asphalt, tree trimming) than others. Staff said combining small districts could lower per-lot costs but that any consolidation would require community outreach and the statutory noticing and protest process required for assessment changes.

The council action gives preliminary approval to FY 2025–26 engineers’ reports and directs the city engineer to begin a comprehensive assessment analysis and return with options that will include estimated rates, consolidation scenarios and community-notice plans. The council did not adopt final assessment rates at this meeting; that step will follow the city’s formal noticing and protest procedures if the city pursues changes.