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Board approves sidewalk assessment report after public hearing; 257 properties slated for tax-roll assessments
Summary
After a Committee of the Whole hearing and public testimony, the board approved a Department of Public Works report that identifies sidewalk and curb repairs; DPW reported 3,379 notices and seeks to place unpaid invoices for 257 properties totaling $235,320 onto property tax rolls.
The Board of Supervisors convened a Committee of the Whole on July 16 to hear public testimony about the Department of Public Works' sidewalk inspection and repair program and approved the department's report of assessment costs.
DPW representative Robert Kwan told the board the report covers inspections and repairs from April 2014 through March 2015. During that period DPW issued 3,379 notices to repair and 2,105 notifications to agencies; the department reported total invoiced costs of $2,314,230.75 for the program and said it recovered $1,213,150.75 from property owners who paid. DPW said 1,971 invoices were sent and 1,697 property owners paid; the department asked the board to place 257 properties with outstanding invoices totaling $235,320 on the property tax rolls as assessments.
More than a dozen members of the public spoke during the hearing, raising concerns including notice timeliness, perceived billing errors, sidewalk repairs performed on adjacent properties, tree-caused damage and alleged incomplete or poor quality work. DPW said it had met with claimants, removed several properties from the assessment list after review and offered property owners alternatives including the sidewalk nuisance abatement program, a deferred-cost program that places unpaid costs on the property tax roll over five years with a one-time 12 percent administrative fee. DPW said it would continue to work with property owners after the hearing to resolve disputes.
Supervisor questions focused on the number of properties removed from the list (DPW said about six were removed prior to the roll-call vote) and tree-related repairs. DPW confirmed many notices were tree-related but said the program enforces the city's established maintenance rules: property owners are responsible for sidewalks adjacent to their parcels unless the city has accepted maintenance responsibility.
On roll-call the board approved the report as amended, 10-1, with Supervisor Wiener the lone no vote.
Ending DPW will continue outreach with affected property owners to resolve outstanding issues. The board's vote authorizes assessments for unpaid invoices consistent with the sidewalk inspection and repair program and the department's administrative processes.
