Folsom council approves preliminary engineer's report for 30 landscape and lighting districts; staff to pursue Prop 218 ballots

The Folsom City Council on Tuesday approved a resolution approving the preliminary engineer's report for all 30 landscape and lighting districts and set the next steps for outreach and Prop 218 balloting. The council's vote followed a detailed staff presentation showing multiple district deficits and resident pleas to maintain services while balloting proceeds.

Jamieson Larson, senior management analyst for the parks and recreation department, told the council the consolidated report shows many districts lack an inflation escalator and are operating on static assessments created decades ago. "All L & Ls were created pursuant to the L & L Act of 1972 and the California Constitution," Larson said. He pointed out districts vary from 10 to 2,370 units and that a number are running negative account balances because assessment revenue has not kept pace with rising maintenance costs.

Larson outlined a prioritization plan for outreach and Prop 218 proceedings. Briggs Ranch, Broadstone 1 / 2 / 4 and Natoma Station were prioritized for outreach in the coming fiscal year; Hannaford Cross and Cobble Ridge 2 / Reflections 2 are scheduled for the following fiscal year. He said the Prop 218 process requires a preliminary engineer's report, a 45-day waiting period, balloting, and a public hearing to tabulate ballots.

Larson gave several district examples: Briggs Ranch has a negative fund balance of about $218,000 and a projected operational deficit of $125,000 for the coming year; that equates to roughly $332 per single-family-equivalent unit, or about $33 per year over a 10-year payback. Broadstone 1/2/4 combined show a $597,000 negative balance and would average about $23.63 per unit annually over a 10-year payback. Natoma Station has a $729,000 negative balance; Larson said staff expects to remove $60,000 in planned expenditures so the district's operational deficit would be under $3,000 for the coming year, and that staff intends to bring a resolution on June 24 to initiate new balloting in Natoma Station.

Residents from Natoma Station urged the council not to cut services while another balloting round proceeds. Michael Aemet, a 29-year resident of Natoma Station, said he voted no previously but changed his view after learning more: "My no vote has become yes," he said, asking the council to carry the district's maintenance until residents can re-ballot. Kevin Goddard, also from Natoma Station, urged the council to "continue the services that we have in Natoma Station" while outreach proceeds.

City staff recommended the council adopt Resolution 11399 and direct the engineer of record to include a table in the final engineer's report showing revenues, expenses and district account balances as of April 30, 2025. The council voted to adopt Resolution 11399; a roll-call recorded "Yes" votes from Raffel, Rohrbach, Kozlowski, Leary and Mayor Aquino.

Jamieson Larson told the council the final engineer's report and a public hearing will follow; staff proposed a public hearing July 8 and additional outreach meetings through fall. If ballots for a Prop 218 assessment pass, new assessments would be collected through property tax installments beginning in the next assessment cycle, likely fiscal year 2026-27.

Why it matters: the L&L districts pay for common-area landscaping, lighting, irrigation and monumentation. Staff and residents said many assets are reaching the end of their useful lives and districts formed before Proposition 218 do not have automatic escalators to keep pace with inflation; the engineer's report and voter balloting are the city's prescribed legal steps for changing assessments.

Next steps: staff will finalize the engineer's report with the requested table showing district balances, continue outreach to prioritized districts, and hold the July 8 public hearing. The council also directed staff to present the updated Natoma Station materials to the June 24 meeting to initiate new balloting.