Hanford council authorizes April balloting on six landscape‑lighting districts, hears plan for new maintenance contract and in‑house option

Alvin Diaz, deputy public works director, told the Hanford City Council on Jan. 20 that the city oversees 44 separate landscape and lighting assessment districts and that several are in poor financial health. "So currently, the city has 44 total landscape assessment districts," Diaz said, and he identified shortfalls including Quail RunEstates, which he said "is in a deficit of $40,000."

Diaz presented an engineer's estimate and a draft outreach plan and recommended council authorize staff to place six districts on the April 7 public hearing ballot to consider assessment increases for fiscal years 2026-27. The districts identified for balloting were Quail Run Estates, Portofino Gateway Estates, Crystal Springs, Cielo/Tara, Hyde Park, and Gateway Estates. Diaz said ballots and outreach materials are under review by finance and that the consultant Peregrine Strategies has helped shape public outreach.

Staff described proposed changes to the landscape maintenance procurement. Diaz said staff plans to advertise the next contract as a request for bids (RFB) with a clearer, simplified set of service levels (A, B, C) so bidders compete on standardized scopes. He also outlined contract remedies including a downward payment adjustment if contractors fail inspections: "if we inspect and they don't trim the shrubs or they don't mow, we have a mechanism in place where we can withhold or downward pay for not doing the work."

Council members raised questions about contractor accountability, service frequency, and whether smaller local firms could bid for portions of the work. Council discussed splitting the city into quadrants to make work attractive to small and mid‑size contractors; staff said that approach is in the draft scope. Council members also pressed the staffing and cost assumptions for a proposed in‑house public works division: Diaz estimated an initial in‑house crew would need nine staff members, three trucks, three dump trailers and three mowers, and that initial equipment procurement could cost roughly $265,000. He said in‑house service could improve response times but that long‑term costs may flip in year five once retirement/step increases and other staff costs are factored.

Mayor Kyres and council members emphasized public outreach before ballots are mailed, noting several districts were created before CPI-based increases existed and many residents pay rates that have not kept pace with inflation. Diaz said staff will begin outreach and include dollar figures on the ballot so residents know the proposed per-parcel change.

The council moved, seconded and voted 5-0 to accept the report and authorize staff to bring district balloting back at the April 7, 2026 public hearing, and to proceed with the RFB process for a new landscape maintenance contract. The motion directs staff to return with bid results and a recommendation on whether to award a contract to a private vendor or transition maintenance in‑house.