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Carpinteria council certifies protest results; proposed landscape and berm assessments blocked, council warns of budget impacts
Summary
Two property-assessment measures—the Landscape Maintenance District and a coastal-berm assessment—failed due to majority protests; council certified results and discussed likely service reductions and alternatives to cover maintenance costs.
At consecutive public hearings on March 23, Carpinteria City staff reported that property-owner protest ballots constituted a majority for both a proposed Landscape Maintenance District (LMD) and a coastal-berm (winter berm) assessment, meaning the proposed assessments cannot be imposed under California law.
Staff opened the resumed LMD hearing and announced the tabulation showed a majority in protest; the council subsequently directed the city secretary to declare results and adopted Resolution No. 6446 to certify the outcome. A roll-call vote was recorded with councilmembers voting in the affirmative to close and certify the hearing.
Council and staff explained fiscal trade-offs: the LMD had been expected to generate roughly $1 million in additional funds to cover district landscaping and maintenance, and its rejection will require the city to prioritize existing revenues and potentially reduce landscaping frequency or postpone planned projects. Staff said options include trimming maintenance frequency, selecting lower-maintenance plantings, or using general-fund subsidies, but each option has trade-offs for public amenities and safety (sidewalk damage, tree concerns).
In the consecutive coastal-berm hearing, staff again reported a majority protest among returned ballots. Council adopted Resolution No. 6447 to certify and close that hearing. Staff emphasized regulatory constraints: keeping winter berms year-round would require additional permits, environmental review and potentially expensive monitoring; any change would be a separate, lengthy process.
What’s next: Council asked staff to analyze budget re-prioritization and present options—such as reduced maintenance frequency, alternative funding sources, or revisiting assessments in future years—with detailed cost estimates.
Selected council quote: "These are decisions the council will have to make going forward as we address the lack of funds," staff said, noting some services may be curtailed if additional revenues are not secured.
