TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Mark Danaj, City Manager
FROM:
Bruce Moe, Finance Director
Henry Mitzner, Controller
SUBJECT:Title
Conduct Public Hearing Regarding the Annual Storm Water Service Charge for Fiscal Year 2015-2016 (Finance Director Moe).
a) CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING
b) ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 15-0025
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council conduct a public hearing on the annual storm water service charge for fiscal year 2015-2016, and adopt Resolution No. 15-0025.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The storm water fee currently generates approximately $346,000 annually. As indicated in the adopted 2015-2016 budget, a General Fund subsidy of $841,000 will be required to fund operations of $1,122,129 and capital improvements of $600,215.
Under present conditions, the General Fund subsidy offsetting Storm Drain deficits will continue indefinitely. In addition to the subsidy there is unreimbursed overhead support from the General Fund of $161,191 as determined by the periodic cost allocation plan. As costs escalate due to mandates for clean water and storm water treatment, the General Fund support will also grow unless action is taken to increase the fee.
The FY 2015-2016 budget includes funding for community outreach and polling on the need for increased funding for this high priority service that impacts the cleanliness of our beach and ocean. Staff will return to the City Council later in the fiscal year with more information and a plan for these next steps.
BACKGROUND:
The City levies an annual storm water service charge on each parcel of real property in the City. The fee is levied to finance the costs of on-going operation and maintenance of storm water facilities and services. The fee is based on an engineering analysis of the City’s storm drain requirements performed in 1996 by an outside consultant. The typical fee is $19.12 per year per single family residence. The fee has remained unchanged since the passage of Proposition 218 in 1996.
DISCUSSION:
The storm water fee is collected each fiscal year via the County of Los Angeles consolidated property tax bill. The City submits such charges to the County each year by the August due date specified by the County Auditor in order to include the fee on the property tax bills issued in October.
In order to include the fee on the property tax bill, the City Council must hold a public hearing, at which time the City Council considers all objections and protests regarding the proposed levy of the fee for Fiscal Year 2015-16. Assuming there is not a majority protest, the City Council may then order that the charge be collected for Fiscal Year 2015-16 on the County of Los Angeles tax roll.
The notice of this hearing was properly published in The Beach Reporter on July 9, 2015 and July 16, 2015.
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends that the City Council conduct a public hearing on the annual storm water service fee for fiscal year 2015-2016, and assuming an insufficient majority protest, adopt Resolution No. 15-0025 thereby ordering collection of the fee through the County of Los Angeles consolidated property tax bill.
Attachment:
1. Resolution No. 15-0025