TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Mark Danaj, City Manager
FROM:
Stephanie Katsouleas, Public Works Director
SUBJECT:Title
Consider the Current Underground Utility Assessment District Formation Policy and Provide Direction on Potential Revisions (Public Works Director Stephanie Katsouleas).
PROVIDE DIRECTION
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that City Council receive the current Underground Utility Assessment District (UUAD) formation policy and provide direction on whether to revise that policy.
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FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications associated with providing direction to staff regarding policy changes to the current utility undergrounding district formation process. However, under the current UUAD policy for district formation, the City would anticipate spending approximately $350,000 per district to reach the Proposition 218 voting phase. Those funds would be reimbursed if the districts ultimately form. Any future financial impacts to the City will be evaluated based on direction given by City Council following this presentation and residential interest in forming future UUADs.
BACKGROUND:
Utility undergrounding is the process of placing all overhead utilities (power, telephone, and cable TV wires) and facilities such as electrical transformers underground. The City does not currently own, operate or maintain any overhead electrical or communications utilities, but rather they belong to:
* Southern California Edison (electricity);
* Frontier (formerly Verizon, for telecom and cable and internet); and
* Spectrum (formerly Time Warner and Adelphia, for cable and internet).
Southern California Edison (SCE) carries out overhead-to-underground conversions through its Rule 20 program. Telecom utilities carry out these conversions through the Rule 40 program, which in many respects mirrors SCE's Rule 20 program. The specif...
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