TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
Stephanie Katsouleas, Public Works Director
Prem Kumar, City Engineer
SUBJECT:Title
Consider Allocating a New Senior Civil Engineer Position to the Utility Underground Assessment District Program and Appropriating $168,180 from the General Fund for the Position (Public Works Director Katsouleas).
a) APPROVE
b) APPROPRIATE FUNDS
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that City Council approve the allocation of one Senior Civil Engineer position to the Utility Underground Assessment District (UUAD or District) Program, appropriate $168,180 from the General Fund to fund the position, and authorize the City Manager to begin the recruitment process.
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FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
An estimated $168,180 is needed annually to fund a fully burdened staff position to support the UUAD program. For each UUAD that is ultimately approved by homeowners, a corresponding portion of funds used to support this position both retroactively and in the future will be reimbursed to the City through the assessments levied. If any district fails to form after undertaking a Proposition 218 process, the City will not be reimbursed for any expenditures related to that district, including reimbursement for staff time and design plan expenditures paid to utility companies. Given the number of neighborhoods that have already reached out to the City requesting to form an undergrounding district, staff estimates this position will be needed for up to seven years.
BACKGROUND:
In the early 2000s, the City supported homeowners' desires to underground utility wires, an issue of particular interest where utilities block ocean views, by reestablishing the UUAD program. This program facilitated homeowners' ability to self-assess the total cost of relocating utility wires by utilizing the Proposition 218 process. Total costs generally...
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