Title
Adopt a Resolution to Authorize the City Manager to Vote “Yes” for Alameda County Flood Control & Water Conservation District Zones 2 and 9 Proposed Benefit Assessment Increase for City of San Leandro Owned Parcels
Staffreport
COUNCIL PRIORITY
• Quality of Life
• Public Safety
• Infrastructure
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District (District) has begun Proposition 218 assessment ballot proceedings for a proposed increase in Benefit Assessment in District Zones 2, 4, and 9. The District would use the money from the increased benefit assessment to fund a list of critical flood control projects. The proposed projects aim to increase the capacity of flood infrastructure to withstand more severe storms, to meet current Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) design standards, and to address aging facilities.
In accordance with Proposition 218, property owner assessment ballots and notices have been mailed to the City of San Leandro for the properties it owns within Zones 2, 4, and 9. The City owns four (4) parcels in Zone 2 and ten (10) parcels in Zone 9 that would be impacted by the increased benefit assessment (Attachment A). Under the current benefit assessment, properties owned by public agencies are exempt from paying benefit assessments. However, under Proposition 218, all properties that benefit from the proposed improvements must be assessed, and therefore, public agencies are no longer exempt and would have to make the annual payment.
BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
One of the main responsibilities of the District is to build and maintain flood control infrastructure to reduce flood risk. They operate pump stations that move water from channels and underground pipe systems into the San Francisco Bay. The District oversees parts of the Estudillo Canal and the San Lorenzo Creek, which run through the City of San Leandro. Due to aging infrastructure, the risk of flooding is high, especially in the event of a severe storm. Both the San Lorenzo Creek and Estudillo Canal flooded during the winter storms that occurred in December 2022 through January 2023.
An increased benefit assessment would provide the necessary funding for critical flood control projects that will increase stormwater carrying capacity, upgrade/reconstruct aging infrastructure, meet FEMA design requirements, remove FEMA designated floodplains, decrease flooding risks, reduce long-term maintenance costs, and ultimately protect properties. Proposed critical projects within the City of San Leandro include:
- Pump station rehabilitation
- Capacity enhancement at various culvert crossings and channels
- Tide gate reconstruction
- San Lorenzo Creek north and south levees upgrades and floodwalls
- Estudillo Canal improvements including reconstruction of channel walls and new floodwalls
According to the District, owners of residential properties in these zones currently pay about $25 annually towards benefit assessments, and the existing benefit assessment has not increased since 1993. The amount of the benefit assessment is based on the location within or outside of a floodplain, parcel size, land use category (single-family residential, agricultural, industrial, etc.), and impervious surface (based on land use category). Essentially, the amount is based on the stormwater and flood protection benefit each property receives from the management of stormwater and the proposed projects, and therefore each property will pay a different amount that is estimated based on the amount of runoff each property contributes to the system. The benefit assessment would then be adjusted annually by Consumer Price Index (CPI)
If the increased benefit assessment is approved, the City, which is currently exempt from paying benefit assessments, would pay approximately $14,065.85 under Proposition 218.
Environmental Review
This activity is not a project and is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to section 15378(b)(4) of the CEQA Guidelines, because it involves governmental fiscal activities (approving funding mechanisms), which does not involve any commitment to any specific project that may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment.
Summary of Public Outreach Efforts
On December 9, 2024, the Alameda County Flood Control & Water Conservation District gave a presentation to City Council on the proposed revenue enhancement.
Financial Impacts
If the Assessment Ballot is approved, it will require Council appropriation of approximately $14,066 for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 from the Storm Water Fund.
ATTACHMENTS
A: Draft Resolution
B: City of San Leandro Owned Parcels
PREPARED BY: Tiffany Curotto, Public Works Administrative Manager, Public Works Department