HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-06-09; City Council; 03; Annual levy of benefit assessments for the Buena Vista Channel Maintenance District Benefit Area No. 1 for Fiscal Year 2026-27CA Review CKM
Meeting Date:
To:
From:
Staff Contact:
katie.schroeder@carlsbadca.gov, 442-339-5246
Subject:
Maintenance District Benefit Area No. 1 for Fiscal Year 2026-27
District:
Recommended Action
Adopt a resolution authorizing the annual levy of benefit assessments for the Buena Vista
Channel Maintenance District Benefit Area No. 1 for fiscal year 2026-27.
Executive Summary
The City Council's approval is needed to levy benefit assessments for the Buena Vista Channel
Maintenance District Benefit Area No. 1. This report details that there have been no changes to
the original district boundary, the individual assessment cost for each parcel or to the
assessment rates proposed for fiscal year 2026-27.
Explanation & Analysis
The Buena Vista Channel Benefit Assessment District was formed in 1989 at the request of
affected property owners to provide an effective and consistent means of maintaining the
channel for flood protection. The district includes 28 parcels located north of Marron Road,
south of Highway 78, west of El Camino Real and east of Jefferson Street, as shown in
Attachment B. Annual assessments collected from the property owners in the district are used
to pay for the ongoing maintenance and administrative program costs of the channel.
The maintenance program is administered by city staff. Since 2003, this program has removed
vegetation and other debris under the conditions of the program’s environmental impact
report and supplemental environmental impact report approved by the City Council in 2003
and 2013 respectively and the permits issued from the California Department of Fish and
Wildlife and California Coastal Commission.
The program’s environmental impact reports identified hand removal of the vegetation in one
fifth of the northern half of the channel each year based on a five-year rotation as the preferred
method of maintaining the channel. This method is preferred by the agencies because it
restores flood conveyance capacity without dredging the bottom of the channel.
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Sedimentation has been observed in recent field visits and vegetation growth within the stream
impedes the capacity of the channel to convey water, increasing the risk of flooding. Staff
schedule vegetation removal each year, before the winter months, to maintain the channel as a
flood conveyance corridor.
The current maintenance program requires the clearing of the vegetation on the north side of
the creek in segmented intervals. This methodology was designed with input from the agencies
with oversight over the aquatic resources within the channel to avoid significant impacts and
the need to obtain permits for the work.
Channel maintenance has been performed under permits and agreements obtained from the
California Coastal Commission and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. These were
extended in 2019, expired in 2024 and renewed in 2025. A Coastal Development Permit was
issued by the California Coastal Commission in August 2025 with a five-year term. A lake or
streambed alteration agreement was finalized with the California Department of Fish and
Wildlife in November 2025 with a ten-year term.
Funds from the assessment were used for annual vegetation removal and environmental
reporting services during fiscal year 2025-26. City staff have evaluated the existing fund balance
of the district and recommend annual assessment rates be kept at a total collection amount of
$100,000, at the same parcel assessment rate as previous fiscal years. The original and current
formula for leveling the assessments is based upon each owner’s benefit from the maintenance
of that portion of the total channel, which abuts or fronts upon the respective parcels.
There has been no change to the original district boundary and no change in the individual
assessment cost for each parcel, so the City Council need only to approve the attached
resolution adopting the annual benefit assessments to continue the district’s operations for
fiscal year 2026-27.
Adopting the attached resolution authorizing the annual levy of benefit assessments for the
Buena Vista Channel Maintenance District Benefit Area No. 1 for fiscal year 2026-27 will fund
the ongoing maintenance activities of the Buena Vista Channel and help prevent flooding in the
area. Ongoing maintenance activities may be impacted if annual assessments are not collected
from the property owners, and staff have identified no benefits to the city in not authorizing
the annual levy.
Fiscal Analysis
The entire maintenance program, including staff time, annual environmental reporting and
vegetation removal, is funded by the benefit assessments collected from the property owners
within the district. The proposed fiscal year 2026-27 budget for the district is $112,282. This
amount will be funded with the annual assessments, previous interest earnings and
accumulated fund balances.
The cash balance of the district at the end of fiscal year 2026-27 is estimated to be
approximately $1.5 million. This balance will be used to cover future potential annual operating
deficits as well as any large-scale channel maintenance that may be required in the future.
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Next Steps
With the City Council’s approval, the Finance Department will submit property owner
assessments for the upcoming fiscal year to the San Diego County Auditor to be included on the
property tax rolls. Public Works staff will continue all the necessary work and services for the
ongoing maintenance and drainage of the Buena Vista Creek Channel.
Environmental Evaluation
A supplemental program environmental impact report (EIR 02-03(A)), candidate findings of fact
and the mitigation monitoring and reporting program were prepared for the maintenance and
flood control activities of the Buena Vista Creek. The supplemental program environmental
impact report was certified by the City Council on June 11, 2013, in compliance with California
Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, Guidelines Section 15090. This annual levy of benefit
assessments is within the scope of the prior environmental documents and no further
environmental documentation is required under CEQA Guidelines Section 15162.
Exhibit
1. City Council resolution
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Exhibit 1
RESOLUTION NO. 2026-101
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARLSBAD,
CALIFORNIA, AUTHORIZING THE ANNUAL LEVY OF BENEFIT ASSESSMENTS
FOR THE BUENA VISTA CHANNEL MAINTENANCE DISTRICT BENEFIT AREA
NO. 1 FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026-27
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Carlsbad, California formed the Buena Vista Channel
Maintenance District Benefit Area No. 1 in 1989 in response to a petition of affected property owners
within the district and the terms and provisions of the Benefit Assessment Act of 1982 (California
Government Code Section 54703 et seq.); and
WHEREAS, at this time the City Council is satisfied with the listing of the annual benefit
assessments as submitted (Attachments A and B) for the levy of the benefit assessments and is ready
to proceed to levy the annual assessments on each parcel of benefiting property within the boundaries
of the district.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Carlsbad, California, as
follows:
1.That the above recitations are true and correct.
2.That a supplemental program environmental impact report (EIR 02-03(A)), candidate
findings of fact and the mitigation monitoring and reporting program were prepared for
the maintenance and flood control activities of the Buena Vista Creek. The supplemental
program environmental impact report was certified by the City Council on June 11, 2013,
(Resolution No. 2013-136) in compliance with California Environmental Quality Act, or
CEQA, Guidelines Section 15090. This annual levy of benefit assessments is within the
scope of the prior environmental documents and no further environmental
documentation is required under CEQA Guidelines Section 15162.
3.That the boundaries and parcels as approved within the Buena Vista Channel
Maintenance District Benefit Area No. 1, located within the cities of Oceanside and
Carlsbad, as shown in Attachment B, are still determined to be the properties benefiting
from the proposed maintenance and no changes are proposed in the boundaries of the
district.
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4.That it is determined that the annual levy of assessment for the maintenance and/or
servicing of the improvements is confirmed and levied for the next fiscal year 2026-27,
as shown in Attachment A.
5.That it is further determined the applicable cost of the work and services may be greater
than can conveniently be raised from a single annual assessment and the cost of the
work and services can be collected over a period of years.
6.That the work of maintenance and/or servicing of improvements to be performed is
generally described as follows:
(a)All necessary work and services for the maintenance and drainage of the Buena Vista
Creek Channel between Jefferson Street and El Camino Real, including the
preparation of plans and specifications; the preparation of environmental studies;
the processing of required governmental and agency permits; the removal and
disposal of vegetation, and other debris; the implementation of required mitigation
measures; and all other works of maintenance, is to be performed within the cities
of Oceanside and Carlsbad.
(b)The proposed work will consist of a yearly clearing program of the channel area
based on the certified Program Environmental Impact Report and Supplemental
Environmental Impact Report for the Buena Vista Channel.
7.That the city’s Finance Department is directed to file assessments for the upcoming
fiscal year and submit a final letter of fixed charge special assessments to the County of
San Diego Auditor by no later than August 10, 2026, or as required by the County of San
Diego Auditor.
8.That the City Clerk’s Office is directed to file certified copies of this resolution, including
Attachments A and B, with the City Engineer of the City of Oceanside.
9. That the assessments shall be collected at the same time and in the same manner as
County of San Diego taxes are collected, and all laws providing for the collection and
enforcement of County of San Diego taxes shall apply to the collection and enforcement
of the assessments.
10.That the city’s Finance Department is directed to issue handbills and collect assessments
as necessary.
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11.That the assessments as authorized above and levied will provide revenue and relate to
the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED at a Regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of
Carlsbad on the 9th day of June, 2026, by the following vote, to wit:
AYES: Blackburn, Bhat-Patel, Acosta, Burkholder, Shin.
NAYS: None.
ABSTAIN: None.
ABSENT: None.
______________________________________
KEITH BLACKBURN, Mayor
______________________________________
SHERRY FREISINGER, City Clerk
(SEAL)
June 9, 2026 Item #3 Page 6 of 8
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Attachment A
Buena Vista Channel Maintenance District Benefit Area No. 1
Annual Benefit Assessments for Fiscal Year 2026-27
APN Acreage Percent Assessment Owner
Subtotal
Subtotal
Subtotal
Total 56.79 100% $ 100,000.00
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