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Recommendation to adopt resolution preliminarily approving the Engineer's Report and mailing of benefit assessment ballots for the Mosquito and Vector Control Program (VCP) to property owners within the boundaries of the proposed benefit assessment district; setting the date of Tuesday, July 2, 2019 for the public hearing on the proposed VCP benefit assessment;
DISCUSSION
On October 2, 2018, the City Council approved a contract with SCI Consulting Group (SCI) to research the feasibility of establishing a benefit assessment district to fund mosquito and vector control in areas of the City not currently covered by a benefit assessment. On March 19, 2019, the City Council received the results of the public opinion survey and feasibility analysis (Attachment A), and directed staff to continue the process for a new funding measure, to prepare an Engineer's Report and the notice and ballot for a Proposition 218 (Prop. 218) benefit assessment, providing new or enhanced services to control mosquitoes and other vectors in the Vector Control Program (VCP) service area. The dedicated funding generated by the proposed assessment district would support an enhanced level of service above the baseline level established in the Engineer's Report. This enhanced level of service would include increasing staff capacity to provide year-round control of invasive mosquitoes and other pests using environmentally sound methods, and to monitor public health issues, such as West Nile virus, Zika, Typhus, and other emerging vector-borne diseases.
If approved, the proposed VCP assessment will be included on the vector service area property owner's next annual tax bill. Thus, an important timing consideration is the Los Angeles County Auditor's (LACo Auditor) requirement to have any new levies submitted by August 9, 2019.
Meeting the LACo Auditor's requirement is a key driver in establishing project milestones, as identified below:
May 7 City Council meeting with request to appr...
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