TO: Napa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District
FROM: Richard Thomasser - District Manager
REPORT BY: Sarah Geiss - Supervising Staff Services Analyst
SUBJECT: Resolution of Intent to Levy Assessments - Project 96-1
RECOMMENDATION
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PUBLIC HEARING - Intention To Levy And Collect Assessments For Joint Zone Project 96-1 (Maintenance And Watershed Management)
Conduct a public hearing to accept the Engineer’s Report for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 and adopt a Resolution of Intention to Levy and Collect Assessments for Fiscal Year 2025- 2026 for Joint Zone Project 96-1 (Maintenance and Watershed Management) and authorizing the notice of protest hearing. (No Fiscal Impact)
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BACKGROUND
On August 30, 1996, the District Board adopted a Resolution which levied assessments for the three zones created within the District to fund various aspects of a maintenance and watershed management program for the District. The intention of the assessment process was to establish a mechanism to provide continued annual funding for certain categories of ongoing projects benefiting landowners within the District. The three zones of benefit for Project 96-1 are:
1. The Napa River Watershed outside the City of Napa
2. The City of Napa
3. District Wide, which includes the entirety of Napa County, excluding Lovall Valley and the City of American
Canyon
The programs funded by assessment collected in each of the zones are described in the attached Engineer's Report for Fiscal Year 2025-2026. The work to be performed consists of clearing and maintaining District owned channels and easements within the Flood Control District; clearing and providing assistance to property owners with other problem areas within the Napa River and its tributaries; supporting the Corps of Engineers with dredging the Napa River; repairing and stabilizing the River and streambanks; installing and operating a Countywide early warning system for flooding; replacing and installing major storm drain trunk lines; participating in Federal and State flood protection grant programs; managing and monitoring groundwater; overseeing adjudicated watersheds; maintaining the benefit assessment program; preparing special studies for flood protection and water management; developing standardized and integrated floodplain management regulations; and assisting the local community in complying with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) requirements.
The District’s governing statute is a special legislation that sets forth the procedures the District must follow. In order to levy the assessments to continue funding the District’s programs, the Board must hold annual protest hearings to hear any protest against the assessment. Therefore, this public hearing begins the process by reviewing the assessments.
After the District Board accepts the Project Report and adopts this Resolution, another Notice of Public Hearing (together with a copy of this Resolution in its entirety) will be published in the newspaper, noticing the date, time, and place of the protest hearing. Additionally, a copy of the Notice and the Resolution has been delivered to the Chief Administrative/Executive Officers of each City and Town within the affected zones. The protest hearing will be held May 13, 2025, at 9:00 AM and is the final step in the process to approve the
assessments.
FISCAL & STRATEGIC PLAN IMPACT
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Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
No |
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Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? |
Discretionary |
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Discretionary Justification: |
The assessment process began in 1996 with the intent to establish a mechanism to provide continued annual funding for certain categories of ongoing projects benefiting property owners within the District. These actions are the prerequisites for the renewal of annual assessments needed to fund the Joint Zone Project 96-1. |
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Is the general fund affected? |
No |
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Future fiscal impact: |
The assessments fund the Watershed Program in Fiscal Year 2025-2026. |
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Consequences if not approved: |
This assessment is the main revenue source for Subdivision 8000500 Watershed Management. If not approved, no funding will be available for the various maintenance and watershed management programs included in the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget. |
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: This action is statutorily exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under California Code of Regulations, title 14, section 15273 (Rates, Tolls, Fares, and Charges), in that the amounts to be levied and collected shall be used for purposes detailed in the District Engineer’s Report, which fall within section 15273, subds. (1), (2), and (4).