TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Jennifer Palmer, Director of Housing & Homeless Services
REPORT BY: Alex Carrasco, Project Manager
SUBJECT: Agreement with Kristin Lowell, Inc. for annual County Service Area No. 4 Engineer’s Reports
RECOMMENDATION
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Approve and authorize Agreement No. 250356B with Kristin Lowell, Inc. for a maximum of $23,000 for the term March 25, 2025 to December 31, 2027 for the annual County Service Area No. 4 Engineer’s Reports. (Fiscal Impact $23,000 Expense; County Service Area No. 4 Fund; Budgeted; Discretionary)
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BACKGROUND
In 2002, the Napa County Board of Supervisors established County Service Area No. 4 (CSA No. 4) as a mechanism for owners of land containing at least one acre of planted vineyards to vote on assessing themselves to provide services pertaining to farmworker housing in the county, including maintenance or operations of the county-owned farmworker centers. The approved assessments can only remain in effect for a period of five years, unless reauthorized by qualifying property owners for an additional five-year period. The most recent reauthorization occurred in 2022, achieving an approval rating of 86%, marking an all-time high.
In 2017, the State Legislature approved an amendment to Government Code Section 25213.2 to increase the maximum assessment from $10.00 to $15.00 per planted vineyard acre. For fiscal year 2024-2025, the assessment rate is $14.00 per planted vineyard acre.
Pursuant to Chapter 3.12 of the Napa County Code, the Board must annually receive an Engineer’s Report that describes each parcel of property subject to the assessment and the amount of the assessment pertaining to each parcel. Based upon the filed Engineer's Report, staff will request that the Board hold the required public hearings and determine the actual assessments for each parcel. The levied assessments will then be submitted to the County Auditor-Controller's office in a timely manner to be included on the property tax bills for the affected parcels, and the County updates its database of exiting planted vineyard acreage within CSA No. 4.
The proposed action will obtain services to prepare Engineer’s Reports required for the levy of assessments pertaining to CSA No. 4 for fiscal years 2025-2026 & 2026-2027 ($5,800/year) and to assist with the assessments and ballot procedure to reauthorize assessments for the next five year period beginning with fiscal year 2027-2028 ($11,400).
Requested Action:
Approve and authorize Agreement No. 250356B with Kristin Lowell, Inc. for a maximum of $23,000 for the term March 25, 2025 to December 31, 2027 for the annual County Service Area No. 4 Engineer’s Reports.
FISCAL & STRATEGIC PLAN IMPACT
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Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
Yes |
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Is it currently budgeted? |
Yes |
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Where is it budgeted? |
Fund 2810 County Service Area No. 4 |
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Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? |
Discretionary |
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Is the general fund affected? |
No |
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Consequences if not approved: |
The county-owned farmworker centers would lack the funding to operate. |
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The proposed action is not a project as defined by 14 California Code of Regulations 15378 (State CEQA Guidelines) and therefore CEQA is not applicable.