City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing direct billing for the
collection of the Sewer User’s Service Charges (SUSC) for the purpose of properly
assessing each parcel of real property in the City its proportionate share of said
costs pursuant to Culver City Municipal Code Section 5.02.035.E.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION:
In 1980, based on an engineering study and the City Engineer’s recommendation,
the City Council initiated a once-a-year billing procedure for SUSC that places each
property owner’s charges on their property tax bill. This method of collection has
generally proven to be very efficient and provides the lowest cost billing and
collection service for Culver City.
For Fiscal Year 2012/2013, the City hired NBS to review and prepare the SUSC
and submit them to the County Assessor’s office. Additionally, a recent audit was
conducted to determine if each parcel in the City was assessed the SUSC. There
are a total of 13,294 parcels in the City that are assessed the SUSC. Thirty-eight
properties (0.285% of the total number of parcels) were determined to have not
been assessed the SUSC in Fiscal Year 2012/2013. These parcels were assessed
the SUSC in other Fiscal Years. The reason for the omission was that Golden
State Water Company installed new water meters at these particular parcels
because the original meter was defective. Staff and the consultant did not learn
that these water meter numbers were changed until after the due date for submittal
to the County Assessor’s Office.
Meeting Date: 04/08/2013 Item Number: C-6
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM: Adoption of a Resolution Authorizing Direct
Billing for the Collection of the Sewer User’s Service Charges for the Purpose of
Properly Assessing Each Parcel of Real Property in the City its Proportionate Share
of Said Costs Pursuant to Culver City Municipal Code Section 5.02.035.E.
Contact Person/Dept.: Mate Gaspar/PW Phone Number: 310-253-5602
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [] Attachments: [X]
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Date: _______________
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Agenda and Meetings – City Council (04/02/13)
Department Approval:
Charles D. Herbertson (03/28/13)
City Attorney Approval:
Carol Schwab (by H. Baker) (04/01/13)
Chief Financial Officer Approval:
Jeff Muir (04/02/13)
City Manager Approval:
John M. Nachbar (04/02/13) City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
The total amount of SUSC for the 38 parcels is $48,455.04. This represents
0.640% of the total SUSC charges for Fiscal Year 2012/2013.
Should the City Council adopt the proposed resolution, staff will prepare a letter to
accompany each bill that will explain the reason for use of this alternative method of
billing for these properties this year. The remainder of the 13,256 parcels will
continue to be charged the SUSC as part of their property tax bill issued by the Los
Angeles County Tax Collector.
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
Approving this item would result in up to $48,455.04 of revenue to the Sewer Fund
that will otherwise not be recognized.
ATTACHMENT:
Proposed Resolution
MOTION:
That the City Council:
Adopt a resolution authorizing direct billing for the collection of the Sewer User’s
Service Charges for the purpose of properly assessing each parcel of real
property in the City its proportionate share of said costs pursuant to Culver City
Municipal Code Section 5.02.035.E.
MEETING DATE: 04/08/13
AGENDA ITEM: A Resolution Authorizing Direct Billing for the Collection of
the Sewer User's Service Charges for the Purpose of
Properly Assessing Each Parcel of Real Property in the City
its Proportionate Share of Said Costs Pursuant to Culver
City Municipal Code Section 5.02.035.E.
ATTACHMENTS
Pages
1 Proposed Resolution
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RESOLUTION NO. 2013-R
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A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA, AUTHORIZING DIRECT
BILLING FOR THE COLLECTION OF THE SEWER
USER'S SERVICE CHARGE FOR THE PURPOSE OF
PROPERLY ASSESSING EACH PARCEL OF REAL
PROPERTY IN THE CITY ITS PROPORTIONATE SHARE
OF SAID COSTS PURUSANT TO CULVER CITY
MUNICIPAL CODE SECTION 5.02.035.E.
WHEREAS, pursuant to Culver City Municipal Code (CCMC) Section
5.02.035.A, the City has established a system of sewer user's service charges which
provides that each parcel of property shall pay its proportionate share of the costs for
operation, maintenance, repair and improvements of the City sewerage system; and
WHEREAS, each year the City Engineer prepares and files with the City
Clerk a report which sets forth the amount of money necessary to pay the sewerage
system costs and the formula for calculating the proportionate share of the cost for
each parcel of property in the City; and
WHEREAS, after notice has been given to each person, as disclosed by
the last equalized assessment roll, owning property described in the report setting forth
the sewer service charge for each person's property, a public hearing is held by the City
Council to consider objections and protests to the City Engineer's report; and
WHEREAS, after considering all public testimony, including objections
and protests, allowing or overruling any objections, and modifying the report if it is
deemed necessary, the City Council confirms the sewer charge formula as contained
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in report and the proportionate share of costs against each parcel becomes a special
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assessment and lien on that parcel; and
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WHEREAS, a certified copy of the resolution and report is filed with the
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County Auditor on or before August 10 of each year, and the individual assessments
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are submitted to the County Auditor to be included on the property tax bill for each
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parcel; and
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WHEREAS, for the 2012-2013 assessments, several properties were
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inadvertently omitted from the list of assessments submitted to the County Auditor; and
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WHEREAS, pursuant to CCMC Section 5.02.035.E, the City Council, by
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resolution, may enact additional regulations for further implementing the establishment
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and collection of the sewer user's service charge for the purpose of properly assessing
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each parcel of real property in the City its proportionate share of said costs; and
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WHEREAS, it is the intention of the City Council to ensure that the sewer
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user's service charge is properly assessed and collected, whether by inclusion on the
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NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Culver City, DOES
19 HEREBY RESOLVE as follows:
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The City Council hereby authorizes the Public Works Director, or
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designee, to issue a direct billing to the owner of any property that was not previously
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-2- Al301_ A. SCHWAB7City Attorney
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proportionate share of the cost for the operation, maintenance, repair and
2 improvements of the City sewerage system.
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APPROVED and ADOPTED this day of 2013.
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ATTEST:
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MARTIN R. COLE, City Clerk
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ANDREW WEISSMAN, Mayor
City of Culver City, California
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