§ 12.18

Local park fees shall be paid as required by Code.

(OCC § 7-9-314)

(a)

The City Council may, from time to time after a public hearing and written notice to the owners of property therein, adopt master plans of drainage for various areas of the City. Such plans shall contain an estimate of the total costs of constructing the local drainage facilities required by the plan and a map of the area showing its boundaries and the location of the planned facilities.

(b)

Upon filing of a final tract or parcel map and as a condition of approval of said final tract or parcel map, a drainage fee shall be paid to the Director for deposit in a local drainage facilities fund in the amount set forth in the legislative action adopting and establishing a Master Plan of Drainage, if any, within which any portions of the subdivision may lie. Such charges and fees collected as a condition of subdivision approval shall hereinafter be referred to as drainage fees. In the event local drainage facilities are being constructed by the subdivider in conjunction with the subdivider's improvements, an agreement to construct said local drainage facilities may be accepted in lieu of part or all payment of drainage fees.

(c)

The funds derived from the drainage fees shall be used for purposes of defraying the cost of designing and constructing planned local drainage facilities for the removal of surface and stormwaters from the local drainage area described in such Master Plan of Drainage.

(d)

The City Council, in adopting a Master Plan of Drainage, shall find and determine that the subdivision and development of property will require construction of the facilities described in said Master Plan and that the drainage fees are fairly apportioned within the local drainage area, both on the basis of benefits conferred on property proposed for subdivision and on the need for local drainage facilities within such area which would be assessable on such property if such costs were apportioned uniformly on a per-acre basis.

(e)

The fee as to any property proposed for subdivision within an area covered by a Master Plan of Drainage shall not exceed the pro rata share of the amount of the total estimated cost of all facilities within such area would be assessable on such property if such costs were apportioned uniformly on a per-acre basis.

(f)

Drainage fees required by this section shall be paid into a local drainage facilities fund. A separate fund shall be established within each local drainage area. Moneys in such funds shall be expended for engineering and administrative services to obtain construction; engineering and administrative services to obtain design of local drainage facilities by a duly registered civil engineer of those local drainage facilities within the planned local drainage area from which the fees comprising the fund were collected.

(g)

At the discretion of the City Council, rights-of-way dedication, actual construction and design by a duly registered civil engineer, and payment of plan check, engineering and inspection fees for the improvement of local drainage facilities described in a duly adopted Master Plan of Drainage may be accepted in lieu of the payment of drainage fees.

(h)

Money may be advanced by the City from its General Fund or other sources to pay the cost of local drainage facilities within a local drainage area having a duly adopted Master Plan of Drainage, and subsequently such moneys advanced may be reimbursed from the local drainage facilities fund for the local drainage area in which the drainage facilities described in the Master Plan were constructed.

(i)

When required for the implementation of a duly adopted Master Plan of Drainage (so) as to provide adequate drainage for a subdivision, an agreement may be entered into between the subdivider and City whereby the subdivider may advance funds for local drainage facilities within a local drainage area, provided that the sole security for payment of funds or other consideration advanced shall be moneys subsequently accruing to a local drainage facilities fund for said local drainage area in which the facilities are constructed. Reimbursement shall be for the amount advanced only and shall not include interest or other charges.

(j)

After completion of the facilities and the payment of all claims from any planned local drainage facilities fund, the City Council shall determine by resolution the amount of surplus, if any, remaining in any of such

funds. Any such surplus shall be used, in such amounts as the City Council may determine, for one or more of the following purposes:

(1)

For transfer to the General Fund of the City, provided that the amount of such transfer shall not exceed five percent of the total amount expended from the particular fund;

(2)

For the construction of additional or modified facilities within the particular drainage or sanitary sewer area; or

(3)

As a refund in the manner provided in subsection (k) below.

(k)

Any surplus remaining in a planned local drainage facilities fund shall be refunded as follows:

(1)

There shall be refunded to the current owners of property for which a fee was previously collected the balance of such moneys in the same proportion which each individual fee collected bears to the total of all individual fees collected from the particular drainage or sewer area.

(2)

Where property for which a fee was previously collected has subsequently been divided into more than one lot, each current owner of a lot shall share in the refund payable to the owners of the property for which a fee was previously collected in the same proportion which the area of each individual lot bears to the total area of the property for which a fee was previously collected.

(3)

There shall be transferred to the General Fund of the City any remaining portion of the surplus which has not been paid to or claimed by the persons entitled thereto within two years from the date either of the completion of the improvements or the adoption by the City Council of a resolution declaring a surplus, whichever is later to occur.

(OCC § 7-9-315)

(a)

Applicability. A subdivider, as a condition of approval of a final or parcel map, or a building permit applicant, as a condition of approval of a final or parcel map, or a building permit applicant, as a condition of issuance

of a building permit, shall pay a fee as hereinafter established to defray the costs of constructing bridges over waterways, railways, freeways and canyons, or constructing major thoroughfares.

(b)

Definitions.

(05)

Construction as used in this chapter means and includes preliminary studies, design, acquisition of rightof-way, administration of construction contracts, actual construction, and also includes those activities within the definition of "construction" in Government Code § 66484.3(g).

(10)

Major thoroughfare means those roads designated as transportation corridors and major, primary,

secondary, or commuter highways on the Master Plan of Arterial Highways in the circulation Element of the City's General Plan. Should the City not have a General Plan in effect, then, until such time as such a Plan is adopted, the term "major thoroughfare" shall mean those roads designated as transportation corridors and major, primary, secondary, or commuter highways on the Master Plan of Arterial Highways in the circulation element of the General Plan of the County of Orange as that plan existed on January 1, 1989. The primary purpose of such roads is to carry through traffic and provide a network connecting to and including the State highway system.

(15)

Bridge facilities means those locations identified in the transportation or flood control provisions of the circulation element or other element of the City's General Plan as requiring a bridge to span a waterway, a railway, freeway, or canyon. Should the City not have a General Plan in effect, then, until such time as such a plan is adopted, the term 'bridge facilities' shall mean those locations identified in the transportation or flood control provisions of the circulation element or other element of the General Plan of the County of Orange as that plan existed on January 1, 1989.

(20)

Area of benefit means a specified area wherein it has been determined that the real property located therein will benefit from the construction of a major thoroughfare or bridge project.

(c)

General Plan applicability. The provisions herein for payment of a fee shall apply only if the major

thoroughfare or bridge facility has been included in an element of the General Plan adopted by the City Council at least 30 days prior to the filing of a map or application for a building permit and on land located within the boundaries of the area of benefit. Should the City not have a General Plan in effect, then, until such time as such a Plan is adopted, the provisions herein for the payment of a fee shall apply only if the major thoroughfare or bridge facility has been included in an element of the General Plan of the County of Orange as that Plan existed on January 11, 1989.

(d)

Payment of major thoroughfare fees. Payment of fees shall not be required unless any major thoroughfare is in addition to, or a widening or reconstruction of, any existing major thoroughfare serving the area at the time of the adoption of the boundaries of the area of benefit.

(e)

Payment of bridge fees. Payment of fees shall not be required unless any planned bridge facility is an original bridge serving the area or an addition to an existing bridge facility serving the area at the time of the adoption of the boundaries of the area of benefit.

(f)

Establishment of area of benefit and public hearing. Action to establish an area of benefit may be initiated by the City Council upon its own motion or upon the recommendation of the Director of Public works or other designated City employee. The proposal shall be forwarded to the Planning Commission for its review and recommendations at a regular adjourned or special meeting. The Planning Commission comments and recommendations, and the Public Works director's report shall be transmitted to the City Council. The City Council will set a public hearing for each proposed area benefited. Notice of the time and place of said hearing, including preliminary information related to the boundaries of the area of benefit, estimated costs

and the method of fee apportionment, shall be given by first class mail addressed to each owner as shown on the last equalized assessment roll of property within the proposed area of benefit.

(g)

Conduct of hearing protests.

(1)

At the public hearing the City Council will consider the testimony, written protests, and other evidence. At the conclusion of the public hearing the City Council may, unless a majority written protest is filed and not withdrawn as specified in subsection (3) hereof, establish an area of benefit. If established, the City Council shall adopt a resolution describing the boundaries of the area of benefit, setting forth the cost, whether actual or estimated, and the method of fee apportionment. A certified copy of such resolution shall be recorded with the County Recorder of Orange County.

(2)

Such apportioned fees shall be applicable to all property within the area of benefit and shall be payable as a condition of approval of a final map or as a condition of issuing a building permit for such property or portions thereof. Where the area of benefit includes lands not subject to the payment of fees pursuant to this section, the City Council shall make provisions for payment of the share of improvement costs apportioned to such lands from other sources.

(3)

Written protest shall be received by the City Manager or designee any time prior to the close of the public hearing. If written protests are filed by the owners of more than one-half of the area of the property to be benefited by the improvement, and sufficient protest are not withdrawn so as to reduce the area

represented by the protests to less than one-half of the area to be benefited, then the proposed proceedings shall be abandoned, and the City Council shall not, for one year from the filing of said written protests, commence or carry on any proceedings for the same improvement under the provisions of this section, unless the protests are overruled by an affirmative vote of four-fifths of the City Council. Any protests may be withdrawn by the owner making the same, in writing, at any time prior to the close of the public hearing.

(4)

If any majority protest is directed against only a portion of the improvement, then all further proceedings under the provisions of this section to construct that portion of the improvement so protested against shall be barred for a period of one year, but the City Council shall not be barred from commencing new proceedings not including any part of the improvement so protested against. Such proceedings shall be commenced by a new notice and public hearing as set forth in Subsection (f).

(5)

Nothing in this section shall prohibit the City Council, within such one-year period, from commencing and carrying on new proceedings for the construction of an improvement or portion of the improvements so protested against if it finds, by the affirmative vote of four-fifths of its members, that the owners of more than one-half of the area of the property to be benefited are in favor of going forward with such improvement or portion thereof.

(h)

Deposit of funds in separate accounts. Fees paid pursuant to this section shall be deposited in a planned bridge facility or major thoroughfare fund. A fund shall be established for each planned bridge facility project or each planned major thoroughfare project. If the area of benefit is one in which more than one bridge or major thoroughfare is required to be constructed, a separate fund may be established covering all of the bridge projects or major thoroughfares in the area of benefit. If the area of benefit encompass one or more bridges and one or more thoroughfares and all lands within the area of benefit are subject to the same proportionate fee for all bridges and thoroughfares, a single fund may be established to account for fees paid. Moneys in such fund shall be expended solely for the construction or reimbursement for construction of improvements serving the area to be benefited and from which the fees comprising the fund were collected, or to reimburse the City of Laguna Woods for the costs of constructing the improvement.

(i)

Advancement of funds by City. The City Council may approve the advancement of money from the General Fund or Road Fund to pay the costs of constructing the improvements covered herein and may reimburse the General Fund or Road Fund for such advances from planned bridge facility or major thoroughfare funds established pursuant to this chapter.

(j)

Subdivider construction of major thoroughfare or bridge; reimbursement. If the subdivider, as a condition of approval of the subdivision, or the building permit applicant, as a condition of the issuance of the building permit, is required or desires to construct a bridge or major thoroughfare, the City Council may enter into a

reimbursement agreement with the subdivider or building permit applicant and the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agency. Such agreement may provide for payments to the subdivider or applicant from the bridge facility or major thoroughfare fund covering that specific project to reimburse the subdivider or applicant for costs not allocated to the subdividers or applicant's property in the resolution establishing the area of benefit. If the bridge or major thoroughfare fund covers more than one project, reimbursements shall be made on a pro rata basis reflecting the actual or estimated costs of the projects covered by the fund.

(Ord. No. 99-08, § 1(3.14.010—3.14.100), 5-5-1999)

State Law reference— Fees for costs of bridge and thoroughfare construction authorized, Government Code § 66484.3.

CHAPTER 12.20. - TAXES AND ASSESSMENTS

Footnotes:

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State Law reference— Taxes and assessments, Government Code § 66492 et seq.