Ventura Municipal Code Art. 2 Initiation of Proceedings to Establish Maintenance Assessment District

Proceedings to establish a maintenance assessment district may be initiated by the city council, on its own authority, by adoption of a resolution initiating proceedings. Such resolution shall include a general description of the boundaries of the proposed maintenance assessment district and a general description of the public improvements to be operated and maintained with assessment proceeds. In addition, such resolution shall direct preparation of an engineer’s report pursuant to Article 3 of this chapter. (Ord. No. 2013-004, § 1, 4-15-13)

Proceedings to establish a maintenance assessment district pursuant to the provisions of this chapter may also be initiated by a property owner petition which is filed with the city clerk and executed by person or persons who:

A. Own all or a portion of the property within the boundaries of the proposed maintenance assessment district; and

B. Will bear at least 51 percent of the total amount of the initial annual assessments to be levied in connection with the maintenance assessment district, as determined from the engineer’s report prepared for the district. (Ord. No. 2013-004, § 1, 4-15-13)

Prior to circulating or executing a petition to establish a maintenance assessment district, the person or persons proposing to circulate or execute such petition shall file with the city clerk a notice of intention to do so. Such notice of intention shall include a general description of the proposed boundaries of the maintenance assessment district, a description of the public improvements to be operated and maintained with assessment revenues, and the name, mailing address, email address, if any, and telephone number of the person or persons filing the notice. Such notice shall be accompanied by a filing fee in an amount determined by the director to be sufficient to fund the estimated cost of conducting proceedings pursuant to this chapter, including the cost of preparation of an engineer’s report for the proposed maintenance assessment district. Promptly following the filing of such notice of intention, the city clerk shall forward a copy of the notice to the director who shall cause an engineer’s report to be prepared for the proposed district in the manner set forth in Article 3 of this chapter. No petition shall be circulated or executed until an engineer’s report has been filed with the city clerk pursuant to Section 4.300.330. (Ord. No. 2013-004, § 1, 4-15-13)

Once the engineer’s report for a proposed maintenance assessment district is filed with the city clerk pursuant to Section 4.300.330, a petition requesting establishment of the maintenance assessment district may be circulated and executed by owners of property within the boundaries of the maintenance assessment district. In addition to requesting establishment of the maintenance assessment district, such petition shall describe the boundaries of the proposed assessment district, shall describe the public improvements to be operated and maintained with assessment district revenues, shall set forth the total amount of the annual assessments necessary to operate and maintain such improvements, shall describe the method by which such annual assessments will be apportioned according to special benefits among the various lots or parcels then located or thereafter established within the assessment district boundaries, all in the manner provided for in the engineer’s report, and may indicate an internet address at which the engineer’s report is posted. The form of any such petition shall be approved by the city attorney. (Ord. No. 2013-004, § 1, 4-15-13)