1. Adopt the Resolution, Attachment A, Declaring Intention to Levy Assessments, Preliminarily Approving the Engineer's Report, Providing Notice of Public Hearing and the Mailing of the Assessment Ballots.
    
2. Adopt the Resolution, Attachment B, outlining the Proposition 218 Assessment Ballot Proceedings Procedures for the Esparto Park Maintenance and Operation Assessment District.
    
3. Direct staff to follow the Resolution of Proposition 218 Assessment Ballot Proceedings, including mailing the assessment ballot to property owners within the MERCSA Esparto Maintenance and Operation Assessment District boundary, at least 45 days before the public hearing, including notification of the opportunity to protest the proposed assessment as well as the notice of the public hearing.
    
4. Direct the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors to publish a notice pursuant to Section 53753 of the Government Code.
    
5. Set 9:00 a.m., on May 19, 2015, as the time and date of the public hearing to consider the proposed assessment, and to receive and consider all public comments, including, but not limited to, any protests against the proposed proceedings.
    
6. Direct staff to prepare a resolution authorizing and levying of assessments for the MERCSA Esparto Park Maintenance and Operation Assessment District in the event the increase is not successfully protested.

The recommended actions are required to obtain authority to levy an assessment to fund a major portion of the maintenance and operations of the Proposed Esparto Community Park and Aquatic Facility.  The assessment is subject to a majority protest, if this assessment is not supported the Proposed Esparto Community Park Annual operations cannot be funded by assessment.

The Madison Esparto Regional County Service Area (MERCSA) is moving forward with a mailed ballot measure to form the Esparto Park Maintenance and Operation Assessment District (“Assessment District”).  At the February 24, 2015 Board of Supervisors meeting the Board authorized MERCSA to proceed with a Benefit Assessment and delegated authority to the MERCSA to form an assessment district subject to a favorable vote of the majority of property owners as provided under Proposition 218.

Before the ballots can be mailed, an engineer's report is required to include the proposed improvements, the proposed boundaries of the Assessment District, and the assessment per parcel. The engineer’s report has been prepared by SCI Consulting Group, registered, professional engineers and submitted to the Board as Attachment C, in which an assessment is proposed to fund the cost of the maintenance and operations of the Esparto Community Park and Aquatics Facility which is within the Assessment District boundaries.

This Landscape and Lighting District shall be described as the "Esparto Park Maintenance and Operations Assessment District." The Report is available for review at the County of Yolo Planning and Public Works Department office located at 292 W. Beamer Street, Woodland, CA.  The proposed assessment rate is $92.00 per single family equivalent for fiscal year 2016-17 providing $75,893 for maintenance and operations. The assessments are proposed to be levied annually.

This Resolutions attached would preliminarily accept the engineer's report, order ballots to be mailed for the proposed assessment, and set May 19, 2015 as a Public Hearing date. A Notice mailed with each ballot will invite property owners to attend the Public Hearing to voice their opinion about the proposed assessment. After the close of the Public input portion of the Public Hearing, the Board will be able to close the balloting period and will be asked to order the Tabulator to tabulate the ballots. The results of the tabulation are expected to be announced at a later time during the May 19, 2015 Board of Supervisors meeting.

MERCSA Parks and Recreation Task Force, SCI Consulting, County Counsel