Within the City, the Public Works Landscape Division is responsible to maintain public streets parkway trees; landscape maintenance of certain specified public sidewalks and medians and city parks; annual weed abatement for fire safety of certain specified city owned open space parcels and city parks; and landscape maintenance within Landscape Maintenance District 22 (LMD 22) and Landscape Lighting Act Districts 22, 24, 27 & 32 (LLAD 22, 24, 27 & 32).

The City of Calabasas receives funding for and maintains five (5) special assessment districts within the city. One district, LMD 22, is funded via an ad valorem tax. The other four districts (LLAD 22, 24, 27 & 32) are funded via special assessments that were voted on by parcel owners of record within those districts.

Landscape Maintenance District 22 (LMD 22)

Funded via an Ad Valorem Tax

An ad valorem tax is a local general tax generated in addition to the general fund tax. This is a tax generated from and for the benefit of parcel owners of record within a certain, specified boundary, in this case within the Landscape Maintenance District 22 (LMD 22) boundary.

On December 31, 1968, at the request of the corporation that developed Calabasas Park Homeowner Association (CPHA), the County of Los Angeles, under the State Streets and Highways Code, Division 7 “Improvement Act of 1911” established LMD 22. The funds generated by this tax are used for the landscape maintenance and enhancement of public areas located within the LMD 22 boundary. These areas include Calabasas Lake, Association Park, public streets parkways and medians, and certain designated open space areas.

For the purpose of landscape maintenance, the City set up Common Benefit Area (CBA) Zones within LMD 22. The city’s Public Works, Landscape Maintenance Districts Division creates and monitors annual budgets for each of these Zones. The City is the sole authority for the use of these funds and, at its discretion, may from time to time solicit input from the current CPHA Lake and/or Landscape Committee chairpersons.

Landscape Lighting Act District 22 (LLAD 22)

Funded via a Special Assessment Tax

A special assessment is a tax generated over and above the general fund tax in order to provide extra landscape maintenance services specific to each of the member communities who request the special assessment.

In order to have funds available to maintain common area landscape areas located within each LMD 22 member community (Zone), the corporation that developed Calabasas Park Homeowner Association (CPHA) approached the County and asked them to establish a Landscape Lighting Act District for that purpose. On June 12, 1979, the County established Landscape Lighting Act District 22 (LLAD 22).

California’s “Proposition 218–Right to Vote on Taxes Act” requires the City to administer Landscape Lighting Act Districts on an annual basis. As part of this process, when requested to do so by the authorized representatives of a member community (Zone), the City may poll the members of that community to ascertain whether its members wish to reaffirm or modify their annual special assessment or to remain in or remove their community from the District.

LLAD 22 special assessment funds collected by the County from parcel owners of record in each member HOA and in the commercial district (Zones) are transferred to the City for its use. The City’s Public Works Landscape Maintenance Districts Division creates and monitors annual budgets for each LLAD 22 Zone. The City is the sole authority for the use of these funds and, at its discretion, may from time to time solicit input from authorized Zone representatives. LLAD 22 member HOA Boards of Directors receive monthly Statements of Accounts from the City that list the budget and expenditure of their community’s LLAD 22 special assessment funds.

Landscape Lighting Act District 24 (LLAD 24)

Funded via a Special Assessment Tax

A special assessment is a tax generated over and above the general fund tax in order to provide extra landscape maintenance services specific to each of the member communities who request the special assessment.

The developer of the homeowner associations located in the Lost Hills Rd/Calabasas Hills Rd. section of Calabasas requested Los Angeles County to create a landscape district to fund installation and maintenance of street trees, street median landscape, and specified slopes and creek bank maintenance.

LLAD 24 provides maintenance of landscape within street right-of-way and open space areas. The open space areas include specified slopes and creek banks. Maintenance of landscape on streets within right-of-way includes parkways, center medians, adjacent turf areas, trees, and annual weed abatement/brush clearance for fuel reduction/fire safety.

Landscape Lighting Act District 27 (LLAD 27)

Funded via a Special Assessment Tax

A special assessment is a tax generated over and above the general fund tax in order to provide extra landscape maintenance services specific to each of the member communities who request the special assessment.

This district is located on a section of Las Virgenes Rd., north of Parkmor Rd., and on both sides of a one-block section of Thousand Oaks Blvd., from Las Virgenes Rd. to Ruthwood Dr. The developer of the homeowner associations and apartment complexes located on N. Las Virgenes Rd. requested Los Angeles County to create a special assessment district, to fund the installation and maintenance of street trees and median landscape.

LLAD 27 provides maintenance of landscape within street right-of-way. Maintenance of landscape on streets within right-of-way includes parkways, center medians, and street trees.

Landscape Lighting Act District 32 (LLAD 32)

Funded via a Special Assessment Tax

A special assessment is a tax generated over and above the general fund tax in order to provide extra landscape maintenance services specific to each commercial parcel owner of record who has voted to approve the special assessment.

LLAD 32 is located in the Agoura Rd./Lost Hills Rd./Malibu Hills Rd. area of Calabasas. It is a commercial landscape district, currently made up of 19 commercial parcels, whose owners requested Los Angeles County to create a special assessment district in order to enhance the sidewalks and center medians in front of their businesses.

LLAD 32 provides maintenance of landscape within street right-of-way. Maintenance of landscape on streets within right-of-way includes center medians and street trees.

Staff

Curtis Castle, Public Works Director/City Engineer

Tatiana Holden, P.E., Deputy Public Works Director

Landscape District Division

• Vacant, Landscape Manager
• Edgar Hernandez, Landscape Maintenance Inspector
• Itzel Mendez, Executive Assistant II