Item 7 - Mosquito, Vector & Disease Control Assessment by SD CountyAGENDA REPORT SUMMARY 0 0
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TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council IN COJa�p{
Honorable Chairman and Members of the Redevelopment Agency
FROM: James L. Bowersox, City Manager /Executive Direct
INITIATED BY: Kristen M. Crane, Assistant to the City Manage*,
DATE: May 31, 2005
SUBJECT: Mosquito, Vector & Disease Control Assessment by the County of San Diego
ABSTRACT
Vector control services in Poway are the responsibility of the San Diego County Department of
Environmental Health. Currently, single - family residential property owners pay $2.28 per parcel, per
year, for these services. Based on rising costs of service and preventative programs geared toward
the West Nile Virus, revenues generated by the service charge are not sufficient to cover the program
costs. San Diego County is proposing an increased benefit assessment to account for these
additional costs. If approved, all parcels receiving benefit would pay the assessment, including public
properties. For the City of Poway /Poway Redevelopment Agency (RDA), this would amount to
approximately $2,800 per year.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This report is not subject to CEQA review.
FISCAL IMPACT
No funds have been budgeted for this expense, however, funds will be added to the General
Services — Support Services account (106 -5710) if the assessment is approved. The assessment
would be levied annually in approximately January. The City of Poway /RDA's assessment for
2006, would be approximately $2,800.
ADDITIONAL PUBLIC NOTIFICATION AND CORRESPONDENCE
None.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council authorize the City Manager to complete the official ballots
on behalf of the City of Poway /Poway Redevelopment Agency for the parcels it owns in favor of
the proposed assessment.
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CITY OF POWAY
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
Honorable Chairman and Members of the RedeveI ment Agency
FROM: James L. Bowersox, City Manager /Executive Dire
INITIATED BY: Kristen M. Crane, Assistant to the City Manager
DATE: May 31, 2005
SUBJECT: Mosquito, Vector & Disease Control Assessment by the County of San Diego
BACKGROUND
Vector control services in the City of Poway are the responsibility of the San Diego County Department
of Environmental Health. Currently, single - family residential property owners pay $2.28 per parcel, per
year, for these services. Based on rising costs of service and preventative programs geared toward
the West Nile Virus, revenues generated by the service charge are not sufficient to cover the vector
control program costs. A shortfall of $1.2 million is estimated for FY 2005 -06, based on current funding
levels. San Diego County is proposing a benefit assessment that would add $8.80 per year to the
existing service charge, for a total of $11.08 per single - family residential parcel, per year. The benefit
assessment for other types of property owners, such as commercial, condominium, or office parcels,
would vary. Due to requirements of Proposition 218, passed by California voters in 1996, all parcels
receiving benefit must pay the assessment, including public properties. For the City of Poway /Poway
Redevelopment Agency (RDA), this would amount to an approximate annual cost of $2,800.
FINDINGS
The San Diego County Vector Control Program (VCP) has been providing mosquito and vector control
services and public health protection services in San Diego County for over 30 years. The VCP is
managed by the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health, and the VCP is governed by
the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.
The VCP's mosquito and disease control services are funded by a special property assessment that
has not increased since 1989, and in fact was decreased in the 1990s. Over this time, inflationary cost
increases have caused costs to exceed available revenues. Also, the emergence of West Nile Virus in
California caused increased costs as the VCP responded by enhancing its local disease prevention
and mosquito control services. In fact, mosquito complaints have increased by over 300% in the last
two years. Due to its limited resources, the VCP was forced to delay response times from three to
eight days; reduced its surveillance for plaque, hantavirus, and tickborne diseases by 70% to 80 %; and
shifted responses to rat complaints from field visits to phone consultations.
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Agenda Report
May 31, 2005
Page 2
The VCP's response to West Nile Virus depleted all of its reserve funds, so, without additional funding,
the VCP does not have the resources to even continue its mosquito and West Nile virus prevention
efforts at the level provided last year.
In March 2005, the County Board of Supervisors reviewed this matter and authorized proceeding with a
ballot initiative for a benefit assessment. Ballots were mailed to all property owners in San Diego
County in early May and must be returned by June 22, 2005. Results will be announced in July. If
approved, the additional assessment would be implemented in January 2006. In order for the benefit
assessment to pass, 50% plus one of the voted ballots received back by the County must be in favor of
the additional assessment. By this time, all property owners in Poway should have received a ballot.
As a property owner, the City of Poway /RDA has received ballots for the parcels it owns and will be
assessed if the measure passes. Previously, the County has not assessed public properties for vector
control. However, Proposition 218 requires that all parcels receiving benefit must pay, including public
properties. For the City of Poway /RDA, the assessment would apply to approximately 321 parcels
owned by the City for an approximate cost of $2,800 per year.
If approved, the assessment will provide a stable and adequate funding source forthe continuation and
enhancement of the VCP's services for disease surveillance and prevention, and the control of
mosquitoes and other vectors within San Diego County.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This report is not subject to CEQA review
FISCAL IMPACT
No funds have been budgeted for this expense, however, funds will be added to the General Services -
Support Services account (106 -5710) if the assessment is approved. The assessment would be levied
annually in approximately January of each year. The City of Poway /RDA's assessment for2006,would
be approximately $2,800. The assessment cannot be increased in future years without approval from
property owners in another assessment ballot proceeding, except for an annual adjustment tied to the
change in the San Diego Area Consumer Price Index, not to exceed 5% per year.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION AND CORRESPONDENCE
None.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council authorize the City Manager to complete the official ballots on
behalf of the City of Poway for the parcels it owns in favor of the proposed assessment.
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