Professional Assessment Engineering Services – Creation, Modification, and Preparation of Annual Levy of Special Districts

The City of Santa Clarita seeks a professional assessment engineering firm to manage the annual levy, formation and annexation of the special assessment districts that fund citywide maintenance. The districts include a 63-zone Landscape Maintenance District, a Streetlight Maintenance District covering about 18,000 LED streetlights, fifteen Drainage Benefit Assessment Areas, the Open Space Preservation District, the Golden Valley Open Space Preservation District, the Vista Canyon Wastewater Standby District, and the Stormwater Pollution Prevention Fee. The City expects a one-year initial contract with four optional one-year renewals and an estimated contract value of $125,000. On the annual cycle, the consultant would research and reconcile Assessor parcel data against the prior-year levy, review district budgets, and prepare an Engineer's Report for each district setting the coming year's assessment rates, including benefit analysis, apportionment methodology, assessment diagram and roll. It would then prepare, validate and submit the direct-assessment levy file to the Los Angeles County Auditor-Controller through its submission procedures, resolve exception reports until the County confirms acceptance, and mail handbills for parcels that cannot be placed on the County tax roll. The consultant must also keep a compliance matrix for each district covering governing authority, maximum authorized rates, CPI escalation provisions, and noticing and balloting requirements, and flag any change that would trigger additional Proposition 218 procedures.