The San Rafael City Council will hold a Public Hearing during the City Council meeting on July 17, 2023, regarding a proposed $6.18 increase in the annual Point San Pedro Road Median Landscape District assessment fee for the 2023/24 fiscal year. Under this proposal, the yearly assessment would be increased from $108.12 to $114.30. This proposed increase is consistent with the cost-of-living provision in the Assessment District legislation. All revenues collected from these fees are restricted to paying operating costs to maintain the medians.
The City competitively selects and contracts with a landscape maintenance company to perform the maintenance work and litter removal. The Point San Pedro Roadway Committee has been working with the City’s Public Works Department to help ensure the median maintenance work continues to be performed in an acceptable manner. This year the City’s contractor has faced additional challenges with weed growth and removal due to the large amount of rain we have had.
We acknowledge there have been concerns about the condition of the plants and their replacement. The City’s ability to replace plants is largely contingent upon available funds in the Assessment District’s median budget. When plants are replaced, we have encouraged City staff to select plants that are drought tolerant. We also continue to work with City staff on issues associated with the median irrigation system and water usage to comply with local water usage restrictions and to mitigate median water costs.
The City Council Hearing will be an opportunity for District residents to share their comments regarding this issue with their elected representatives. Prior to the Council Public Hearing, I would welcome any comments or questions you may have regarding the above. Please email me at kevin@sprcoalition.org by Friday, June 30 and either I or Median Maintenance Subcommittee Chair Jim Dickson will get back to you. Your comments will also be shared with City staff and our District City Council Representative.
The landscaping of the Point San Pedro Road medians has greatly enhanced the appearance of the Point San Pedro Peninsula. I want to acknowledge the work that Jim Dickson has done working closely with City staff with the goal of ensuring that the medians are properly maintained at a reasonable cost and are also maintained with water conservation in mind.
Kevin Hagerty
Chairman, Roadway Committee
Point San Pedro Road Coalition