Letter I sent out today on PBID Engineer Report Problems

7/26/07


Dear Mayor Flory, Councilman Jeff Monroe, Councilman Bill Marble, Councilman Skip Davis, Councilman
Pinehead,

Regarding the PBID Assessment allowed under prop 218 for Downtown property owners -

  1. The PBID due to assessments ranging form $42 to $8,611 per year with a 3% increase, will create
    undue hardship on numerous property owners Downtown.
  2. According to the Right to Vote on Taxes Act of 1996(Prop 218), ALL property owners within the special
    district must be mailed the complete proposal – not just the ballot - and then a public hearing must take
    place not less than 45 days after that. They never mailed out the proposal. I just got a copy yesterday
    7/25/07
  3. This assessment is comperable to some of the property Tax amounts.
  4. The assessment on certain property owners is not a reasonable cost to the proportion of benefit that
    will be conferred on parcels given the extreme cost to certain property owners.
  5. The Publicly owned government properties including the parking lots will not receive a proportional
    benefit compared to the cost to the public.
  6. Even at 50%^ Tax exempt non-profits will suffer hardships and not have a proportional special benefit
    compared to the cost. For example the Boy Scouts will have to pay $728 at the reduced rate and this
    will create hardship.
  7. Property owners with multi story business will receive a significant benefit compared to parking lots, and
    are not assessed for levels other than the ground floors.
  8. There is more recent property data. Some of the properties changed hands in 04. This skews the
    results in the engineers report as property owners that may have voted were not given ballots.
  9. The fact that the ballots were mailed to non property owners, skews the data contained in the
    engineers report and gives the city an un¡V fair advantage with the weight of their vote.
  10. Property owners inclined to vote yes, are updated used for the mailing list and property owners that are
    inclined to vote no have old address.
  11. The city has been made aware of significant owners that did not receive ballots because of errors with
    the mailing that wish to vote and as of today have not received ballots.
  12. Property owners with higher concentration of tenants compared to lot owners will receive a greater
    benefit from the assessment.
  13. Page 12 ¡§The PBID could coordinate with the city to implement the In Lieu Fees and Downtown
    Parking Capital Fund¡¦, as many owners already have parking and others would not benefit from this
    parking, it is an unfair assessment
  14. The District formation failed to meet the formation requirements of the Right to Vote on Taxes Act, Prop
    218¨. Meg Stallard was told by City Council to provide proof of 50% property owners in favor of the
    assessment. They city was included in this 50%. The city is not to favor or support this and she broke
    the City Council's guidelines.
  15. As of 7/25/07 ballots were being changed by the attorney for Downtown Resources, showing that the
    engineers report and mailing was incorrect as well as analysis. People did not have the 45 day period
    to review their correct information to make an informed decision.  
  16. If ballots went out to incorrect property owners, they could be voted on and incorrect. They city is on
    notice to provide correct information and ballots to all property owners.
  17. There are a large number of property owners that did not receive ballots and had the correct address.
    There are a large number that did not receive ballots because the city had the wrong address.
  18. Included in the group of property owners that did not receive ballots were Attorneys.
  19. There are large number of non profits that did not receive ballots and have noticed the city.
  20. Property owners have complained about not being noticed by the city for public meetings about this
    assessment as well as being provided the information to make an informed decision.

I am giving  a correct list of property owners provided by the Title company for City Council.- (will be
hardcopied)


Sincerely,


Brenda Cedarblade cell 530-304-0140

917 Main St.  Woodland, Ca   95695
Phone (530) 666-1900  Fax (530) 661-0299