DATE: January 26, 2016
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Development Services Director
SUBJECT
Title
Overview of Geologic Hazard Abatement Districts
End
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
That the City Council receives a presentation by Development Services Department staff, assisted by Certified Engineering Geologist Eric Harrell, describing how a Geologic Hazard Abatement District (GHAD) works, what the process for creating a GHAD is, what a GHAD can and cannot fund, and how the assessment process for a GHAD works.
Body
BACKGROUND
At its meeting on November 17, 2015, the City Council unanimously approved Resolution 15-224, which declared that the City of Hayward is subject to the Geologic Hazard Abatement District Law (Public Resources Code Section 26550 et seq.). Such action is necessary in order for a GHAD to be formed.
The City Council further directed the City Clerk to file a Notice of Exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and to send the Resolution and Notice of Exemption to the State Clearinghouse as required by the GHAD law, which was done.
DISCUSSION
As required by conditions of approval associated with the 2005 approval of the La Vista development and related Development Agreement, a GHAD is required to be formed associated with the development.
Since this would be the first GHAD formed in Hayward, staff believes it will be helpful for the City Council and the public to hear a brief presentation on how GHADs are formed and how they are governed. To assist with this Work Session, attached is an outline of the GHAD formation process (Attachment I).
In addition, there is an attached publication produced by the California Association of Geologic Hazard Abatement Districts, which discusses the benefits of a GHAD, the process of how GHADs are formed , what the powers of a GHAD are, how GHADs are financed, and how GHADs are governed once they are formed (Attachment II).
...
Click here for full text