General Overview Of Landscaping and Lighting Districts
In the City of Folsom, there are 25 Landscaping and Lighting (L&L) Districts. The purpose of landscaping and lighting districts is to maintain and service the public improvements within each district. Such improvements generally consist of landscape corridors and median islands as well as streetlights. In some instances, L&L Districts maintain walls, fences, open space areas, and/or other public improvements such as art work (such as is the case Natoma Station).
Each L&L District is formed in accordance with the 1972 Landscaping and Lighting District Act. An annual per parcel assessment is established at the time a district is formed that is collected by the County (via a resident's tax bill) and remitted back to the City of Folsom to administer the district's improvements. The annual assessment is created and established to cover operating and maintenance costs of the public improvements. The annual assessment is not a “bond” and as such, it does not eventually get paid off or paid down. The annual assessment is adopted upon each year by the City Council.
Services:
- Maintain and Service landscaping in L&L Districts
- Maintain and Service streetlights in L&L Districts
- Maintain and Service specific infrastructure (walls, art work, fences, path ways, trails) in L&L Districts
- Improve and enhance existing landscape areas within L&L Districts
- Interface with public regarding maintenance issues, requirements, and needs within L&L Districts
Water Conservation
The Landscaping and Lighting Districts have been committed to saving water and as such over the last 2 years have been implementing specific projects that have targeted water reduction and improved water use. Examples of some of the projects include the removal of turf in the median on Oak Avenue between S. Lexington Drive and E. Bidwell and the removal of pop up spray heads and replacement with drip tubing and drought tolerant plant materials in the median on Oak Avenue between Kennerly/Riley and Iron Point. The water savings has equated to about a 30% savings in water use. The L&L Division continues to plan for and implement several projects per year and will continue to focus on saving water and applying it wisely. Other structural changes taking place include the implementation of smart irrigation timers which detect leaks, regulate flows, and turn off sprinkler systems if rainfall and/or a leak is detected. Sixteen new timers are being installed in 16 of the L&L Division mini parks and an additional 54 irrigation timers (or about 1/3 of the L&L timers in the L&L Districts) will be converted to a computer-based and electronically-monitored system which utilizes state-of-the-art equipment to set irrigation rates based on current environmental conditions. These systems will be installed during the summer and fall of 2008.
Water Management Drought Presentation
Oak Avenue Water Conservation Retrofit Project March 2009
With the existing Stage 3 Water Warning and the potential for additional water restrictions this year, the City identified Oak Avenue between Willow Creek Drive and E. Bidwell Street as a key location to demonstrate water-saving irrigation practices and water-efficient planting selections. The City of Folsom’s Landscaping and Lighting District division recently received an $110,000 grant from the Department of Water Resources to assist with implementation of this project.
The project entails removal of 65,400 square feet or approximately 1.5 acres of turf and the commensurate retrofit of pop-up spray heads to drip irrigation (orange area of map). The resulting landscape consists of the existing trees and a complementary mix of shrubs. The irrigation water currently applied on the turf is about 50,130 gallons per year. With the retrofit, the project is anticipated to save about 25,000 gallons per year. The other aspect of this project entails the retrofit of approximately 950 conventional spray nozzles between N. Lexington and S. Lexington Drives (yellow area on map) with a change-out to water efficient nozzles that will use about ½ the water currently used. Water use along this segment of streetscape equates to about 47,000 gallons per year and the anticipated savings will be about 23,000 gallons per year.
The L&L Districts are identifying future areas for similar retrofits. For more information about this and other upcoming water conservations projects, please contact Lorraine Poggione, Landscaping and Lighting District Manager, 355-7207 or the Utilities Department at 355-7252.
American River Canyon North, American River Canyon North #2, Blue Ravine Oaks (The Shores), Briggs Ranch, Broadstone 1&2, Broadstone Unit 3, Cobble Hills Ridge/Reflections, Cobble Ridge, Fieldstone Meadows, Folsom Heights (California Hills and Enclave), Hannaford Cross, Lake Natoma Shores (The Preserves), La Collina dal Lago, Los Cerros, Natoma Station, Natoma Valley, Prairie Oaks, Sierra Estates, Silverbrook, Steeplchase, The Residences at American River Canyon, Willow Creek East, Willow Creek South, and Willow Springs.
Oversight and Management
The City has a full term Landscaping and Lighting District Manager who ensures that the public landscape and streetlight improvements are adequately maintained. Each year in June an Engineer's Report is prepared that describes the improvements, costs, and revenues within each district. Revenue from the annual assessment goes toward paying for the electricity that runs the streetlights and irrigation controllers, the water that irrigates the landscaping, the labor to maintain, repair, and enhance the improvements, and the costs incurred by the City to administer the districts.
Landscaping and Lighting District Advisory Committee
The City has a Landscaping and Lighting District Advisory Committee that is made up of one member from each district. The Committee meets the third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Community Center, Activities Room, 52 Natoma Street. The Committee recesses in July and August.
Members are appointed by the Mayor and approved by the City Council for a four-year term. The Committee appointments are divided into two groups with one-half of the Committee's term ending in December 2008 and the other half's term ending in December 2010.
The purpose of the Advisory Committee is to help establish lines of communication between the City staff and elected/appointed city bodies. The Advisory Committee also assists the Manager by making recommendations on associated landscaping and lighting issues.
The City is currently accepting applications for district's with term expiring in December 2012 and unfilled positions for term's expiring in December 2010. Positions will be open in the following districts:
-
Briggs Ranch (Exp. 2010)
- Cobble Ridge (Exp. 2010)
- Los Cerros (Exp. 2010)
- Silverbrook (Exp. 2010)
- Hannaford Cross (Exp. 2010)
- La Collina dal Lago (Exp. 2012)
- The Residences at ARC (Exp. 2012)
- Willow Creek South (Exp. 2012)
- Blue Ravine Oaks (Exp. 2012)
If you are interested in participating or finding out more about the Committee or the Landscaping and Lighting Districts, please contact:
Lorraine Poggione, M.P.A
Landscaping and Lighting District Manager
50 Natoma Street
Folsom CA 95630
(916)355-7207
If you would like to apply for consideration of membership, the commission application can be found in the following link:
