Brief

The Bureau of Street Lighting initiated a proposal to establish a special lighting district covering Victory Boulevard and Gaviota Avenue. The ordinance was originally adopted by Council on May 12, 2026, but was reconsidered and continued through August before final adoption on September 15, 2026, by a 14-0-1 vote. The ordinance became effective May 28, 2026. The file remains open and subject to reconsideration under Council Rule 51.

Full summary

The Bureau of Street Lighting proposed to establish a lighting maintenance assessment district covering two parcels near Victory Boulevard and Gaviota Avenue. The district would have funded the installation and ongoing maintenance of streetlights through annual assessments charged to the benefiting property owners. As required by Proposition 218, the City notified both owners and provided each a ballot weighted by their proposed assessment amount — $1,415.94 for Casa Victory LLC (c/o Efi Meirson) and $1,061.95 for Lake Balboa Apts LLC — for a combined district assessment of $2,477.89. At the final public hearing on August 18, 2026, only one ballot had been submitted: Casa Victory LLC voted no. Lake Balboa Apts LLC cast no ballot. Because the single "no" vote represented 100 percent of the weighted votes cast and 57 percent of the total district assessment value, it constituted a legally binding majority protest under Article XIII D of the California Constitution. That finding meant the City was prohibited from imposing the assessment. City Clerk Patrice Y. Lattimore certified the results on August 20, 2026, and recommended that Council find a majority protest exists, adopt an abandoning ordinance, and direct the Bureau of Street Lighting to ensure no streetlights are installed — or to remove any already in service — consistent with longstanding Council policy dating to 1997. The item had initially been adopted by Council on May 12, 2026, before the ballot results were in, and was subsequently reconsidered on August 12 by motion of Councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez and Nithya Raman as part of a batch reconsideration of multiple lighting district files. After the ballot tabulation was received, Council continued the hearing to allow the abandoning ordinance to be prepared and presented. On September 15, 2026, Council voted 14-0-1 to adopt the abandoning ordinance, formally closing out the proposed district.

Activity (15)

• 2026-09-15 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
• 2026-08-21 City Clerk document(s) referred to Council.
• 2026-08-20 Document submitted by City Clerk, dated August 20, 2026.
• 2026-08-18 Council continued hearing and Ordinance to be presented on September 15, 2026.
• 2026-08-14 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on August 18, 2026.
• 2026-08-12 Council reconsidered the item, and continued the hearing to August 18, 2026 and Ordinance to be presented on September 15, 2026
• 2026-08-11 Council continued hearing and Ordinance to be presented on September 15, 2026 .
• 2026-08-07 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on August 11, 2026.
• 2026-05-18 Ordinance posted/published. Ordinance effective date: May 28, 2026.
• 2026-05-15 Council action final.
• 2026-05-13 City Clerk transmitted file to Mayor. Last day for Mayor to act is May 26, 2026.
• 2026-05-12 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
• 2026-05-08 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on May 12, 2026.
• 2026-03-13 Document submitted by Bureau of Street Lighting, dated February 18, 2026.
• 2026-03-13 Bureau of Street Lighting document(s) referred to Council.

Documents (11)

• 2026-08-20 Report from City Clerk · report
• 2026-08-12 Communication from Board of Public Works - Assessment Hearing · communication
• 2026-08-12 Motion (Hernandez - Raman) · motion
• 2026-08-11 Speaker Card(s) · speaker_card
• 2026-07-01 Communication from Bureau of Street Lighting dated 7-01-26 - Mailing Package · other
• 2026-05-28 Final Ordinance of Intention No. 188933 · other
• 2026-05-18 Declaration of Posting · other
• 2026-05-15 Mayor Concurrence/Council Action · other
• 2026-05-12 Speaker Card(s) · speaker_card
• 2026-02-18 Attachment to Report dated 2-18-26 - Draft Ordinance of Intention · attachment
• 2026-02-18 Report from Bureau of Street Lighting · report

Council votes (5)

• 2026-09-15 Vote — 14-0-1 · Regular
• 2026-08-18 Vote — 13-0-2 · Regular
• 2026-08-12 Adopted to Continue — 14-0-1 · Regular
• 2026-08-11 Adopted — 14-0-1 · Regular
• 2026-05-12 Adopted — 14-0-1 · Regular