Undergrounding a concern

The cost of placing utilities underground is causing concern among some property owners in a proposed assessment district.

The district includes Cerritos and Dunning drives, Rimrock, Upper Rimrock and Terrace Way.

A majority of residents of the proposed, 134-parcel, 06-01 district favor undergrounding, but some residents are worried about the high costs, which varies according to benefit to a maximum of $48,000.

“This will essentially double my property tax,” Irene Rausch said.

John Youngsted, Lester Ettinger, Carl Rice and Robert Folkenflick expressed their concerns about the assessment for the district at the Oct. 17 City Council hearing.

Judy and Josh Zukert and Fritz Knauss spoke in favor of the project.

“Consider the safety issues if the lines come down,” Knauss said. “Emergency vehicles won’t cross them. I don’t know what value you put on your life or your family’s, but I put more than $39,000 on mine.”

Ballots have been mailed to the property owners. A simple majority of the weighted votes is needed to approve the district. Since the passage of Proposition 218, the council has no jurisdiction over the process once voting takes place.

Votes are weighted according to benefits. The benefits include view, neighborhood enhancement and safety.

The benefit used to be given equal weight. However, that changed after a lawsuit was filed requiring each district to have the benefits specifically calculated.

View is the top benefit in the proposed 06-01 district.

“I don’t want to look at a telephone pole, but I don’t want to pay $48,000 to move it,” Charles Knowlton said.