Neptune Drive Levee: Comments From Second Online Survey – Part 2

In this post, CivicMic addresses additional comments and questions received via the second online survey for the proposed construction of the Neptune Drive levee in San Leandro, California.  Please click here to read Part 1 of this post series with answers to previous comments and questions received.

Neptune Drive Levee Comments and Questions Received - Part 2

Question:  Please provide a breakdown of the total cost of the project.

Answer:  The current estimated cost of the project is approximately $2.5 million, including assessment district formation costs.  Below is a general (rounded) breakdown of the project by category.

• • $2,000,000 - Design, permitting, and construction of the Neptune Drive levee.
  • $500,000 - Assessment District formation costs (includes a required $227,000 reserve fund and $51,000 in prefunded interest).
    • $2,500,000 - Total cost of the project.

• • Minus $200,000 - City's contribution to the project for general benefit as calculated by the assessment engineer.
  • Minus $300,000 - Assessment on City-owned properties.
    • $2,000,000 - Net assessment on privately-owned properties.

Question:  Is the work moving forward even with the COVID-19 stay at home order?  It is costing the homeowners more in flood insurance premiums as the project gets delayed.

Answer:  The City has confirmed that the County is moving forward with the construction of their levee.  The County will be bidding their project in the very near future. 

It is true that many homeowners are paying flood insurance premiums at this time, but there is no incentive to form the assessment district prematurely.  Please note that FEMA will remove the parcels from the flood zone ONLY AFTER BOTH levees are constructed. The removal by FEMA is triggered by the construction of the levees and not the formation of the assessment district.  In other words, forming the assessment district prematurely will result in homeowners paying both flood insurance premiums and assessments while the County and the City finish construction of both levees.

Consequently, it is critical for the City to ensure the County is indeed going to finish their project before the assessment district is formed.  We believe the City should be able to officially commence formation proceedings for the assessment district after the County bids the project.   CivicMic staff will meet with the City in May to confirm and share any updates to the project timeline.

We appreciate the many responses, comments, and questions received through our second survey and remind you that CivicMic staff is here to help. As always, feel free to email us directly at pperez@civicmic.com or add a comment to any of our posts. We will keep the survey open for a few more weeks, so please share the survey, found at civicmic.com/sanleandro, with your neighbors.  Affected property owners that take the survey, including those that have previously taken the survey, will be entered into a drawing for one of twenty $15 Amazon gift cards. We will pick the winners at random upon the closing of the survey.

5/22/2020 Update:  The survey is now closed.  CivicMic will notify winners via email.