Public meetings scheduled this month as city weighs future maintenance funding and potential service reductions
FOLSOM — Natoma Station residents are being invited to weigh in on the future of their neighborhood’s landscaping and lighting maintenance as the City of Folsom moves forward with a formal process that could reshape how services are funded and maintained in the area.
City officials have scheduled two upcoming community outreach meetings to discuss the proposed formation of Maintenance Assessment District No. 2025-02, a step that would give property owners a direct vote on potential changes to the longstanding Natoma Station Landscaping and Lighting District.
The existing district currently funds landscaping, street lighting, irrigation systems and small parks through an annual property assessment paid by homeowners. That assessment remains $91.70 per household, a figure that has not changed since 1990. According to the city, rising labor, water and materials costs have steadily outpaced revenues, leading to ongoing reductions in service levels.
City officials report the district currently generates approximately $170,000 in annual revenue, while the cost of maintaining even basic services has grown to roughly $275,000 per year. As a result, maintenance efforts have already been pared back to focus primarily on public safety and the health of the landscape rather than neighborhood aesthetics.
Based on feedback from residents, the city formally initiated the state-required Proposition 218 process at its June 24, 2025, City Council meeting. Proposition 218 requires property owners to approve any new or increased assessments through a formal voting process.
Without new funding, city officials warn that an additional $100,000 in service reductions would be required. Under that scenario, mowing frequency would be reduced by more than 80 percent, turf fertilization and aeration would be eliminated, weed control in turf and planters would end, and routine shrub pruning would no longer occur. Landscape watering would also be reduced by an estimated 10 to 30 percent in an effort to preserve trees, and no funds would be available to replace damaged infrastructure such as streetlights, walls, fences, shrubs, public art or landscape lighting.
To outline the proposal and answer questions, the city will host two identical community meetings later this month. Both meetings will be held at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, located at 50 Natoma Street. The first meeting is scheduled for January 22, followed by a second session on January 29, allowing residents multiple opportunities to participate.
City officials say the meetings are intended to provide transparency about the district’s finances, explain the Proposition 218 process and gather feedback before any ballot materials are finalized.
Residents seeking additional information may contact Derik Perez atdperez@folsom.ca.usor by phone at 916-461-6653. Additional details are also available on the city’s website atwww.folsom.ca.us/LandscapingAndLighting.
Copyright © 2025, Folsom Times, a digital product of All Town Media LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
