NEWMAN — The Newman City Council on April 28 approved a resolution to begin the annual process of levying and collecting assessments for the city’s Lighting and Landscape Maintenance District for the 2026‑27 fiscal year, moving forward with the routine procedural steps required under state law.

The resolution was adopted as part of the council’s consent calendar with no discussion.

The action triggers the first phase of the yearly assessment cycle outlined in the state’s Landscape and Lighting Act of 1972. Newman maintains 15 zones within its Lighting and Landscape Maintenance District, each representing specific areas of public landscaping and lighting improvements throughout the city. Those zones include a range of maintenance responsibilities, from weekly trimming and pruning to weed abatement, sidewalk upkeep, irrigation and lighting system repairs, pathway maintenance and graffiti removal.

City staff noted that adopting the resolution allows the preparation of the engineer’s report, a document that details the scope of improvements in each zone and estimates the cost of maintaining them in the coming fiscal year. The report also outlines how those costs are allocated across the district.

Once the engineer’s report is completed, the council will be asked to declare its intention to levy the assessments and set a public hearing, giving residents an opportunity to comment before the assessments are finalized.

Staff reported no fiscal impact associated with Tuesday’s action, describing it as a procedural step required to keep the district’s maintenance program on schedule for the next fiscal year.