Office of Economic Development, Community Facilities District (CFD) No. 25-1M (Rancho El Mineral) of the County of Riverside; Adoption of Ordinance No. 998, an
Summary
SCH Number
2025060530
Public Agency
Riverside County
Document Title
Office of Economic Development, Community Facilities District (CFD) No. 25-1M (Rancho El Mineral) of the County of Riverside; Adoption of Ordinance No. 998, an
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
6/12/2025
Document Description
On January 27, 2015, the Board of Supervisors revised Board Policy B-12 entitled “Land Secured Financing Districts” to include “Service and Maintenance CFDs” to fund the ongoing maintenance of landscape, storm water Best Management Practices (BMP), street lighting, or other similar improvements and set goals and policies concerning Community Facilities Districts (CFD). As approved by voters, a special tax is to be levied on each individual parcel located within the boundary of the CFD to fund the costs associated with (i) Street lighting maintenance, which includes energy charges, operation, maintenance, and administration of street lighting located within the designated boundaries of the CFD.
Ramirez Revocable Trust dated October 21, 2014, (Trustees: Jose and Elisa Ramirez), having undivided 50% interest and Paulino Rodriguez and Mercedes Rodriguez, also having undivided 50% interest are the Owners of Tract 36963 and has petitioned that County of Riverside Office of Economic Development assist them in forming a CFD to cover the costs associated with the maintenance of public improvements within the district. The boundaries of CFD No. 25-1M (Rancho El Mineral) will encompass the entire Tract Map No. 36963, which is projected to include 31 single family dwelling units, none of which are currently occupied.
On March 18, 2025, the County of Riverside Board of Supervisors approved Resolution No. 2025-063, a Resolution of Intention as the initial step for forming the CFD and declared the intention of the Board of Supervisors as required by the Mello-Roos Act of 1982 to levy a special tax to fund the service and maintenance functions requested by the Developer. On May 6, 2025, the County of Riverside Board of Supervisors held a public hearing to receive public comments and conduct a majority protest hearing concerning the establishment of the CFD and the levy of the special tax. At the conclusion of the public hearing, the Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution No. 2025-064, the Resolution of Formation of the CFD, which also authorized the levy of a special tax within the CFD subject to voter approval during a duly called election held that same day. Riverside County Ordinance No. 998, which authorizes the levy of a special tax within the Rancho EL Mineral CFD to fund services for maintenance and service activities, was reviewed and determined to be not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to 15378. The Ordinance includes the creation of a funding mechanism to provide maintenance and service activities within the CFD. No additional direct or indirect physical environmental impacts are anticipated from the provision of maintenance services identified in the Riverside County Ordinance No. 998.
Contact Information
Name
Mike Sullivan
Agency Name
County of Riverside Facilities Management
Job Title
Facilities Operations Manager
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
unincorporated area of Riverside County
Counties
Riverside
Regions
Southern California
Other Location Info
Community Facilities District No. 25-1M Rancho El Mineral) of the County of Riverside
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Other
Type, Section or Code
15061(b)(3)
Reasons for Exemption
The direct effects of the adoption of the Ordinance to levy a special tax within the
Temescal Hills CFD would not constitute a project as defined by CEQA Section 21065 and State CEQA Guidelines Section 15378. Section 15378 (b) provides a list of five activities that are not considered a project under CEQA. The proposed Ordinance would qualify under two conditions identified in Section 15378 (b): (4) the creation of government funding mechanisms or other government fiscal activities which do not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potentially significant impact on the environment and (5) organizational or administrative activity of the government that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes to the environment. The adoption of the Ordinance by the Board satisfies these conditions as the Ordinance would provide a funding mechanism to provide ongoing maintenance of existing buildings that would not result in direct or indirect physical changes to the environment. Based on the above conditions, the adoption of the Ordinance is not a project as defined by CEQA Section 21065 and State CEQA Guidelines Section 15378. The adoption of the ordinance is limited to the creation of a special tax ordinance to provide an alternative mechanism for financing maintenance activities involving the operation, maintenance, repair, and minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features. Those public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features were already separately analyzed under prior CEQA documents and approved as part of Tract 36963. As a result, the adoption of the ordinance would not result in significant physical impact on the environment since it would not include any changes to the existing land use or a physical degradation of the property and any such impacts would have already been previously analyzed under CEQA as part of Tract 36963.
In accordance with CEQA, the use of the Common Sense Exemption is based on the “general rule that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment.” State CEQA Guidelines, Section 15061(b) (3). The use of this exemption is appropriate if “it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment.” Ibid. This determination is an issue of fact and if sufficient evidence exists in the record that the activity cannot have a significant effect on the environment, then the exemption applies and no further evaluation under CEQA is required. See No Oil, Inc. v. City of Los Angeles (1974) 13 Cal. 3d 68. The ruling in this case stated that if a project falls within a category exempt by administrative regulation or 'it can be seen with certainty that the activity in question will not have a significant effect on the environment', no further agency evaluation is required. With certainty, there is no possibility that the project may have a significant effect on the environment. The adoption of the ordinance is limited to the creation of a special tax ordinance to provide an alternative mechanism for financing maintenance activities involving the operation, maintenance, repair, and minor alteration of public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, which were already separately analyzed previously under CEQA as part of Tract 36963. As a result, there is no possibility the adoption of the ordinance would not result in any reasonably foreseeable environmental effects and any such impacts would have been previously analyzed under prior CEQA documents approved as part of Tract 36963. Therefore, in no way, would the project as proposed have the potential to cause a significant environmental impact and the project is exempt from further CEQA analysis.
Therefore, the County of Riverside hereby concludes that no physical environmental impacts are anticipated to occur and the project as proposed is exempt under CEQA. No further environmental analysis is warranted.
County Clerk
Riverside
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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