One city is enjoying the lush landscaping, but is feeling the pressure of the costs, according to the Simi Valley Acorn.
The city of Simi Valley has invest appcroximately $6 million in the past seven years to keep the landscape in shape.
The city is working at creating new ways to help with the maintenance and the landscaping but keeping costs low.
The article states that in 1937, the city created Landscape District No. 1 to provide landscaping to a variety of districts.
In the fiscal year of 1999-2000, the city council created a Landscape Zones Augmentation Fund worth $100,000 to help zones that had a deficient fund balance. The fund has grown $100,000 each year and in 2004 and 2005, subsidies of $200,000 were needed.
The subsidies have grown to $800,000 by 2013, and the council will not seek property owners to help out with the cost.
The city has installed smart irrigation controllers and plants that need little water to help cut costs – but the council won’t stop there.
There has been discussion to replace vegetation with drought-tolerant options, hardscaping certain areas or reducing the amount of maintenance.
