Article 2. Definitions of California Streets And Highways Code >> Division 15. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 1. >> Article 2.

The definitions contained in this article govern the construction of this part unless the context otherwise requires. The definition of a word or phrase applies to any variants thereof.

"Assessment district" means an assessment district formed pursuant to this part.

"Clerk" means the clerk or secretary of a local agency or its legislative body.

"Engineer" means the city engineer, county engineer, engineer of the district, or any other person designated by the legislative body as the engineer for the purposes of this part, including any officer, board, or employee of the local agency or any private person or firm specially employed by the local agency as engineer for the purposes of this part.

"Fiscal year" means a 12-month period commencing on July 1 and ending on the following June 30.

"Improvement" means one or any combination of the following:
  (a) The installation or planting of landscaping.
  (b) The installation or construction of statuary, fountains, and other ornamental structures and facilities.
  (c) The installation or construction of public lighting facilities, including, but not limited to, traffic signals.
  (d) The installation or construction of any facilities which are appurtenant to any of the foregoing or which are necessary or convenient for the maintenance or servicing thereof, including, but not limited to, grading, clearing, removal of debris, the installation or construction of curbs, gutters, walls, sidewalks, or paving, or water, irrigation, drainage, or electrical facilities.
  (e) The installation of park or recreational improvements, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
  (1) Land preparation, such as grading, leveling, cutting and filling, sod, landscaping, irrigation systems, sidewalks, and drainage.
  (2) Lights, playground equipment, play courts, and public restrooms.
  (f) The maintenance or servicing, or both, of any of the foregoing, and of any improvement authorized by subdivision (i).
  (g) The acquisition of land for park, recreational, or open-space purposes.
  (h) The acquisition of any existing improvement otherwise authorized pursuant to this section.
  (i) The acquisition or construction of any community center, municipal auditorium or hall, or similar public facility for the indoor presentation of performances, shows, stage productions, fairs, conventions, exhibitions, pageants, meetings, parties, or other group events, activities, or functions, whether those events, activities, or functions are public or private.

"Incidental expenses" include all of the following:
  (a) The costs of preparation of the report, including plans, specifications, estimates, diagram, and assessment.
  (b) The costs of printing, advertising, and the giving of published, posted, and mailed notices.
  (c) Compensation payable to the county for collection of assessments.
  (d) Compensation of any engineer or attorney employed to render services in proceedings pursuant to this part.
  (e) Any other expenses incidental to the construction, installation, or maintenance and servicing of the improvements.
  (f) Any expenses incidental to the issuance of bonds or notes pursuant to Section 22662.5.
  (g) Costs associated with any elections held for the approval of a new or increased assessment.

"Including," unless expressly limited, means including without limitation.

"Landscaping" means trees, shrubs, grass, or other ornamental vegetation.

"Legislative body" means the legislative body or governing board of any local agency.

"Local agency" means a county, a city and county, a city, a special district, or an agency or entity created pursuant to Article 1 (commencing with Section 6500) of Chapter 5 of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code and made up solely of local agencies whose annual taxes are carried on the county assessment roll and are collected by the county.

"Maintain" or "maintenance" means the furnishing of services and materials for the ordinary and usual maintenance, operation, and servicing of any improvement, including:
  (a) Repair, removal, or replacement of all or any part of any improvement.
  (b) Providing for the life, growth, health, and beauty of landscaping, including cultivation, irrigation, trimming, spraying, fertilizing, or treating for disease or injury.
  (c) The removal of trimmings, rubbish, debris, and other solid waste.
  (d) The cleaning, sandblasting, and painting of walls and other improvements to remove or cover graffiti.

"Property owner" means: any person shown as the owner of land on the last equalized county assessment roll; when such person is no longer the owner, then any person entitled to be shown as owner on the next county assessment roll, if such person is known to the local agency; where land is subject to a recorded written agreement of sale, any person shown therein as purchaser.

"Public agency" means the state or federal governments, any city, city and county, county, or other public corporation formed pursuant to charter, general law, or special act, for the performance of governmental or proprietary functions within limited boundaries and any department, board, commission, independent agency, or instrumentality of any of the foregoing.

"Public lighting facilities" means all works or improvements used or useful for the lighting of any public places, including ornamental standards, luminaires, poles, supports, tunnels, manholes, vaults, conduits, pipes, wires, conductors, guys, stubs, platforms, braces, transformers, insulators, contacts, switches, capacitors, meters, communication circuits, appliances, attachments, and appurtenances.

"Public places" means one or any combination of the following:
  (a) Any public street, highway, road, alley, lane, boulevard, parkway, or other way dedicated to or used for public use.
  (b) Any public property, right-of-way, or leasehold interest which is in use in the performance of a public function and which adjoins any of the ways described in subdivision (a).

"Public utility" means any public utility subject to the jurisdiction of and regulated by the Public Utilities Commission.

"Resolution" includes an ordinance.

"Service" or "servicing" means the furnishing of:
  (a) Electric current or energy, gas, or other illuminating agent for any public lighting facilities or for the lighting or operation of any other improvements.
  (b) Water for the irrigation of any landscaping, the operation of any fountains, or the maintenance of any other improvements.

"Special district" means any public corporation, other than a county or a city, formed pursuant to general law or special act for the local performance of governmental or proprietary functions within limited boundaries and which is authorized by such law or act to make any of the improvements or to furnish the maintenance or services provided for in this part.

"Treasurer" means the treasurer of a local agency.