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:

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.

open-space purposes.

“Incidental expenses” include all of the following:

“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:

“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:

“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:

“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.