|
LAFCO
Homepage | Agendas/Minutes |
Fee Schedule | LAFCO Overview
| Public Notices
|
Project Status
What is LAFCO?
LAFCO is an independent agency created
by state legislature to ensure changes in governmental organization
occur in a manner which facilitates efficient and quality delivery of
services and preserves agricultural land resources. LAFCO of Yuba
County has its own Policies, Standards and Procedures promoting state
policy embodied in the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government
Reorganization Act of 2000.
The creation of LAFCO was a
legislative response to actions by local jurisdictions in the 1940's and
1950's. Agencies incorporated or annexed large, irregular portions of
land in a manner resulting in irrational urban boundaries, unnecessary
conversion of prime agricultural land and isolated populations without
efficient services or with no services at all. In 1963, the Legislature
established a Local Agency Formation Commission in each county and
delegated to them its regulatory authority over local agency boundary
changes. LAFCO serves the legislature’s “watchdog” in promoting orderly
development and discouraging urban sprawl.
Additional legislation in the 1960's
and 1970’s extended LAFCO’s authority. In the 1970's the Legislature
recognized the connection between decisions concerning governmental
organization and the issues of urban sprawl and loss of prime
agricultural land. In response to these concerns, LAFCOs were charged
with implementing changes in governmental organization in a manner which
would preserve agricultural and open space land resources and provide
for efficient delivery of services. Concerned that LAFCOs were
responding reactively without considering long-term regional issues, in
1972 the Legislature began requiring LAFCO to adopt a sphere of
influence for each agency in its jurisdiction. The sphere is the
physical boundary and service area each local government agency is
expected to serve and each proposal the Commission considers must be
consistent with the sphere plan. The Legislature and the courts require
LAFCOs to implement the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as
it applies to LAFCO actions.
In 1985, the Cortese-Knox Local
Government Reorganization Act consolidated all statutes relative to
local government changes of organization. In 1993 LAFCO’s were given
additional powers related to the initiation certain changes of
organization, and Later, in 1997, the Legislature assembled a Commission
on Local Governance in the 21st Century to examine governance issues
with special attention to the Local Government Reorganization Act and
made significant changes throughout the LAFCO Act.
Many of the Commission on Local
Governance’s recommendations were incorporated into the Cortese Knox
Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act, which was adopted by the
Legislature in 2000, and became effective in 2001.
LAFCO has the specific authority to
review and approve or disapprove:
•
Annexations to, or detachments
from, cities or districts.
• Formation or dissolution of
districts.
• Incorporation or
disincorporation of cities.
• Consolidation or reorganization
of cities or districts.
• The establishment of a
subsidiary district(s).
• The development of, and
amendments to, Spheres of Influence.
• Extensions of service beyond an
agency’s jurisdictional boundaries.
• Provision of new or different
services by districts.
• Pursuant to Section 56434, the
Commission may review and approve proposals that extend service into
previously unserved territory in unincorporated areas.
• LAFCO is now empowered to
initiate and conduct Municipal Service Reviews for services within its
jurisdiction.
The State Legislature recognized the
validity of the findings of the Commission on Local Governance for the
21st Century and codified a tool that could be used to collect
information and evaluate service provision from a broader perspective.
The tool for conducting service reviews is provided in Section 56430 of
Government Code. Section 56430 requires “that in order to prepare and to
update Spheres of Influence in accordance with section 56425 of the
LAFCO law; LAFCOs are required to conduct a service review of the
municipal services provided in the county or other appropriate
designated area. LAFCOs must include in the area designated for service
review the county, the region, the sub-region, or other geographic area
as is appropriate for an analysis of the service or services to be
reviewed and, as noted previously, must prepare a written statement of
its determination with respect to each of the following:
(1) Infrastructure needs or
deficiencies;
(2) Growth and population projections
for the affected area;
(3) Financing constraints and
opportunities;
(4) Cost avoidance opportunities;
(5) Opportunities for rate
restructuring;
(6) Opportunities for shared
facilities;
(7) Government structure options,
including advantages and disadvantages of consolidation or
reorganization of service providers;
(8) Evaluation of management
efficiencies; and
(9) Local accountability and
governance.
In addition to LAFCO’s regulatory
responsibilities, LAFCO of Yuba County considers that an important part
of its role is to encourage communication and collaborative planning and
studies between public agencies.
LAFCO of Yuba County is funded by the
Cities of Marysville and Wheatland and the County of Yuba. LAFCO of Yuba
County also receives fee revenue generated by applications for
entitlements for actions subject to LAFCO’s jurisdiction.
The LAFCO Commission of Yuba County
consists of two city members, two Board of Supervisor members. and one
public member chosen by both city members and county members. Each
member is obligated to act on behalf of the County as a whole and not
his or her appointing authority.
Contact
Information:
Local Agency Formation Commission of
Yuba County
825 9th Street, Suite B
Marysville, CA 95901
Phone: (530) 749-5467
Facimile: (530) 740-4836
Email:
phensley@co.yuba.ca.us
LAFCO staff:
John Benoit, Executive Officer
Paige Hensley, Clerk to the Commission
and LAFCO Analyst
Michael Colantuono, LAFCO Counsel
|