Local agencies: spheres of influence.

(1) Existing law requires a Local Agency Formation Commission to develop and determine the sphere of influence of each local governmental agency within the county. A commission is authorized, at the time a commission approves a proposal for an incorporation or a reorganization which includes an incorporation, to determine the sphere of influence for the proposed new city. The commission is required to determine the sphere of influence for any newly incorporated city within one year of the effective date of incorporation. This bill would authorize a commission, beginning January 1, 2010, to determine the sphere of influence for a proposed new district, when a commission approves a formation or reorganization that includes the formation of a district. The commission would be required to determine the sphere of influence for any newly formed district within one year of the effective date of formation. (2) The Cortese‑Knox‑Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 governs the procedures for the formation and change of organization of cities and special districts. In the case of a petition for an annexation, a detachment, or a reorganization consisting solely of annexations or detachments, or both, signed by all of the landowners in the territory affected by the proposal, the commission may approve or disapprove the proposal without notice or hearing, if prescribed conditions are met. With respect to uninhabited territory, the commission may waive protest proceedings if all the owners of land have given written consent and no subject agency has submitted written opposition to a waiver of protest. This bill would, with respect to uninhabited territory, additionally permit the commission to waive protest proceedings in the case of private railroad companies, if no private railroad company owners of land have submitted written opposition to a waiver of protest before the conclusion of the commission hearing and no subject agency has submitted written opposition to a waiver of protest. (3) Existing law permits any owner of land or registered voter within inhabited territory proposed to be annexed or detached, or any owner of land within uninhabited territory proposed to be annexed or detached, to file a written protest against the annexation or detachment at any time prior to the conclusion of the noticed protest. The written protest is required to include the name and address of the owner of the land affected and the street address or other description sufficient to identify the location of the land or the name and address of the registered voter as it appears on the affidavit of registration. This bill would repeal the requirement that the written protest include that information and would instead require the written protest to contain the same information that is required in a petition that proposes a change or organization or reorganization. The bill would additionally require the commission to determine the value of written protests in accordance with those petition requirements, and would make other technical changes. (4) Existing law requires the expenses incurred in conducting elections for a change of organization or reorganization to be paid in a specified manner. This bill would make technical conforming changes to that provision.