Local government: omnibus bill.

(1) Existing law requires any person who intends to offer subdivided lands within this state for sale or lease to file with the Department of Real Estate an application for a public report consisting of a notice of intention and a completed questionnaire, as specified. Existing law exempts from this requirement a proposed offering of subdivided land where each lot, parcel, or unit of the subdivision will be sold or offered for sale improved with a completed residential structure and with all other improvements completed that are necessary for occupancy or with financial arrangements determined to be adequate by the city to ensure completion of the improvements. This bill would specify that a lot, parcel, or unit satisfies the requirement that it be improved with a completed residential structure if it is improved with a completed residential structure at the time it is conveyed by the subdivider. (2) Existing law, the Public Cemetery District Law, defines the term "family member" for purposes of that law to include, among others, a person's spouse. This bill would additionally include within the definition of "family member" a person's domestic partner, and would define the term "domestic partner," as specified. (3) Existing law requires specified employment contracts between a local agency and an officer or employee to include a provision that would fully reimburse the local agency for that officer's or employee's salary if that officer or employee is convicted of a crime involving an abuse of his or her office or position. Existing law, for purposes of these provisions, defines the term "abuse of office or position" to include, among other things, a crime against public justice, including bribery of an executive or judicial officer of the state. This bill would revise the definition of "abuse of office or position" to include bribery of a Member of the Legislature. (4) Existing law, the Subdivision Map Act, requires the city engineer or county surveyor, as appropriate, to sign an approved final or parcel map and indicate his or her registration number and stamp the map with his or her seal. This bill would additionally require the city engineer or county surveyor to provide that date on which he or she signed the final or parcel map, and to include his or her seal. (5) Existing law, the Subdivision Map Act, provides that for any conveyance of land to or from a governmental agency, public entity, public utility, or for land conveyed to a subsidiary of a local public utility for conveyance to that public utility for rights-of-way, rights-of-way may not be considered a division of land for purposes of computing parcels. This bill would instead provide that a parcel map is not required for land conveyed to or from a governmental agency, public entity, public utility, or for land conveyed to a subsidiary of a local public utility for conveyance to that public utility for rights-of-way, unless a showing is made in individual cases, upon substantial evidence, that public policy necessitates a parcel map. (6) Existing law, the Baldwin Hills Conservancy Act, requires the board of the Baldwin Hills Conservancy to consist of 13 voting members, including, among others, the member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors within whose district the majority of the Baldwin Hills area is located. This bill would instead require one of the 13 voting members to include the member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors within whose district the majority of the Baldwin Hills area is located, or his or her designee. (7) Existing law allows the Controller, either in his or her discretion or upon local request, to offset or deduct certain amounts due from a person or entity to a city, county, or court against certain state claims. Existing law also requires the Controller, to the extent feasible, to offset any amount overdue and unpaid for a fine, penalty, assessment, bail, vehicle parking penalty, or court-ordered reimbursement for court-related services, against any amount owing the person or entity by a state agency on a claim for a refund from the Franchise Tax Board under the Personal Income Tax Law or the Bank and Corporation Tax Law, or from winnings in the California State Lottery. This bill would expand these provisions to apply to amounts due to special districts, in addition to amounts due to cities, counties, and courts. (8) Existing law requires the county recorder, upon payment of proper fees and taxes, to accept for recordation any instrument, paper, or notice that is authorized or required to be recorded, as specified. Existing law requires the recorder to accept a facsimile signature on a lien recorded by a governmental agency when that facsimile signature has been officially adopted by that agency, and requires a copy of the agency's resolution or action adopting the signature for facsimile transmission purposes or a certified copy of the agency's adopted signature to be provided to the county recorder when the signature is officially adopted by the agency, or at the beginning of each calendar year. This bill would instead require the agency to provide the officially adopted facsimile signature by letter, and would provide that the facsimile signature will continue to be valid until the agency notifies the county recorder that the facsimile signature has been revoked. (9) Existing law authorizes the owner of a qualified historical property and the legislative body of a city, county, or city and county to contract to enforceably restrict the use of the property in exchange for a reduction in the property tax assessment on the property. Existing law requires the owner or agent of an owner to record the contract with the county in which the property is located within 6 months of entering into the contract. This bill would repeal the requirement that the owner or agent of the owner record the contract with the county in which the property is located within 6 months of entering into the contract. (10) Existing law requires the Ventura County Resource Conservation District to meet specified criteria, including criteria related to its subdivisions, boundaries, elections, and board of directors. This bill would remove these provisions. (11) The Property and Business Improvement District Law of 1994 requires, prior to the establishment of a property and business improvement district pursuant to the act, that the proponents of the district submit to the city council a management district plan. A management district plan may provide that a class or category of real property which is exempt by law from real property taxation may nevertheless be included within the boundaries of the district but shall not be subject to assessment on real property. This bill would remove this provision. (12) The Kings River Conservation District Act establishes the Kings River Conservation District, and sets forth the requirements for the election of members of the board of directors. Existing law requires the district to be split into electoral divisions for the election of members of the board of directors. This bill would require that in an election, the candidate receiving the highest number of votes cast for the office of director for a specific division be declared elected. Existing law requires all vacancies occurring in the office of director to be filled by appointment by the remaining directors, as specified. This bill would instead require the district to fill vacancies in the board in the same manner as those vacancies on the governing board of a special district are filled. Existing law authorizes the district to incur bonded indebtedness, and requires the district to hold a special election on the question prior to incurring indebtedness. Existing law sets forth the procedures for conducting that election. This bill would require the district to instead comply with the Irrigation District Law in issuing bonds. (13) This bill would also make technical, nonsubstantive, and conforming changes to provisions relating to local government.