Local government: omnibus.

(1) Existing law, the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000, requires a local agency formation commission to notify specified state agencies having oversight or regulatory responsibility over, or a contractual relationship with, a local health care district when a proposal is made for any of specified changes of organization affecting that district. This bill would update obsolete references to a "hospital" district and replace outdated references to the State Department of Health Services with references to the State Department of Public Health and the State Department of Health Care Services. (2) The Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 establishes in each county a local agency formation commission consisting of 7 members and provides for the selection of members of the commission and designation of alternate members according to specified procedures. Existing law establishes special procedures for the creation and selection of members of the commissions for Los Angeles County, Sacramento County, Santa Clara County, and counties in which there are no cities. Existing law provides for the selection of representatives of independent special districts on each commission by an independent special district selection committee. Existing law also provides for the apportionment of the annual operational costs for specified commissions among the classes of public agencies that select members on the commission. This bill would recast these provisions and instead provide for the appointment of members and alternates to the commission of each county, including the above-described counties for which special procedures apply. The bill would also make various technical changes. (3) Existing law authorizes the commission to waive protest proceedings and approve a change of organization or reorganization of a city, after notice and a hearing, of unincorporated islands. Existing law excludes from these provisions an unincorporated island within a city that is a gated community where services are currently provided by a community services district. Existing law also authorizes, at the option of either the city or the county, a separate property tax transfer agreement between a city and a county regarding an annexation of territory subject to these provisions without affecting an existing master tax sharing agreement between the city and the county. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to these provisions. (4) Under existing law, a commission may establish a schedule of fees and service charges for proceedings taken by the commission, including a fee for amending a sphere of influence. This bill would expand the list of proceedings in that provision to include updating a sphere of influence. (5) Existing law requires the commission to appoint legal counsel. If the commission's legal counsel is subject to a conflict of interest on an issue before the commission, existing law requires the commission to appoint alternate staff to assist it. Existing law defines, for the purposes of provisions relating to commission officers and staff, the term "conflict of interest". This bill would expand the definition of "conflict of interest" with respect to the commission's legal counsel to include matters covered by specified rules promulgated by the State Bar of California pertaining to representation of adverse interests. (6) Existing law generally requires the commission to conduct a hearing for a change of organization or reorganization, as specified. However, the commission may, without a hearing, approve a change of organization that consists of an annexation or a detachment, or a reorganization that consists solely of annexations or detachments, or both, or the formation of a county service area for which the commission is authorized to waive protest proceedings if certain things have occurred. This bill would additionally authorize the commission to approve, without a hearing, a proposal for an annexation, a detachment, or a reorganization consisting solely of annexations or detachments, or both, or formation of a county service area for which the commission is authorized to make determinations without a hearing and to waive protest proceedings, if the affected territory is uninhabited and certain conditions are met. (7) Under existing law, in cases involving specified kinds of change of organization or reorganization the commission must, within 30 days after a hearing, make findings regarding the value of written protests filed and not withdrawn and take a specified action. If a majority protest exists, as specified, the commission must terminate proceedings. If written protests have been filed and not withdrawn by either between 25% and 50% of the registered voters in the affected territory or 25% of the number of owners of land who also own at least 25% of the assessed value of land within the affected territory, the commission must order the organization or change of organization subject to confirmation by the registered voters of the affected territory. If written protests have been filed and not withdrawn by less than 25% of the registered voters in the affected territory or less than 25% of the number of owners of land owning less than 25% of the assessed value of land within the affected territory, the commission must order the change of organization or reorganization. This bill would recast these provisions to specify that the commission may order the change of organization or reorganization without an election only if there is neither a majority protest nor written protests filed and not withdrawn by between 25% and 50% of the registered voters in the affected territory or 25% of the number of owners of land who also own at least 25% of the assessed value of land within the affected territory. (8) Under existing law, notwithstanding the above-described procedures for protest, in cases where a city with more than 100,000 people proposes to annex inhabited territory located in a county with a population of over 400,000, the commission must, within 30 days after a hearing, make findings regarding the value of written protests filed and not withdrawn and take specified action. If written protests have been filed and not withdrawn by 50% or more of the registered voters within the affected territory, the commission must terminate proceedings. If written protests have been filed and not withdrawn by either 15% or more of the registered voters in the affected territory or 15% or more of the number of owners of land who also own at least 15% of the assessed value of land within the affected territory, the commission must order the territory annexed subject to confirmation by the voters within the affected territory on the question of whether to be annexed to the city. The commission must request the city council to call a special election for this purpose. If written protests have been filed and not withdrawn by less than 15% of the registered voters in the affected territory and less than 15% of the owners of land who also own less than 15% of the assessed value of land within the affected territory, the commission must order the territory annexed without an election. This bill would recast these provisions to specify that the commission may order the annexation without an election only if there are neither written protests filed and not withdrawn by 50% of more of the registered voters within the affected territory nor written protests filed and not withdrawn by 15% or more of the registered voters in the affected territory or 15% of the number of owners of land who also own at least 15% of the assessed value of land within the affected territory. The bill would also specify that the confirmation under these provisions is subject to a special election by the registered voters residing within the affected territory. (9) Existing law requires the commission, in the case of elections on an order of consolidation of cities or districts, to issue a certificate of completion confirming the order of consolidation, or a certification of completion terminating proceedings, as specified. This bill would instead require the commission to issue either a certification of completion or a certification of termination, as specified. (10) Existing law requires the commission to execute a certificate of termination of proceedings if the majority of the votes cast by members of the commission are against the change in organization or reorganization. This bill would instead require the commission to execute a certificate of termination of proceedings if the votes in favor of the change in organization or reorganization do not constitute a majority.