Local government: organization: omnibus bill.

(1) The Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 provides the exclusive authority and procedure for the initiation, conduct, and completion of changes of organization and reorganization for cities and districts, except as specified. Under existing law, with certain exceptions, a public agency is authorized to exercise new or extended services outside the public agency's jurisdictional boundaries pursuant to a fire protection contract only if the public agency receives written approval from the local agency formation commission in the affected county. Existing law defines the term "jurisdictional boundaries" for these purposes. Existing law, for these purposes, references a public agency's current service area. This bill would revise these provisions to remove references to a public agency's current service area and instead include references to the public agency's jurisdictional boundaries. The bill would additionally make other technical changes. (2) Existing law states that the purpose of a local agency formation commission is, among other things, to efficiently provide government services. This bill would instead provide that one of the purposes of a commission is to encourage the efficient provision of government services. (3) Existing law establishes the membership of local agency formation commissions in each county, and authorizes appointment of a public member and an alternate public member. This bill would require the public member and alternate public member to be residents of the county of the appointing commission. (4) Existing law requires a proponent of a change of organization or reorganization, of cities and districts, to file a notice of intention with the local agency formation commission prior to circulating a petition, as specified. This bill would exempt from this requirement a petition signed by landowners if all parcels within the affected territory are vested under the same ownership. (5) Existing law requires a city that is subject to disincorporation to ascertain information relating to the city's debt or contractual obligations and responsibilities, and provide a written statement to the local agency formation commission that includes, among other things, the amount of any tax levy or other obligation due to the city that is unpaid or has not been collected. This bill would instead require this element of the written statement to include the amount of any tax levy, assessment, or other obligation due to the city that is unpaid or has not been collected, and would make an additional technical change. (6) Existing law requires a local agency formation commission to adopt a resolution making determinations approving or disapproving a proposal, and requires the resolution for a proposal initiated by the commission to make a determination that a change of organization or reorganization that is authorized by the commission promotes public access and accountability for community services needs and financial resources. This bill would make a technical change to this provision. (7) Existing law requires notice of each change of organization or reorganization election to be given by publication, posting, and mailing, as specified. This bill would correct an incorrect cross reference in this provision. (8) Existing law, notwithstanding specified requirements with respect to the dissolution of a local agency, authorizes a local agency formation commission, if a change of organization consists of the dissolution of a district that is consistent with a prior action of the commission, as provided, to order the dissolution either without election or protest proceedings if the dissolution is initiated by the district board or without an election following at least one noticed public hearing and protest proceedings if the dissolution is initiated by an affected local agency. This bill would authorize the commission to order the above-described dissolutions with respect to local hospital districts notwithstanding a statutory requirement that an order of dissolution of these districts be subject to voter confirmation.