Local Government: omnibus.

(1) The Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 (the act) provides the authority and procedure for the initiation, conduct, and completion of changes of organization, reorganization, and sphere of influence changes for cities and districts, as specified. Existing law requires a commission to develop and determine the sphere of influence of each city and each special district within the county and enact policies designed to promote the logical and orderly development of areas within each sphere. Existing law requires the commission, in order to prepare and update spheres of influence in accordance with this requirement, to conduct a service review of the municipal services provided in the county or other appropriate area designated by the commission, as specified. Existing law defines "sphere of influence" to mean a plan for the probable physical boundaries and service area of a local agency. Existing law defines the term "service" for purposes of the act to mean a specific governmental activity established within, and as a part of, a general function of the special district, as specified. This bill would revise the definition of the term "service" for these purposes to mean a specific governmental activity established within, and as a part of, a function of the local agency. This bill would also define the term "service review," for purposes of the act, to mean an analysis conducted by the commission documenting and analyzing the services in a particular geographic region or jurisdictional area, pursuant to the process described above. (2) Existing law authorizes a city or district to provide new or extended services by contract or agreement outside its jurisdictional boundary only if it first requests and receives written approval from the applicable local agency formation commission. Existing law, if consistent with adopted policy, authorizes the commission to authorize a city or district to provide new or extended services outside its jurisdictional boundary and outside its sphere of influence to respond to an existing or impending threat to the health or safety of the public or the residents of the affected territory if specified conditions are met. This bill would eliminate the requirement that the authorization by the commission be consistent with adopted policy. (3) Existing law requires the commission, after adoption of a resolution making determinations on an application for a change of organization or reorganization by the commission, to follow specified procedures to conduct protest proceedings. Existing law authorizes the commission to waive protest proceedings under certain circumstances for, among other things, a change of organization that consists of the formation of a county service area that would otherwise require the conduct of protest proceedings. This bill would specify that the commission may waive protest proceedings following commission approval for a change of organization that consists of the formation of a county service area, as specified. (4) Existing law requires the commission to order a change of organization or reorganization subject to confirmation of the voters if the change of organization or reorganization consists of an incorporation or disincorporation, as specified. This bill would additionally require the commission to order a change of organization or reorganization subject to confirmation of the voters if the change of organization or reorganization consists of a consolidation of two or more cities. (5) Existing law subjects any order in any resolution adopted by a commission ordering the dissolution of a local hospital district to conformation by the voters, as specified. Existing law, notwithstanding that provision, authorizes a commission, if a change of organization consists of the dissolution of a district that is consistent with a specified prior action of the commission, to order the dissolution either without an election or protest proceedings if the dissolution meets certain requirements. This bill would make clarifying changes to the above provisions. (6) Existing law prohibits the commission in the County of Ventura, on or before December 31, 2007, from imposing a condition that requires the City of Simi Valley to initiate proceedings on a proposal for a change of organization or reorganization unless the territory that would be affected is contiguous and physically related to the affected territory. This bill would repeal this provision.