Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Legislation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Staff brief LAFCO on draft bill to let LAFCOs initiate water-service reorganizations; voter-petition policy proposed for 2027
Summary
Staff told commissioners they are monitoring a UC Berkeley-led Water Working Group draft that would authorize LAFCOs to initiate water and wastewater reorganizations to help underserved communities; staff also plan to pursue a voter-petition policy package in 2027.
Staff member Crystal briefed the Riverside LAFCO on a legislative concept under review on Feb. 26: a Water Working Group draft sponsored by UC Berkeley that would give LAFCOs authority to initiate changes of organization or reorganization related to water and wastewater service to address communities lacking safe municipal service. "The proposed legislation would allow the commission to initiate those requests," Crystal said, explaining the draft would amend existing Government Code provisions cited in the presentation.
Crystal described three main modifications in the draft: authorizing LAFCOs to initiate boundary changes for water/wastewater service (including extraterritorial services) where public-health or safety documentation supports action; requiring LAFCOs to transmit MSR (municipal service review) determinations to affected agencies and ask those agencies to certify they have reviewed the determinations; and including mobile-home parks that operate community water systems in reporting and information collection similar to mutual water companies.
Crystal said the proposal is intended to support consolidation or reorganization that improves safe drinking-water access for socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. She emphasized staff are only monitoring the concept at this time and are not asking the commission to take action.
Separately, Crystal told the commission she and staff will work on a voter-petition policy concept to bring as a package to CALAFCO in the next legislative cycle (2027) to address gaps in statutory guidance about registered-voter petitions. "Gary and I... will be working on assembling a package to submit to CALAFCO and we're gonna go ahead and try to identify an author and securing LAFCO's... support on that one," she said.
The commission did not take a formal position at the meeting; staff will continue to monitor the draft legislation and return with recommendations if action is warranted.
