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Ventura LAFCO unveils new interactive boundary-explorer on its website
Summary
LAFCO staff demonstrated a new cities-and-districts boundary-explorer map that makes historical boundary-change records searchable by address, parcel number or LAFCO case number; developers say the tool reduces staff time and is mobile-friendly.
The Ventura Local Agency Formation Commission on May 20 demonstrated a new interactive boundary-explorer on its website that staff say will make historical boundary-change records and current city and special-district boundaries publicly searchable.
A LAFCO staff member introduced the tool as a way for members of the public, local agency staff and commissioners to research boundary changes without requesting staff time. “This tool allows anyone in the public to do research on historical boundary changes for cities and special districts within Ventura County,” staff said.
Karsten Kelm, LAFCO’s IT services/GIS contact, provided a live tour of the web app, walking commissioners through search options that include address, assessor’s parcel number and LAFCO project number. He showed base-map options, an ADA alternate-text feature, a measuring tool and a link from map results directly to documentary records such as the certificate of completion and LAFCO resolution.
Commissioners asked whether the tool is proprietary or uses county resources, and whether other agencies could adopt similar functionality. Staff said the application was developed specifically for Ventura LAFCO but uses county base layers and is accessible through a standard web browser without specialized GIS software. Staff added the tool now includes special-district records after a recent update.
Commissioners praised the project and supported submitting the tool for a CALAFCO project‑of‑the‑year nomination; staff said they would file the nomination on behalf of the commission.
The tool is already live on the Ventura LAFCO website and staff said they will consider future enhancements such as linking more directly to county data layers on request.
